induction blues!

[babyblues19]

Hi guys, slightly freaking out and wondering if any of you ladies have any experience on this..
I'm being induced on Sunday, I'll be 41 weeks and they are planning on using gel in an attempt to dialate the cervix and bring on labour..of that doesn't work I'll then be put on a drip..:-( I have always hated the idea of induction as I have been told it's a much more painful experience.. Can anyone tell me there stories about it?

Try not to focus on the pain. The important thing is that you and baby are both safe. I have heard many accounts that the pain is actually not any worse, but rather as there is less of a build up it can feel more intense.
The pain of childbirth will only last for a limited time, the pain of losing a child because they have been left too long never fades, believe me I know.

I had an amazing induction today if that makes you feel any better..

My waters broke yesterday at 7am and gels etc didn't work on me at all so I got hooked up to the drip this morning at 8am still not dilated. An hour in was dilating and uncomfortable so asked for an epidural (which was amazing, I felt everything but it took the edge off) and had my baby in my arms at 11am.

I was anxious all day yesterday about what might happen and it turned out to be a really positive experience.

Try and stay calm and open minded and take pain relief if you need it. I didn't get a medal for having my first baby without any.

I had the gel and then opted for an epidural soon after the drip was started. The gel was pain free - had heard scare stories about it being put in but was absolutely nothing, felt silly for worrying about it. It was like being on a long haul flight after the gel, lots of waiting around watching TV on demand on iPad and eating. I think all the waiting made me quite up for going on the drip, i think we waited 6 hours after gel and nothing, or was it 12, cant remember, and then I had gas and air for the start of contractions (started soon after drip) which was like 20 free in-flight cocktails so I was happy about that :) after 9 months of being fairly uptight it was amazing to feel v drunk and weirdly carefree :) I was scared of the pain with inductions too and had asked for an epi well in advance of getting the drip so it was all arranged, but in hindsight I might have been better off trying with gas and air and injections\moving around first rather than an epi as I found it difficult being immobile and I wasn't dilating so very nearly had an ECS, I always wondered after if it would have been better to try to deal with the pain (the gas and air was amazing plus I could have tried injection s) in exchange for things moving faster and being more mobile before and after. I also wanted to have stitches under epi but I could have asked for local anaesthetic for that I think. I was very shaky\shivery with the epi which I found fairly scary as I wasn't expecting it but apparently is very normal. I guess the thing with epis is that they increase your risk of having medical interventions but still a lot of people have great pain free births with them, my anaesthetist said she had had 2 herself and thought they were wonderful. I am pregnant again and trying to weigh up pain free with epi Vs hopefully over with quicker and less risk of interventions with benefits from that for me\baby. Perhaps you should try to find out in detail about timings of drip and epidural - can you have one quite quickly at short notice if it gets too much or do you need to plan it with them in advance? I got the impression the gel is a lot weaker than the drip (didn't work for me but the drip was fairly instant) - you could ask if the gel shouldn't bring on labour as fast as the drip? If you decide you want an epi stick to your guns as I had 5 consultants in a line at my bedside telling me not to, I got the impression the midwives and anaesthetists thought they were good for inductions but the consultants didn't. My midwife whispered to me to go for it and that is what swung it for me, but like I say, 2nd time around I want to try to go without if I am induced though that is scary.

Mine was brilliant. They broke my waters and put me on the drip. Nothing happened for about two hours and then suddenly contractions started and 8.15pm. Pain was intense but manageable. Just gas and air. By 8.50pm I was ready to push. Contractions perfectly told me what to do and midwife just told me to listen to my body. Twin one was born at 9.15pm. I felt great!
Twin two was a bit more complicated as was back to back. Ended with forceps but that was because of her position and nothing to do with induction.

Hi, I also had an induction with my first. Much like the others it was quite quick once on the drip.

I was brought in on Monday. Had a pessary put in and waited. My waters broke at 6am Tuesday. They took me to the ward at 8am and hooked me up to get my contractions coming.

My daughter was born a few hours later. I also did it without any pain relief. I had gas and air for a little while, but it made me sick. I was intending injections for pain but it all happened quicker than the midwife expected so that went out the window too.

I did have stiches after birth and i was taking gas and air and had local injections for that.

I had heard horror stories of induction but honestly i found it good. It was a bit of a pain to be hooked up to a monitor but without the epi I was still mobile to stroll around the bed.

Hope this helps xx

Thanks for all the advice I'm doing it alone as I'm single and my family can't make it..I'm scared :-( are you able to walk around the hospital after having the gel or are you confined to the room??