Induction stories please! Getting induced in 5 days time

[missrainbowbaby]

I'm getting induced at 38+3 due to my history of stillbirth 7 years ago (I was 19) and I've had 4 miscarriages within 12 months of each other.

This pregnancy has carried no issues which I'm so thankful for, baby girl is happy and healthy. I've also of no struggles health wise. I'm getting induced on Easter Monday, I had my last consultant appointment today and they attempted a sweep and by attempted I mean it bloody well hurt for her to only tell me my cervix is round a corner so couldn't get in but she could feel it half open. Which I'm presuming is good? She talked me through the induction process and the fact I'll be checked Monday and possibly have my waters broken if possible before having the pessary. I was just wondering what everyone's experience with induction was? I know days vary from person to person. My consultant said today she thinks from the Monday I'll labour on the Wednesday.

Any advice anyone has for me would be taken so nicely, I'm crapping myself now I'm 5 days away from going in🥴

Hi! I had balloon so slightly different.

I went in Wednesday evening and wasn't dilated- had the balloon inserted. I was taken into delivery Thursday lunchtime at 3cm, had my water broken and epidural put in.
I felt nothing at all, was in active labour by 8pm, baby was born at 2:11am Friday morning :) no complications and fairly quick process.

(However I did go from 4cm to 10cm in 30 mins haha)

Sorry about your previous losses

I was induced at 38+1 and the midwives warned me that it could take a while because I was early. I would split your hospital bag into a couple of different bags, with 2-3 days worth of clothes in each bag, have a bag with emergency labour stuff, baby clothes and chargers etc that you keep with you constantly. Your partner can take clothes back to the car and bring a new bag if you end up having a long stay. Take something to keep you busy in case it takes a while.

I had a really positive induction but if the process is taking too long for you/you don’t feel it’s working for you, it’s important to remember you can request a csection at any point. I personally had a cut off point that I was prepared to go to before I started asking for a csection (but never got that far). In the event your induction does work quickly, I would practice your breathing exercises to help with the pain. It took 19 hours from the pessary being inserted to contractions starting for me. When they started they were every couple of minutes straight from the off. At our trust the only pain relief I could have on the antenatal ward where the induction was started was paracetamol and codeine (which I threw up). All I had was the breathing exercises and my TENS machine until I got to delivery ward when I could finally get some gas and air. If you need pain relief, ask for it and don’t worry about feeling like you aren’t coping. The midwives kept saying they were trying to get me to delivery sooner as I “wasn’t coping well with pain”, they thought I wasn’t as far along as I was but every birth is different and you shouldn’t be made to feel bad for wanting pain relief.

Your cervix is more favourable than mine was 2 days before my induction, they couldn’t even reach my cervix. I had the pessary in at 4pm on the Friday, contractions started at 11am on Saturday and I had DD at 10.30pm on Saturday. Going for a walk got my contractions going. It was only a 10 minute walk to the coffee shop, the walk there didn’t do anything but I was about a third of the way back to the ward when my contractions started and I’d had two more contractions by the time I made it back to the ward!

Fingers crossed you have a smooth induction and are holding your baby soon.

Good luck

People's stories of induction are so varied. But if it reassures you at all mine with DS1 was great. Admitted Wednesday, cervix not favourable at all. 24 hour pessary did nothing. Had a 6 hour gel 3 times. The third time it all went really quick. in labour Friday. 5 hour intense labour. But manageable with pain relief. Taken to labour ward waters broken at 3pm, baby in arms by 7pm. Just plan for what you want and advocate for yourself as best you can if things aren't progressing how you would like. If you want an epidural request it as early as possible just in case you're one of the ones that goes from 3-9 in 30 minutes. Took ages for them to get mine ready and by the time they administered it it turned out i was 9cm and DS was born half an hour later. But It can be slow and painful so maybe have a backup bag for yourself DP can bring you if you need more than 2 or 3 days clothes. And take snacks.

@InTheNightWeWillWish I wondered what your point was you would've asked for C-section? I am petrified of the hormone drip, I don't want to be stuck on a bed on a drip and don't want an epidural, so Im wondering if my cut off point can be if the pessary or gel or broken waters hasn't got things going, then I would ask for csection. Does that sound reasonable?

Pessary in at 11, slight pains at 10pm so asked for paracetamol and got checked, was 5cm. Went to labour ward, had Mt waters broken, slept till 5am being checked on and off, 5am was 9cm, stayed awake then and had a baby at 6.10pm.
It was My first baby and whilst I know My experience was uncommon, it was a lovely, easy labour for an induction, so they can go really smoothly and straightforward sometimes so try not to worry. I read too much and was terrified I'd end up on a drip, with a long labour and needing an epidural etc. Which although can happen, isn't always the case :) x

Mine took two hours and I only had two paracetamol. It was absolutely fine to be honest!

@Zibidee you can ask for a c-section before the induction so you can ask at any point that is reasonable to you. My personal point was to have my waters broken and if labour didn’t start naturally within the timeframe (4 hours for my trust) then I’d be looking at a csection. I would probably have started to have the conversation with midwives about my plans as I got to the gels being applied and preparing them for what I wanted (potentially having the argument, depending on the trust). I personally chose that point based on things that friends had told me about their inductions, my friends who needed the drip needed epidurals (which had varying levels of success) and had emergency csections or assisted deliveries. I’d always said I would be much calmer walking into theatre on my own, rather than being forced in during an emergency and stressful situation. I also took the view that an induction works if your body is ready and your baby is cooperative (good size and position). For me, getting to the drip was a sign that my body potentially wasn’t ready or the baby’s size/position wasn’t going to work with my body. I was aware that things could still go wrong without getting to the drip and would obviously accept an emergency csection if needed but I felt the chances of baby getting stressed we’re lower with those methods prior to the drip.

V positive experience.

Advice would be:

1. Expect it to take ages, with no progress for a long time. Can take a few days and a few different methods before things get going.
2. Ask for epidural BEFORE they give you the drip.
3. Take lots of things to do eg books, series to watch, podcast to listen to, colouring etc. It is so boring.
4. I took a dimmable LED light which was lovely on the induction ward. Much nicer than the bright spotlight that goes over the bed. More relaxing.
5. Ask questions, speak to the midwives and doctors. Don't feel pressured to move onto the next level of intervention. Ask for time to discuss/think about your choices.
6. Take snacks.

Can't think of anything else pressing.

Good luck

I had my little boy last year and was also induced at 39+5 - long story short he was born at 39+6 so happened very fast. Went in at 4pm and was monitored until 7pm then had the pessary put in and was told to stay on the bed for 30 mins. By the end of this I was in agony as my labour literally started after 20 mins with agonising back ache. I couldn't get comfy in any position after I could move ad nothing helped it ease it just got worse (I realllly struggle to cope with back pain). Over a few hours the pain turned into contractions which were every minute lasting for a whole minute. I kept calling the midwfie to tell her it was happening too fast and I couldn't cope. She shot me down every time and told me I wasn't in labour and basically forced me to have pethidine so I could sleep. This was at midnight/1am so managed an hour of sleep after before waking up again at around 4 in absolute agony again. Still wouldn't listen to me even after telling her I hadn't felt my baby move. Come 6am a new midwife came to check on me and my waters went there and then so she checked baby and said 'oh you are contracting closely and baby isn't happy' (my thoughts were no shit sherlock). I was given an injection to slow down the process but it didn't work so I was wheeled off to labour ward. Worst thing about all that was that I was on my own as it was the lockdown still. I think I'd have coped better if my partner was there.

Once in labour they established my labour and gave me gas&air (THANK GOD) but decided on an epidural as I was just so exhausted from the entire night alone. 7 hours after my waters went I was fully dialated and out popped baby after 2 hours of pushing. Barely got him out as I was falling alseep during contractions lol.

In summary the beginning was hard (but everyone reacts to the pessary so differently, I think my body was ready) but after the epidural it was easy - and FUN. Just make sure if you are worried or not coping that you make yourself heard and listened to. I know I would have stuck up for myself if I had company.

Don't be worried about the pain. Yes it hurts but there are options if you are struggling and you honestly won't remember it! It will be the best experience of your life. Holding baby for the first time is like stepping on another planet, it is literally out of this world. Good luck

Following with interest as I'm also getting induced on Easter Monday - hopefully it goes smoothly and quickly for us both ☺️

I had the gel and baby was born 20 hours later.

I had 2 'doses' of gel, they manually broke my waters after the second gel as contractions were really starting.

All in all the experience was fine 🙂

I had a lovely induction. Pessary in at midday and by around 4pm contractions had started. Waters broke naturally around 8pm and baby was born at 3am with just gas and air and a bit of paracetamol.

Obviously it's a unique experience for each birth, but just remember that it is your birth and you can decide what you do and don't want. If you want pain relief then ask for it. Same with c section