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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Has anyone been induced before?

17 replies

PregnantGrrrl · 28/10/2007 05:55

I was wondering if anyone would mind sharing their experiences of being induced.

I've been given a leaflet with the added risks etc. It says more chance of forceps / ventouse, pains that aren't actually contractions, longer labour etc.

Did it affect ability to move around in labour? Did you have any complications because of it?

I'm hoping to avoid it, but would like to hear some real stories about it so i can make the most informed decision possible.

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AnnainNZ · 28/10/2007 06:52

I'm being induced on Thursday because of high blood pressure so I'll be interested in replies you get to this.

I have searched some old threads and found very different stories about induction. For some people it all seems to happen very quickly and others seem to be waiting around for days for something to happen.

I know it does increase the chance of intervention and I have heard it doubles the chance of an emergency c/s.

I have heard some fairly horrible stories about being induced, but then I met a friend today who has had 3 inductions (due to being overdue) and she was very positive about each experience. She had an epidural each time though!

Are you overdue or is induction something you're considering for other reasons?

Shannaratiger · 28/10/2007 06:54

i got induced with my 2nd child. i was induced at 4:30 and gave birth at 12:30, so not very long. the contractions do start strongly straight away. i was able to move around freely, although i found sitting on the birthing ball worked best for me. my baby did need the forceps because he decided to twist in the birth canal and he was 9lb10.

hope this helps.
wishing u a safe and easy birth

lizziemun · 28/10/2007 07:43

I was induced 7 weeks ago.

Just a bit of backgroud. DD2 was breech i had her turned at 37+6wk then every afternoon for 4 - 5 hours i had contraction about 15 to 20 mins apart lasting about 1mins then they would just stop.

When i saw the midwife at 40wks she thought the baby had gone back breech, so i had to see the consultant and again at 41week when she did a manual sweep which didn't work.

We decided that i would be induced the next day because i lot of pain (could barely walk as baby was all at the front, lost 19lb when i had her).

Although i had been have all these contractions for 3 weeks i was still only 1cm dilated. My waters were broken at 3.30pm could still move around although i found realy unpleasent as my waters were flooding away (sorry if tmi). Again nothing was progessing i was started on the drip sorry can't remember the name at 4.30pm with the dosage being increased every half an hour. They increase untill your at level which is right for. I had it increased 3 or 4 times. When proper labour started it 1hour and 55mins to have her. She was 9lb 2oz and although it was very intense i had just gas and air and no forceps / ventouse.

Once i had the drip atttached i couldn't move around as they had to monitor the baby's heartbeat and my contractions.

Pixiefish · 28/10/2007 07:45

I'm also interested in this as I'm going in tomorrow to be induced at 39 weeks

AnnainNZ · 28/10/2007 07:51

(Sorry, hijack)

Good luck Pixie, fingers crossed for you tomorrow.

Hopefully we'll both be on November postnatal thread in a few days!

coolkat · 28/10/2007 08:11

Morning, I have one DD and I was induced with her, from the time they 'popped' my waters to giving birth was only about 3 - 4 hours and in this time I had a bath with oils - this sped contractions right up and I was mobile. My DD was born with Gas and Air and she was 9lb. Sorry to be vague it was 5 years ago so do not know whether things have changed, from speaking to people it seems you have a faster labour when you are induced.

Good Luck

Original poster

PregnantGrrrl · 28/10/2007 09:17

AnnainNZ- i am 9 days over, and don't want it unless medically urgent for baby's sake. Got to go to hospital Tuesday to talk about it (if not gone into labour by then)

a friend was induced recently and spend 3 days waiting on the ward just to be given the drugs

OP posts:

AnnainNZ · 28/10/2007 09:27

3 days waiting for the drugs

I've been told I'll be examined, then baby's hb checked for 30 mins, then gel administered to start induction.

Hospitals not as busy over here though. Was in last wk for monitoring (high bp) and I was seen quickly and all the midwives were lovely.

Am not entirely happy about being indujced but have a history of high bp and 5 doctors have now advised me not to go over due date. Will be 39+4 on Thur so only a few days off due date.

Good luck with your decision. Have you a list of questions to ask them on Tue e.g. intervention risks, C/s rates, how long they will keep trying to induce if it doesn't work etc. I always forget questions for drs unless I have a list.

mosschops30 · 28/10/2007 09:30

I was induced with ds, it was a much better labour than with dd (spontaneous labour).

I only had one pessary, contractions started pretty much within a couple of hours. They were not longer or more painful than normal labour.
I didnt want to move around so I cant answer that I was quite happy on the bed with my gas & air
ds was delivered safely 6 hours later normally no ventouse or forceps or stitches.

I was very nervous too, like you, hearing lots of horror stories but it was fine honestly

starshaker · 28/10/2007 09:32

i was induced butit didnt work so the brok my waters a put me on the drip. i wouldnt walk about cos i was having constant contractions. although i was only in labour for about 2 hours. 8pm when they took me down broke waters etc and about 8.30 when i started properly. dd was born at 11.29pm

mosschops30 · 28/10/2007 09:32

In defence of the womens unit, maybe she had to wait 3 days because there were no beds on delivery suite. It would be irresponsible to induce 10 women if you only have delivery rooms for 2 of them

zookeeper · 28/10/2007 09:39

I went in at 42 weeks to be induced on a Wednesday morning. I was given drugs and a gel applied each day and nothing happened. finally on Monday morning my waters broke and I ended up having an emergency cs at midnight that day because the baby was distressed and I still hadn't dilated.

I wish I'd waited - it was the longest four days of my life.

bling1 · 28/10/2007 09:41

My experience of induction was slightly different as I had an abnormal pregnancy last year and terminated at 16 weeks. The only advice I can give you is talk through everything with your consultant and get pain relief as early as possible.

I had the two pessaries (although you might not need these) and the contractions started immediately and were very strong. I was able to walk around fine, but I would recommend looking at an epidural but ask if you can have it around the same time as they start inducing you (might be different with a sweep etc). I had to lie still for an hour after the pessaries and it wasn't pleasant.

I've now got a baby in breech and I was looking at being induced again if I went for a natural birth but we've gone with an elect c-section.

Whatever happens you'll be fine, and it's what's best for the baby and you - good luck.

Pixiefish · 28/10/2007 10:14

I hope I'm not there for 4 days- well I won't be because I'll go home. I am not hanging around away from my dd with nothing being done. I'd rather go back in every day than do that.

Anna- that's what's on my paper too- monitoring and then gel applied

castille · 28/10/2007 10:24

I was induced with my 3rd due to growth restriction at 37.6 weeks. One pessary at 10.30am, contractions started within 30 minutes and DS was born in a big rush just before 4pm. I didn't find the contractions any stronger than with my 2 spontaneous labours, and overall it was a much better experience than I'd feared. I felt in control throughout, more so than with my 2 others in fact.

Good luck!

Original poster

PregnantGrrrl · 28/10/2007 10:52

mosschops- they took her in on the Friday morning to be induced, told her she was 2nd in line. Nobody came all day, then they told her she would be induced next day, so she asked if she could go home for night and come back in the morning. They told her no, because they 'might' fetch her in the night for it.

They didn't fetch her in the night, and the same thing happened the next day.

Finally induced her on the Sunday.

I have 16mth old, no way i am staying in hospital overnight unless i/baby is ill. I'm going to ask for scan at appointment, and hope i can go naturally before 14days, as i want home birth.

Thought of C/S is scary too (apparently greater risk?) as i can't care for 16mth old and newborn after C/S on my own for weeks.

OP posts:

Piccalilli2 · 28/10/2007 11:12

I was induced with dd, had three pessaries before 'proper' labour started although had pains like contractions from the first pessary - just not proper contractions as I wasn't dilating. I ended up on a drip as it wasn't progressing fast enough and dd was eventually born by forceps after a failed ventouse. I had an epidural and was being prepped for emergency caesarean if the forceps didnt work. I could move around during labour although not once I was on the drip and I had to have my waters broken. From my experience the worst thing about being induced is that if it doesn't 'take' the first time you can be in pain for a long time before anything really happens, which is extremely tiring. I was induced because I was two weeks overdue but I think if I was in the same position again I'd wait a few more days as I'm sure it was all so difficult because I just wasn't ready to go into labour.

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