Induction successes please!

[Sheep90]

I'm due to be induced soon and was hoping to get a general sense of others' experiences.

• how long did it take from the first pessary to having the baby in your arms?
• did you need the drip, if so, how was it?

I'm 41 weeks and nervous!
Thanks!

4 inductions!
2 took 3 pessaries and ARM (no drip) delivered unassisted with a part worn off epidural.

The 2 I had at 42 weeks took 2 pessaries, waters went right at the end. Again unassisted deliveries no stitches etc.

Birthing ball and tens machine invaluable, the latter didn't seem that great until the batteries ran out 😳😳😳😳😳

Pessary at 12.30, baby born at 22.15. ARM at 19.00. No drip as there wasn't an anaesthetist available for an epidural and then suddenly I was pushing! Very intense contractions, but then this has been my only experience of labour so who knows if they were actually normal or not! Good luck with your induction x

Had the pessary before bedtime. Woke up in the morning to my waters breaking. Had a wander round to see if anything happened on its own. Nothing did, so I had the drip and had a baby a couple of hours later. Overall a very positive experience and not as painful as I thought it would be

Pessary at 5pm, was walking out of the hospital on way to go home already having mild contractions. Back in hospital 10pm, they wouldn't re-examine me even though I was contracting every 4 mins until I begged them too. Turns out I was 7cm dilated at midnight and that's when they removed it! Baby born at 6:30 next morning!

I was 42 weeks and very ready I think. Didn't need drip.

Didn't have a pessary waters were broke at 9am, drip started about 11am... baby born at 4.15pm. Dudnt have an epidural just fas and air and pethadine not as painful with the drip as everyone says but Iwe all have different pain thresholds.

I had a pessary on a Friday 5pm, contractions started about Saturday 2am...requested an epidural at about 2pm Saturday and daughter was born at Sunday 1am ..! It was quite a long process.

Goodluck!

Pessary went in Sunday night (literally midnight) and contractions started about 5 hours later in the early hours of Monday morning. They weren't progressing enough and my blood pressure was sky high so went on the drip 8 am Tuesday and had baby at 11 am.

It was actually very civilised and I did pretty much the entire thing walking about and on the birthing ball with only had and air.

Good luck

Had a pessary at around 5pm, waters broke at 7pm, contractions started soon after.
Unfortunately despite DS being in right position & dilated but around midnight he decided to go back up inside & turn oblique! Scan confirmed & taken into theatre for c-section. All fine & he was born just before 1am, & in my arms a few minutes later.

24 hour pessary in at 3pm. Was having enough contractions by the time that cane out that they didn't give me a 6 hour one and just left me to see how I'd get on. Sent to labour ward at 7pm at 2cm, didn't need any further intervention and baby was born at 8:40pm (DH got there with 20 minutes to spare 😬).

Definitely second the tens recommendation!

1st gel at 11pm, 2nd at 5am which got me to 2cm. Took to delivery, waters broken at 12 noon, put on drip. Was 6cm at 3:30, 10cm at 4:50. Started pushing at 6pm, delivered at 6:10pm! So less than 24 hours for the whole thing. Had gas and air/diamorphine and 2nd degree tear

I had to be induced due to high BP. My induction took a very long time but I'd prepared myself by asking everyone I knew who'd been through it and reading everything on MN! Lots of positive stories here as well https://thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/blog/category/induction.

11am Tuesday - first pessary
10pm Wednesday - second pessary (doctors were busy doing EmCS so I had to wait more than 24 hrs)
10pm Thursday - had my waters broken
9am Friday - drip and epidural
12pm Friday - fully dilated
3.40pm - forceps
3.54pm - baby!
4pm Sunday - home

I did a digital hypnobirthing course which helped me remain calm and chilled out throughout the process. Adrenaline and stress slows the birthing process apparently.

I took a brilliant audio book, lined up a few Netflix series, comfy clothes to sit around in and loads of snacks and drinks. My husband brought in a single air bed which made him the envy of all the birthing partners. We were also allowed out while we waited so we went for walks in the local park and even lunch in the pub. Plan for a long stay!

My issue with hypnobirthing was that it made me believe that medical intervention would make birth unpleasant and harder - it possibly saved my life. I found the labour room and midwife to be private, calm and reassuring, even in a busy south London hospital.

I prepared myself to have to go all through to c-section so was pleased that it only took 4 days!!

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Ps. Everyone I asked said if you have to have the drip, get the epidural first. I was so glad I did.

DS1 - 42 weeks, one pessary, ~12 hours from that to baby. Gas & air only, 2nd degree tear.

DS2 - 39+1 weeks, bit more long-winded as my body was less ready. Had pessary, started cramping fairly soon. Was feeling quite positive due to good experience with first birth. But then the contractions were too frequent but not doing anything, so they gave me an injection to stop them. Had a few hours' kip, then in the morning had a fairly thorough sweep, which started a few contractions again. Then back to labour ward, had waters broken, after the usual monitoring went off for a walk around the hospital but had to come back as the contractions were ramping up. Then they wanted to start the drip so I got an epidural. Once the drip started it was about two hours before I suddenly got the urge to push and DS2 appeared pretty quickly. All in all, I think that was about 30 hours start to finish, but it wasn't all labour.

I got induced on the 5th Jan as my waters broke on the 4th and contractions didn't start.

Had the gel at 3pm
Was in established labour by 7pm (4cm)
And I went full throttle from there as by 8.23pm my beautiful boy was in the world

1hr 23 minutes to go from 4cm to delivered!

To be honest I found it really really difficult going that fast from when I was in established labour so I do hope you go slower!

I think there's a difference in success depending on the type of induction, from what I understand the pessary isn't very successful, the gel is quite successful and the drip works like a rocket but I have no experience in all three so can't confirm that for sure!

Induced at 37 weeks.

How long did it take from the first pessary to having the baby in your arms?
First pessary went in ~10am Wednesday morning. Baby was born at 16:41 Thursday afternoon. So about 31 hours total.

Did you need the drip?
Yes. Pessaries just about got me to 1cm with zero regular contractions.

If so, how was it?
The drip had to be turned up quite high over a period of hours to get the strength and frequency of contractions they wanted. So I had a semblance of labour 'ramping' up. Once they were going, they were quite painful. In the end I managed with gas & air and morphine, but I was close to asking for an epidural until the morphine. The drip was on from 3am until birth.

Induced with my first baby, had two pessary on the day I went in. Was in at 4:30pm. Had another the next morning around 9 and then my daughter was born at 5:12pm the next day. Didn't need a drip. Had gas and air and it was an amazing labour ! Good luck