Being induced tomorrow - any top tips?

[babyincubator]

Tomorrow, I'm being induced! Gulp - first pregnancy so no idea what labour is like anyway... just wondered if anyone had any top tips for induction?

My due date is Monday but due to high blood pressure and low fluid, the hospital want to induce me - i'll stay in overnight tomorrow for the first gel and then get the real induction gel on Monday morning - so in theory, should have baby by Monday afternoon...

Any top tips?? xx

Take lots of magazines, puzzle books (whatever floats your boat for entertainment!) snacks and drinks! Second time I was induced dh and I took the laptop and dvds to watch, though contractions kicked off pretty fast and we only got to watch them after dd2 was born! Good luck, hope it all goes smoothly for you and youre holding your beautiful baby Monday afternoon!

Keep as active as you can. Go for a walk, sit upright, do some exercises. Don't let them strap you to a monitor and keep you bed-bound.

Good luck - very exciting!

Once they let you get up and walk around start doing laps of the car park (or similar) with some lunging strides. I did this and found walking and breathing through the pain really worked. keep moving even when you don't think you can go on anymore.
The main thing is not to panic when it does start to hurt. You can do it! Time the length of your contractions so that your partner can count aloud through them and you know when its at its worst and when it will ease up.
I think position in labour is probably more important than in spontanteous labour because you've artificially started the process. So try to keep up right or on all fours if you can't manage walking.
And when you do need pain relief don't let anyone fob you off! Get what you need!!
Good luck.

I would stop thinking the baby is going to be in your arms by Monday afternoon - hopefully that's what will happen but it can take a few days and a LOT of gel to get things moving. Don't set yourself up for disappointment by thinking it's going to be quick.

Keeping moving is very important and if you are in for a long labour I would think about friends or relatives who can come in and keep you company whilst your dp gets a bit of rest. He will be a better birth partenr if he isn't totally exhausted - he doesn't get the adrenaline kick you will to keep going.

Try to make yourself as comfortable as you would be at home, I asked not to have strip lighting on and I wanted to be left alone as much as possible. If you can relax your body is more likely to comply with the induction. Good luck!

I would second everything bumbums said but also, if you end up on a drip keep a careful eye (or get birthing partner to)on the midwife increasing the dose. Mine got a bit trigger happy and kept increasing it even when I was well into established labour, leading to contractions being so close and strong that DS got distressed. I don't think she realised how dilated I actually was and I think if she had just left it we would have been fine. Outcome was ok, but I was in theatre, a minute away from an emergency CS.

If your contractions are strong and close together, check whether they definitely need to increase the dose - they can examine you to see how far along you are.

Good luck

Thanks everyone - really helpful - just off to buy some magazines and DVDs... any other advice most welcome - am trying to be calm but all feels rather strange really. I'd hoped to do it all naturally but unless anything magic happens in next 24 hours, I'll be induced...

I've had 2 inductions, and 1 normal labour. Induction can make some people very sick. If you start to throw up (or even feel sick), start asking for anti-emetic medication (Tablets you put between gum and cheek) or injections.
If you are feeling or being sick, it will get a LOT worse if they need to turn up the induction medication. Both times this happened to me, and both time the labours were more than 24hrs (from proper pains to the birth), and with the second my consultant said it was repeated vomiting that pushed the baby out - not contractions! He was amused, I wasn't!
despite my history of vomiting during the 1st induction I really had to push for the injection (works better and faster than the tablets) second time round, so if you are unlucky enough to be one of the small percentage of women who suffer the same reaction, speak up and ask for the drugs sooner, rather than later.

crikey, thanks oldmum42; i hadn't realised that i'll be vomiting... oh gawd, it's too late to turn back the clocks!

I've had 3 inductions.

As others have said, it can take a long time for things to get going so don't put too much hope on the baby arriving by Monday afternoon. Nice if it happens but don't be too disappointed if it ends up taking an extra day or two.

Don't be too surprised if it takes a long time for the MWs to get around to giving you the gel etc. The ward tends to get very busy and so someone who's further along with contractions will understandably take priority over someone who hasn't yet started the process. I was usually told to be there for about 9am but didn't get the gel until lunchtime or later.

Lots of walking around can really help, even when it hurts.

Ask for pain relief as soon as you feel that you need it. Sometimes there can be a big delay between asking and actually receiving, depending on how busy the MWs are.

Don't worry too much about being sick. It can affect some people that way but not everyone. I wasn't sick at all for any of mine.

Good luck for tomorrow/Monday.

Good luck for tommorrow - I hope you are into labour quick, but i want to second what the others have said that it isn't always a quick (or guaranteed!) process. I went in all chirpy expecting to go into labour, but after 5 days they had to give up and do a section! i know thats worst case, but it certainly isn't rare - prepare for the longhaul and if it happens quicker then its a bonus! by day 4 i was going out of my mind with boredom and disappointment! good luck

Good luck for tomorrow. I had an induction with the first and my sister in law who was a gp at the time said it is stronger than natural labour so don't feel disappointed in yourself if you do end up needing extra pain relief. I did find this helpful as I had a birth plan which was very much anti pain relief etc. Second piece of advice would be don't be so keen on hoping it happens naturally that you eat a strong curry tonight - it really isn't good the next day and I regretted it.

Be prepared that it might take a day or so to get going. Take plenty to read. I coped with tens/hot bath/ pethidine/ g&A once I got moved to the labour suite and they put me on the syntocin drip. Have nothing to compare it to, but the contractions were manageable. it was only afterwards I read that epidurals were common with induction because of the intensity...

magazines and DVDs... ???? hmm I dont quite recall reading magazines but there you go!!!!

OK, but my suggestion is lots and lots of water (in the squeezy bottles if poss) , and something nice and comfy to wear afterwards

and some snacks, coukd have done with them!

GOOD LUCK!

i would really recomend having a TENS machine! i've been induced 3 times and with all of them had quite storng Prostin pains! they had some dilating effect in the end but they were still quite painful!

but you're probably well on your way to having your baby by now! hope it all goes well!