Induction info and experiences please for first baby

[IckleLegs1980]

I am 37 weeks with my first baby and have gestational diabetes.

They won’t let me go too far past my due date so induction is booked for 4 days after if I don’t go into labour naturally

Terrified of induction as heard so many bad stories so looking for positive ones please.

My hospital has an induction suite so they will start me off there in a bay with possibly 4 other mothers. Is this normal?

How quickly do they move you down to delivery when the pessary starts to work as hearing women moan with contractions if I’m still waiting will put me on edge.

Is it really more painful than natural? Do more women have epidurals?

Any info would be good as all I can find online is horror stories

I was induced with my first and it was definitely the better of my two births. I was induced at 12 days past due date. They took me in late afternoon on the Sunday and baby was born early afternoon Monday. I was in a room on my own during the induction. They gave me pessaries Sunday night then started the drip early next morning. I asked for and was given an epidural. I was kept in the following night to establish BF and that night was on a ward of 4, went home the next day. None of it was too bad.

I was induced at exactly 39 weeks due to GD, was terrified too... however when I got there and was examined they found I was already 2cm dilated without me knowing it, so they broke my waters a couple of hours later. I had my DD at 11:30 the same night after a very quick 2 hour labour. It was fine. The contractions got quite strong when my own kicked in as well as the ones brought on by the drip (or that was how it was explained to me) but they reduced the drip and it was ok. Got though with gas and air. Good luck!!

I was induced at 42 weeks. Pessary put in in the morning and I was put in my own room on the induction ward. Regular monitoring then after 24 hrs I was checked over and told I was ready to go to the delivery suite. It took about 5 hours to be taken down as there wasn’t any rooms available but I didn’t have any contractions at this point.

When I got to the delivery suite, they put in a cannula and broke my waters. I was told to walk/move around to get things moving but nothing happened so drip was started after 2 hrs. I found the contractions hard but my biggest issue was with the monitoring as it restricts your movement. I laboured with just a tens machine, gas and air made me sick. I did request an epidural but there wasn’t an anaesthetist available so I ended up giving birth without. I think from waters breaking to my son being delivered was about 7 hours (which surprised the midwives!)

It wasn’t how I wanted to give birth, i was incredibly emotional about the whole thing and like you all I heard was horror stories but it was fine for us. Currently waiting on Baby no 2 to make an appearance - hoping it all happens naturally but if I have to be induced again I won’t stress out about it as much this time hopefully.