is induction really that bad?

[Naomip88]

I'm 40 weeks today (official due date is tomorrow) and have been worried about induction, I've heard unpleasant things about it and I just wanted to hear peoples experiences both good and bad. The main reason I'm worried is that so many inductions end in emergency c sections (I've heard in some hospitals 1 in 2 inductions end in c sections) after a long, difficult labours which to me seems like the worst of both worlds. I have an appointment booked with a consultant next week to discuss having a planned c-section if things go on too long. Personally I'd rather let nature take its course but I know Drs don't like you to go over 2 weeks these days.

I had gave birth at 42 weeks without induction. That was a long, complicated and fairly horrific labour.

My second was induced 2 weeks early. It took a long while to get going after 2 pessaries, but when it did it was very intense and very fast, but a LOT more straightforward than my first.

I 'enjoyed' the induced labour a lot more

I had an induction - pessary x 2 (they can repeat it if it's not working) then waters broken (the relief) then drip.

Pessary was horrid, I won't lie. Had pretty much constant pain ('pessary pain') and not offered pain relief. However, I know now that pain relief is available whenever you need it, so don't be shy, don't think they will offer when they think you need it, ask for it. Gas and Air is a wonderful, wonderful invention.

Other than that, I was monitored intermittently, so spent 36 hours wandering the hospital, trying to dilate

I was induced with all 4 children. 2 says of pessaries, waters broken then drip to get contractions going. My labours were all quick (4hr 15 mins, 1hr 3 mins, 35 mins and last one was 1hr, 15 mins. The only issue I had was with my first labour, Ds' heart rate was dipping so I had an episiotomy and ventouse to her him out quickly, the other 3 births were problem free normal deliveries.

It's not always the bad experience you expect from horror stories read online.

I was induced via pessary at 10am, encouraged to walk around hospital/go on birthing ball/generally be as active as I could to get stuff going (I was 40+12 when I was induced so more than happy to do anything to get stuff going )

Anyway, contractions started at 4pm, I was in active labour by 8pm and DS was delivered by 1am the following morning. It all happened very quickly so it's a bit of a blur but I know they broke my waters at one point and also inserted a catheter as I was finding it hard to wee. I also had monitoring things attached to me throughout (and at one point to the baby's head) BUT although I know that sounds pretty rubbish it was actually the most amazing labour. My midwives were happy for me to move around throughout and only encouraged me to lie on the bed towards the end because there was an issue with DS' heart rate - I was even able to have a bath very early on. The pain was hard but it all happened so quickly I only had gas and air - and really the active labour was only about four hours, compared to some friends of mine who were in labour for up to 24 hours! I did tear but that was stitched up perfectly and have had no problems with it since - and I think a great deal of women who aren't induced also tear.

I echo PP though - put stuff on your birth plan (eg. skin to skin, being active rather than lying on the bed the whole time) and tell your midwives at the time what you want - or could you get your DP to if you think you might find it difficult?

It is hard if you have a particular birth plan in mind - I know I was initially gutted when I realised that induction would mean no MLU, no birthing pool etc but actually I wouldn't swap my experience now for anything. So I guess I'm saying just go with the flow if you can but at the same time do try to keep some elements of your previous birth plan. And definitely bring snacks!

Best of luck!

I was induced and had a 2 day labour and ended up with an emergency section. It obviously doesn't always happen that way (as many PP have had good induction stories), but I just wanted to offer my experience to balance it out.

It was pretty awful, but even if it does happen that way, you forget it pretty quick. Once my baby was here I wasn't really fussed about the ordeal to get him there.

I was induced with dc2 with the drip. I has ds 1 hour 54 minutes later! It was an excellent birth. Good luck!

I was induced at 37 weeks due to preeclampsia, they gave me the gel pessary at lunchtime, told me they'd top it up again 12hrs later. At 10pm while they were monitoring me, I rolled over and my waters went.

After that I went into 'full' labour, had a partial epidural to help bring my BP down, laboured for 12 hrs and had DD at 10am the next morning.

It wasn't as I'd envisaged it, but like so many PPs, I went in with a very flexible birth plan and I was happy with the outcome - and I still got the delayed clamping, skin to skin, etc, which I had asked for.

Contractions started spontaneously for me on day of booked induction, 12 days past due date. Still had to go to induction suite but no pessary required. They did have to break my waters in the end though. No horror story, it was painful but that's to be expected! TBH I'd avoid listening to too many birth stories, I heard loads of horror stories and it just isn't helpful. Baby will come when it's ready, you might need intervention you might not. All babies and all births are different, enjoy the rollercoaster! Its an exciting time

I was terrified about my induction, but it really was fine.

Mine was my second birth, after all-natural blah blah blah first birth.

Waters went at 38 weeks and baby found to be very small, so went straight onto drip, no pessaries.

I was still able to be fairly upright and active, despite continuous monitoring. The monitoring was quite fun tbh, seeing the strength of your contractions on the graph thingy.

I made very little progress from 10am to 7pm (3 cm) and they gave me 3 more hours til a C section, when I had diamorphine. (I'd just had gas and air and TENs up til then.)

Within half an hour of getting the diamorphine, I was pushing. Pushing stage lasted about 10 minutes (second baby though). The midwife said it sometimes happens like that, the morphine makes your body relax and just dilate. (Sometimes it can go the other way though and slow you down.)

If you are wired up and can't have a water birth, definitely get a TENs. I know they have mixed reviews but I found mine really worked as a sort of counter-sensation / distraction.

But mostly, go with the flow, try not to worry. As MrsCakes says, write alternatives for your plan rather than absolutes.

Good luck, I hope it goes well.

I was induced at 42 weeks with DS.

I like you was terrified! I'd read so much negative stuff about it hurting more and my dreamy, natural waterbirth was but a distant memory!

It was SO much better than I was expecting and that was WITH complications. I had my pessary at about 3 and then started with mild back ache and some wandering around at about 5, at 9 contractions well and truly started, I had a pop in the bath which was nice as I thought I wouldn't be able to due to the monitoring! I was so scared of them with holding pain medication until I was more dilated but they were really great and could see I was struggling and I was moved to labour ward, I had Gas and Air and then later I had Pethidine and laboured for about 7 hours before 40 mins of pushing. At this point DS was distressed and so we were taken to surgery given an emergency spinal, DS was quickly and safely delivered by forceps, on to my chest (after a speedy episiotomy)

It was basically exactly the medicalised birth I had dreaded but it really was as calm and relaxed as it could be in the circumstances. It very much seemed to go with the flow and I recovered very quickly afterwards. I look back on it fondly and positively and wish that I hadn't got myself so upset before hand. I know that's just my experience and you can't generalise but I do feel inductions get an overly bad rap sometimes.

Good luck OP, there is no right or wrong way to give birth and as soon as it's over you will be meeting your gorgeous new squish!

Oh and as other PP have said, watching the contractions be monitored is quite fun! My favourite memory is DP wincing and going "ooh, that was the biggest yet!!" At each one...as though I didn't know!

It still makes me giggle now!

3 x induced (early) births here. 2 without the drip and one with the drip. All vaginal births and no problem - of course I have nothing to compare them to, so it may be that "natural" labour is much easier, but I have no issues with being induced.

I was induced at 36+1 due to suspected pre eclampsia. First pessary didn't really seem to do much, just mild period pains about 8 hours after going in. Second pessary went in 24 hours later at 2pm. By bed time I had been having stronger period pains and back ache for a few hours but not unmanageable. It started to ramp up at about 10pm. By about 12.30am I was in a lot of pain. All the pain was in my back, midwife checked me at about 1.10am and I was 2-3cm dilated. By about 1.40am I was 8cm dilated and DS was born at 2.31am. I had a pethidine injection but it didn't have time to kick in because I had him about 10 minutes later. They hadn't checked me before giving it to me. I had about 2 drags on gas and air because they didn't realise I was so far gone so were holding it off.

This was my first pregnancy so I've no idea what normal labour feels like but I'd say it was very painful but very short once it got going! My placenta didn't detach and I lost a lot of blood and ended up in theatre. But that might have been because I wasn't due for another 4 weeks rather than anything to do with the induction process.

Good luck!