Has anyone managed an unmedicated water brith after (pessary) induction?

[missmam]

I have had a plan of having a natural water birth the whole way through pregnancy. Prepped for it, done the work, almost excited for it! but despite trying EVERYTHING, this little girl is now overdue and the doctors are losing patience. They want to give me a pessary tomorrow with the hormones in it and send me home for 24 hours to see if that works. (we did try a sweep but although cervix is soft, its still totally closed.)
Now I know that if you get the hormone drip for induction, that makes contractions tooo intense for most people to proceed with natural birth. But I was wondering if anyone had experience of the more gentle, slower acting pessary? Really hoping to stick to my water birth plan! Thanks so much for any advice

I had the 3 gels (and balloon) which is similar to the pessary just faster acting i think. My labour was completely unmedicated, I wanted a waterbirth but couldn't have one for various reasons though unfortunately, but i didn't have any pain relief.

Good luck! X

My labours were a while ago now so things may have changed, but I was induced all 3 times, twice with the hormone IV & had 3 natural births. However, the birthing pool was only allowed for women who had gone in to uncomplicated spontaneous labour.

I had my DS a long (nearly 18 years!) time ago but I wasn't allowed a water birth when I was induced via pessary as any induction put you under consultant care rather than midwife care, and water births were only for midwife care.
Talk to your midwife about what accepting the induction would mean for your birth choices, and what other interventions might follow.
I hope that you do get your water birth and that your little girl arrives safely!

As above, if you are induced that changes the catgory to 'high-risk' with more monitoring and a need to be in the delivery suite rather than the birthing centre (which has the birthing pools). At least where I am.

Hope you can get what you want, but even if things conspire against you it doesn't mean the plan is completely out of the window and a 'bad birth'. I wasn't keen to be induced but was and had an otherwise intervention free birth which actually was so speedy I doubt there would have been time for water 😅

Ah! I didn't know that part!!! thank you everyone, Will ask tomorrow!! xx

How overdue are you? What are the reasons for them wanting to induce you?

Like a pp, in my hospital the "birthing suite" (with soft lighting, yoga balls, birthing pools, and private rooms where you and your birth partner could stay after the baby was born) was only for women who'd gone into spontaneous labour. If you were induced you had to stay on the delivery ward, where there were no bells or whistles, and could only move from there to the postnatal ward.

Pessary isn't necessarily slow, btw. I had one (at 40+11 and zero signs of imminent labour - they'd been unable to do a stretch and sweep, for example) on the antenatal ward at 5pm, was in active labour and bleeding everywhere at 12am, moved to delivery at about 3am. Got the drip (and epidural) around 11am, baby born at 10pm by emergency C-section due to her unhelpful head position.

So 29 hours from pessary to baby, and if she'd tucked her chin in it would likely have been several hours shorter.

Depending on the reasons for induction and gestation, in my trust you can have a waterbirth if you have been induced by pessary only in some circumstances. The main issue is if you have certain risk factors that require continuous monitoring, as this generally isn't available in the majority of birthing units as waterproof and wireless CTG monitors are incredibly expensive.

How far along are you?

I was induced with the pessary and any thoughts I had about a water birth were quickly refused.
I did have pre-eclampsia so would have been refused a water birth anyway. In my hospital the water birth units are only on the midwife led section which is for uncomplicated, spontaneous births only.
Anything else becomes consultant led and you just get put in a normal delivery suite unfortunately.

Yes I did!! Although I got out the water to do the final pushing in the end as felt like it and they did end up giving me episiotomy but that was all. However I did have PPH two hours after birth and wonder if that was potentially caused by the induction pessary. I was two weeks late and already dilating though so I did feel it was necessary to be induced although this time round I do want to avoid it!

Was 20 years ago! But induced at 13 days late with pessary and went on to labour in pool and give birth without any pain relief x

Hi!! How far are you are over due? With our 1st DD she was 10 days overdue and IVF and they said I was high risk due to IVF and induced me with the gel pessary which is something I really didn’t want because as they say the contractions are stronger with an induction as it’s a forced labour.
They will push for you to be induced as it’s easier for them, and hopefully happens fast so they have the bed free for the next lady. You can’t have a water birth if you’re induced I found that out and was gutted.

Fast forwards 3 years on with our 2nd DD I was adamant not to be induced, I didnt want that pain again and a year with stitches, it all happened too quick.
DD was a week 3 days and even before my due date they wanted to book in a induction which I was refused she came naturally 3 days late, water birth with gas and air and wow what an amazing experience!! I was on cloud 9 after it felt great and was allowed to go come hours after. No pain because the water helps prevent tearing and helps with the contraction pain.

My advice is stick to your guns you know your body and if you don’t want the induction don’t have it ask for extra monitoring instead. Babies come out when there ready. I always think imagine being forced out somewhere your happy to stay in? That baby won’t like it and can cause it stress

Ah your second birth sounds exactly what im hoping for! Ill remember this words if it starts happening naturally :) this is an IVF baby too and they're very keen she shouldn't go past Friday (due date was Sunday gone!) I went this morning and they say if I get Propess pessary tomorrow and it works, then I can still have a water birth. If I need any further stuff for induction after the pessary, then I have to have her on labour ward. Fingers crossed!

I did, pessary in at 12 and baby out in water pool at 2230 with just gas and air. I was only slightly overdue and my cervix was slightly open (second baby). The pessary started work pretty much immediately but at around 8pm I went to the loo and baby shifted somehow and everything really sped up. Near me the induction is done on antenatal ward, so I was just moved to the midwife led unit when it was apparent I was ready. Good luck x

My hospital has one water birthing suite in the high-risk bit. Hopefully yours does too.