Induction Stories

[Terriblecreature]

Hi all,

Just a general thread about people's inductions stories. This is second baby. Being induced Thursday evening due to babies size and due to placenta stopping working with DS1 (he was 13 days overdue though!)

I have to go in at 8pm. At that point I will be 39 + 4.

Wanting to know how everyone's experiences went if possible so I know what I am in for. Had an attempted sweep today but she could barely even reach my cervix 🙄

Our 1st was induced due to high bp in hospital from 39+2. Started off at 39+3 with pessary, contractions started well but tailed off both times. Was taken to delivery at 39+6, waters were broken and was given hormone drip which made me vomit. Contractions were more intense than my natural labors and ended up high as a kite on G&A. They talked me in to an epidural then cranked the hormones up to max. Babys hb became low so they wanted to get her out fast, they used vontouse and gave me episiotomy. Cord was round neck so she was blue, I didn't see her until they'd sorted her out though. Was 7hr 38mins from waters breaking. I wouldn't volunteer for one again.

My story is quite negative so I won't tell it as it won't help you feel better about it! Baby was fine it just didn't go smoothly.

Were you induced with your first too then? If so how did it go?

I was induced with 2 of mine and both went really well, slow progress but no complications and straight forward vaginal delivery. All the best

I was induced at 41 weeks because of my waters breaking (they induce if you don’t go into labour within 48 hours as there is a infection risk). I was put straight on the hormone drip because of the time pressure, and because I was already dilated so the pessary would probably not work.

I have no natural labour to compare it to in terms of pain levels, so no idea if induction is worse as people say. I managed with no pain relief until about 5cm dilated and then requested an epidural after that as it got quite intense and didn’t think I could manage several more hours without anything. After that it was much easier so if induced again I will probably plan to get the epidural from fairly early on.

I had a similar experience as a PP in that baby’s heart rate dropped when I was pushing. I think maybe I wasn’t pushing very effectively because of the epidural and so it took a long time and distressed her. So they prepped me for a C-section but managed to get her out in theatre with forceps. It probably sounds more dramatic than it actually was, I remember it all being relatively calm.

Had an episiotomy and a clitoral tear (yes, nobody warned me that was a thing!), had stitches for both and healed fairly quickly so not actually as bad as it might sound.

I was put on the drip at 7pm and she was born at 5am so around 10 hours, left hospital just over a day later. I think it can be a much longer process if you don’t go straight onto the drip as they try several other methods first, so be prepared that you may have a few days in hospital before things really get going.

Thanks all for your responses. I am happy to hear all stories so I can mentally prepare myself.

With DS1 I was booked to be induced. When I arrived I was already having contractions but wasn't dilated at all so they gave me the pessary at 5.30pm that's all I needed. They broke my waters for me around 2am and my son born at 4.32am. was straight forward and only had an internal tear. Hoping this one will go as smoothly but somehow I don't see it as I am not as overdue. Never know though.

I was induced on all 3 of mine. with first two it was drip after waters broke at home. Was ok, I got epidural with both & vag birth.
Third was pressary & then they broke waters, ended up having a c section.
Good luck with yours x

If you get the drip, just get an epidural. This advice was given to me and I'm glad I took it! Good luck op and enjoy meeting your new baby!

I think people's induction experiences are so varied. Some people get on really well and prefer it to going into labour naturally, and some find it hard. As this is your second baby then hopefully your body will respond well to everything as it knows what it's doing.

I was induced at 41+5 with my first baby. I had an outpatient induction and was given the pessary Friday morning and sent home again for the night. I didn't get any contractions. I woke up early Saturday morning and my waters broke but still no contractions. I returned to hospital and was taken to delivery suite Saturday evening to be put on the hormone drip. I opted to have an epidural put in at the same time. Was on the drip overnight, baby wasn't too happy and only managed to get to 4cm before I had to have a section.

Not the birth I envisioned but I felt very well looked after throughout and I appreciated the early access to pain relief. Induction can be lengthy, slow and boring though. Because my waters broke I managed to skip the queue for delivery suite. If they hadn't I think I would have been on the antenatal ward for a fair few days.

I was induced as I was 12 days overdue. I'd had a couple of sweeps and apparently my cervix was soft but other than that I wasn't showing any signs of labour.

I had the pessary at midday on the Saturday. By the early hours of Sunday morning I was having 4-5 contractions every 10 minutes. They were short but very intense and felt like they were back to back. Also had this feeling of pressure which meant that I couldn't wee.

They took the pessary out at midday on Sunday and I'd only dilated a couple of cms but it was enough for them to be able to break my waters which meant that I didn't have another pessary. I had to wait for space on delivery though which took until 5am on the Monday. The contractions continued at the same rate so no chance of sleep.

They broke my waters when I arrived on delivery and then I think they waited a few hours to see if that sped things up. It didn't, so then it was the hormone drip on a low dose for 4 hours.

The contractions were getting unbearable by that stage so I had gas and air even though I was only a few cm dilated quite embarrassed about that.

After the 4 hours of low dose I still hadn't progressed so they upped the dose. It all went downhill from there and the baby's heart rate stopped completely and I was rushed in to theatre for an emergency c section.

Apparently it was a reaction to the drip.

It sounds like you had a good reaction to the pessary before so I am sure you will be fine!! Good luck.

Was induced at 39 +4 as blood pressure had risen.

Was given the pessary at 11am, started to get twinges and tightenings, put on the monitor and told nope not contracting. Started to get uncomfortable at about 9pm and told them and was again told nope not having contractions. Was given a sleeping tablet, at about 11.45pm I felt a pop down below. Went to the toilet and got an overwhelming urge to push...: called midwife and got wheeled in to delivery room where I was 10 cm dilated. My LO was born at 00.23am with no pain relief as there wasn't time.

So just over 12 hours all in

Induced with all 3 of mine. DC1 was at 42w, pessary only and a water birth. DC2 waters went at 39w but no labour so had the drip. All fine there too, born after 7 hour labour with just gas and air. DC3 induced initially at 41+4 with pessary, loads of contractions but not consistent. Had the drip again with gas and air and a 5 hour labour. Managed to insist on being mobile with all 3 which helped so much pain wise.

Induced with my first 10 days early,
Pessary in around 11pm and I slept all night, no pain.
8am my waters broke, had some breakfast, bounced on the ball, had a walk.
1pm started to get uncomfortable and said to the midwife "I think I'm in labour"
She replied "your not in labour I can tell by looking at you, it's your first baby and your early. This may take a couple of days"😳
Then around 2pm my husband said to the midwife, my wife's in pain - can she have some pain relief?
Response "yes once I've finished my paperwork"
She didn't arrive.
I went to the toilet, felt like a bowling ball coming down, pressed emergency buzzer.

Midwife "oh gosh, baby is coming!!"

Quickly rushed to delivery suite and out she popped. Then we went home that evening so all done within 24hours.

Good luck with your labour

I was induced. Baby arrived 2 hrs later. Just had two paracetamol

I was induced with both of mine. Both times they were unable to do sweeps as I was completely closed for business. No babies due to come out of my cervix at all anytime soon!
But on both occasions I received the first dose of whatever it is they do, took myself off for a walk (with DH, possibly not allowed currently) and within 2-3 hours I was in active labour and baby arrived within 8-10 hours of admission. Very successful both times.
I credit the moving around. I was last in and first out of the 'induction suite' both times but was the only one who left the room at any point.

Placemarking so I can follow the stories!

Induced at 37 weeks due to pre-eclampsia.

Started off with a Bishop score of 0 at 9am First gel pessary inserted. No labour. No change to cervix. 3pm Second gel. No labour. Maybe 1cm dilated. Ordinarily, they'd have tried again the following day, but I got really lucky. As the delivery suite was virtually empty, they bought me down anyway at 1am. Waters were broken at 3am (took 2 midwives and a great deal of gas and air). Two hours later, still no labour. Onto the drip. Coped with gas & air and paracetamol + codeine for 6 hours (5cm), but needed something stronger. I chose diamorphine over an epidural. I was sleeping between contractions.... In active labour. Amazing. 10/10 would take again if in agonising pain. 4pm got to 10cm. 4.20pm started pushing. 4.44pm DD was born.

I know DD had a few decelerations (due to the drip being turned up further) after I had the diamorphine, but fortunately she recovered. . There was no way I could have consented for a section. She was also a little monkey and kept wriggling away from the CTG monitoring, so a scalp electrode was popped onto her head.

Good luck OP. You'll be fine. ❤️

Induced at 39 weeks last December. 5th baby, 3 previous home births. Induced for blood pressure issues. Went in at 10am on a Sunday, was given a balloon induction and left for 24 hours to go into labour. Didn't work. Next morning I was going to have my waters broken when they realised baby was transverse. At this point I asked for c section. Was told no. I went to theatre to have an ECV, then consultant holds the baby in place so they can break my waters without the baby moving and getting the cord trapped. Then I was put on a drip. This was under a spinal block and epidural. I went back to labour ward and start vomiting because of either the drip or the epidural. I vomit every 10 minutes from 3pm to 11pm when I start pushing. I push for 2 hours before the baby is in distress and they realise he's still in the wrong position (brow presentation). At this point I ask for c section. Was told no. Taken to theatre and baby delivered by forceps with episiotomy, I lose a lot of blood. Baby is shocked and doesn't feed for nearly 2 days.

It was pretty traumatic and it's only writing it all down now that I feel they should have given me a c section in the first place. But I have a healthy baby so that's ok right?

I was induced with first two DC due to post dates.

Both very similar, positive and lovely births!

Both times waters were broken but no contractions. Drip, strong contractions but no pain relief (managed well by changing positions every half hour, absolutely fine even on monitor). With first went from 6cm to 10cm in 5 minutes so that felt intense, pushed for almost an hour, no tears. Almost 10lb baby, was fine.

Second I wasn't progressing beyond 2cm. Turns out he was back to back, but still very manageable by moving positions every half hour. They said c-section if still no progress but my lovely midwife suggested lying on my side and switching every 15 min while we waited for consultant. I didn't like not being able to choose my position so after 20 min as consultant arrived I asked if I could lean upright on back of bed for a moment. Then I said I felt ready, I was 10cm! From 2, in 20 min. He came out after 9 minutes of pushing. Same weight as first baby!

Both arrived 6 or 7 hours after drip inserted. I was glad to avoid pessary each time, but that's just what was safest for me.

Beautiful births! Inductions can go very well.

I've had two inductions! First was at 39+6 due to issues with cord blood flow, and second (5 and a half weeks ago!) was at 41+6 due to being overdue.

First one was a hormone pessary called Mysodelle, which I believe has now been discontinued. Pessary went in, and DD1 came out 7 hours later! The contractions were super intense, but diamorphine helped.

Second induction was via cervical balloon, which aims to prepare the cervix for waters being broken. Balloon inserted at 3pm and fell out naturally at around 10.45am the next day. The balloon itself wasn't too uncomfortable. I did have what felt like period pains while it was in (not contractions) but they were perfectly manageable with paracetamol and the odd bit of codeine. After the balloon fell out I was in limbo for a bit, but not in pain, so spent time on the ward reading magazines etc. It was rather nice! I then started to feel contractions around 7 mins apart at around 4pm. I didn't end up needing my waters broken, as they broke on their own at around 8.15pm and DD2 arrived an hour and twenty minutes later! I wanted more pain relief initially, but there was only time for gas and air, which was actually ok. Not everyone's waters break naturally using the balloon method, so I felt lucky and I was pleased I hadn't needed them to be broken and I therefore didn't need the hormone drip. Good luck OP!