Induction

[rightlittlered]

Hello,

I'm looking for a little bit of info/advice please if anyone is willing to offer any!

I've been informed that due to my own health issues, I'll be examined at 38 weeks and then booked in for an induction.

I haven't been able to ask any questions (for some reason, I felt they were a bit premature and thought I'd ask them all a bit nearer the time) but I'm now 33 weeks and starting to wonder!!

Do most people get admitted for an induction in the evening?

The consultant said they would break my waters after using a pessary but I'm sure my midwife said a while ago that they could skip straight to gel?

Just a tad confused by the usual 'procedure' and which factors determine which route they'll take... Anyone upto scratch on induction options? Thanks!

Usual procedure varies trust by trust

Depends on how 'favourable' you are when you go in- if you're not at all dilated, they can't break waters for example

I'm going in next week, asked to go in about 11am. Examination and insert propess, check it stays put then send me off to walk laps of the hospital corridors til stuff happens.

Then hopefully, carry on to labour.

If not, look at water breaking or drips

My induction process was similar to what arbrighton described.
They told me when I would have to come in and phoned me on the morning to confirm they had the room for me.
Went in, examined, had a propess pessary inserted. It's a 24hour pessary so they just leave you for 24 hours (with no internal examination but monitor baby and your blood pressure etc) unless something happens eg contractions start, waters break etc.
The gel is the same medicine as the pessary only they have to readminister it every 6 hours so they use one or the other.

So after the 24 hours on propess if nothing else has happened they examine you again then put you on the drip or break your waters or both.

In my case my waters broke themselves but nothing really happened so I was put on the drip anyway to get things going. I was told that I could only be on the drip for 12 hours and if I wasn't fully dilated I would need a cs (but this may have been individual to me as my waters were broken for 12 hours before I was put on the drip)

I had to phone in the morning at 7am to check they had a bed for me. They asked me to go in at 8am and they put me in my own room. 9am they did a sweep and put some gel on my cervix. I'm not sure why I had gel and not a pessary (if any other commenter knows why?) I was 10 days overdue, baby's head was engaged etc.

Then just a lot of waiting around. You're allowed off the ward and go for a walk which I did. I had a bath on the ward as after my sweep I lost my plug and had horrible back ache (which I think was the start of labour).

7pm they examined me and I was 2cm so they did another sweep and at 8pm the contractions really started. My boy was born at 7.16am the following morning so they can be successful but depends on your individual situation I think.

Hey. Ive been induced twice at Princess Royal in Glasgow.

1st baby

I was took in at 4:30pm but due to emergencies etc didn't get first gel till 9pm. Started getting some pains about 11pm. They then came back at 6am checked me and gave me 2nd dose of gel. Pain got worse but nothing too babe. About 1pm got 3rd dose of gel and was only 1cm dilated. Got checked again at 9pm and told 3cm dilated so could go to labour suite for waters to be broken and put on hormone drip. Waters were broken at 12:28am and i was filly dilated 30 mins later and baby was born at 2:28am so quite quick from waters getting broken.

2nd baby

I was told everyone getting induced is now took in at 8:30pm. I was taken in 8:30pm on a Wednesday night and again nothing started till after midnight. Got 1st gel at 1am. Didn't get much pain at all until bout mid day. Got 2nd gel later that night. Was took down to labour suite at 11am and waters broken just after 12. Was very slow this time to dilate even tho contractions etc were really sore on the hormone drip. At just before 5pm they checked me and realised my son had his hand out instead of his head so had to get a section. However they did tell me that if the hand wasn't out then the baby would have been born really quickly.

I know someone who got the 24 hr persary and she said was a nightmare and would have preferred the normal gel.

Hopefully you find out what will happen for you soon. Wont be long for your baby to be here now.

As mentioned above things are different depending on how dialated you are if at all and if your cervix is favourable.

I was induced on my due date due to baby measuring small.

I arrived and was 0cm dialated and my cervix was not favourable.

I arrived at 8pm (had to wait at home for a call when the bed became available) and was given a pessary shortly after. Nothing happened for 4 hours and then just after midnight the worst pain in my life started.

I was checked an hour later and I nothing had happened. I was very disappointed as I was in an extreme pain.

Then the extreme pain increased to unbearable pain. I thought I'm going to pass out. I was checked again after an hour and I was 4cm dialated.

I was taken to labour ward then and my baby daughter was born at 3:59.

Good luck!
Xxx