Are there any positive induction stories....please?

[Slippers101]

Hi all,

Have had a nightmare pregnancy with hyperemesis throughout and have lost track of the number of hospital admissions due to dehydration. All the way through I've been desperate to have a natural birth. I've had contractions for the last three weeks, often going down to every 5 minutes and have had three midwives tell me that I'm in labour and the birth is imminent. Still no baby...

I'm now booked in for induction tomorrow morning and it appears that everybody has a negative story, from very long labours to lots of interventions. People on mumsnet have been so wonderful and supportive about things in the past, I was just wondering if any of you have had any positive induction experiences to stop me dreading tomorrow quite so much.

Thanks for reading and I'll keep my fingers firmly crossed.

Best of luck for tomorrow Slippers, I had an induction with DS, he was two weeks late, I had low fluid and was classed as high risk because of this. Was terrified of the cascade of interventions I'd been warned of...

In the event, it was just fine, the gel was all that was needed to get things moving, no further interventions, and despite being strapped up to heartbeat and contraction monitors I could still move, not once was I on my back, it was all fine -- and not too long either (baby was out just under 12 hrs after I had the gel pessary).

I hope you get lots of reassurance and can rest as well as possible tonight. I found the nerves the night before were awful and despite the pain, it was so much easier to deal with once it all got going.

Thank you so much, really thoughtful of you to post. I feel a bit more positive already! X

Hi.
I was induced at 41+6 and it was absolutely fine. I was really worried about being induced so can understand how you feel.
The gel was used at 10pm and I started having contractions at 11pm (although the horrible midwife refused to believe that I was in labour so soon and I had to walk around the ward to find someone who would)
I went down to the delivery suite at about midnight and DD was born without any other intervention, other than having my waters broken (but that was because DD was quite happy where she was and was not happy at being encouraged to move ).
I was put on the monitor about every hour for about 10 mins each time but I was able to move about as much as I wanted between this and even managed to get in a warm bath (birthing pool was in use )

DD was born at 6am so my labour was 7 hours from the first contraction.
I had heard bad things about inductions but as my midwife told me, people only tend to pass on the horror stories because they don't see the point of mentioning induction if it all went without problems. #
She also said that in her experience the ladies who needed intervention like forceps/emergency section would have probably needed them even if they had gone into spontaneous labour.

Hope this makes you feel a bit better and good luck

I went in to be induced at 41 + 6 with DS2.

They checked me when I arrived and I was already 3cm dilated (hadn't had a twinge of pain) so they broke my waters and DS" was born 48 mins later!

You never know, the contractions that you have been having already might have been getting things ready so you will hopefully need minimum intervention to kick things off......

Good luck :)

I was induced twice, both times at T+12 days.

Both times contractions started after first dose of gel and lasted all day but very manageable with paracetmol etc. I dilated enough for my waters to be broken. With dd1 I had very strong contractions immediately after they broke my waters and she was born within 30 minutes- I should have asked for stonger pain relief before they broke my waters as there wasn't enough time after...with dd2 I did just that and she was born about an hour or so after they broke my waters- I also requested an episiotomy as I had torn with my first two children so they gave me a small cut after my first push and dd2 was born very easily. It was great.

Hope it all goes well!

I've nothing to compare it to as I only had inductions but they were fine, particularly the last one which was break waters, 1.5 hours later baby born.

Incidentally, I had an epidural with my middle labour and it was completely fantastic. I think a lot of store is set by the "cascade of interventions."

Whatever happens you are going to feel a hell of a lot better for delivering the baby. End is in sight: I have huge sympathy for the hyperemesis.

I have two friends who ended up with inductions - both pretty good experiences. One was induced early because of a medical condition. The other was in a situation similar to yours - she had been in natural labour for about 5 days then suddenly seemed to stop progressing - the gel helped things along and everything was fine.

Good luck - you'll be meeting your baby tomorrow!!
If you need things to do, make sure you've got lots of meals stocked up so no-one has to do any cooking for a couple of days. You'll be free of sickness too!

Sorry you're feeling tired and worried slippers, the wait at the end is unbearable.

I was induced at 40+10 - they gave me a hormone tablet orally and told me to go for a walk, contractions started properly about 2 hours later, waters broke about 2 hours after that and then from there on it went very fast. The whole thing took about 7 hours start to finish and I managed it all with breathing and then G&A for the pushing stage. I was not on my back at all, although I was being monitored throughout. It was a completely normal birth with no interventions whatsoever and the comment from the midwife as I was on the way to the ward was 'you did really well, that was really straightforward - you should consider a homebirth next time' (which I am doing btw!)

Similar to you I'd been having contractions at night for about 4 or 5 nights before the induction but it never became established - I know how frustrating that is. One good thing was that when I came in for induction and they examined me I was 2cm already so all the contractions you're having will probably be helping you along and hopefully you just need a little nudge over the edge from some hormones and you'll be off

GOOD LUCK for tomorrow!!! come back and tell us how it goes.

I felt so down earlier but all your posts have made me feel so much more positive and so much happier- a huge, huge thank you for taking the time. It does always seem the way that people seem happier sharing a horror story so am so pleased I've now got some positive stories to counteract them. Feels so strange thinking that tomorrow I might have a baby!! Thanks again x

:) Come back and let us know how you get on :)

Sending you lots of positive birthing vibes....

I had two inductions.

First was fab, very gentle and slow to get moving then the pains got stronger. After a while I was offered an epidural as I had been awake so long that I was getting exhausted. It was a long labour but really very manageable, and a lovely birth experience.

Second induction was not so sucessful as they kept upping the meds, so that I moved from having no contractions to having strong contractions within a couple of hours, it was so strong that the baby was in distress and to be on the safe side, I had a CS.

My gynae (who was not present at the birth of my DS) later said that the CS would not have been necessary if the induction had been managed better. She was very angry with the hospital, said that this was not normal.

I would suggest you have a good chat with the doctor, tell him that you know that the induction is necessary but you would like as little intervention as possible, you would like to be mobile and not to be rushed.

Good luck.

I was induced at 38 weeks with my first - small baby, not growing, low fluid etc. Despite no sign of 'softening' I just needed 2 pessaries and DS was born 12 hrs after the second - no other intervention. Just gas & air, lots of bad words and half a pethidine (apparently I was a little tense and needed the latter...).

Don't worry - intervention isn't always bad and if it means you and your baby come out fine then thats a good thing. It also means no late night rush to hospital in labour...

I've had 2 inductions, both wonderful experiences. My 2nd DD was induced at 41+3, given one dose of gel and that was enough to get me going, was given gel at 10am had her at 5.00pm that evening, had DH and my Mum with me, spent most of labour sitting in canteen playing cards (had a roast dinner!) walking outside just got intense the last hour and a half, DD was out after 2 pushes.

Initially I was disappointed to be induced with DS as I had really wanted a homebirth but he was 12 days overdue and I was thoroughly fed up! They broke my waters at 2.30pm, put me on a syntocin drip immediately and he was born at 8.30pm, contracting while watching X factor lol. The midwife knew I had wanted a home birth so dimmed the lights for me and left me alone most of the time but assured me she was right outside the room when I needed her. It was a wonderful birth and he was born at 8.30pm weighing a very healthy 10lbs 13.5ozs with just G&A, no tears or stitches.

People only like to tell you the horror stories but both my inductions went very smoothly, much better than my first natural birth with DD1. I would have no problem being induced again this time round.

Good luck, hope you have a great birth experience x

I was induced at 40 weeks +15 days. Just had one dose of the pessary gel. Contractions began a few hours later and the birth was 8 hours from first contraction. All fine and a positive experience! Don't worry. Good luck!

I have had 2 inductions both were great.
1st one was because I was term +13, I needed drip and waters broken but things got cracking pretty fast and baby arrived within about 8 hours
2nd time was because my waters had gone but no labour- turned out it was just the forewaters (i think), they gave me a pessary and that was all I needed.Took an hour or so to start working. Rest of waters went after 3 or 4 hours and baby arrived very soon after, labour was about 7 hours in total that time!!

So it can be absolutely fine! Best of luck tomorrow

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your experiences made me feel so much more relaxed and at ease with the thought of being induced that I went into labour last night and had my beautiful baby daughter this morning, just hours before our induction appointment!

It meant so much that you all took the time to post your experiences, I can't thank you enough x

I didn't post but have read your thread and just wanted to say congratulations! So glad you had the natural birth you wanted (and it has put my mind at ease too if I do have to be induced for any reason as I too was very nervous about complications that can arise)

Congratulations on your daughter!

Congratulations!! Really, really pleased for you :)

Hurrah. Congratulations, glad that you were able to avoid the induction.

I was about to say that I had a very benign induction myself, but I see I'm too late!

Congratulations - what a lovely post to read!

Ah, too late with my induction story! Congratulations :)

What a lovely story - congratulations!

hah! was just coming to tell you of my lovely induction... CONGRATS!