Induction experiences

[Strawberriesandcreammm]

I have my induction soon and I was just wondering what everyone’s experience of induction was like and how many weeks you were!

I was 39+5. Had pessary at 9pm. Went from 1-2cm to active labour by 11pm. Had her at 11.15 the next morning. I had the pitocin drop at one point. It was hell but so was my non induced labour the second time. 😂 I would say I needed a lot drugs and it was a little slower with my induction (first baby) but that could be fluke. Second labour was documented as 1 hour 28 mins but I had been in slow labour 24 hours.

I was induced after reduced movements which ended up in emergency c section.

I would say ask them to perform a sweep first and check your dilation after that. I didn't dilate after a sweep and three inductions and to be completely honest it was the most painful experience ever.

I was so relieved once I was offered a c section and wished I asked for one after the first failed induction.

But I've also had friends who had one induction and baby was there after a couple of hours.
Just do your research and don't be disheartened if you have a c section

I've had 2 inductions, one at 38 weeks and one at 39 weeks.
1st was a pessary and 2nd a balloon.

Balloon was torture being inserted but I dilated faster than with pessary. Pessary was more painful the longer it was in whereas balloon was fine an hour after insertion.

Waters broken artificially both times. 2nd time I needed the drip to start contractions. The contractions were worse on the drip but both labours were quick. First labour was 3 hours from waters until birth, 2nd was 8 hours.
Pain relief was gas and air and diamorphine/pethidine. I struggled with the pain 2nd time and they were prepping for epidural but then I went from 5cm to 10cm in 20 minutes so I didn't get it in the end.

I was 40+1. Had first pessary around 1pm then went for walk around hospital grounds. They were monitoring from around 6pm before 2nd pessary but trace results were delaying it. Eventually around 9 I started bleeding and they moved me to the labour ward. Around 11pm my waters went.

Labour was progressing well but baby was in wrong position so went a bit downhill from there. I got through the night, with the dreaded drip, using only a tens machine, gas and air to end up with a panicked emcs just before 9am. Lost a lot of blood. Recovery took few weeks and blood loss I feel ruined chance to breastfeed.

I’ve had two. One at 42 weeks. Had some gel, in the evening. Active labour was under 2 hours, I was in the shower, then birth pool with gas and air. From admission for induction to being home was less than 24 hours.
second one was at 38 week for unwell mum and less than active baby. Active labour was under 20 minutes. We were both a bit shell shocked post birth so stayed in for a few nights.

I have a sweep booked for this week and then my induction is next week - abit worried about it all as I’m having to stay in for monitoring so I can’t move much apparently… worried that nothing will progress or potentially stressing baby out

That sounds stressful. Are you able to walk around the ward or hospital grounds? While it won’t get labour going properly the movement might help get baby into a good position. Also movement helps reduce your stress levels. I did hypnobirthing with my last baby and while i didnt really use it in labour I found the practice of it helpful prior to birth as we spent a lot of time waiting on monitoring baby and me. You can download tracks or there were soem free you tube ones.

Planned induction at 39 weeks, had the pessary at like 9am, waters broke by themselves at 10.45pm, baby born at 4am. One lot of paracetamol and dihydrocodeine, and a bit of gas and air. It all went well, no problems. Best of luck to you, I hope things go smoothly for you.

I was induced at 40+2. Had the gel which worked quite quickly. I'm told my labour was fast. Gel was administered at around 4pm, active labour by 11pmish and I had my baby at about 3:30am. I opted for an epidural which was great. No complications and I could not be more grateful for the care I received. It was very intense but everything I wanted in terms of pain relief was right there.

Unfortunately I’ll be hooked to a CTG machine which limits where I can go🙁

@BambiEll what was painful about the pessary if you don't mind me asking?

As I was no where near dilated the whole insertion of the pessary was excruciating! I remember saying to the midwife something must be wrong there is no way that should be that painful and she basically said yep and it's only going to get worse.

First pessary I was having very very mild contractions which were manageable but the second one was unbearable. It made me very sick which I had to have anti sickness injection and I was getting awful awful cramps in my legs. The contractions were slightly stronger but not as bad as I imagined.

Third induction method was the gel which was amazing compared to the pessary but once I had that all contractions/movements stopped and that's when I was rushed for emergency section.

I don't want to scare you but I went in to the induction blinded and had no real idea what was going on. If I knew all what I know now I would of opted for planned c section.

Sounds horrendous… im now massively dreading it.. I’m worried about all the pain causing issues with no result and having to have a c section like all the stress on baby just to result in a c section

@BambiEll thank you. That's really interesting.
I had a pessary in for 12 hours and found the pain unbearable. I was convinced I must be in labour as it hurt so much, but wasn't dialated at all and wasn't having contractions.

I had pre eclampsia and something had gone wrong with my ability to urinate (had to be catheterised in the end), so I was never sure if the pain was due to that or the pressary.

I ended up having an emergency c-section anyway in the end as my pre eclampsia became severe. 🤷‍♀️

I know lots of women who had inductions and went on to give birth vaginally. They don't all end in c sections. x

Honestly I don’t know how you girls do it 😂 absolutely petrified, I’m having to have it due to reduced movements but man I’m dreading this… I wanted a water birth but I can’t as baby needs to be monitored throughout so they have booked me for induction which I asked for for 40weeks but they want it at 39😫 I’m just worried this is doing to cause distress to baby and I’ll end up with a c section

I was hooked up to the ctg for both of my labours and it was fine. The ctg went on after my waters were broken and stayed on until baby was out. I was allowed on the birthing ball until the drip went up.

Try not to worry about stress to the baby. And c-sections aren't terrible. I actually had a really positive birth despite how ill both me and baby were. x

I had first pessary day 1 morning. Contractions started and stopped that evening. Second pessary day 2 morning. Contractions started again that evening. Waters went on their own late day 2 evening. Put on drip day 3 morning. Baby born vaginally and without forceps etc day 3 evening. It was definitely long and painful but I managed with just gas and air, no epidural. On days 1 and 2 I had periods where I had to be on a CTG monitor but was also able (and encouraged) to walk around and bounce on a birthing ball to get labour going. Day 3, I had continuous monitoring, which was a faff, but still able to change positions during labour.

Can you get wireless monitoring? I had an induction for my last baby (which was a positive experience - balloon first, then baby was born within a couple of hours of waters being broken). The baby had to be monitored during active labour, but the midwife got wireless monitors and I was able to get in the shower, move around etc. I also was on the normal trace during the earlier part of the induction, but didn’t need to be on it constantly so could move around when I wasn’t being monitored (in fact I was encouraged to).

Hello

I’ve had 2. In retrospect the only thing I really wish had been different was that I was frightened both times thanks to scare stories incl from NCT. I have had 2 other births without induction.

1st - 40+2 he still sleeps in! Just pessary but also rupture of membranes that scratched his head. Slow labour, v busy hospital but in general fine. Took ages though because I basically refused the drip. So I was in Labour for 24+ hours and they were constantly telling me I wasn’t progressing enough. Stressful and I was really tired afterwards and 2nd stage took ages with lots of pushing.

2nd - waters broke at 38 weeks so put on drip for induction 2 days later. I’d done about 3 sessions of hynobirthing (mainly falling asleep to a CD). Drip was such a peaceful birth - pain manageable with gas and air and really helped as it meant (for me) Labour was over in 6 hours instead of 24+ first time.

3&4 not induced, but not wildly different from 2nd on drip. If it’s done slowly it’s fine and for me more preferable to much slower longer labour.

good luck OP. Please don’t be scared - it will be what it is and the one thing that makes it worse is being scared. I was sure that being put on a drip meant forceps and epidural and c-section. Which in retrospect would have all been ok if that was what was needed for us both to be ok. But in practice it was really manageable and also not natural - which I actually preferred!

Thank you all 😫 I was hoping baby would want to try and make their own way out but baby seems comfy😂

hoping everything goes well and that it all progresses with the medication etc and baby arrives safely and not in stress! I think it’s the unknown, c-section sounds straight forward to me but I wanted to have a ‘natural.’ Birth as this baby will be my first and only so I wanted to have a positive experience

I was induced at 39+2 due to repeated episodes of reduced movement.

I was admitted at 11am Mon, first gel at around midday. Two more gels over the course of the day/night/next morning. Waters broke midday Tuesday, baby born 11pm the same day, naturally, using gas and air and ‘one tug of the ventouse’ (which I wasn’t even aware of until I had a birth reflection appointment) (also had a second degree tear and an episiotomy but didn’t notice either of them at the time!)

It got complicated for me because my contractions were irregular right the way through and I found internal exams just too painful so refused any more after three until I didn’t have much other choice - by that point it turns out I was ready to push but midwives hadn’t believed I was at that stage due to my contractions being irregular. This is what made it a very unpleasant experience for me but the actual birthing bit was fine.

What I will say, is that induction and vaginal birth is an unknown - I’m afraid a positive experience isn’t guaranteed (but then it probably isn’t with a section either). I’m pregnant again now and really really want a positive birth experience as my last did sit badly with me (again, because of my irregular contractions and refusal of checks), as such if offered induction again, I think I’ll refuse and go elective section - everyone I know who has had a planned one, has said it was an amazing experience. Though I appreciate you want to try for and experience a vaginal birth - I would be the same had I not already had one.

Really hope I haven’t scared you, that’s not my intention at all, just a bit of food for thought. Ultimately, whatever happens, it’s such a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, you soon forget any pain and you get your beautiful baby at the end - they make it all worth it.

Good luck, OP - there are many horror stories out there but there are also many simple, straightforward ones, they just don’t get told as much, I found the Positive Birth Company Facebook group great for finding them (think you have to buy the course to get access).

Don’t let them overly sweep you. I ended up with such a bruise and swollen cervix I was in agony before the baby even thought about descending. Three days mine took in the end. Contractions started in the early hours of Friday, having been admitted on the Thursday. Baby was born just before lunch on Sunday. As soon as he was out I passed out. I’ve never been so tired in my life!

I was booked for an induction at 39w+6 because they suspected growth restriction at the last scan at 36 weeks (all was fine in the end) I went into spontaneous labour at 39+5, the day before the planned induction.
Labour started off fast, was 8cm when I was first examined, 2 hours after contractions started, but then slowed down because baby had her hand on her face which didn't allow the head to descend properly so needed the drip in the end but I had gotten an epidural before the drip, baby was born vaginally in the end just as they were starting to talk about doing a caesarean.