What happens during an induction?

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Hi all

I’ll be 40 weeks this Friday, possibly looking at an induction in the very near future if things don’t start up naturally.

Can you talk me through the process if you’ve been through it?

Thank you

I have APS so baby had to be delivered at 37 weeks. Induction is usual method but to be honest I just didn’t want to do that. I requested a c section instead which was agreed. It was absolutely the right choice for me and I would do it again without a second thought.

Yes you can refuse induction. Yes you can insist on a c section. Yes you can insist on giving birth without intervention (but please consider why interventions have been suggested as it’s not done lightly).

There are preferences on both sides. One of my friends had the most positive experience with induction and can’t understand why I wasn’t up for it!

How you give birth (in the U.K. at least) is completely up to you. Wishing all the best whatever you decide.

Sod all in my experience
Had 4 pessaries over 24 hours, nothing.
Eventually had my waters broken 2 days later.
Things really ramped up when I was on the drip though, from 4cms to birth in less than 3 hours

[quote RightSaidPleb]@Itsbeen84yearss It's terrible how there doesn't seem to be a national blueprint for this.

Myself and several friends who had inductions in south London's hospitals were all advised to have an epidural once on the drip. Considering the pain it really should be standard!!

OP, if you do have one, epidural is the biggest piece of advice I can give you!! [/quote]
Us northerners are expected to grit our teeth and bear it I suspect 😂 . What pisses me off with mine is that my first was under three hours naturally so they should really have known I was going to react very quickly to the induction drip. I just had no idea how different the contractions were going to be. I feel a bit of a fool not researching it myself beforehand though

Following this thread with interest

I went in Saturday morning at 9am, had my BP taken and then on baby heart rate monitor for half an hour before having the gel put in, left for 3 hours, another half hour on monitor, left for another 3 hours then second dose of gel, contractions started within 2 hours, had a bath to help with cramps, water broken in the bath, moved to delivery room within an hour and DC was born within the hour! All very quick and actually preferred to my natural labour the second time round

Everyone's story is different. If I had to have another induction I'd request a c section instead. At least then I will only have the section to recover from and not the labour before hand.

I would advise calling in before turning up for your appointment. It is much more comfortable to wait at home instead of those waiting room chairs.

I was given three rounds of gells, which did nothing except give me small painless contractions. Followed by 24 hours rest. I was offered a c-section and I said I would like to continue trying induction if possible. I got three more gells. Few contractions recorded on the machine but they were painless. I was only 2cm dilated. But the doctor who was supposed so to book me in for induction did a vaginal exam and my waters popped. I got very happy.

I was then moved to labour ward (Saturday morning) and a drip was inserted. Few hours on the drip I requested an epidural. There was a small blip and by the sunday morning I was still only 2cm. I gave up and asked for c-section. I was exhausted and needed sleep. It was accepted straight away (I had been offered it Few times beforehand but I said let's wait).

So ds1 was born via emergency c-section. My sil had a pessary and she gave birth 3hr later. Everyone is different. My situation was very unusual I been told.

The doctors and midwifies, were very nice and involved me with decision making. They gave me opportunity to ask questions and they listened to me. I guess my body decided it didn't want to give birth at that time. I gave birth vaginally the following pregnancy. My body was just showing me who was the boss the first time

I had an induction nearly 2 years ago. At my hospital there was a lot of waiting around until they had ‘space’ for me to be in labour.

Most of the time they put a pessary in, wait to see if it starts things, possibly put a second one in. They then break your waters and hook you up to a drip.

In my particular case, the pessary going in makes me go into hard labour right away but this is apparently quite rare. It could happen to you as well though!

My second birth was an induction at nearly 42 weeks. My baby was measuring very large and expected to be at least 10 pounds, so why they didn’t induce me slightly earlier I do not know. I was 4cm dilated at examination a week prior so went in expecting to get started almost right away.
Had to wait in a communal room with four other women and their partners (pre covid) for 19 hours. There is so much waiting around with worried relatives constantly on my case.
My waters were broken at 11am and at 12pm the midwife said there was no hope of this starting on its own and did I want to just go ahead with getting the drip. I said yes and was given a bed. Little did I know I was then stuck to this bed throughout labour and the midwife I thought would come and go, had to stay in the room throughout to monitor me and baby.

The contractions started coming and she topped them up frequently while taking notes and keeping a close eye on me and baby. I felt quite upset that I couldn’t move around - this got me through labour the first time round and really helped with pain as well as gravity doing it’s thing.
I also liked the privacy in between midwives coming and going the first time around.

After 5 long hours (with only gas n air as pain relief), I was finally fully dilated and ready to push. Unfortunately my daughter decided to get stuck at the shoulders so midwife pressed the panic button and what felt like the whole world stormed through the door ready to help. At this point I had my ass in the air after midwife suggested this was a good position to give birth in. It was NOT for me - I felt extremely self conscious and that situation didn’t help. Luckily for me and my lovely daughter, they managed to pull her out with me giving the most enormous push of my life.
She was healthy and fine at 10 pounds 2oz and I only had a first degree tear so didn’t even need stitching.

If I could do it again I would be more firm about my wishes. I’d bring tons of entertainment (dvd players, books, chargers, the lot). I would insist on staying in the most comfortable position where I could maintain some dignity (there isn’t a lot to be fair!)
I would be mentally prepared for the possibility that it might not work.
But having said all of the above, what truly matters is you get a healthy baby at the end. Good luck!

I wouldn't accept one unless over 42 weeks and even then I would have to be almost 43 weeks.
Please inform and educate yourself of pregnancy/birth (that sounds so much harsher than I'm intending).

Induction is a slippery slope of intervention.

What's your birth plan?

To go into labour you need to feel relaxed and safe.

The same hormones that got you pregnant get the baby out! Lots of oxytocin!

Good food, laughter and comedies and early nights are needed right now!

Also darkness if possible... think of making a nest - close the blinds and settle down if you can xx

Just to answer, if you don't go naturally after 42 weeks you can of course still refuse induction, but it is not advised as still births are more likely to occur post 42 weeks so isn't really in the interest of baby to refuse.
I did not have the pessaries but my waters went 24 hours before contractions started with my first so was put on the drip that others have mentioned. It isn't a nice experience and if I were to be told this time around that I needed the drip I would request an epidural as soon as possible. But that option is still better than refusing an induction past 42 weeks and something going wrong I would say!
Hopefully it won't get to that point for you. My second made an appearance the day before my induction was due to start! Probably because I was so anxious about that damn drip again 🙈
I'm crossing my fingers that my 3rd won't be so cheeky as I'm due in a couple of weeks time 😅🤞

My induction was great. I had a balloon induction, I had it put I on the Tuesday afternoon, was able to go home while waiting for a space on labour ward. Balloon fell out on the Wednesday lunchtime and got a call to go into to labour ward at 9 at night. They broke my waters at 11.30 and baby was here by quarter past 2. Good luck op.

I find it really annoying how medics say 'we might induce you' etc as if you have nothing to do with it.

There are lots of good reasons to induce. However unless there's a good reason, you're usually fine until 42 weeks (when the placenta might start to struggle). Inducing you helps to control risk for the medics (you're fine now, you might not be in a week's time so why not get things going) but your experience of birth is not taken into account very much! E.g. the birth you have in a week's time might be a better experience than the one that is induced.

I haven't been induced but I know women who have, for some it was fine, others ended up on a crowded ward having contractions for ages by themselves and getting barely any attention from midwives.

Ultimately you need to consent to any medical procedure, even if you were doing something that went against the interests of your health, eg Jehovah's witnesses refusing blood transfusions even if this means the difference between life and death. The doctors can tell you why they think you should be induced and you can decide if it's what you want. If the reason why they think you should be induced is solely that you've hit the 40 week mark, for me it wouldn't be enough. Most first babies arrive a bit late. Some countries consider your due date to be at 42 weeks. Babies don't arrive on a schedule.

Good luck!

Can I aks how many births you've been through @itsharderthanithought89 and what sort of delivery they were if you don't mind me asking? I think the context would be important to your post as I think most HCPs would say your advice to wait past 42 weeks was batshit (driven by an ideology maybe?).

Sorry but it's true that once you go past 41 weeks the chances of negative outcomes increase and they increase rapidly after 42 weeks.

I'm not an 'induce at all costs' type having had one and about to have another one, most likely, but I do think the blanket refusal to have one even when it might have serious consequences just because of all the 'your birth your choice' stuff that sometimes gets pushed.

It can be a long boring process. My first pessary was put on Friday afternoon, my baby arrived by EMCS on Tuesday morning.

Itsharderthaninthought89 Induction is a slippery slope of intervention.

Not always! I was induced at 41+6. Had pessary sunday evening. Had a good nights sleep. Waters were broken at 1.30 the next afternoon and by 4.30 my son had arrived weighing 10lb 1!! I had gas and air as pain relief, no interventions and was by far the easiest of my 3 labours.

Good luck OP!

I was admitted on a Tuesday lunchtime, first pessary given that night, 2 further pessaries on Wednesday, Thursday lunchtime broke waters, Thursday evening syntocin drip, Friday am EMCS for failure to progress and baby in distress.

I hear others have had better experiences!