Tell me your induction story

[newbabyyy2019]

I am getting induced on Sunday morning I'll be 37+6 weeks pregnant. I just wanted to know others experience with being induced. I've been told it could even take up to 3 to 4 days to actually give birth once I'm started off on the Sunday and just really hope it's not so common for it to take that long.
What did you have to induce your labour and how long did it take until the baby was born?

First dc I had the gel, contractions started pretty much straight away and I had him 4 hours later. 10 days over.
Second dc I was 10 days over again but already 3cm dilated so they broke my waters and 1hr11 mins later he flew out.

I had an induction booked for 38+3 due to low volume of waters.

I had a sweep 5 days before as I was told it would make everything more favourable to induction, so sweep on Thursday afternoon, lost mucous plug Friday evening and waters went Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately labour didn’t start on its own so 24 hours after my waters broke (12pm on the Monday) I had a pessary inserted, dd was in my arms at 17.33 that same day with no further induction processes needed.

So in short, make sure they do a sweep a few days before your induction date as it might set you off (even though numerous sweeps with overdue dd1 did naff all!)

Oh wow I hope I have mine that quick!

I was induced for being overdue (40+12). It didn’t work so I ended up with an EMCS. 50 hours from start of induction appointment to baby.

In my case, I was monitored, given a pessary, monitored some more and then sent home with instructions to return 24 hours later or when labour was established, whichever came first. Labour did not establish (mood contractions only) so we returned to the hospital and there was a fair amount of hanging around.

Then taken down to delivery to have waters broken (about 34 hours after induction began), which did nothing. After about three hours, I was put on the drip and remained on that for 9 hours. At this stage (48 hours after we started) I was still only 2cm dilated and failing to progress so was given a choice of a few more hours on the drip or EMCS. It felt pretty clear it just wasn’t working so went for EMCS.

For some people induction does work, and very quickly. For others it works but is more drawn out. But for some people, it just doesn’t work so worth bearing that in mind as I had no idea!

Have you had advice on the process from your midwife, or thoughts about pain relief?

Induced twice, first time was first baby and resulted in three day labour, second was a 12 hour labour. It’s messy and it hurts but you get over it.. honestly! I had an epidural first time round as well which helped. See it as a means to an end to meeting your gorgeous baby

They did mention a sweep but I feel like that will be on Sunday and then I think I will have a pessary as-well from what they said (I can't remember the name but they said it will stay in for 24 hours)

Went in at 10 , waters broken by midwife At 12, moved to the labour ward at 12.30. On the drip at 2, labour fully established by 8pm, baby born at 8.08 after two pushes (she shot out to the surprised trainee midwife).

I haven't even thought about pain relief because I want to experience what labour feels like but if I'm in a lot of pain I'll probably have something but have no idea what I'll have.. I want to try and not have an epidural cause the thought of it terrifies me!

@Twickerhun how many weeks were you?
Sounds like you had a really good labour!

Take the drugs op. There are no special medals for going through labour without pain relief.

It's not that I don't want to take pain relief but I want to experience what the pain feels like first (I know that sounds bizarre) the whole epidural thing really scares me I just don't like the thought of being numb and having a needle in my spine

I was induced at 37+3 something like that. Went in on the Sunday morning had the pressary was 1cm dilated was checked 12 hours later was 0cm dilated even though I’d had loads of pain! Had to have it in for another 12 hours still nothing! A doctor came and examined me Monday night about midnight and said he could just about break my waters and to rest and they will send me to the ward in the morning to break them. Went up on Tuesday morning after a nice bath and a good sleep. Waters broke at 9.45 went to the cafe had some brunch and a walk around still leaking water 😂 and then on the drip at 12.30. Gave birth at 17.41 really good labour!!! Wasn’t bad at all. The drip is very intense but you just deal with it. I also forgot to ask for gas and air so this may help you! Good luck! It’s so exciting

Baby 1-40w+1 second episode of reduced movement. 0cm, had pesery inserted and less than hours later baby arrived. All v quick and dramatic (nobody believed me in that baby was coming) l. On plus side, it was quick and no time to think about pain relief.

Baby 2 42w. Drip induction and 8hrs from drip going to giving birth. Baby got stuck and had an assisted suction delivery with episiotomy. I know something wasn’t right early on and request an epidural - best decision I made.

You know your body best and if something doesn’t feel right make your poi t heard and tell them what you want.

Good luck op x

I really hope I have the drip that seems to push things really fast but I don't remember them mentioning a drip when they explained what would happen. Then again I was in a daze after being told an induction date that I probably wasn't paying much attention..

I was induced for growth concerns at 40+1. Had first pessary at 1pm, then couldn't get second at 7pm as planned as baby's heart rate was up and down. Was moved to labour ward for observation and finally about to get it at 11pm when waters broke.

Progressed naturally until contractions started dwindling so put on drip around 4am. I used tens machine and gas and air the whole time. And I swore a lot.

Eventually around 8am baby got stuck (back to back labour, head at wrong angle I was later told) and was rushed to theatre for emcs, which incurred massive blood loss. I was largely unaware of all that and just thrilled with epidural!

I didn't want to be induced and dreaded it, but had baby not got stuck it would have worked out well. I didn't feel the drip was particularly bad, and was scared of that after everything I'd read about it.

I was 38+5

Planned induction at 42 weeks.
Admitted onto ward at 8am. Finally had pessary at noon. No action. Another pessary at midnight. No action. Another one at noon the following day. Nothing! Examined at 7pm to decide whether to put on a drip. No sign of labour. Cervix not ready! Told I'd be put on a drip first thing in the morning and an epidural discussed. Husband sent home. 2 hours later, went to the loo and waters went, by the time I got back in the ward I was having very strong contractions. Midwife said I couldn't possibly be in labour and offered paracetamol. I asked her to examine me and was five cms!
Rushed down to deliver, DH phoned to come back, baby born two hours later. No pain relief used but continuous contractions! I felt amazing. An hour after deliver, had a PPH, rushed into surgery then in intensive care for three days. Had many blood transfusions.

I was induced at 40+10 with first baby as overdue. They wanted to do a Foley bulb induction using a catheter inserted into the cervix, but couldn’t get that to work. I then had a pessary just after midnight and baby born about 13 hours later.

I had co-codamol for the pain initially. The pain got more intense by about 7am and I was asking firstly for more co-codamol and then for something stronger. The ward was extremely busy with a number of planned inductions and it was difficult to get a doctor to see me, the midwives were flat out but doing their best. I was asking for the pethidine injection which couldn’t be given without a doctor’s say so, but I couldn’t have any more co-codamol in the meantime if I was going to get the pethidine. I was finding the pain difficult to manage but the midwives felt I couldn’t be that far along. I consider myself to have a reasonably high pain threshold so was a bit worried that I was finding it so intolerable.

Anyway, a doctor eventually examined me and things had progressed much more quickly than they’d realised, so I was whisked off to the delivery suite immediately and baby born within the hour, with the help of gas and air.

I had an episiotomy during delivery, a managed delivery of the placenta and then had a significant enough PPH which caused some panic, but thankfully didn’t need a blood transfusion.

All in all I feel I had a very good birth experience. All the very best with yours OP

Most of these sound quite fast and a positive experience! I really hope that mine is the same. Really nice to get an idea of what to expect (although I know everyone's experience is different)

I was induced at 36+5 and DC was born in the early hours of 37+1 - so went in for induction Thursday and baby born Sunday am. Labour didn't really start until Saturday afternoon though so although the process was long the actual labour was not. I never got as far as the drip and was quite relieved as I had heard it was very intense. Because I was induced I was really closely monitored and felt well looked after. Good luck!

Taken in on the Friday for induction had the pessary it didn't work, had another that fell out, didn't work by Sunday I started getting extreme pain all from 0-100 in the space of about half hour, had no pain relief as midwives kept saying I wasn't in labour began pushing on maternity ward surrounded by other mums my DD was born from first pain to one push in 45 minutes.

My DS I didn't realise my waters had gone I thought I wet myself during the week.
I went in to get checked and they had gone so was induced again that fell straight back out I think. Next morning I had period aches for 10 minutes within 5 I was pushing and he was born in 15 minutes in total first pain to first push again. I've now been told I have precipitate labour.
I literally get period pain and then a few big contractions and their born.

I'm now pregnant again 24 weeks and I wouldn't mind being induced again but I don't think it works for me I think it's coincidence that I happen to go into labour the next days.

Induced at 37+3 due to preeclampsia. Had a sweep (was 2cm) and propess went in at 00.15am, started to get period pains at 01.20am, 3am had paracetamol as the pains were getting worse and more frequent, advised to get in the bath bath (just a normal bath not a birthing pool) around 4.15am to see if that would help the pains. My contractions then became constant and i had no break in them, i was in complete agony and felt like i couldnt move, my body started pushing for me, 5.10am my partner went to get a midwife, midwife came in and did an examination to feel bulging waters/babies head! Call bell pressed for assistance, they check babies heartrate which had dramatically dropped to 60bpm, emergancy bell pulled. 5.20am Whisked off to delivery ward where i then had an episiotomy and vacuum delivery and she was out at 5.24am so super quick delivery, just wished i had asked for an examination earlier when i was getting pains and wish i had asked for help with breathing through pains, instead i panicked as the pain was so bad and i had no one there to help until they came and helped me in the bath.

I think if your early induction doesn't always work so well (but not always) other things depend , had children before? Issues in pregnancy? I was induced twice first time had 3 sweeps (I was37 weeks) Pessary x2 12 hours apart waters broken drip up 3 days later and failure to progress emcs, second pretty much exactly the same induced at 35 weeks everything went same even down to me only getting to 4 cm , however I really believe my babies just weren't ready to be born! I have heard of many who have had baby's very quick everyone's different remember c

Fast isn't necessarily better though! Too fast can lead to worse tears because the bits that need to stretch don't have time to.

I was induced at 40+12, had the pessary inserted around 7pm and baby was born shortly before 7am the next morning by emergency c section as babys heart rate dropped. If I had my time again I'd ask that they wait to induce me til the following morning rather than labouring through the night!

I had an induction with DS for growth reasons at 38 weeks.
I had pessarries for 2 days and...nothing.
On the 3rd day, I had another and by 8pm I started to have pains so they broke my waters and put me on the drip. Very quickly had contractions but not unmanageable with gas and air.
After 10 hrs I was only 2cms dialated! DS was back to back and head going the wrong way so I had an emergency caesarean.
It seems neither of us were ready! But as you are a little further along you may have more success!!
Good luck xx