Should I be induced, any positive stories?

[Lemonbalm13]

I'm 40 weeks +5 days with my 3rd baby. I've had natural births, + 7 and +12. To avoid birthing a larger baby I was scheduled to be induced on Monday past but I refused as it was stressing me out. I felt so much better after making that decision. I've had 2 sweeps on sat n Monday n lost my mucus plug before Mondays sweep. I have been in false labour multiple times over the last 3 weeks and the pain is almost daily but just strong n short, no pattern so definitely false. Last night I started getting horrendous pain in the front of my bump, I couldn't sit, stand or walk, the pain was insane. Thought it was ligament pain n rang hospital anyway to check, they aren't concerned and think baby has moved further into position. I have been unable to sit on the sofa all day and I'm currently writing this hung over the ball on all 4s. I've never had this experience with my other 2 pregnancies and I really can't put up with much more. I'm in daily pain with labour like pains n now this which is a whole new level of pain.

I was so scared of induction and thought it would prolong a labour that wasn't ready and cause me unnecessary pain. After the last 24 hours I'm actually considering being induced asap to end all this. Is it horrendous to be induced? Or should I just hang on until I go myself. I'm so confused as to what to do for the best. I've had lovely labour's and I don't want this last one to be a bad experience as I'm most definitely done at 3.

Hope you have a safe birth. I was induced with my second and my labour definitely wasn't prolonged and took about 20mins! Good luck

I had induction at 37 & 6 with my first due to reduce movement & had a great experiance.

Pessary was inserted around 8pm and things kicked off pretty quick - midwife had said cervix looked viable so body & baby must have been partially ready for some help if needed! Laboured through the night got sleep - well - the bed weren’t great turned out it was meant to be a temp bed 😑 Pessey was removed in the morning around 9/10 as body and baby didn’t like it. Body took over once removed & was around 6cm if I remember right. Son arrived 2pm or so & was free to use yoga ball move around etc as didn’t need drip.

I’m currently 39 weeks and 3 days & have decided I’m going to say no to a sweep & book induction in if i get to next Monday’s 40 week app.

good luck whatever you choose & wishing you a healthy & positive birth!

Hi
I was 40+ 6 when my waters were broken, my hind waters had already gone. This resulted in a very painful labour with contractions coming too close together..they were literally back to back. I then had an epidural which I originally was trying to avoid but the pain was too much. Baby was delivered via forceps some 12 hours later. I didn’t find the use of forceps too bad apart from the marks they left on baby. However following the birth I haemorrhaged from my womb and was taken for emergency surgery. I don’t know if starting my labour caused any of the above, but then I also think if I had been induced sooner would I have then avoided the forceps as baby would have been smaller. My baby was only 8.1 but I am very small framed and short. I’m not trying to scare you but I think it’s important people share their negative experiences too!

I've had 3 inductions after a natural birth. 1st they just popped my waters contractions started pretty soon after total time was 4 hours. 2nd was pessary total time was 1 hour. My last one was the dreaded drip I got an epidural before drip started and it was fine didn't feel a thing was about 5 hours. All born with no interventions and a couple of stitches. Last baby was 9lb 2oz

Did they mention how dilated you were before pessary was inserted?

Did they mention how dilated you were before pessary?

It is, thanks for this. I was in for another sweep yesterday. 3rd sweep, also had 2 failed attempts at reaching cervix, didn't have a single twinge after latest sweep. The midwifes are great and are telling me my options and that I have the choice to refuse this and that but my head is spinning also with all this choice. I'm booked in for Monday which will be 10 days overdue. If I'm still 1cm a balloon will be inserted. If I'm 3cm a sweep and sent on my way. If they break my waters I don't have to have drip an hour later like guidelines say and can wait a few hours to see if it happens on its own and honestly my head is just spinning with it all. Hopefully she just comes herself before then.

This is good to hear, the anxiety I felt last week about my 1st planned induction is starting to ease. I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking just get it over with. I really want my body back now, im so done in. I'd just be really gutted if labour was a disaster after having 2 lovely labour experiences.

No I’m not sure on that sorry!

They did for my pessary and I was about 2-3cm. With the drip my waters had gone and nothing happening after 24 hours. I like knowing when I'm having the baby. Did lots of walking about as much as I could which I think helped. Being calm aswell I went in with the mindset that I've done it before my body knows what it's doing. Just needed that little push to get going.

I've been induced twice. Can't say I loved the experience either time. BUT... I wouldn't change it. The first one was generally quite horrific, but DS was a big baby and as it was, he got stuck and frankly, I'm thrilled he came out then and we didn't hang about another week for him to get bigger.

DD would probably have been brain damaged if I'd been allowed to go into labour naturally.

My point is that no, induction isn't super fun, BUT, it may well be the better option and if you're already in pain, so probably already tired and stressed, the sooner they get that baby out, the better.

Hi op, i was induced 2 weeks ago 😊

Was booked in for a balloon induction however my cervix was already a few cm dilated.

They broke my waters at 9pm and he was born 1.56am. The pain was horrific, maybe beacuse of the induction I'm not sure. I progressed really quickly and didn't have time for decent pain relief just gas and air.

Anyway baby arrived safe and sound. I would recommend an induction if you're struggling, i got to 39 weeks and couldn't take anymore, had gestational diabetes and was feeling very low.

Induction is fine.

Sweeps are horrible and gave me a panic attack. I can't believe you're happy to have them but not induction.

I didn't mind being induced itself - in fact things really sped up afterwards with me going to 10cm dilated while still on the ward that same evening! But the next stage was very painful as I think my body hadn't had a chance to get used to things gradually. I'd refused pain relief but when I got past the point I could ask for it it would have been too late so I would consider pain relief with induction beforehand.

39+1 for my induction, second baby due to poor growth - and they were right, she's a right little dot!

Went in, consented and everything, first gel inserted at 6pm - kicked off mild contractions, went to sleep and contractions eased off, second gel at 9am the next day , started some irregular contractions- used the antenatal ward bath for pain relief, regular contractions from noon, assessed at 14.30 and was 3cm so waited an hour or so for delivery suite to have a room - got back in the bath around 15.00, by 16.40 had a bed on deluvery and as I got out the bath the pain changed, by the time we'd got up to delivery suite I had bubba in my arms within half an hour! Far far better than my first baby who took multiple days of painful slow labour and 2 hours of pushing!

I think like everything everyone is haply to talk about bad experiences but not the happier one - I know I struggled to find positive stories prior to my induction as I was really reluctant to have one but I'm so glad I did!

I know of 3 straightforward inductions with second or third children. 2 of the 3 didn't even need the drip, water breaking was sufficient to send them into labour, quick and easy births. One even a water birth!

My induction with my second was amazing. I wasn't even slightly dilated because I was only 39+2, so it took a day or so for the pessaries to get me to the point where my waters could be broken. My waters were broken at 1400, on the drip at 1600, epidural in at 2100 once the contractions started ramping up, then baby appeared very quickly at 2300 despite me only having been 6cm at 2230. Would have another induction in a heartbeat, and I'd been dead set against it because the induction with my first had been dreadful.

I know how you must feel about only being 1cm and cervix being hard to find - I was so stressed out that I was going to need a c section after all the time spent in hospital being induced, but I went from them barely being able to reach my cervix on Monday night to baby coming out very quickly and easily on Tuesday night. With 2nd/3rd babies things can move insanely quickly it seems! I hope things start moving for you very soon!