Induction at 39 weeks - stories and time taken please

[Glowz]

I'm being induced on Saturday at bang on 39 weeks. I'm okay with this as I've had previous complicstions and a few episodes of reduced movements so the induction part doesn't worry me. I've been reading others experiences and am fully ready to expect the unexpected (either up to 3 days of waiting or could go into labour quickly). My baby is very head down at the minute

My concern is the rules in regards to the pandemic and if my husband can be with me. He doesn't drive as lockdown has put a stop to his test and we live in the middle of nowhere so public transport isn't exactly the best. Does anyone have any recent experience of partners being with them for inductions during the pandemic? I understand he can't be there all the time and if for example I started labour at 2am he can get to the hospital but it would take an hour or more for him to get there. It's our first baby and he has missed out on all scans and appointments so I really don't want him to miss the birth.

Any experience stories are appreciated :)

Was induced last April in the first lockdown. I kept stressing how anxious I was that DH wouldn’t make it in time as my first birth was so quick.
Had to go in alone and have monitoring etc first but then they moved me to a delivery suite private room where he was allowed in before they broke my waters :)

When I was induced with my DD1 3 years ago, I was in the hospital at 9pm Monday at midnight 00:00 (Now Tuesday) I was given a pessary.
I managed to sleep easily, but contractions started around 3pm the next day, very very intense, my waters broke at 11pm Tuesday but I was only 2cm. It took from 11pm Tuesday - Wednesday morning 7am to get to 4cm and be admitted to "delivery" and it was torture if I'm honest! but my hospital didn't even allow gas and air until in "delivery" I was given paracetamol and told it be okay lol.

8am Wednesday morning I had the epidural! Amazing - rested through the day, then at 8pm, was told I'm 9cm... got told to wait an hour for baby to "come down" and felt the urge to push around 9pm. Baby girl was born 30 minutes later!

That's my timeline :)

4 days.

I wasn't in pain for most of it though, only the last day. I recommend the epidural. Ended with an EMCS but that had nothing to do with the induction, my babies heartbeat suddenly started doing funny stuff so they went for the safest option.

Induced bang on 39 weeks before lockdown. Balloon inserted just before midnight so knew nothing would happen for at least 24 hours. Husband went home and thankfully had a private room so both got a good sleep. Balloon came out about 4pm following day, about 10pm midwives said I wasn’t going to be taken to labour ward until the following morning so no need for husband to wait. Lo and behold I got woken about 2am to say there was space for me, phoned him to come in and arrived as waters were being broken and baby arrived 8 hours later.

Induced last July at 39+1. Had Dilapan rods in for 12 hours then went to delivery suite to have waters broken at 2am. Started drip at 6am and she was born 12 hours later.

Vastly better than my first which took 4 days from first pessary to baby.

I was induced in December. DH was there while they monitored me and inserted the pessery then had to go home. Pessery went in at 1pm, checked at 830pm and was 3cm so sent down to delivery ward to have waters broken. Called DH and he arrived back at 9pm, baby born just after midnight. It was my 3rd DC and have been induced before which is why is maybe quite quick.

Induced via pessary at 11am and DD was born at 3pm same day. Labour was immediate for me

I had an unexpected induction in September at 39+1. Some of my waters had gone with what was deemed a trace of meconium. As my contractions hadn't started, they broke the rest of my waters and put me quickly on the drip when my contractions still failed to start.

I went on the drip at 1:30 and for the first few hours everything started very very slowly. At 2 hours in my contractions finally started to pick up and stayed at a good pace. I was adamant I couldn't stay sat/laid on the bed so despite the monitoring equipment the midwife helped me on to a ball were I stayed for the rest of my labour. I managed the contractions well enough with breathing but was offered gas and air pretty early. Started using it at about 5 hours in when things were starting to really ramp up. I was due to be checked at 7:30 by which time my contractions were intense and I was pretty sure I was in well established labour. Told I was 4cm and felt very disheartened. From this point I went very quiet, and started to think that I would need an epidural as I wouldn't be able to sustain that level of contractions for much longer. Turns out I was in transition, and I have spectacularly short active phases. My little one was born at 8:20 after 4 minutes of pushing. So start to end was just under 7 hours. This was second baby which I thing contributed to speed my daughter was evicted.

An induction was the last thing I wanted really but it was so much more positive than I could have ever imagined. I wanted to only use gas and air if I could - having already delivered by first baby, who wasn't induced, that way. That was personal preference for me as I felt I would feel more in control that way. However, I may have asked for one had the last part not been so rapid. My husband was with me throughout once I'd been admitted following the first assessment. We never went to a ward and I went straight into a room on the delivery suite.

I was induced at 40+4 however I was put straight on the drip.
They started the drip at 7am and she was born at 20 past 6 in the evening

Induced at 37 weeks. First baby.

Day 1. Just the gel pessaries. Didn't do much. Couple of tightenings while power waddling around the hospital grounds, but nothing much else. Ordinarily I'd have had a second round the following day, but I was fortunate as the delivery suite was virtually empty, so they bought me down to have my waters broken instead.

Day 2. 1am bought down to delivery suite. 3am waters broken. 5am no labour so put on the drip. Drip gradually dialled up every half an hour until I'm contracting as often and as strongly as they wanted me too. Apparently I needed quite a lot. 11am Diamorphine. Great stuff. I was sound asleep between contractions. 4pm Fully dilated. 4.20pm Start pushing. 4.44pm Baby born.

About 32 hours total from pessary to baby. Husband was with me the whole time, but this was pre-pandemic. Tbh though, I didn't really need him there until I was taken down to delivery suite.

I’ve been induced twice (boo) but first time I was 39 weeks and it took 5 days for baby to appear.

2nd time was a better experience. Well overdue and I was already about 3cm dilated though so didn’t take as much to get things moving and it ramped up fairly quickly once I was on the drip.

My second birth was during covid and I was allowed my dh there, even without covid results. (Had covid test and ended up being induced quicker than planned due to health complications).

Thank you everyone. I suffer bad anxiety and my husband is the most amazing support so that's all I'm really worried about now. Not the labour or anything (yet!!).

Fingers crossed I progress as quickly and safely as possible so husband doesn't miss a thing

I was induced at 38 weeks.
Message didn't work so i had the drip
I think it was 6-8 hrs from the beginning of the drip to DS arriving.

Induced last April at 39+1 during lockdown 1, second baby so may be a bit different but I was super anxious and nearly refused it, had a spontaneous labour first time round, lovely water birth with no intervention so had been planning a home birth! Was for similar reasons to yours, had triggered the induction because of repeat episodes of reduced movements although I think I was just over anxious as it was a post-mmc pregnancy.

Honestly it went really well, I think I actually preferred it to my first birth! DH was only allowed to be there during visiting hours and once in active labour but I think that’s now changed in my trust.

Day 1. Went in at 10 am and had balloon inserted about midday, not pleasant but not painful. Ward only had 4 beds instead of 6 so was a nicer environment and only 2 other women there. Wasn’t allowed to go for a walk but they gave me a ball to bounce on so spent most of the time doing that and listening to podcasts. Nothing really happened, delivery was busy so went to bed but glad I took my pillow from home. Had a few mild contractions.

Day 2. A lovely MW told me as I was low risk I could still go to the MLBU provided all went well and helped me agree this with the consultant. Waters due to be broken after lunch so arranged for DH to come in at this time.

Waters broken on the ward and was then transferred to MLBU. They sent us out for a walk and contractions ramped up straight away so put on my TENS and had a lovely walk and chat with DH. By the time we’d done a circuit of the grounds was contracting every 1-2 minutes so got straight in the pool, just in time as it was time to push and DC2 was born less than 2 hours from waters being broken. We stayed in the room waiting for a while for MW to do baby checks as it was busy but eventually went home about 11pm although they said we could stay in the room overnight if we wanted.

The MWs were so lovely and supportive and you wouldn’t really have known much was different because of COVID. Take things to do and lots of snacks as it can be very boring, good luck!