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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Getting induced tomorrow

141 replies

timewilltel · 01/03/2022 09:50

So I'm booked in to get induced tomorrow (2nd March) I'll be 40 weeks exactly, that's if baby doesn't come today which I'm hoping for. I just spoke to my midwife and she explained what will happen when I get to the hospital. She said there's different procedures they will try all depending on how my cervix is after they check it, one includes rods being put into my vagina?? Has anyone had this done it sounds so painful? Another is breaking my waters and another is putting a tablet inside me. I then asked if it's certain that baby would be here by tomorrow which she did say it could be but also for some women it could actually take days! What?! I'm not prepared to stay in the hospital for so long! Has anyone here been induced and how long did it take and how long were you in hospital for??

OP posts:
Raindancer411 · 02/03/2022 02:11

@Zed99 I had an epi with the first as was a long active labour. Didn't get chance with the second when on the drip as it happened too fast! Glad you got it...

Zed99 · 02/03/2022 02:36

@Raindancer411 I didn't get the epi unfortunately. The contractions were really weird and right on top of one another so I doubt I could have stayed still for it. Thank god for the gas an air....didn't help with the pain but it did make me think I was a fairy Grin

Raindancer411 · 02/03/2022 03:00

@Zed99 Yes mine with the drip where the same. They were more or less constant. I had Gas and Air too, and I think it made me forget bits as apparently I kicked a midwife in the head when moving my leg to the stirrup, but I cannot remember that!!

Nat6999 · 02/03/2022 03:08

I had the gel Saturday am 36+5 due to pre eclampsia, waters broken 7.30pm Sunday, ds born by emcs 6.22pm Monday, I had an epidural from 10.00pm Sunday, got to 8cm by 3.00pm but went backwards & by 6.00pm was back to 6cm & decision was made to have emcs. I was very poorly after pph & had hellp syndrome, discharged myself Friday teatime, ds was 6lb 4oz.

Daisy4569 · 02/03/2022 07:19

@timewilltel the gel I believe is used in some cases if the pessary hasn’t worked enough to ramp things up. They said that basically with the pessary and the hormone drip they can both be stopped and they clear from your system if the baby gets distressed but the gel doesn’t (they can give you something else to counteract it). I decided against the gel if it was needed but luckily was far enough along that they could break my waters anyway. I had the drip, no pain relief and he arrived 5 hours later. No pain just pressure for last 15mins so they aren’t all horrendous. Just make sure you get all of the info so you can make informed choices and go with what you feel is right for you.

Massive good luck and enjoy the newborn snuggles!

Holskey · 02/03/2022 09:44

[quote timewilltel]@Holskey oh I defo am open to pain relief I already told them this I want it as soon as I can get it! Also someone else mentioned the drip and how it is painful too? What is the drip and what does it do??[/quote]
As others have said, it's a hormone and the more you have, the more it brings on your contractions. It's the contractions that are painful. You might not need it, especially as it's not your first baby. But even if you do have the drip, I'm sure it will be fine if you have an epidural, and the drip can really speed things up.

Best of luck to you! 💕

Nurselife2020 · 02/03/2022 16:18

Good luck for today Op. Let us know how you get on ❤️

Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 18:31

Update 2/2/2022:
So I got to the hospital at 1pm this afternoon and they put me on a monitor for about 20 minutes to check baby's heart rate which was they said was great. She then checked my cervix to see how dilated I was (extremely uncomfortable) and thankfully I was already 2cm which she said was a good thing because it meant I didn't need the rods or pessary. She said I'm basically now ready to have my waters broken but unfortunately there is no one available to do it until tomorrow. So I'm here for the night and thankfully like a lot of you have told me to bring some entertainment and comfy clothes which has helped. I have a room which is sort of split into two divided by those paper blue curtains. As I'm lying here writing this I can hear the lady on the other side groaning coz of her contractions poor thing. Just had a roast dinner and a sponge cake with custard which I really enjoyed 😋 got a FaceTime call from my 3 year old who's really confused that I'm not home bless him but my husband's trying to explain to him that little "sis sis" is coming out of mummy's tummy but not sure if he really understands lol now just on my laptop on Netflix trying to rest as much as possible. Xx

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Daisy4569 · 02/03/2022 18:34

@timewilltel excellent news! Glad you have lots of entertainment to distract you. Hope you get a good nights sleep before the big day!

Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 18:50

[quote Daisy4569]@timewilltel excellent news! Glad you have lots of entertainment to distract you. Hope you get a good nights sleep before the big day![/quote]
Thank you so much! The midwife literally just came in to tell me that there's a slot available for tomorrow morning at 7am to break my waters OMG I think I'm literally gonna have a panic attack I'm soooo scared it's actually gonna happen! She asked if I was having any contractions which I'm not so she went to get me those large bouncy balls to bounce on and then got me this kind of peanut shaped ball and said I should sleep with it between my legs to open up my cervix. This is really scary now I can't believe this is actually happening she said I should have baba by tomorrow omg I'm so excited but so scared I just hope everything will be ok 🥺

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Raindancer411 · 02/03/2022 19:25

Did the monitor show any contractions for you? I had a dawes redman machine which printed out a graph to show. I was also 2cm when I went in and had to wait over night too. One poor women went into labour naturally over night when I was in so I hardly got any sleep through the moaning, bless her. Good luck

Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 19:35

@Raindancer411 yes I'm pretty sure I saw that name on the monitor because I remember her saying when the light goes green on that button we can stop and yeah the little pink box in the left corner showed my contractions but it was only going up to around 20. She also have me this button to press every time I felt baby move. But yeah I'm still not having any contractions but the lady next to me definitely is and it's making me wish I was too! I think I need to start bouncing on that ball they gave me I just can't be bothered to get of this bed lol

Getting induced tomorrow
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Raindancer411 · 02/03/2022 20:08

@timewilltel Mine was going up to 100 and the graph was off the paper 😂 Have they said if the waters breaking doesn't work they will give you the drip?

I took a photo so I could put it in her memory box with the straps I had to put the machine on me.

I will check in in the night when I fed my little one to see how you are doing :)

Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 20:15

@Raindancer411 yes! It's almost like you were here with me lol she said after they break my waters I think I need to wait like 4 hours or something like that and walk around and if nothing progresses they'll put me on the drip which apparently will really speed things up she said so at least that's reassuring. Shall I ask her to give me the epidural with the drip or when do I get it coz I know you said that's when contractions start getting really painful and that's something I'm not looking forward to!

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Daisy4569 · 02/03/2022 20:15

@timewilltel definitely get bouncing! I couldn’t feel the contractions at all even when the machine said I was having them. So odd when you can hear other people and have prepared yourself for the pain!

Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 20:18

@Raindancer411 Do you mean these straps? Do we get to keep them is that why they've left them on the end of my bed lol

OP posts:
Daisy4569 · 02/03/2022 20:18

Also ask if they can do wireless monitoring once you have your waters broken if you fancy it, I was still walking about and bouncing (even on the drip). Couldn’t stand the idea of being stuck on the bed!

Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 20:19

@Raindancer411 forgot to attach the picture

Getting induced tomorrow
OP posts:
Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 20:21

[quote Daisy4569]@timewilltel definitely get bouncing! I couldn’t feel the contractions at all even when the machine said I was having them. So odd when you can hear other people and have prepared yourself for the pain![/quote]
I just tried bouncing it's actually quite fun but very wobbly I have to hold on to the edge of the bed!

OP posts:
Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 20:25

@Daisy4569

Also ask if they can do wireless monitoring once you have your waters broken if you fancy it, I was still walking about and bouncing (even on the drip). Couldn’t stand the idea of being stuck on the bed!
They actually did tell me I would be walking around after they break my waters so I'm assuming I will be on a wireless monitor 🤷🏻‍♀️ by the way how do they break your waters and does it hurt?? I forgot to ask her. Like when they were checking how dilated I was I didn't expect it to hurt that much like she really went in and up there! So I'm prepared for the waters to be a lot worse!
OP posts:
Daisy4569 · 02/03/2022 20:40

@timewilltel they basically just use a plastic hook type implement to put a hole through the membrane. It just feels a little uncomfortable (like a smear is the closest thing I think!) It didn’t hurt.

Raindancer411 · 02/03/2022 20:58

@timewilltel Yes those things 😂

Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 21:05

[quote Daisy4569]@timewilltel they basically just use a plastic hook type implement to put a hole through the membrane. It just feels a little uncomfortable (like a smear is the closest thing I think!) It didn’t hurt.[/quote]
I just Google imaged it and omg the hook on the stick seems so close to baby's head 😯

OP posts:
Original poster
timewilltel · 02/03/2022 21:08

[quote Raindancer411]@timewilltel Yes those things 😂 [/quote]
They've just come in again to check baby's heart rate and I can confirm it IS a Dawes Redman machine lol it doesn't look like I'm getting any contractions at all 😭

Getting induced tomorrow
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Raindancer411 · 02/03/2022 21:39

@timewilltel Try not to worry as the drip will sort that if breaking your wafers doesn't. I remember I had to wait 4 hours after mine broke and I did start to get some contractions from it. The drip really did speed it up for me!!

With regards to the epi, I would tell her straight away you want one if you decide too, as they need to get the person that does it around and there can be a wait. With mine though by the time I had asked and they arrived, I was well into having her!! My friend who was with me said they popped their head in the door and saw what was happening and said they were a bit too late 😂