Induced labour - reality

[haidri]

Hi loves, I'm 36+3 and due to having a baby on "the larger side", this first pregnancy of mine will be induced on the 28th of Jan despite my due date being 11th Feb.

In all honesty, what's the reality of induced labour? What's the pain like? How long does it take to recover? What's the pain threshold of a medications in the system vs natural labour?

Tell me the reality! 😭

My first was induced and it was honestly fine. Id didnt come in and hit me like a bus as people describe. I eventually had an epidural but that was as a result if an earlier scar tearing not the labour itself. It wasnt horrific, it wasnt scary. I gad the pessary at maybe 10pm. Had a slight sensation of sinething different but nothing much at 8am but was moved yo L&D anyway as i was high risk. I was put in a drip and waters btoken as soin as they could but dudnt feelbanuthing much until about 1.30pm baby borm 6pm. The contractions werent too bad. (My previous abdominal scar ripping open was!). You'll be fine. Dont worry. Youcl will have your lovely baby here in no time. good luck

Since you asked… I was induced due to gestational diabetes and having a 95th percentile baby at 39 weeks. Pessary worked too well for me and went to 7cm within a few hours when all the midwives are telling me ‘it will take a while to work’. They didn’t bother checking me till I had a bleed due to speed of it. Took out the pessary and was sent to labour ward with a drip and didn’t progress after, so after 2 days had an emergency c section. Had sepsis and major haemorrhage after, induction increases the risk of blood loss. In my discharge note they said because I’m very petite with a tall husband (hence the giant baby), I only have a 60-70% of VBAC. So this time round I’m going for a planned c section…. If you also have a big baby (for you), there’s also a risk of shoulder dystocia which is very dangerous. Speak to your team about all the risks and their realistic opinion of you having a vaginal birth with a large baby. I wish I had opted for a planned c section first time round

I was induced. It was totally fine. For me it wasn’t especially painful more very intense. About 5 hours from waters being broken to baby being born. No problems recovery wise save for some stitches which were uncomfortable for a few days but I expect that would have been the same whether I was induced or not.

I was induced at 41. I thought it will take days but the first gel worked straight away and I started to dialate like crazy. I didn't want an epidural but as things happened so fast thankfully I managed to have one in time. The contractions pain around 5cm was unbearable. (Now I know I should of asked straight after my waters broken). It's really different from everyone so you need to keep open minded!

I’ve been induced twice via the drip. The pain was so bad the first time that my body went into shock with the first bad contraction and I was pooing and piling at the same time in the toilet. One I got an epidural it was bliss. I did end up for today delivery though as I couldn’t feel where to push.

Second time I opted for epidural straight away as soon as I knew I was getting the drip. No pain whatsoever and I gave birth to DS naturally with no instruments.

I’d say keep an open mind and don’t feel like you shouldn’t have pain relief. You wouldn’t go to the dentist for a filling and say no anaesthetic please.

I’ve been induced 3 times I’ve never had a spontaneous labor to compare it to but it was totally fine.
My first 2 children were born quickly with just the pessary needed to get things going. I didn’t have any pain relief and all was great.
My 3rd was a little different, took a while (2days ) to get going but once my waters broke she came incredibly quickly. I put this down to her not being ready to be born (I was induced at 36 weeks due to growth concerns) we were both a little shocked but totally fine.

My third was induced as he was 9 days late. He was huge (that hadn't been picked up in scans) but even so I found it my most positive birth, compared to one spontaneous labour and one ELCS for a breech baby. One of the positives for me was that you have a midwife with you all the time if you are induced, and I found that really reassuring and felt supported. With my first spontaneous one, I was left alone for hours and never knew how far along I was, and didn't have someone to reassure me that things were going as they should.

I had gas and air for both vaginal labours and found that fine except for the last half hour for DC3 when I was mainly wondering why the f*ck I hadn't asked for an epidural - I don't know how much of that pain was due to his size or him trying to come out hand first. I had a big epistiotomy but recovery was still much, much quicker and less painful than for my ELCS.

I only have one child so nothing to compare against. I had pessary and then the drip, lots of contractions but no dilation. I found the transition each time the dose on the drip was increased made labour difficult. The change was abrupt. Gas and air made me feel ill. Pethidine was great. Then I had an epidural which was bliss and a C-section as it had been too long since my waters broke and labour wasn't progressing.
Also big baby. Midwife commented afterwards that the section had probably been a blessing for the both of us.

Do you want to be induced? Is there any other reason than baby being on the larger side? NICE day that inductions shouldn't be recommended for large babies unless other factors are in play I.e diabetes.

I was induced with my first 8 weeks ago at 38 weeks. Induction was really good. I had the pessary inserted at 4pm and nothing much happened overnight. At 5am I asked them to reinsert the pessary as it had fallen out. Contractions started at 11am, at 1pm I asked them to remind the pessary (3 hours earlier than it was due to be removed) and at 2pm m6 waters broke. I didn’t get onto delivery until 8cm as they were so busy and I could finally have some gas and air for contractions. Up to that point I’d had paracetamol and codeine, which I’d mostly thrown up. Midwife thought I was about 4cm and shocked to see I was actually at 8cm. Pain ramped up at 10cm and I asked for more pain relief but was too late for pethedine or an epidural. I could still use the gas and air but I didn’t like it for pushing, they gave me some more paracetamol and codeine. Baby was born via unassisted vaginal at 10.30pm.

For me, if your body is ready and baby is cooperating, induction works well. If your body isn’t ready or baby isn’t ready then you’ll probably have a harder time. If you need pain relief ask for it. You can also for a c-section part way through the induction if you feel it’s not working for you. Maternity services are so busy at the minute and there may be delays to your induction to how busy they are, so if they need to break your waters then you might be waiting some time for a bed on delivery. Be prepared to wait and not just because the induction might take a while. Ideally they would have moved me to delivery 3 hours earlier when my waters broke but there just wasn’t space for me.

My first was induced. 3 hours start to finish. I was lucky though.

2nd one was spontaneous before I was arranged for induction

I was induced 8 weeks ago but as this is my first baby, i cant pass comment on the difference if i hadnt have needed intervention.
My experience may be different as I was induced for pre-eclamlsia and as the midwife told me, pre-eclampsia sufferers labour much quicker.

The induction started at 1.30am after they couldnt lower my blood pressure with meds.
Midwife inserted the pessary and advised it had to stay in place for a minimum of 24hours but it could be up to 3 days before baby would be born.
Not sure if anyone else had this but the midwife was very rough when putting the pessary in. She made me bleed and there were clumps of tissue coming out of me afterwards.
After it was inserted, i was left alone (DH was with me), in the ward.

By 6am i had stomach cramps. Didnt feel like period pain or anything so i ignored it.
By 7am I had contractions that were constant. They would build up from nothing to a pain I cant even describe then subside for 10 seconds and then start again.
I asked for pain relief at this point but none came.

By 7.30am my waters had broken. I felt a pop and just knew immediately what had happened.
Junior midwife came to the toilet with me as for some reason, i wanted to sit over the loo but she didnt seem bothered thay my waters had gone 30mins after the 1st contaction.
I asked for pain relief as by this point the contractions were so painful i could barely get words out.
She went and got the senior modwife who gave me 2 paracetamol, which I took and immediately threw up. I wasnt allowed anything else in case I had absorbed any of the tablets which thoroughly peed me off as i dont think the tablets even hit my stomach before i was violently sick.
I asked for gas and air or an epidural and basically got laughed it as they didnt believe i was in labour.

At this point i begged the midwife to take the pessary out. She wanted to hook me up to the monitor where she could see i was actually having contractions and not being a wimp.
She eventually examined me after I was a bit more forceful where she whipped out the pessary and exclaimed that I was 5cms dilated. She disappeared very quickly and came back with a wheelchair that i was basically dumped into and she ran off with me to delivery while DH was left with all of our bags to bring.

Delivery werent ready for me at all. Eventually they found me a room and before I even got on the bed, think i was still in the corridor, I started pushing.
Baby was coming very quick but her heart rate dropped so they had to do an episiotomy to get her out faster.
She was born before 9am. From 1st contraction to birth it was 1hour 49mins.

There wasnt time for any pain relief so i just had gas and air, which i must say is fun!
I didnt even have an IV catheter in and consequently when i had a haemorrhage and blood pressure drop following the birth, nobody was prepared and it became a full scale emergency with the crash team.

Once baby was born, all the haemorrhaging stopped and my blood pressure was normal I felt fine. Id had alot of IV fluids and a blood transfusion. I was weak but ok.
Inwas kept in overnight and discharged the following afternoon.
It has been a slow, uncomfortable recovery for me caused by lots of medical complications which have not yet resolved 8 weeks on.

Everyone has a different experience bjt from what i gather, most people who are induced have more intense contractions so make sure you get adequate pain relief early on.

First baby induced at 38 weeks had the pessary and waters broken, 8LB 8 baby, absolutely horrific labour because my midwife was crap and forced me to stay on the bed on my back and constantly left me thought I was dieing.

Second baby induced at 39 weeks, 9LB 9 baby. had the gel, water broken and then the hormone drip had to be put on as contractions weren't coming fast enough on my own, as far as labour goes it was fantastic, had 2 amazing midwives (one a student) laboured on the birthing ball at the end of the bed until the end when I got on the bed to push.

I did both with gas & air as I was petrified of the epidural, my 2nd labour was definitely easier even though I had the drip, breathing, correct birth position and support changed everything for me.

I also haemorrhaged with both more severe with the second but was fine and home after 2 nights, having a section this time due to the haemorrhage.

I had 2x spontaneous labours then induction for 3rd (due to reduced movement episode when 40+3). None were large babies, straightforward pregnancies.

I was concerned about induction due to risk of complications like forceps, episiotomy, ventouse. I was leaning towards elective c section as it was a known quantity and some inductions end in emergency c section.

I was persuaded to try induction as obs registrar said it was likely my body would respond to hormones - 3rd pregnancies tend to be quicker deliveries (plus I had uncomplicated pregnancy). Pessary took it’s time to work - 6hrs. By that time I was having v mild contractions. Then during examination, waters broke and Labour proceeded v quickly. Contractions became painful v quickly, I was rushed to delivery room and got gas and air. Pain escalated quick and it was getting to unbearable - and I was getting the urge to push. I requested an examination to ensure I was fully dilated (as with my 1st child I was told to hold off pushing until fully dilated). I had gone from 3cm to 10cm in 1.5hrs. I then pushed - within 3 pushes head was out, then the rest of the baby within 5mins.

Overall the peak pain was the same as my previous 2 - I was on the verge of asking for epidural - but it was just the last 10mins that were bad. The only difference was that the speed it progressed was much faster with induction: 1.5hrs vs 8hrs. Induction worked well in my case but I know others have had different experiences.

I had no tears or complications and went home later.

I was induced because my waters broke and they had to get my DD1 out within a certain time. My waters went early in the morning but I didn’t go into labour. Went into hospital to get checked and they sent me home for 24 hours hoping I would naturally go into labour myself. I had natural contractions all through the night and coped fine with them. When I got to the hospital though in the morning I was only half a cm so they put in the pessary. This made the contractions a lot more intense than what I’d experienced naturally at home but I was still managing with a little gas & air although I didn’t use much as I didn’t like it. Pessary only took me to 2cms so was put on the drip and that’s when all hell broke loose. The pain is like nothing I have experienced before and was actually that bad that my body seemed to take me somewhere else for over 8 hours and I can’t remember any of it, I was like unconscious but awake. I had an epidural twice as the first didn’t work and eventually “came round” as the second epidural kicked in hours & hours later. After that it was absolutely amazing I could feel contractions (tightening) but no pain at all. The pushing part was so peaceful and relaxing. Then after because I’d still got the epidural I didn’t feel any pain when the placenta was delivered & I was stitched up. Due my 2nd next month and if I have to get induced again there is no way I would agree to it without having an epidural first