worried about induction of labour

[jfos84]

I'm now 40+6 and was at the midwife today for a sweep but she couldn't do it as cervix still closed. Apparently the baby is still pretty high (4/5 so not engaged) and is lying back to back. I've been booked for induction at 40+9, which I think is standard timing for here. It's been a pretty uneventful pregnancy up till now and I just feel like I've failed at the final hurdle. I'm also more upset than I thought I'd be about the loss of 'normal' labour-especially the not being at home with husband in the early stages (they start to induce at night so if it works I'll be on my own in hospital). I'm also sad that I'm unlikely to have an active labour or use the pool because of the drip and monitoring.

I know that in a weeks time I'll (hopefully) be having newborn cuddles and this will seem silly but have spent most of yesterday crying and can't sleep for worrying. Does anyone have a positive experience of induction to cheer me up a bit?

I do. With DC1, my waters broke about 4am but nothing was happening. It did take me a few seconds to realise that I hadn't suddenly developed incontinence and I had no control at all over the liquid running down the inside of my legs! Went back to bed as, despite it being my first I was not getting DH up at 4 to wind me up keep me company.

Rang the labour ward at 9 am, was told to pop in for monitoring at 11, sent home as nothing happening. Same story Friday morning.

Returned Friday night for induction, this was about a week before due date, but, like you baby not engaged.

I was given the pessaries Friday night, and again on Saturday morning, with absolutely no impact. Kept around all day Saturday bored to tears and very hot ( it was August 2004, we had a summer that year!)

Was taken to labour ward late Saturday ( about 9pm) for induction. First had IV antibiotics to reduce risk of infection due to waters already broken then the induction drip started at 10pm. My lovely midwife told us it would take 2 hours before contractions started. She sent DH home for shower/dinner/feed the cats and come back and told me to sleep.

On the dot of 2 hours later I was awoken by a contraction. DH was asleep next to me in an armchair. I read a book, the MW pottered around popping out to help elsewhere as needed while I left DH asleep as I was feeling grumpy and didn't want him annoying me

I woke him up as I threw up all over the floor!

After 7 hours I reached the pushing stage, 10 minutes later they were a bit concerned that DS was getting a bit unhappy so one big snip and on the next contraction DS shot out horizontally and plopped onto the table!

Time 7.13.

Unfortunately My placenta did'n't come out so I had to go for surgery, this really annoyed me as it meant I had to have a spinal after managing the whole labour on gas and air and one injection of Meptid.

To be honest, while it wasn't fun, it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I musth ave listened to too many horror stories. Went on to have 2 more, both CSs.

One piece of advice, induction can take ages, I was in from Friday night until Saturday night before things got interesting. Take plenty of distractions with you.

Why not delay the induction? 40+9 is very early really, most trusts will let you go 2 weeks over without any issues, and if you still didn't feel ready for induction you can choose to just go in for daily monitoring and wait it out until your body is ready or you get bored of waiting!

I know how you feel! I'm a week overdue and I feel like I'm failing at the last hurdle too. I've had no show and at my last appointment the baby wasn't engaged. I don't feel any closer to labour x

Please don't feel like you have failed. You will go into labour eventually, you are just considering the option of moving things along sooner for the sake of your baby. I was induced at 38 weeks due to previous pre eclampsia and I would be induced again without question if it was what me or my baby needed.
Induction really was fine, my sis who had an all natural birth had a much worse time tbh. I had a pessary at 9am, another at 3, waters went at 8pm, drip started etc and ds was born at 3.15am. Wasn't really in any discomfort until about an hour before my waters went and was active up until I went on the drip. I did need an episiotomy and forceps but it really was fine. Try and focus on meeting your beautiful baby. As others have said, you can choose to wait it out but IMO 40+9 is long enough!

I was induced with all 3 of mine. 1st one took a while but once started went quick. Second ine was quicker and third wad veey quick.

I enjoyed all of it. Was very exciting and was good because I could get prepared have a good shave :)

It was nice and relaxingr me and dh went for lunch went for walks family visited so all in all lovely

Try not to worry really you are not a failure you will deluver the your lovely baby soon and hopefully have lovely happy memories how ever little one makes there entrance

I've an induction booked for Monday, I asked the midwife about an active labour and she said first my waters would be broken and I'd be told to walk around to encourage things to start on their own so I'd still be able to have an active labour and pool. If nothing happens then I'll have to have a drip but she said you can move the drip around and walk about to keep active so you don't need to be confined to the bed.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that we both go on our own before then though!

Try not to worry, it isn't as bad as you think and you just get through it. You do forget about it pretty quickly and I know it sounds soppy but it really is all worth it.

Like you I had to be induced and was scared. I d heard horrible things about the drip and got myself in a real state. The first induction didn't work but I was quite glad as,it allowed me more time to get my head around,it. I naively had only thought about a birth which started at home and just was not prepared mentally for anything else.

It will be fine and use this time to prepare yourself mentally. The good thing about induction is you are in the,hospital already, it tends to go quicker and you can think to yourself wow I am going to have my baby in my arms soon. It does start more intensely than if you weren't induced but I tried to see this as a positive as I was,perhaps,further along with it.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone, I'm just happy to hear positive things! It has made me feel loads better, I just needed a bit of time to get my head around it. I didn't really get a chance to talk to the midwife properly in clinic as it was really overbooked and she clearly just wanted us out the door ASAP so am planning on asking a bit more when I go in on Sunday. It doesn't help that no-one in my family has needed induced - cue LOTS of anxiety that 'something must be wrong' from all involved. I think I'll spend (yet another) day walking to the supermarket a mile away to buy a pineapple and eat it while drinking raspberry tea!

Was induced with DC2. went in to the hospital at 11am, and had the gel/tablet/whatever it is inserted by around 1pm. was encouraged to pootle about, so did, went and ran a bath to pass the time, had barely been in it for ten mins when my waters went so had to get out - that was around 4pm - no drip or anything needed, delivered him at 7.30pm.

Having an induced labour doesn't always automatically mean lots of intervention and a long slow painful labour :)

It's your choice whether you want to be induced at 40+9. Obviously that is standard for a reason, however I've heard plenty of situations where people didn't want to be induced for going overdue (and overdue is a relative concept anyway) and they agreed on additional scans/monitoring of baby & placenta once they went nearer 42w.

On the point of induction, agree with some other posters that it doesn't necessarily mean a slow or difficult labour. I was induced with DS1 at 38+1 and all it took was 1 pessary and having my waters broken. My labour lasted 3 hours.

My induction with dc2 was extremely positive. I was induced 4 days past term due to my waters going, meconium and no labour.

As it was dc2 I was put straight on the syntocinon drip. 1 hour 54 minutes later baby came out easily in about 5 pushes. Easy, straightforward, quick, relaxed, calm and lovely. Sooooo much better than my first 'natural' labour which was nothing like the above!

Good luck!

I was induced with DCs 1 & 3 - and had an otherwise natural birth with both of them - just a little gas and air. DC3 was born in water as well. So I think it depends on how far down the induction route you go. Remember you can say 'No'.

In fact with DC3 they tried to induce me 2 days in a row at 41 weeks, but nothing happened and at 41+2 they said they were going to break my waters, and I decided against it and went home. Came back in at 42 weeks, and think I was probably very ready then, as they broke my waters and things happened very quickly after that. Good luck...

Please don't feel you have to be induced after what sounds like a very brief discussion from your midwife. You ideally should have been given a choice, rather than a 'here's your induction date' chat. As previous posters have said, 40+9 is actually quite early to induce, most units go for 40+12/14, so it might be worth considering delaying it by a few days if you would feel happy to? The reason it is considered 'necessary' to induce for going overdue is that it is argued that the placenta starts to become less efficient- however, the risk of any complications arising from this only really starts once you reach 40+14, and the risk of any complications is only veeeery slightly increased to if you gave birth at 39 weeks (if that makes sense?)
I also like to see it as this, if your body has successfully conceived and grown a baby, why would it forget what to do for the last stage ? So you most definitely haven't failed, your body knows what it's doing!
Good luck!x

I was induced at 40+12. Pessary inserted, 24 hrs later waters broken and 2 hours later the syntocin drip was started. I had a great midwife who arranged all the equipment so I could labour standing / sat on a ball and from start of drip to delivery was just under 4 hours with just 15 minutes of pushing. Really was ok - had heard horror stories and was terrified but my experience was great! Didn't have an epidural (really don't like needles). Hope yours goes well though unless there's good reason I'd hold off for a few days yet.