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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Induction

29 replies

Lay123 · 24/03/2006 15:13

I am currently 4 days overdue with 1st and still no sign of anything, i booked in next Friday to have induction if nothing happens, however the thought of this scares me as it seems a long proceedure, has anyone had a induction and willing togive me some advice

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lucy5 · 24/03/2006 15:19

I was induced with dd. I went in at 8 in the morning and had dd about 9 that evening. The first few hours, I just sat around doing nothing. When the contractions strted it was quite quick, I used a tens machine. Then I slowed down and had to have a drip, I used gas and air and then had an epidural. It was the best thing I did , they somehow did it that by the time it came to push I could feel what I was doing and at one point I could have sat there with a cup of tea, if I had had access to one. I think the actual recorded labour was about 6 hours. I hope this isn't too much information, If there is anything you would like to know, just ask

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Lay123 · 24/03/2006 15:30

Thanks Lucy5

i've heard so many horrible stories about being induced, i also dont like the idea of being in hospital all that long. Glad yours went to plan, fingures cross mine does if it comes to it :)

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purplemonkeydishwasher · 24/03/2006 15:33

I was induced and like lucy5 I went in at 8 and had my ds at 9pm.
It took 2 lots of gel. first at 9am, some mild pains for most of the day. then 2nd lot at around 4ish. one hour later I started labour and it was very very quick after that!

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Lay123 · 24/03/2006 15:37

Thanks purple monkey

Sounds like being induced isnt as bad as people have made out to me, got to the point wear i am really fed up and want it out

lets hope mine goes aswell :)

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lucy5 · 24/03/2006 15:48

Im sure you will be fine!

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wools · 24/03/2006 15:53

I was induced with both my babies....The first one was horrendously long. I went in at 8am Sunday morning and didn't have him until 00.51 Wednesday morning. I had to have 3 lots of gel and my waters broken to get things moving. The second one was better - I had the gel at 11am Friday morning and gave birth at midday on Saturday - it took until 4pm that day for the contractions to start and they didn't get really bad until 10pm that night - my waters were eventually broken at 6am in the morning. I think it really does depend on the person and how ready your body is.
Wishing you all the best.

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Jackstini · 24/03/2006 16:31

Lay123 - just to let you know I am in the same position as you! was due 21st, sweep booked for 28th and induction due 31st. Know what you mean about being unsure of the procedure. Will keep checking to see how you are doing!

Thanks ladies for advice so far - hoping for one more like purple monkey or lucy - not like Wools first!

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helsi · 24/03/2006 18:25

I had a planned induction with dd as they did not want me to go over due date for various reasons. they put in the first lot of gel at 7pm and that was no problem at all. At 3am mild feelings started. Contractions gradually got stronger throughout the morning and they took me to delivery suite at 11am.
Induction itself is not a long procedure if the first application works. It is more frustrating if you have to have a couple of applications of gel.

It wasn't horrid for me. I was in labour no longer than anyone who has lengthy labours.

Everyone is different but there is nothing to say that those whose labour is long wouldn't have been like that anyway.

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TuttiFrutti · 24/03/2006 19:01

I have heard induction described as "trying to start an old car on a cold morning", but I think it does depend on how ready your body is. I went into hospital at 5 days overdue for a pregnancy complication and after examining me, they refused to induce me as my cervix was "unfavourable" and they said it "probably wouldn't take".

I went in again at 11 days overdue, and this time they did induce me. The gel was put on my cervix at 9pm, and within minutes I was having massive contractions 2 minutes apart. The labour was long, ending with a c-section at 8.45pm the next day, but that could have happened whether I'd been induced or not.

Basically, it might happen really quickly, or you might have hours of nothing happening... Take lots of magazines to read in case you have several hours of waiting for things to kick off. And good luck!

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Seona1973 · 24/03/2006 20:13

I was induced about 5 days after the due date (had pregnancy diabetes so they didnt want me to go too far over). I had had 2 membrane sweeps which were unsuccesfull but it did mean that I knew I was already 3cms dilated before the induction took place. As I was already dilated a bit I didnt need the prostin gel and the labour was started by breaking my waters. I had a drip to speed up contractions. I went in around 8am and had dd at 5.24pm (precisely...lol) so it was not a long complicated nightmare. Quite a quick first labour really, thank goodness!!

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Monkeybar · 24/03/2006 22:06

I was booked in to be induced with my first at 10 days over, I was HUGE and really swollen ankles and it was in July last year, a lovely hot summer, but really tough going!
Anyway, the week before (6 days over) my midwife did a membrane sweep which made me bleed, but didn't start anything off. The day of my induction, I got to hosp at 7.30, but when they stuck the belly monitor thing on a bit later in the morning, it turned out I had already started having contractions,(although I couldn't feel them at that stage) so I didn't actually have to be induced after all. Ended up having a bit of a nightmare, actually, ending up in with emergency C section, so maybe it would've been better if I HAD been induced!!
ALl I'm trying to say is that you might find that even at the last minute, your body goes into labour by itself.

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Lay123 · 26/03/2006 18:08

Thanks for all your advice, my ming is at rest i just have to wait and see how my body takes it, would be nice if it worked out like Lucy5.

Trying raspberry tea at the moment see if that kicks things hopefully will

Jackstini wishing you all the luck keep me posted how things go

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BettySpaghetti · 26/03/2006 18:14

I was induced 36 hours after my waters broke as I'd had no contractions or other signs of labouring starting but due to the risk of infection they had to get me started.

I went in on the morning and they started me on the drip at about 10am, DD was born by 2pm so very quick.

The down-side to the speed though was that the contractions came from nowhere - within minutes of the drip I was having very painful contractions, very close togther, no gradual build-up.

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Jackstini · 27/03/2006 13:30

Hi Lay - still here - been having 6 raspberry leaf tea capsules a day for the past 2 weeks but nothing moving yet!
Feel a bit better now I have read some of these stories though - good luck

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pepperpots · 27/03/2006 13:35

was induced twice ds1 induced at 38 wks labour was 3 hours 33 minutes and ds2 was induced at 37 weeks and labour lasted 58 mins

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Lay123 · 27/03/2006 13:47

Sounds like pepperpots had two very easy labours lets hope it goes like that

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cece · 27/03/2006 13:48

have you asked for a membrane sweep - may be enough to get you started?

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fairyjay · 27/03/2006 13:48

I was induced twice because of hbp.

DS was born at 10.13am after I had been induced just after 6 the previous evening. I felt nothing until 2am, and it all went fairly well - except for the midwife who wouldn't believe I was in labour.

DD was induced at 10.10am and was born at 11.29am - that made my eye's water!

On neither occasion was it awful, and I do think that sometimes one person's had experience can cloud many people's views. Don't worry, just focus on holding that little bundle!

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HandbagAddiction · 27/03/2006 13:54

Lay123, I also have had a fairly good experience of induction. Was induced at 40+5 after my waters broke and nothing else happened for 2 days. Had a gel pessary inserted at about midnight. Things started off quite slowly, I was given 2 paracetemol, told to sleep and dh was sent home. Sleep thing didn't work as things started to happen and I spent most of the night pacing up and down, reading my book using my TENS machine for pain relief. Despite my protestations that things were happening quite quickly, was told to relax and go and have a bath at 8am the next morning. It was only when I shouted through the bathroom door at 9am that I wanted to push that I was finally examined and found to be fully dilated! dd arrived 3 hours of pushing later without any additional pain relief at all - not even gas & air.

So, if I were to give any advice, if you're a first time Mum, midwives often believe that with an induction, things will be very slow. My advice would be to listen to your body and demand to be examined or looked at if you believe things are happening quicker than they would typically expect.

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Mosschops30 · 27/03/2006 14:00

I had a very good induction, only took 1 prostaglandin pessary. It was given at 8pm, I was having painful and irregular contractions at midnight when they gave me pethidine and I slept until 4am and found I was 6cm. ds was born at 10.35am so just under 7 hours active labour which was great.
I was worried about it, like you having heard lots of horror stories, but I wouldnt mind if I had to be induced again, it wasnt bad at all

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sunandmoon · 27/03/2006 14:20

I was booked for an induction on a Tuesday (i was 12 days overdue), the day before I booked myself for reflexology (I was trying everything to have a natural birth!), and on the Monday evening the contractions started so by the time I went to hospital on the Tuesday, my DD was making her way to this world all on her own. My midwife told me that I could have stayed 3 days at the maternity while being induced... I have to say that I was 48 hours in labour without being induce!!! So maybe try to have reflexology (it feels wonderful) before induction... it is always worthwile giving it a try!All the best

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KathrynWales · 27/03/2006 14:44

Hi

I was 15 days late with daughter (now 15) and was given a pessary to 'get things going'. It worked...within 2 hours I was in labour and the whole thing lasted only 7hrs from start to finish (1st pregnancy). apparently, the difference with induction is contractions are a bit more intense and therefore labour tends to be shorter...that was my experience anyway.

Am pregnant again now, and have been told they no longer wait 2 weeks to induce. Will only go 7 days max at my hospital. Have a feeling will have to go through induction again, given how long overdue I was last time...

Good luck !

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Jackstini · 28/03/2006 09:10

Well had got a sweep booked for today but midwife has called to cancel as they have too many emergencies on. Re-booked for tomorrow.
On the bright side I have had a show this morning!!!!! Although I realise it could still be ages until anything else happens....

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Lay123 · 28/03/2006 10:54

I have had my membrane Sweep last Thursday and nothing come of it, however had a show this morning and having had contraction 10-12 mins apart so fingures crossed

Cheers

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Jackstini · 28/03/2006 10:55

Great news Lay - my fingers are crossed for you!!

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