Will I be able to move around during induction?

[theresaplaceforus]

I’m due to be induced in a couple of days, I’m really just wondering what it’ll all be like - will the baby be monitored constantly? Will this stop me from being able to get up/move around etc?

I can only go from my experience, which was first they inserted a pessary to get the cervix to a point where they could break my waters. The pessary itself sent me into full blows labour within a couple of hours without the need for them to break my waters or have a hormone drip. This meant I wasn’t hooked up to anything and I was free to walk around. My baby’s heart rate dropped a few times with contractions so because of that I had to be kept on a CTG monitor but at that point I was in far too much pain to move around anyway.

I’m not sure how much you can move around once the hormone drip is in, I think it depends on your choice of pain relief and the monitoring of baby.

As PP says the tablet I could move around, for me it didn't start proper labour, my cervix was still high up but the contractions started and they were too close together so they stopped them and put me on the drip.
They had to monitor baby so I was stuck on my back which hadn't been my plan. I'd wanted to keep mobile

Pre Covid I was told to walk walk walk!

Not sure now

I could move around as much as I wanted within the constraints of the drip (if you end up needing this). It was a faff though as they had to readjust the monitoring belt around me every time I moved.

With the pessaries/catheter you're encouraged to move around to try to get things started. You need occasional monitoring. I had gel pessaries, and had an hour's monitoring immediately after each application.

Once I was taken to the delivery suite (1cm dilated, waters unbroken), I had continuous monitoring from then until I gave birth. I started out with wireless monitoring, and was encouraged to move. Unfortunately they only have a few hours charge, so I wound up wired to the machine. I also needed the drip. Movement was still possible, but more often than not, the CTG belt would slip off, and I'd have to stay still until they picked up baby again. Once contractions got stronger, I didn't want to move off the bed anyway.

I could not move around much with the drip as I was in too much pain. Once I had the epidural I actually fell asleep for a bit!

I played chess, I lost 😂

With the pessaries I was told to walk around a bit but the. Then went on the heart rate monitor and the drip and had to stay on my back on the bed which was awful and I think made my labour much worse.

I had the pessary too and taken onto the ward to wait for it to kick in.

I was told where the canteen was and told if I were to go outside just to let the staff know, so you are fine to move around.

I will say that my lady garden area was very sore after the pessary (I read it was all the hormones in it) and felt almost bruised down below so I didn't really move around at all.

I was hooked up to the heart rate monitor every 2-3 hours and blood pressure checked but apart from that was free to come & go if I chose.

My waters broke on their own so didn't need a drip or anything so can't say about that.

I will say that my lady garden area blushwas very sore after the pessary (I read it was all the hormones in it) and felt almost bruised down below so I didn't really move around at all.

Completely agree. I had the clip on the baby’s head so I could move around more but getting this on was more painful than anything else in labour, followed by putting the pessary in.

The pessary and drip both gave very high, quick, constant contractions but I never really dilated. Consider if you want pain relief and don’t rule it out, would be my advice. The epidural was a total game changer after being so against it before