Are inductions really that bad?!

[Nellynoo182]

Pregnant with DS2. My first birth was great although my DS1 was born premature. My waters went at 3pm and baby was here by 10pm, went from 5cm-10cm in 11 minutes. I did need an episiotomy but I didn’t find this traumatic and recovery was great and baby was delivered with a few puffs of gas and air.

I am 37 weeks now and baby has dropped from 90th centile to 50th and have been offered an induction on 2nd Jan. Everything I am reading about inductions sounds so traumatic and I am really frightening myself! Is it because labour tends to come on more fast? More intense? I really don’t want a c- section unless necessary due to the recovery and having a 1 year old at home. Any positive induction stories? If yours wasn’t so positive - what could have made it better ? (without horror stories please!) thank you!

I was induced with my last I opted for the balloon induction. And they inserted it at 10.30pm and by 11.30 my waters had broken and I was taken down to labour ward and ds was born at 00.21

I had an induction and it was fine. Had the wands, then waters were broken. They then waited an hour to see if labour would start naturally but it didn't so they started the drip. I managed on the drop on gas and air only for 5 hours and got to 8cm without experiencing any significant pain. Have found other things more painful. They then took away the gas and air and the pain was maddening so I had an epidural. One of the key things is to relax and really try not to be scared and fearful. Fear with create tension in your body which will create a lot of pain. If you start to feel more pain than you feel you can handle just ask for an epidural or if in doubt if you are really worried, insist on and epidural before the drip

I had early inductions for my first and second deliveries.
First was hell.
Second was fine, a good labour experience tbh. My obstetrician's view was that having given birth previously eased the path, so to speak.

I needed to be induced because although my waters went, it turned out to only be half my waters so there was an infection risk. I was put straight on the induction drip after they broke my hind waters.
The thing I wish I'd been more prepared for was how intense and relentless it was. I had no breaks at all between contractions, for 10 hours. I did manage this on gas and air, I only asked for morphine right at the end. I blacked out a few times during contractions though.
Ultimately we needed ventouse and episiotomy but that was because something went wrong with the cord and they needed to get her out fast. I think that might have happened whether or not i was induced. Like you I didn't find that part traumatic except from being worried about my daughter.

I'm pregnant again now and while I would prefer not to be induced again i know I can do it, and at least I know what to expect now. I wish I'd been given, or asked for, more information last time, so you're doing the right thing seeking out experiences good and bad.

It seems that induction experiences vary just as much as birth experiences in general so there's nothing to say your experience wouldn't be better than mine.

I think it’s fair to start an induction but say you want to move to c section if it is taking too long - they will listen to you.

Not my experience.

I experienced continuous nudging against c section without any discussion. It was essentially, "well, let's just try this first before we talk about it". The only time they were willing to discuss c section was when telling me not to eat "in case I got that c section I wanted".

As a result I didn't eat for about 24h whilst in hospital.

I was 39 weeks, had pessary and then drip once waters had broken. Forceps + episiotomy delivery. I had a post partum hemorrhage (1l+). I had the epidural which was a great help.

Would have another induction; while not the most comfortable experience I've ever had, I didn't go into birth thinking it would be comfy 😂 I just took it as it came and would feel comfortable enough doing the same for my next labour.

The PPH was most likely a result of my high BP, pre-eclampsia or my platelets being a little lower. It's never been attributed to the induction itself.

Hope all goes well!

I had this too but I held my ground. They do actually listen even if they are annoyed about it. I felt so bad but afterwards was told I’d made the right decision. Also it’s changed in the last few years - they use to try and limit c sections but now they don’t so it’s much easier to get one.

They tried to induce me at 37 weeks but I reacted badly to the medicine so they took me to emergency C-section as DD's heartbeat was going down. I would def never agree on induction again.

Ime they don't let you eat or drink once you've started the drip as it may end in theatre. That's where I struggled. 12 hours of constant contractions in, no food or drink, in a shared side ward as labour ward was full and I hadn't progressed. They didn't even realise my contractions were so intense for the first 6 hours as they just wandered off and didn't check on me, it was gruelling.

I went into labour/waters broke naturally at 39+6, but labour wasn’t progressing. Still at 3cm after 40hrs. They put me on the drip. I can definitely say that the pain intensified massively once on the drip and I asked for an epidural. Once I had the epidural it was fine (though still didn’t progress 24hrs later and needed an emergency section).
Just don’t try to be a hero who goes it all naturally - be open to pain relief!

Good luck OP. Hope all goes well.

When I was in with DD2 at 39 weeks, I had the pessary which bought on contractions for 12 hours, hyperstimulated as back to back, so they took out the pessary expecting me to just carry on and probably deliver that day, and everything stopped. That was on the Wednesday, I waited for a bed on the labour ward to have my waters broken and was rushed around on the Sunday due to issues with her heart rate. Waters broken and put straight on the drip, I won't lie, the drip was not pleasant, a midwife covering my midwives break whacked it up as I was apparently coping too well at that point and then it was just all very painful, very intense and I told them to get me an epidural, heart rate was still an issue with DD, they were going to take me for a c section as I was only 3cm and they were concerned, five mins later I had fully dilated and then a short while after she was born, so no pain relief in the end as too fast, but no tears and no assisted delivery. Whilst it was a far cry from my labour with DD1 which was spontaneous and on the birthing unit, it could have been worse.

Both mine have been 37 week inductions for pre-eclampsia. Both needed the drip to get any sort of contractions going.

First one was far better of the two, as there were no delays, no need for an epidural, and I had a fairly uneventful vaginal delivery. Second was the opposite, and I had a C-section. Despite my second going the way it wound up, I still consider it a positive experience. It was pure bad luck he was positioned the way he was. Probably would have ended the same had it been a spontaneous labour.

If I were to have a third, I would happily be induced if there was medical need, and/or overdue.

I would never have another induction again. Unless it's a medical emergency, I don't believe forcing your body into labour unnaturally should happen

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! Your replies enabled me to go armed with a huge list of questions today so thank you very much. Have been told baby has now grown so can hold off needing an induction for the time being which is good news. I feel a lot better prepared for if it does end up being necessary though!