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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Being induced

13 replies

s2204 · 03/10/2018 19:32

Hello, I’m currently 40+5, no signs and thinking I’m leaning towards being induced now. I’ve never really had an in depth discussion with my midwife about the process of induction as she was convinced that I’d be on time due to head being engaged from quite an early stage and having on n off contractions since 37weeks. OH thinks il go in on Wednesday and have the baby same day but I know this isn’t always the case.

Would love to hear your stories, from booking in, to the peseries, to labour duration! All the details please!

OP posts:

SoyDora · 03/10/2018 19:33

Well I had absolutely no signs of labour at 40+5 with DD1 and had her at 40+6, so all is not lost!

Original poster

s2204 · 03/10/2018 19:37

@SoyDora I’ve still got a glimmer of hope that it’ll happen before but you start to lose all faith don’t u 😂

OP posts:

Nutkins24 · 03/10/2018 19:39

I was induced recently due to rupture of membranes. Sorry to tell you it was agony. I would advise anyone getting the drip to have an epidural put in place. The put it on low at first and keep upping the dose every half hour until you are contracting 4 x in 10 mins, and you’ll stay on it as long as it takes to get to 10cm. I had a back to back labour with my 1st so no picnic but this felt like I was being chopped in half and I was screaming for an epidural after 4 hours of managing just with breathing. Despite really not wanting to have one, Once I had the epidural in it was great, I could feel contractions enough to push and had a normal delivery with a tiny tear. That said I have met a few people who survived induction without epidural and said it was manageable, although my midwife did admit that not many people do. I went from 3 to 10 cm in 2 hours so it’s nice and quick, just very painful!

Caspiana · 03/10/2018 19:43

I was induced, took a while to do monitoring of baby and then explaining procedure etc. Then the pessary went in - didn’t hurt too much, but uncomfortable. A couple of hours later I had stomach cramps and lower back pain, constant pains which I thought were side effects of pessary but were contractions! 12 hours later baby was born! It was a positive experience for me and I didn’t need my waters manually broken or the drip.

So for me it was less than a day so you never know. Also be aware that if the hospital is busy you might not get a bed straight away.

Also, the point of the pessary is to dilate you enough for them to break your waters. Once you are dilated enough for this, or once active labour starts without the need for this and you aren’t 5cm, you might need to wait a while for a delivery suite bed. At least, at my hospital you did!

Good luck!

Original poster

s2204 · 03/10/2018 19:44

@Nutkins24 I have heard it’s more painful! But it’s good to know the epidural helped a lot, it is something I’m definetly going to think about and discuss on my birthing plan! I haven’t made a birthing plan as of yet because I don’t know what situation or how much pain I’m going to be in. (FTM) x

OP posts:

Caspiana · 03/10/2018 19:45

Oh, and I didn’t have an epidural but then again I didn’t have the drip. If you know you want an epidural, ask for it before they start the drip.

delilabell · 03/10/2018 19:45

I was induced three times. Would have been twice but pessary fell out 2nd time when I had a poo 😂 for me the pessaries didn't work but the cardboard hormone thing (can't even blame baby brain) worked instantly. Started getting strong contractions and within 5 hours was in delivery ward. Had to have waters broke which didn't hurt at all. If little madam hadn't have got stuck on my pelvis it would have been a lot quicker! But it was 11 hours from having waters broken that she was born. I was on the drop early on due to high blood pressure which wasnt nice but i had pethadine after 6 hours which was the best thing in the world. :-) within minutes of them cranking up the drip I was fully dilated and ready to push. She popped out in a rush so I had to have stitches but we had the same midwife throughout who was lovely, radio on, lamps on etc and she was born at 2.11 am.
I wish I was in your position again if I'm honest. Was the most magical experience of my life.
Wishing you lots of luck x

Original poster

s2204 · 03/10/2018 19:52

Aww thank you everyone! I was expecting actual horror stories but they all don’t seem too bad!!
I actually said to my midwife “I hope I don’t get induced, I’ve heard it’s horrible” and she replied “yeah, it’s horrific 😳 so your lovely stories have eased my worries! Xx

OP posts:

SlB09 · 03/10/2018 19:56

I was effectively induced due slow progression. Had the sintocin drip & yes it definately sped things up but I managed with paracetamol and codeine for most of it - then diamorphine for the very last couple of hours, it was magical stuff haha! That was enough pain relief for me but take whatever option you need at the time, thats what its there for and your midwives will support/advise you too. It was 15 hours from arriving at the unit to baby being born, normal delivery and can hand on heart say it really was manageable. a friend who had a baby a week later also got induced and she had diamorphine too and this was enough for her so dont worry xx

mildshock · 03/10/2018 20:53

I was induced twice with the pessary.

First time wasn't great, but mainly due an infection I caught, I was quite out of it, had to have an epidural. Induced at 42weeks, nothing happened for 38 hours, then had a 17 hour labour, inc 2 hours of pushing. DS1 was born 42+2 by forceps.

My second was great. Induced at 42 weeks again, at 4pm. Had a nice sleep overnight and started waking around 3am with twinges. Labour properly started at 6.30am, and DS2 was born at 10.20am back to back. Only had and air for pain relief, despite DS2s bad position.

It's really different for everyone, and try not to have your heart set on anything. It was easier for me to not plan and cross every bridge as we came to it.

If you haven't already, you could ask your midwife for a stretch and sweep, seeing as baby's head is engaged. It works for many women, and is more uncomfortable than painful, I've had 6 (I wasn't one of those women )

Original poster

s2204 · 03/10/2018 21:15

@mildshock

Thanks for telling me your experience

I’ve already had a sweep, didn’t work, got another scheduled for tomorrow so we’ll see!

I’m just gunna cross every bridge when I come to it in regards to birthing plan and pain relief. It’s hard to say what you want when you’ve never been through labour or anything similar! X

OP posts:

chloechloe · 03/10/2018 21:39

That’s a good plan to cross each bridge as you come to it. I have to say I disagree with the advice to ask them to give you an epidural before they start the drip (if used). I had my labour augmented with the drip as my waters had been leaking and they wanted the baby out sooner rather than later. The pain was completely manageable with breathing exercises and movement (I managed to labour standing up despite the IV). I got through it without any pain relief at all and look back really fondly on the birth so induction isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

surreygirl1987 · 04/10/2018 11:12

This is probably a really stupid question but you definitely can't have a water birth if you're induced can you? I'm 40+4 and have a sweep booked for tomorrow but the word induction is looming....

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