Being induced tomorrow

[jbee1979]

...at 40+6. I'm 35 and apparently the placenta looks tired.

I'd appreciate your experiences - I am terrified!!

I've had 2 sweeps, first unsuccessful and 2nd successful-ish. Tuesday, 1cm dilated.

They tell me to arrive at hospital at 7.30 tomorrow, they'll put in a pessary, leave it for 24hrs then put up a drip to start contractions if they haven't started already.

A girl I know went through the same in Feb and was started at the same time and went on to give birth at 11.30pm the following day. It took a long time for her. Should I be prepared for a 40hr wait to meet my baby?

I'm ready, house is tidy, made DH sandwiches for the hospital (I literally have nothing else to do!). I'm well rested so now I have time on my hands to freak out!!

please tell me your experiences!

I was induced last week at 38 weeks. Pessary at noon, then another at 6pm. Mild contractions from 9pm. Broke my waters at 1.45am and DD2 was with us at 3.20. Loads faster that with DD1. You will go 0-60 very quickly with the drip, though, so make sure you're clear on any pain relief you want

I was induced with a pessary on a Saturday tea time and dd1 didn't arrive until the Tuesday morning

Took ages to get into established labour but once I did it went quickly

If they put you on a drip, my advice would be to ask for an epidural as soon as possible

Thanks for your quick replies!! I imagine you're both up early with babies!!

funny, the midwife said it would be more painful.

This is my first baby, so I have nothing to compare it to - I'm expecting pain!

she said, "don't be a hero though, you don't need to suffer".

I haven't thought much about pain relief - if they did samples I'd know what is good and what agrees with me. At the moment the different forms are just words to me! I thought I'd just "wing it" and be sure to let the midwife know if I was too uncomfortable!

I was induced at 42 weeks, had one pessary and started with mild contractions 3 hours later which ramped up pretty quickly.

It could be a long wait but as you are overdue anyway it could happen quickly for you.

I was surprised at how thick and fast they came once they started but I was taken straight to labour ward and went on gas and air then requested a pethadine shot.

I was in labour for a total of 9 hours from first contraction to having DS in my arms so it wasn't too long considering it was my first. He was delivered by forceps.

Overall I had a good induction experience. It's scary but there are a lot of horror stories out there about induction and its not always as bad as it's made out to be.

Good luck and congratulations- you get to meet your LO so soon!

I spent 12 hours being induced with a drip (no pessary) and it did nothing. Had some mild contractions, like fairly bad period pain, gas and air sorted them right out. Ended up with an EMCS. DS just did not want to be born! It was all totally fine, pretty pain free and 5 months later it feels like I didn't have a labour at all really.

I was 40+5 when induced

I was induced with both of mine. Ds took 12 hours with one pessary and the drip. Dd took 6 hours with breaking my waters and the drip. Both times were manageable on gas and air.

reading your update.

Gas and Air is fairly mild pain relief but is pleasant enough- some people don't like or enjoy the feeling it gives them though. I kept forgetting I had to take it!

Pethadine is essentially medical grade morphine! Its strong stuff but did take the edge off and made me sleepy enough to sleep between contractions. It does cross the placenta so they won't give it if you are very close to giving birth as it can make a new born a bit drowsy/difficult to feed. With your first, you should have time to have it if you request it early on. I was given another half dose later in my labour but DS came out fine and wasn't too drowsy to feed or anything.

That's just my experience of the two most common pain killers but obviously everyone is different!

Lol not up with a baby, my induction story is a bit older now (13 years) but I know it's not an uncommon one

I was 40+13 by the time dd was born

Was induced with my second pregnancy at 38 weeks due to gestational diabetes, the pessary took an age to work and I had two, the second of which gave me hyper stimulation with 9 contractions in 10 minutes, I was dilated after that but had to wait for a 'spot' to get my waters broken so a lot of waiting about which I wasn't mentally prepared for (Friday morning - Monday evening). However, once I got going on the drip after my epidural it was four hours from start to finish and a very pleasant experience. I initially had doubts about the epidural and asked them to turn it off at one point so I could try to get up to walk, but the pain was intense and very different to the contractions I'd had with DD 1 when the contractions built up more naturally.
You will be fine, just be open minded to how long it can take and pain relief!
Good luck.

I was induced at 41+5. My advise to you would be to keep an open mind especially about pain relief. Don't be a hero. It HURTS. It's not natural labour and the contractions are very strong especially when they turn the drip up and they WILL keep turning the drip up (until it hurts).

Epidural was fantastic for me. I felt nothing I even went to sleep at one point.

Also keep an open mind about interventions. I don't know a single woman who was induced that didn't end up with one form of intervention or another. A lot of these people (including) myself ended up with EMCS.

You'll be fine. Trust the doctors and midwives. Take the pain relief!

This is fantastic - I'm reading and rereading all your posts!! Thank you so much.

18years - lol, I thought you were up with a baby as your memories sound very vivid!! :-)

I'm open to any kind of intervention - explained to DH about EMCS so he won't be scared. I just want to get the baby out as quickly and safely as possible - I'm not scared about CS at all. We lost a baby at 12 + 4 last year and I've been pregnant for a year out of the last 16mths, I am so ready to have this baby - I won't be complaining or refusing anything that helps me to have him/her in my arms!!

I've had morphine before - so that opens my eyes to the possibility of pethidine. I loved it at the time, but I had a serious "low" the following day - woke up crying and didn't stop all day!

This is sooooo NOT what I expected already! I expected to go into labour early, have waters-breaking drama etc. It's not like TV. I suppose I should know to expect the unexpected for tomorrow!!

Haha I felt exactly the same! Thought it would all be a very dramatic waters breaking and a rush to hospital in the middle of the night.

In reality my due date came and went and went a bit more

When my midwife examined me after the 24 hour pessary I was given a score of 1 on the scale out of (I think 10) meaning I was about as 'unfavourable' on the 'likelihood of giving birth' scale as possible.

They were all fantastic. Absolutely fantastic I couldn't have asked for more. The EMCS was nowhere near as frightening as I thought it would be. I was up and about the next day and back to normal after a week.

How exciting that you will get to meet your baby soon! All the best!

Thanks captain. They scored me as "2" last Friday when they attempted first sweep, and when I wasn't dilated at all - so now I'm a whole 1cm dilated I hope that gives me an extra point or two!

I have to get up and get out of my pj's - this time tomorrow I'll be in hospital with a pessary in!

can I walk about after they insert it? I'm not a hospital fan - I will go crazy if I can't get out for some air occasionally!! I dread staring at the curtains and other patients and my phone until I feel sick!!

Being induced was my best birth by a country mile (out of 3)! I missed out the pessary (previous c-section) and went straight on the drip. I was offered an epidural, the anaesthetist came, talked me through it and said 'It's your choice entirely. I can do it now, before we start the drip or we can do it later. You might have to wait a bit if I'm busy but either is possible.' Then he left the room to let DH and I talk. I decided to have the epidural immediately and the MW said she thought I'd made the right decision, as the drip can be rather full-on. I dozed through my contractions, MW told me when it was time to push. 30 mins after starting to push, I caught my baby as she was born

Funny bit - as soon as DC3's head emerged, she started crying. Once the head's out, the baby rotates so that the shoulders can come through. DH said it was like something out the Exorcist, as he watched this crying baby's head that was sticking out my fanjo turn slowly towards him...

I had the hormone drip to speed up things after my waters broke with meconium in them (lovely!).

Waters broke midday, put on drip at four and baby arrived at ten. The gap between midday-four was due to me showering, getting to the hospital and midwives monitoring me and deciding what to do.

Almost accidentally I had no pain relief; didn't like gas and air and by the time I thought "right I could do with an epidural now" it was time to push so it didn't seem worth it. I did a lot of deep yoga breathing and spent most of the time on all fours.

I've read a lot of hormone induced horror stories (post-birth, not before!) and found my experience was the polar opposite. Not trying to dispute or diminish them, but just wanted to let you know that it can be alright!

In a labour haze, I didn't think to take my top off before they put the cannula in (warning: this is painful and messy. I almost quit there!) and wish I had - got rather hot and sweaty! Also, take cartons of drink. There's not much gap between contractions so it's easier to drink that way.

Good luck!

Should add, I didn't have any interventions, she was out in 4 pushes. But that was my second baby. Definitely take the pain relief - I was offered an epidural but it all moved too fast so I had pethadine. Too quick to cross the placenta so DD was fine but I was off my tits for the pushing

awww that's lovely poledra. even the Exorcist bit!

DH won't be anywhere near my fanjo though. I have been begging for his "help" to get things moving naturally with no success.

The thought of seeing the 'exit' door at present freaks him out, I couldn't imagine what he'd be like if he saw our baby halfway out!!

why didn't you have the pessary? I suppose if it's to help you dilate and you're already dilating? I'm very interested in skipping a step or two!! lol

I have been induced with all 4 of my children at around 38 weeks each time due to my blood pressure. The pessaries never did anything really so I had the drip each time but once it got going my labours were very fast. (4hrs, 15 mins, 1 hour 6 mins, 35 mins(!) and 1 hour, 20 mins). I had an epidural with my first baby before I'd even felt a contraction as the midwives advised me to because of how high my blood pressure was, but just gas and air with the other 3. It is painful but as I've never laboured naturally I have nothing to compare it to and I found it bearable.

I have read loads of horror stories about induction online but my experience is that it is fine. It's a bit boring hanging around waiting for things to happen but that's the only negative I could think of.

Good luck with your labour and I hope you get to hold your new baby soon.

DH has put a couple of movies on the Ipad for me Kim - I think I'd be happy with your 35 min labour lol IMPATIENT NOW!!

Thank you so much for all the responses ladies, this thread has really helped

Had my baby just over a year ago.

Induced at 39weeks due to gestational diabetes. Induction process started on a Monday with the pessary but didn't have DD until Wednesday evening. They broke my waters early wed morning (it was a close call almost a C-section). I had to have an epidural for various health reasons so can't say what its like without it. Wasn't massively helpful for the feeling of pressure which i found very intense. Gas and Air was fantastic!

Once the drip started it was all pretty fast. Within 6 hrs for me. No intervention but i did tear because DD shot out like a bullet! Good luck.

jbee, I skipped the pessary because I'd previously had a c-section (I'm a bit shit at that giving-birth malarkey!). In my hospital, they used the drip to induce mothers who'd had a previous section because they considered it safer. If there were any issues with the section scar, they can whip out the drip immediately.

You can walk about with the pessary no problems, some ladies go home with them... Maybe you won't need it if you're 2 cm, I only got to two then they broke my waters.
And also I didn't have any intervention!

Have a curry and then rhubarb and custard with an afternoon walk before hand. I did this at 40 + 6 and she was born they night. They day before I had had a walk and r & c as well.

I was induced at 38+4 for preeclampsia. I had the pessary at lunchtime, wandered about the ward for the afternoon and then when they strapped me up to monitor me at about 10pm, my waters went spontaneously - which put me straight into active labour.

I had an epidural at about 2am (encouraged by the consultant because of my high BP), and DD was born at 10.30 that morning. No further interventions, a second degree tear which was stitched up and is fine now. Honestly, it was really straightforward, despite the fact that I was quite high risk at the time.