Gel Induction Experiences

[PeachyGreen95]

I’m due my first baby in early November and due to having gestational diabetes, they’ve said they would like to induce me next week at 38+5 - bit of a shock to the system as my last day at work is today!

Can anyone share their induction experiences with the gel? What to expect.. if it worked and how quickly? I’ve been told this is what I’ll have next week (twice and if this doesn’t work then the drip). I was swinging towards a c section but would really like to give birth vaginally as this is my first child and I know c section recovery can be difficult due to it being a major surgery. Also any advice welcome!!!! I’m so so so so nervous

I had this with my son. I think I was given the gel around 2 pm, went for a walk around the hospital had some dinner and by 10 pm was feeling very bloated/pressure. I watched some Dirty Dancing on my phone and was contracting (not painful) by midnight. Some more walking a bath and was having regular contractions by 8 am, was ready to push by 2 pm. I was pushing a while as was big but he arrived at 5 ish. Only 1 gel needed.

I had no interventions and managed without an epidural as got to 10 cm pretty quickly. He was my first so nothing to compare it to but it was nothing like some of the horror stories you read. I recommend walking/bath/keeping oxytocin up to help. Best of luck with it all! X

@razzler991 thank you! Was it painful to insert?

I've had it twice. It wasn't painful to insert but it put me into labour very fast with very intense contractions which were very painful.

Sometimes with induction there isn't the same build up so you are just hit with intense contractions straight off the bat which can be hard to deal with.
Ended up on the drip first time and just had to have an epidural.
Tbh there's pros and cons to any way you give birth.
C section obviously isn't as painful as vaginal labour whilst it's happening.. but it can be the case you get the pain afterwards.. and with a straightforward vaginal birth there's less healing time and less pain (altho still some) after you've given birth.
But then again not all vaginal births end up being straightforward!
It's just swings and roundabouts tbh.
Alot of how your labour goes can be down to luck rather than what plans you've made or method you chose.

I'm planning a homebirth this time because it's been very painful for me with both other births with all the drugs etc..
I thought well I may as well just be in the comfort of my own home next time

Worth it when you get to meet your baby though.
Good luck! Here's hoping it's all plain sailing for you and is fast and relatively easy! There's a good chance of that. I've had friends who had the gel who were in and out within a few hours

No @PeachyGreen95 I don't think it was painful at all... can't even remember it.

I've had the gel with both my kids. My first because it was standard for my trust at the time, second because baby was too high for a balloon induction.

With both, all that happened was my cervix dilated just a little bit. Just enough that they could get at my waters for an ARM. With my second, I had a few big pains while walking, but that was it. My first I barely felt a few niggly cramps. I had 2 gels with my first, and 1 with my second and dilated to 1 and 2cm respectively. I will say that you're already further on than I was at the start of my inductions though, so maybe things will happen for you.

After that, I had ARM, then drip (I don't labour without it apparently). First went in to be a fairly unremarkable vaginal birth. My second I got unlucky with baby's position and wound up with a C-section after failure to progress and baby started to get distressed. If I ever had a third, I would attempt a VBAC. I have zero interest in having an elective C-section. If I needed one, sure, but until then, vaginal all the way.

Best of luck.

Oh and insertion of the gels was uncomfortable at worst. Sort of like a smear. ARM was painful though. Don't let them do that without gas + air at least.

@PeachyGreen95 I've only had one baby so can't compare for you but I had a gel induction at 39 weeks. Insertion was fine probably not even as uncomfortable as a smear. It was inserted at 6pm and by 9pm I had backache. By midnight I was asking for an epidural. They checked and I was 5cm dilated. Ended up having my baby at 5.30am so within 12 hours of insertion. I was fine once they gave me gas and air so didn't need the epidural.

I did have a PPH and retained placenta after the birth but can't say if this was a factor in the induction or just what was going to happen anyway.