Induction by balloon - experiences please?

[MCR2021]

Hi guys,
I have preeclampsia so have to be induced in the next couple of days depending on the severity.
I have been told I will induced via ballon. Does anyone have experience with this?
Even though my baby is due Sunday I still can’t help but feel very nervous!
Thank you in advance :)

I had this with my DD, when they fit it it’s quite uncomfortable and a little painful but not to bad, they give you gas and air to help with the discomfort as they fit it and then inflate it while it’s inside. Your left with a tube hanging down your leg. I was let home after having it fitted and told to return in 24hours but with COVID I’m not sure if you’ll get that option. Unfortunately it didn’t do anything for me. It caused some intense cramping pain but that was all however after they removed it I went into labour naturally 24hours later so it could of done something I guess. It’s not that bad of an experience just a little uncomfortable. I think if I had a choice I would go for the pessary as it’s a lot quicker

If I go post-dates the first induction they offer is a balloon. After fitting I'll be sent home for 24hrs. Also interested to hear other people's experiences.

They couldn’t get mine in! so they had to abandon it. I’m not sure how common that is but after psyching myself up for it, it was upsetting. It was also agony! But probably because my cervix was wedged shut.

They then went to the pessary which I had a huge reaction to and they had to remove that within an hour.

Fortunately I went in to spontaneous labour that evening and avoided the inevitable section! I’m clearly not a great candidate for induction (I had GD and was over 40 so high risk).

I hope you have better luck - either way, don’t worry. Once I was in labour I didn’t care how it had happened. Good luck!

Don't want to worry you but I had an absolutely horrendous experience with the balloon...
literally put me straight away into continuous contractions, got home, turned the car around and went straight back to hospital and literally crawled back into the birthing centre and begged them to take it out, which they did grudgingly, and it turned out they had somehow over inflated it 😱😱😱

Took 27 hours for dd to appear, literally in full on labour from about fifteen mins after they put it in, and didn't dilate past three cm, so ended up having an epidural and the drip, as she was getting very distressed (as was I, I might add!!).

I may just have been spectacularly unlucky though, other friends who have had it, some say it was fine; some also had a bad experience, one friend said it just fell out!!

I had a balloon induction in April 2020 for my DS, he is my second and I was told that the balloon is very effective for 2nd babies. It was! It was inserted (a bit uncomfortable, I wasn't offered gas and air) and inflated at 8am, babies heartbeat was monitored for half hour then I was allowed to come home (this was in lockdown 1 at the start of the pandemic and I wasn't expecting to be allowed back home). Before I had left the hospital I started cramping which was the start of my contractions. The balloon was more uncomfortable than the contractions to begin with and it was a relief when it came out itself (after I went to the loo) at about 2pm. I went back to hospital about 4pm when the contractions became unbearable and I was 5cm dilated when examined. DS was born 10pm that night.

So for me the balloon did its job and I'd do it again. I was 41+5 on my induction date.

I'm sure you'll be great! Good luck 😃