Advice wanted from all you mums out there please 🙌Unsuccessful sweep today, induction booked for 4 days time...Help 🙌

[Orangeroses243]

Bit of an a essay - Feeling a bit deflated...(before I continue I will say that my baby is cooking away and is quite clearly happy in there and is healthy so that's fantastic and the main thing and feel blessed about his of course).....as for me first time mum, I do not sleep longer than 1 hour intervals of a night due to bad hips, carpel tunnel in both hands which is painful along with heartburn and the other long list of symptoms so i feel like i am struggling. So for today's sweep appointment I was excited that things may get going and I'd be meeting my baby by end of the week.....
My body clearly doesn't want this as I am 0cm dialoted and cervix is tilted back still. Has been noted as medium and not firm so maybe only just starting to progress towards even being soft.
Anyway likely hood of anything progressing in a 4 day period??? I assume little.....any tips welcome.
Regarding the induction due to being 0cm dialated midwife said will start with a pessary induction...Just wondering how long after this would I begin to labor?
Any advice or experiences from other mum greatly appreciated thank you xx

I had a scan 2 weeks before birth - 25th centile, 6-7lb ish expected. Baby was over 9lb.

A friend due same time induced at 39 weeks due to an 11lb predicted baby. Came out 7.5lb.

Those growth measurements are known for being random number generators.

Word of caution - epidurals can tank your blood pressure. Was not properly explained to me at all. My blood pressure plummeted which caused me to almost pass out and babies heart to drop into the 70s. Room full of staff in seconds. They managed to control it and bring back up but I was 30 seconds away from being whisked off to theatre under GA for EMCS. Wasn't the only person I know of it's happened to.

@FlyingHighFlyingLow woah! Well firstly I am glad you and your baby managed and were OK.

There are a few risk factors that come with epidural. My mother had one with all 4 children my friends and family aimy have had the. and been ok..as well as thousands of pregnant women so I wouldn't be adverse to have one for me personally. They are not given as part of an induction it's optional isn't it, I think at the moment epidural is the only part of a birth plan I have set 😅

I have heard that the predictions on baby's weight and size can vary and this is why I am asking about these induction experiences as just thinking would It be worth to wait another week for things more naturally to progress for labour...

Did you have an induction? Of so what methods and how were they before your epidural experience?

Did you freind get on ok with an induction?

Thanks for sharing your experience

I had a good pessary induction, but it was my third baby. Term + 10 days. Very little happened for the first few hours, to the extent that we sneaked out of the hospital and went back home for a bit (short walk). Once we got back I had a bit of monitoring, still only very slight contractions, and got to 2cm. Then very suddenly it kicked off and dd arrived 20 minutes later. I had her on all fours and in a couple of pushes and there was not even really time to be shocked by it. I expect a first baby wouldn't be that precipitous. But I did want to offer a good induction experience. I was walking home with dd 4 hours after she was born.

Had an epidural with my first (not induced, in labour but it was very very long drawn out) and I wasn't terribly keen tbh - it was blessed relief after 2 days of on-and-off contractions, but it worked so well that I found it quite disorienting at the pushing stage - nothing to guide me really. That ended up as a ventouse birth, but so did my second (different reasons, much much faster labour) so not sure it was due to the epidural.

@TheLittleOldWomanWhoShrinks oh wow 🥹🥹💓
I really hope I get some of your experience! That would be lovely 😍

I too am bit sure il.be so lucky with s first one and me being 39 weeks...but ibguess you never know. Thanks for sharing your experience I am sat on the sofa reading away it made me smile.x

Good luck! I hope it goes well.

I had a sweep at 40 weeks that done nothing really. Had the pessary inserted about 4 days after that, it did do something and got me to 3-4cms (which was the goal so they could break my waters). Waited 3 days after pessary for a delivery bed in hospital, got put on the drip and waters broken. Had the epidural at about 7cms dialated. They only done internal exams every 4 hours due to infection risks.
If you have a exercise ball, you can do the shape of 8 with your hips on that. Get walking as much as you can tolerate. It’s no guarantee but can’t hurt to try.