What's it like being induced? Terrified

[Loislane78]

16+4 so it's a way off but just freaked out as was told by MW today that since I'm on Clexane injections (previous clotting issue) they might want to induce me so I'm a little early and they can control my injections.

Can deal with 9 months of injections but not happy about potential induction, have heard things....long pokey needles and 3 day labours etc. I'm more bothered about that than pain relief options!

Sorry to sound dramatic, help from fellow ladies with experience gratefully rec'd!!!

Don't panic (sorry been reading Douglas Adams)

I've been induced three times and all three have been different, I think the most important thing to say is it was fine, three beautiful baby boys born from three totally different labours. No cascades of intervention, nothing exciting to write home about except I had none of the 'is this it?' moments and no panicked drive to hospital and certainly no long pokey needles thank God (do you mean having your waters broken? I had that, it made me laugh, very unusual sensation but not bad) So, in a nutshell, it's fine

The induction was fine.

The 36 hours in labour afterwards were a bit sting-y though.....

(In mitigation DD was posterior)

I was induced at eleven days late. It was fine! Really fine. Didn't even realise I'd gone into labour until I was a few cm dilated [idiot face].

ps had no pokey needles; 16 hour labour; some intervention (hormone drip to speed things up, plus monitoring) but was still able to move around and didn't need anything stronger than gas and air

I was induced at 36 weeks. It really was fine. There was 24 hours of musical beds in the hospital to start, but once the induction process began it was all pretty fast.
It was great not to have to deal with waters breaking somewhere random, (or somewhere I'd have to clean up) & not needing to figure out when was too soon to go into hospital etc.

ps, didn't feel pokey needle, no drip, 3 hours from waters breaking to baby arriving :)

induced at 12 days over with my first- didn't need the drip, 2 pessaries (one in the morning, one mid afternoon) got things going fine. Went very quickly in the end. an hour and a half from 1cm to 8cm. Eek- but only used gas and air and was actually totally ok.

the only thing that puts me off being induced again is the fact that i'd have to wait all those extra days, IYSWIM! (currently 38 weeks and not likeing the thought of another 4 weeks of this!!!!)

Good luck OP, please don't let this shade the rest of your pregnancy. i hope it goes well for you!!

With DS3 I had the hormone drip (is it a hormone, syntocin?) and even though things were going pear shaped (the reason for the induction not because of it) and I was catheterized with a drip in each hand and constant monitoring I still managed an active labour (just had a flotilla of midwives following with drip stands/catheter bag/monitor when I had a wander). Little bugger had a HUGE head, wish I'd been induced earlier (was +12)

I was induced at 38 weeks with DS2 due to Gestational Diabetes and it was fine. Waters broken contractions started an hour later with no drugs. Baby 6 hours after waters broken with no pain relief. It really doesn't have to be bad.

4 inductions and 4 different experiences but no assisted deliveries, 2 of them were rather long and 2 short. No hideous tears or anything so don't panic - the one that went best was the one I was completely relaxed about.

I'd learnt by then that a 3 day labour was nothing compared to baby with undiagnosed silent reflux who screamed loads and didn't sleep for 6 months

Thanks ladies, may have over-reacted a tad :) Some work colleagues like to share their horror stories...

This is my first and at this stage am just focusing on getting over the next scan so hadn't given it a lot of thought. As you say, some benefits in no mad dash to hospital or unsure whether 'this is it' so will focus on that ;)

As long as everyone is healthy, will be coming out one way or the other!

Best to y'all ;)

I was induced using the pessary thingy and it was no more unpleasant than a smear test. I started with mild contractions not long after but they faded away so my waters were broken the next day and that was the same - just uncomfortable but certainly not painful. From then on labour progressed pretty fast.

Later on things went a bit pear shaped but I don't think that's anything to do with being induced!

I would have no problem being induced again. Like someone else said, it takes away the 'shall I go to hospital?' dilemma too as that was one of my worries - being told to go home.