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

Or better still, refuse induction and go straight for a c section?

@UnCoffreDor it's definitely worth mentioning early on if they start making induction noises- I didn't find out til quite late down the line that I could have just said I wanted an ELCS. Having said that in the end the induction worked out quite well because of the epidural but again had to have a bit do a cry and meltdown to discover that an epidural could go in before the drip and that it was patient controlled to a point anyway. Oh and another cry yielded the news that has and air was available for examinations.

I was in five days before anything happened so had quite a lot of poking and crying going on. If you can, be really firm with them about asking for options at each and every stage and at the end of the day you can refuse to consent for things. I felt like there was almost a secret menu for whatever reason. I would go for an induction again if I had to knowing what I know now as the recovery for me was quite acceptable but I wouldn't want a repeat of those five days from the first one. The actual birth was the best bit, absolutely lovely with an epidural tbh.

@UnCoffreDor

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.

Yes. You don't have to consent to anything. There is always another option, in this case, CSection. If they try and pressure you, remind them that coerced consent is not consent. Read the NICE guidelines but your baby must be born by a certain number of days overdue so if that means CSection then that's how it is. Your body, your choice (sorry, really into self advocacy).

I had the drip once my waters had gone and I was contracting every few minutes but not dilating. The pain was more intense than the natural contractions I had been having. It was also too high at one point and I was contracting back to back. Gas and air + oramorph was enough at the start then when it got too high I had pethidine. I was out of it until someone was telling me I had an hour to push roughly 18 hours after starting the drip. All went well, I’d just say it is more intense.

I wish I’d had an epidural at the same time as the drip starting. I went through a whole world of pain and gas and air did nothing (except send me a bit loopy and make me feel sick). Eventually gave in about 6 hours later (I think, I don’t remember much). Ended up with a c section but that was because DC was big and in an awkward position.

I had an epidural first then it took maybe 12 hours for me to get to 9cm, I had gone in with waters gone at 34 weeks and 2cm dilated. It felt like really achy horrible period pains for me by the time I was ready to push. I would have an epidural put in first if you're open to it. You'll get through it, best of luck.

I had the drip after gel pessaries and waters being broken didn't kick start labour. I was 37 weeks, so body probably just wasn't ready.

I knew the drip makes labour more painful, but pain is so subjective. I had never been in labour before, natural or otherwise, so I had no reference point to go by. As I felt I have a pretty good pain tolerance level, I opted to escalate pain relief as and when I needed it. I also really didn't want an epidural for various reasons.

Drip went on at 5am. Gas and air started at 7am. Established labour at 11am (diamorphine time!). Baby born not long after 4.30pm. No interventions.

Good luck to you OP. Do what feels right for you.

Take the drugs (epidural) early on. I tried to last it out and Im not going to lie, it's was horrific. Gas and air did nothing, diamorphine helped until they turned the drip up. Seriously, go for the epidural early and safe yourself some agony. My consultant told me to take all the drugs, wished I'd listened to her rather than struggling for 6 hours in agony with limited profession to show for it.

progression

Also, I was induced at midnight and didn't give birth until 6pm the next day. You don't want to be in that much pain for so long, it's what pain relief what developed for.

Good luck!

100 percent get an epidural. I was adamant i didn't want one but my god it saved my life I swear it did! The pain was so intense I thought I was dying. I'm sorry op not telling you this to add to your anxiety but to pre warn you and hopefully give useful advice. I was having 10 contractions in 10 mins and each one lasted between 30 and 50 seconds. So sometimes just 10 seconds between! I wish I'd have had the epidural sooner. Good luck

100 percent get an epidural. Not to scare you more op but to hopefully give some useful advice. I waited and sooo wish I hadn't. The pain was so intense. 10 contractions in 10 mins lasting up to 50 seconds each! I thought i was dying! Please get an epidural and save yourself the agony. good luck x

Sorry didn't think the first post posted x

It was just say painful op. It went from nothing to 100 after the first contraction.
No break in-between.
I didn't even realise that it was common for most women to be able to hold up conversation in between contractions.
Simply because I didn't get a break in-between them.

After 10 hours I had an epidural. But this prevented me from being able to push effectively. So it ended in c section.
Had a planned c section 2nd time and it was a breeze.

You can refuse the drip if you want to and go straight to c section, if this is what you want.

Maybe i was lucky but I didn’t find the drip that bad. They set it at 9am, I asked for an epidural at 1pm, it was placed by 2pm but failed twice and so she was born with only gas and air before 5pm. It wasn’t exactly fun but it was fine and I’m expecting the same again this time (not planning on bothering with the epidural).

I was terrified of the drip and when they told me that's how they wanted to induce my labour, I was so apprehensive. They broke my waters at 12am, started the drip at 1am and my baby was born at 4.55am. Just gas and air - it was honestly fine. Don't psych yourself out or panic yourself unnecessarily - when you're in labour you'll do what feels right for you at the time. Best of luck! Xxx

I had the drip after pessary. I quite enjoyed the feeling of the contractions but they began to get intense and took an epidural. I wish I hadn't taken the epidural as I ended up with emergency c section but wondered if I hadn't taken the epidural I may have been able to give birth naturally if I was able to feel the contractions properly.

I've been induced twice. First time it was tough going. The contractions came hard and fast once they gave me sytocin. It was made more difficult because the baby was back to back. The doc encouraged me to hang on for as long as I could without the epidural. Big mistake! I had a rough time and it took another hour to actually get the epidural once I'd said had enough.

The second time was so much better. I refused the drip until they gave an epidural and baby was born in 90 mins without much fuss.

The moral of the story is that you need to insist on the epidural first! There's no point in putting yourself through that pain.

3 inductions

1st one not to bad had drip after about 4 hours

2nd one induction pessery then drip awful pain

3rd one pessery and drip labour was quicker though once I was at 4cm at 12pm baby was born at 3.30pm

I do advise drugs

I was hoping for waters plus drip on both of my (post dates) inductions as really wanted to avoid pessary. Luckily I was favourable for this each time.

Both times were idyllic births! No need for pain relief, both 6 to 7 hour labours. Both 10lb-ers, no tears, 2nd DC was back to back and it was still fine.

Even on drip and monitor I was able to move around and keep changing position every half hour.

I'd have taken pain relief if needed, but it was fine!

Hope all goes well for you

Take the epidural.

I started naturally and found contractions 8/10 painful so got epidural, then I wasn’t progressing so they put me on the drip for the last 1cm. Then they said it’ll be good for pushing if you stop pressing epidural (you have to click yourself every 20 mins) and be able to feel the contractions so I did and the pain was the most paralysingly immense pain I could ever imagine a 15/10. I panicked and was screaming and the anaesthetist came in and have me a spinal block which worked immediately.

I will never again have a drip without an epi.

I had a drip. I found I had quite painful contractions very quickly. After 10 hours or so I was still only 2cm dilated so the midwife suggested an epidural since we were still so early in the process. That helped enormously. Another 6 hours or so and I was still 2cm dilated and the baby’s heart rate had dropped, so I had an emergency c-section.

My advice would be to have an epidural if appropriate. It really helped me and made a significant difference to my wellbeing. And I would say that even though it wasn’t the experience I would have chosen, it was still a good birth because I was very well looked after and kept fully informed by the midwives.

I’ve had 4 births with drip induction, followed by one natural gas and air water birth.

The pain of natural contractions is nothing compared to drip contractions. I couldn’t understand why all my friends had had births without epidurals when labour is so painful. I (naievely!) didn’t realise there was a difference in the pain level of a drip induced birth vs a natural birth. Now I’ve had a natural birth I see why I was begging for an epidural the first 4 times! Just get one, my drip births were absolutely fab as soon as the epidural was in.

It’s incredibly painful, and I only have a back to back Labour with very little pain relief to compare it too. It’s 100x worse than natural contractions. I would advise anyone who knows they are going to have it to get an epidural straight away. Unless your Labour is exceptionally fast you won’t survive without one. This was according to my midwives and I can well believe it. I think it’s complete cruelty that they don’t advise epidurals for drip induction before you get the drip in. Sorry if that’s too honest.

I had drip + waters broken. I had gas & air to start with and it was manageable for quite a while. I had pethedine when I was about 4cm; everything sped up and baby shot out about 40 minutes later. For me it was all very quick and manageable, yes it was painful but not off the scale. But everyone is different and you can't know how you'll react until you're there.

Forgot to add my experience of epidural was fantastic. I was so terrified of having one and thought it meant you definitely need forceps etc but I could still feel when I needed to push and luckily didn’t need any assistance. It was the best ‘birth choice’ I’ve ever made. It turned the induction from a living nightmare to a pleasant experience.