Waiting for waters to be broken … no beds at the inn !

[PeachyGreen95]

I had the gel inserted yesterday at 3pm to soften my cervix, another at 9pm and this morning I was 2cm dilated. They’re ready to break my waters but there aren’t any beds available. They can’t provide a timeframe either. Since then I’ve had irregular contractions and a bit of spotting. Does anyone have any similar induction stories? Or advice on how to keep sane when trying to relax on an induction ward? I’m running on 4 hrs sleep and feeling pretty deflated 🥲

I ended up in emergency c section after induction made me ill and in a way I am glad I did even though recovery was harder (I assume as never gave birth before that) so if you are prepared for the recovery part then I would go for CS if you are running out of energy in all senses. Good luck and keep us updated. 🤍

midwives keep trying to steer me away from a c section but I have just come back upstairs after a tea and a walk and have requested to be added to their list. There’s no end in sight at the moment and it’s making me so sick and anxious. I know the c section recovery is awful but the induction experience hasn’t been great so far and I’m feeling a little desperate now 😭

I think it might be for the best in your circumstances.

I'll get slated for this but in your situation I'd be telling them I'd had reduced movements. They will have to do something then.

I know how you feel lovely! I was asked to go in at 1pm Saturday just gone, had the pessary at 2 and it hyper stimulated my uterus but got me to 3cm, then I was in the water breaking territory. However the list of 10 ladies waiting was going to take 2-3 days to get through and I was sat about halfway down that list, but with emergencies could be longer. So I came home yesterday. Just waiting on the call to go back when a bed is available for me. I also asked about a section instead but was told that list was over a week long 😬
Really hoping you get your section or bed on delivery, the wait can be torturous!

Oh you poor thing! I hope you don't have to wait too much longer 🤞🏻

Reporting reduced movements won’t get her to labour ward any quicker, she’ll get put on the monitor.
Asking for a section probably won’t get you through any quicker either, or it wouldn’t in my hospital.
good luck, hope it happens soon

@Gloopyhoop oh gosh!!!!! It really is scary isn’t it. I currently have a woman in the bed next to me in full blown labour unable to get a bed and she’s begging for an epidural. My nerves and anxiety are through the roof. I hope you get called for a bed soon, the wait is awful. You get given a date expecting for something to happen within a time frame and when it doesn’t it can be slightly worrying. Xxx

@Gloopyhoop I thought if you were already in the hospital and the induction process had started you were classed as an emergency c section? So would stay in until they performed it. I can’t believe they were still Suggesting a week 😩😩

God how awful, you must be shattered and mentally drained. Maternity sevices are so stretched.

I was in mau last week for 2 days for dehydration after a bug there was a woman whos waters had gone and contractions started, i heard them tell her they were full on the wards, i thought that was shocking but reading your situation is terrible.

Sending strength and positivity your way

Do NOT do this. I actually had RM and if I had lost my induction slot, DD might not have made it.

I just think it's ridiculous that they are offering an emergency c-section (major surgery), rather than a bed where you can give birth.

Sorry I can't be of any help, my youngest is 3 now but I'm so shocked to read of these terrible situations.
To OP and anyone else going through the same right now, I'm keeping you all in my thoughts and hoping things improve before your babies arrive.

I'd request to go home and get some rest - they can't actually make you stay - providing your monitoring looks good. You could go back later on to go back on the monitor. Things might get going naturally if you can relax a bit at home.

@abc56 I was thinking things could come on a bit quicker once I’ve relaxed but I feel like once i’m home I’m out of sight out of mind with no chance of getting a bed at all! A lady next to me was 2cm dialated with regular contractions and refused the birthing suite around 6 times - they then managed to find her a bed on the labour ward. It seems you need to stand your ground but I don’t have a leg to stand on as my contractions have subsided although I’m 2cm dilated I seem to have lost momentum. Going to have another chat with the doctor in a couple of hours re. a c-section. I couldn’t fault the midwives but they are so stretched and it seems as though you’re on your own slightly 😩😩😩

@PeachyGreen95 that poor lady, she must be feeling awful! The NHS really is in such a dire state at the moment. But I imagine the staff must also be feeling overworked under immense pressure, it's not good for them either 😞 I was actually sent for induction because of multiple episodes of reduced movements, I'd hit 39 weeks so consultant was happy to do so. But in 2021 when I had my last I got a bed on delivery within 2 days, I was surprised covid time was actually quicker!
They only let me go home because they didn't need me to have another pessary and the bed on antenatal could be used for another lady, but it was on the condition I go to my local hospital everyday for ctg monitoring (which I'm sick of by now, I've had it everyday for the past 6 days!)

I went in on a Friday evening, had the pessary Friday night which was in for 24 hours and Saturday night my body was ready for waters to be broken. It was a really busy weekend so no beds free until Tuesday afternoon and baby was born Tuesday night via forceps.

Barely slept during those four days and paracetamol and codeine wasn’t helping much either, although heat pads and a hot water bottle gave intermittent relief. By Tuesday morning, I was in tears with the pain and then luckily a few hours later a bed was available. I was induced because of reduced movements so even though I was being monitored, it was worrying that it took so long.

I was mentally and physically exhausted by the time my waters were broken and it was 2020 so DH wasn’t allowed on the induction ward either. An epidural provided some welcome relief once I was allowed one when I got a bed. I hope things get moving for you soon!

@PeachyGreen95 so sorry you’re having to go through this!
out of curiosity which hospital are you at?
Same thing happened to me in nov 2021, it’s so deflating so you have my sympathies!
I went in on Saturday pm and didn’t end up getting a bed until Friday am. I think I must have finished my 2nd pessary on Tuesday so probably didn’t count until then? Who knows!
hopefully you’ll get to meet you’re little one soon x

Some things that helped a little - warm baths, a pillow and blanket from home, listening to white noise/rain sounds with headphones to block out the noises from the ward. Tea/coffee/snacks/food from home. In the evenings, I’d meet DH for a walk around the hospital or we’d sit in the car in the car park.

From another quiet woman who ended up giving birth on the labour ward because loud women got prioritized....it's all a bit shit. How overdue are you?

@TerribleWoman I’m only 38 weeks and 3 days, they wanted to induce me early due to having gestational diabetes and baby getting a bit too big. I’m really worried I’ll end up in a similar situation to the other lady and going into labour on this induction ward 😭😭😭 we’ve been really reasonable as we understand it isn’t their fault but it becomes a bit deflating when people are coming and leaving before you.

Aww I feel your pain - I waited for 48 hours to get a bed after having the pessary. They told me to try and keep moving and bouncing on the ball but also get some sleep.. I remember thinking well what’s more important, the sleep or moving 😂.

Good luck op.

My whole point was that the loud woman had her waters broken days before I did because she was loud so how long she laboured after they were broken is totally irrelevant.
Quite frankly, her pain every ten minutes that caused her to scream the ward down didn't mean shit to me on day three of contracting silently every three minutes. Unable to speak because of the pain and being ignored because I wasn't being a pain in the ass.

@PeachyGreen95 are you still waiting?