Does early induction really take 5 days?!

[Blue2014]

Late onset GD, they're saying they will want to induce at 38/39 weeks. Junior doctor says this process takes 5 days in hospital?! Is that right?

I guess it depends how they induce you.

I was induced due to placental insufficiency and was told they would do it "gently" to reduce the risk of distress to the baby. I was given a prostaglandin pessary and told it would likely take 2-3 days for anything to happen.

Not sure if that helps, but it shows that days rather than hours is a distinct possibility.

I guess it's also likely to take longer the further you are from term. At your due date the baby is probably getting ready to make an exit (making induction quicker) which is not necessarily the case at 38-39 weeks.

Friend of mine just took 5 days from being admitted to delivering. Some of that was them delaying the next stage of induction until beds were free on the right ward though.

Thanks both, she said the intention was to keep me in hospital for the 5 days too though!

Oh dear, I don't want to be in Hospital for 5 days before birth - I really don't. Not much I can do though I guess

It depends. I was admitted to hospital on a Thursday and DD was finally born on the Monday morning. It's just a case of going with the flow depending on what happens. You might be in for longer or you might be out quicker.

If you aren't full term and your cervix is 'unfavourable' then it can take a while. Mostly likely to have a pessary for a day, then a break, then a second pessary again for a day, then reassess... hopefully will then be able to break your waters and go from there, plus or minus a drip to help progress. It can happen quicker than this but can definitely take 5 days!

This smacks of "expectation management". I was in for three days; tbf I was 42w and as a PP has said as baby is "pre-term" it may need more encouragement to come out.

If you are being treated in an NHS hospital depending on where you are I'd be surprised if they'd let you "bed block" (I mean this in semi-seriousness) for so long

Sorry, should have said in my post that DD wasn't ready to come out - I had no contractions, was induced. First pessary given on the Saturday due to no beds in Induction Ward on the Friday.

I was induced early. I went in on the Wednesday evening and had my first pessary. Waters went Friday morning when I got up. 3cm dilated Sunday morning. Went down to the labour ward at noon and gave birth to DD at 8pm Sunday evening. Discharged Tuesday lunchtime.

TBH I rather enjoyed my time in hospital. I walked and walked and walked...and chatted to anyone and everyone who seemed willing. Met some lovely women and made a very good friend. It was all very serene and calm. It was out of my hands and baby was going to be born, I just had to stay calm and active.

Another thing - I know the prospect of being in hospital is really frustrating but it's so important so they can keep monitoring the baby. I asked if I could go home during the induction as I only live 5 min from the hospital but they quite rightly point blank refused!

Totally depends. I was induced 2 weeks early for GD also and first pessary kicked in straight away and DD was born that night. Second child if that's relevant?

Mine took 42 hours, pessary to baby, followed by 5 further days in nicu. Someone I know took 6 hours, and would have been home that night if they hadnt had to stay for other reasons.

Thanks everyone, that's so helpful.

Legend - I guess I was really surprised they'd let me bed block so long too!

My induction took from 6.30am monday morning with first pessary until ds was birn 22.40 wednesday. That was at 38 weeks. I had already been in hospital for 6 weeks and i finally came home on the sunday

I've been induced early twice, both times I went from admission to holding a baby in less than 12 hours. I think I was lucky though, both times I was surrounded by women who had been there days with nothing happening.

Induction isn't bed blocking at all. You are undergoing a medical intervention which carries risks for your baby and yourself. You need to be monitored and further interventions (more pessaries and/or sweeps) may be offered as appropriate. The monitoring will be regular and for reasonably extended periods of time to see if the baby is distressed.
Hopefully your induction will be quick and easy, but I think the doctor needed to make you aware that it might be a longer process.

Mine took 4 days and then I had a EMCS as induction did bugger all. I was 42 weeks. Take plenty to keep you busy and read lots of MN!

As others have said they usually start out off with a pessary or gel and this is repeated and can take a couple of days.... However it also might not.

When the stuck the gel in me at 39 weeks my cervix was "not even close" and the midwife fully expected me to be there for a few days. Baby was born at 5:38am the next day. 15 hours from the gel being inserted so it could go fast.

Persp - what i meant was its a potential that if it's safe to do so they'd put the first pessary in and send the OP home; they did this with me and I was under consultant care...it meant I wasn't in four days straight.

But that's just my story x

Presumably, most babies being induced early are being induced because there are some additional concerns for mother or baby which mean that the pregnancy cannot continue to term. So may be more monitoring is required?

Everyone is different I've had two inductions and very different experiences.

Dd went in at 9 on the Friday morning, had pessary inserted left for 24hrs, I had to stay in hospital though. I had Gd and was 38 weeks I also had polyhydramnious so was a great risk of cord prolapse if waters went so this could be why I couldn't go home, not sure though. I could walk round the hospital though went for a coffee etc..
Next morning they broke my waters I hadn't had any contractions but cervix was open enough did born that night. We had to stay for 24hrs to monitor our blood sugars.

With ds I went in at 9 am had the pessary at about 11 then that night he had heart decelerations so they took the pessary out. Then it got really busy so I sat on the ward for 4 days till they had space for me. I wasn't allowed to go home because they had started the induction process. I'm not going to lie it was horrible but only because I was so frustrated I just wanted my baby out and to go home to my other children. Once they broke my waters and got on with it he was born 10 hours later. We were supposed to stay for 24hrs because he was huge (10lb8) but they let us go after 12hrs.

Thanks again, I do hope I'm one of the quick ones!

What do partners do in this time? Stay with you? Go to work? Mine works 2 hours away and our house in 45 mins from hospital

(First baby by the way, hence all the questions!)

I was induced at 39 weeks. It took 4 days before I gave birth - 2 days of pessaries, a rest day then drip on the 4th day. Then baby was unwell and jaundiced so we were in a further 4 days. We were eventually discharged on the 19th December. It was really hard as I had a 5 year old at home and we were on the run up to Christmas. I was slowed to leave baby in the hospital to attend her nativity and on the day we were discharged I had to go straight to her ballet show. Luckily jaundiced babies sleep a lot!

I was induced at 39 weeks (2nd baby). Pessary was put in at 12pm, started contracting at about 1pm and she was out by 3.15pm!

The updated NICE guidelines say that the hospital should advise women with GD to give birth no later than 40+6 weeks

It could take up to 5 days
Bear in mind that they will likely want to monitor your babies blood sugars for 72 hours so you may be in for a few days after

I was induced at 38 weeks. Spent 24 hours in the hospital waiting for them to have space on delivery before they did anything, but once the process was started was only 8 hours from start to baby out. I would recommend your partner staying around the hospital, it it's very difficult to predict how quickly (or not) things might go. Good luck!