Being induced next week. What actually happens.

[SparklyGothKat]

I'm currently 33+2. On Wednesday my waters broke. I've been in hospital and nothing has happened so I'm being sent home today and have to come back next week to be induced. How do they do it? And does it hurt!?

They will want to monitor the baby's heartbeat on a CTG monitor when you go in.

The midwife will do a vaginal examination to assess your body's readiness to go into labour. Then she will most likely insert a gel/pessary high up inside called either 'prostin' or 'propess'. This does the job of ripening your cervix and hopefully encouraging some contractions. Around 6 hours after this the midwife will want to examine you again to assess progress/see if labour is starting. If this is your first baby you may need second lot of gel/pessary and then wait again to see if that does the trick.

Your waters will be broken as soon as it is physically possible (i.e. your cervix is dilated enough) and a drip with a synthetic oxytocin hormone will be started to make your uterus contract. This will be left going until your baby is born (and for a bit of time afterwards).

Pain wise - the thing about being induced is that instead of your body gradually building up to labour (and thus creating naturally pain relieving endorphins), the contractions start rather suddenly so it can be more intense. However, I would say just go with an open mind as no two experiences will be the same.

Hope all goes well for you .

Thanks. She is number 5 but never been induced before.

Ah well if it's number 5 then fingers crossed a little tickle is all you'll need and your body will do the rest itself!

Stumbleine has covered all the basics. I was induced and it took 4 pessaries and then a syntoxin drip. Contractions still built up gradually though, the pain was totally manageable for about 12 hours then I had an epidural mainly because I was so tired, went to sleep and woke up and had my baby! Downside is that you're in hospital for the whole process and due to the drip (if you need it) it feels a pretty medical process. Upside is that it's all very controlled, no mad dash to get to the delivery unit.

I had similar thing - waters broke and they told me to come back in two days if nothing had happened. I wasn't going to have pessary - they were going straight to oxytocin drip. The midwife told me that almost everyone who is induced in this way ends up with an epidural because the contractions go from nothing to full on so quickly that you're body doesn't have time to adjust or try and deal with the pain naturally.
Though I can't imagine why after 4 already it should be any more painful or difficult for you.
As it happens after 14 hours they decided my waters hadn't broken and sent me home again!