Induction- Hormone Drip

[Sophierella24]

Hey everyone,

I'm being induced for medical reasons on 17th and have been told this will be done by bursting my waters then straight onto the hormone drip (due to health condition I then have 24 hours to deliver otherwise it will be a section). Can anyone share their experiences of the hormone drip please? Any advice?
Starting to get anxious!!

Thanks all xx

I found the drip incredibly painful!

The midwives tried to convince me to have an epidural before it was started and I said no (as I don't like needles!) but that soon changed after 6 hours on it!

I would definitely say keep an open mind re pain relief! Once I had the epidural I was so much more relaxed.

Also you have the benefit I guess that if you need a section (like I did) the epidural is already in placed and can be topped up

I found it very painful too, the pain was constant and intense, not like contractions at all. I also felt unwell too, I was shaking and was sick but this might have been the pain. Natural labour was a breeze in comparison. Not trying to worry you, just as the pp has said, keep an open mind. I was determined to have a natural birth but I would've taken an epidural at the beginning if I had known. The good news was my labour was fairly short, 6 hours for a first baby.

I've had the drip twice and the first time wasn't great tp be completely honest. The second time was much better (only had gas and air). I think they turned the first one up too fast so I went from 0 - 100 pain wise really quickly.

After 10 minutes I told them to turn the drip down or I'd rip it out of my arm! Baby was born 1.5 hrs later 😀

They did turn it down to 1 i was on 9 before!

@Sophierella24

Hey everyone,

I'm being induced for medical reasons on 17th and have been told this will be done by bursting my waters then straight onto the hormone drip (due to health condition I then have 24 hours to deliver otherwise it will be a section). Can anyone share their experiences of the hormone drip please? Any advice?
Starting to get anxious!!

Thanks all xx

Don't forget you do have choices. If you don't want to do the drip you don't have to consent to it. You're in control. If you'd prefer to have the section instead, say that. Anytime you're not happy with anything, use the words I do not consent. They soon listen.

I had the drip after the pessaries didn’t progress me. Highly recommend getting the epidural in before starting the drip. It’s much more intense than a natural labour so you need the pain relief. With the epidural I was able to sleep through most of it!

If you're straight onto the drip its unlikely it will be 24 hours. It is intense, so I second pps that go for the epidural. I waited 30hours into contractions plus 9 hours on the drip before agreeing to epidural 🤦‍♀️🙃 I was way stubborn

I had the drip straight away at 35 weeks and they broke my waters for me too. No epidural and a quick labour (under 4 hours from drip starting). It was absolutely fine and was only sore towards the end but I had gas and air then pethidine but baby arrived quickly before pethidine kicked in. It was nothing like some of the horror stories you hear and I agreed to one for DC2 at 37 weeks but he came before then anyway.

I had a drip after not getting anywhere with pessaries.
It was my first and only labour, so pain wise I can't compare it to any other delivery. I didn't find it too bad, didn't have an epidural. Still took 14 hours from start to finish though ( I don't know how long it's supposed to take) Had to have manual removal of placenta however.

Very painful. Took ages to actually work. I advise an epidural

The drip made me wish I'd gotten the epidural before I'd gotten pregnant! The pain was immense, even with the epidural I could still feel a certain level of discomfort and contracting, and it still took 12 hours to deliver! It's one of the main reasons I'm having an elective this time, I honestly can't face that again.

You must get an epidural.

Very painful OP I had an epidural and it failed, so if your open to drugs take them from the get go if you want to x

I was induced due to a health condition (neuromuscular) and given a time limit once waters went. It was decided between my consultant and myself that I would have an epidural before the drip as that would support my body to cope as their would be less stress on it from pain. Worked well for me, and I avoided a section (which is what I wanted). It was reassuring to know that if I became unwell from my condition, that I could be whisked straight down and that’s bubs and I would be safe. I don’t know for what reasons you are being induced, and I absolutely don’t want to pry, just a different perspective.

Definitely get an epidural in at the start if you aren't adverse to having one. Anaesthetist said doing them at that point in labour is a doddle as it's easy for the patient to sit still and calm. I had a patient controlled one and could feel when to push at the end, without the pain, by not hammering the button as much 😂. Still had forceps and episiotomy but that was a positioning issue I think (she needed turning), the epidural took care of that pain too!

I had the drip during active labour to speed things up but had already had an epidural by that point. Midwife told me that it was a good job as it's very painful.

I will also recommend getting an epidural before. I started the drip without one and I found it very difficult to sit still for the epidural. I don’t want to panic you and I’m sure some people manage without but I found it incredibly painful and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to rest before the pushing started (2 hours)! Good luck - it will be fine!

I d be in early labour for five days by the time I got the drip, it was wonderful I just had 6 hours of gas and air and it was the one good part of my hospital experience

I had the pessaries and after 24 hours started the drip, it was the single most painful thing I have ever experienced. The pessaries start to give you contractions but this was a constant pain. I had gas and air, which did nothing and I was screaming so much they recommended I have an epidural. That took all the pain away, didn’t even notice when baby progressed into the birth canal.
I am glad I had the induction rather than a c section but that was me. As others said, you have a choice.

I didn't find it any more painful than giving birth without the hormone drip. Both were horrible.
With the drip it was done a lot faster though. The midwife told me they can basically control how long your labour is so if you can stand the pain they can move things along with the drip.
I'd have the drip from the start again.
For me it was completely natural birth that had me begging for an epidural and it took 26 hours in total and the drip it was done in 3 hours.

I needed the hormone drip after two lots of gels in my induction. I told them I wasn't prepared to start the drip until I had an epidural as I'd heard it was very painful. Several midwives tried to convince me to start the drip and as soon as the anaesthetist was available they'd give me the epidural. I still refused. It took six hours waiting in delivery for the anaesthetist to get to me, then when they started the drip, it was less than six hours and I was ready to push. I was so glad I'd put my foot down. The same thing happened to my friend but she started the drip with no epidural and by the time she was screaming for it, they said it was too late. Not trying to scare you op but I had a good 15 hours of strong contractions from the gel and they were horrific and nothing like what I'd expected. I think it will be difficult to judge if you are put on the drip before you've felt any contractions. I couldn't have imagined how bad contractions are with inductions with barely any rest in between! Also being hooked up to the drip, they were continuously monitoring baby so I was stuck in bed, bear this is mind as I found it the worst position not be in dealing with contractions before I'd started the epidural / drip. I had a really lovely birth with the epidural, had a snooze, chatted to the midwives etc. I'm likely to be induced again and an epidural will be on my birth plan if I'm going on the drip.

@autumncountryleaves

I found the drip incredibly painful!

The midwives tried to convince me to have an epidural before it was started and I said no (as I don't like needles!) but that soon changed after 6 hours on it!

I would definitely say keep an open mind re pain relief! Once I had the epidural I was so much more relaxed.

This was me... I couldn’t even speak/scream with the pain but I got a mobile epidural and was like a new woman x

I had my waters broken at midday and was then left for 4 hours but nothing much happened so put onto the drip. It was turned up every 30 minutes but I didn't go into established labour till 7pm with contractions starting at 6.30. It was unbelievably intense, there was barely any rest and I remember kicking the end of the bed and saying fuuuuuck a lot. I asked for pain relief other than gas and air at 7.15 and while the Midwife went to get it I felt the urge to push, she came back in when I was having another really strong contraction so I couldn't speak and she gave me the injection. I still had my knickers on! I had to have my dress cut off so I could push. It only took 3 pushes and he was born at 7.28pm. So it was very quick in the end and I felt great post birth as the pethidine kicked in!!! This contrasts to my first birth pushing for 4 hours and having an episiotomy.
Definitely get pain relief if that's what you want as it is in my experience more painful.

If the gels/pessaries don't work for whatever reason, are you able to refuse the drip and ask for a c section?

I'm 3 days overdue, and I'm starting to worry about induction, although it may still be some time before it's suggested.