BEING INDUCED TOMORROW, had 3 normal deliveries @39+weeks, other peoples experiences of being induced please?

[welshbyrd]

Im terrified, 41 weeks tomorrow, 4th baby, (lost one at 5 months old in 2000, due to cot death)

Had all excellent births on previous, and never went overdue, so im in unfamilar territory

Have been told, if i waited till 42 weeks, i still wouldnt go into labour on my own, because cervix, are still thick, very posterior(in a way that can just be felt, not even a sweep done, cause nobody can reach it properly)

im not sure what to expect, consultant wants to have a good 3-4 days of trying to induce, before giving in to a c- section, if baby still dont arrive.

Ive no clue on what they could use to induce, i know there are a few different things to kick start labour

So would like people who have experienced induction, what induction method they used, and how successful was it??

thanks for replies in advance

Hmmm, I would do a bit of reading around what your consultant has told you to be honest. Sounds like complete rubbish to me (was induced last time and have done tons of reading this time, but that's my only qualification for saying this...end of disclaimer!). If you've had babies before, you can go from 'unripe' to 'ripe' pretty darn quickly, within hours even, don't know why he thinks he can 'tell' you won't go into labour. Unless there's another reason, e.g. baby's position....

If everyhting else is fine, if I were you I'd refuse induction until at least 42 weeks (which is the end of the 'normal' full term), use the time to get really informed, and even then you can opt for active management (ie regular scans) to check all is well and give it a few days or a week or so longer. The stress he's put you under probably won't help to kick start things either, so try to rally some good support and do some nice relaxing stuff like swimming or going out for a meal (easier said than done if you've got a tribe to look after I know )

(Won't tell you my experience of induction as was horrific, but I know it can be OK for some! Suffice to say, the risks of going down the intervention road, and associated risks for you and baby, are far far higher if you are induced). Here's a link to the NICE guidelines for induction, which might be a start for your reading:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG70

Hope all goes well and you kick off naturally soon, no reason to think you wouldn't!

My god your consultant seems a bit trigger happy why would you need a c- section. And why on earth are you not allowed to wait till 42 weeks before being poked and prodded is there some medical problem you haven't told us about.

PS yes slushy - no idea why he thinks the OP will need a C section anyway, unless he's just really keen to cut her open! My bishops score at 42 weeks was 2, which is about as unfavourable as it gets, and it still only took one dose of gel to get labour started. Consultants are not gods and do not know how or when your body will react! (but they are pretty handy in an emergency, I'll give them that )

No medical condition, just even though ive had previous children, the consultant has examined me (last friday), and told me and the midwife who was supervising while examination took plcae, that there is no way im going to go on my own.

the midwife questioned this comment, he then stated my cervix was in Tenby (a town about 30 miles from the hospital)and he didnt think id go naturally at 42 weeks

Opted for this saturday because the consultant beleives it to not be a straight forward induction, and time consuming, in that it may take days , hyaving said that he said he would not leave it longer than 3-4 days then a c-section would be last resort.

Baby isnt breech ect ect, however she is moving up and down all the time, she was engaged 3/5ths for weeks, and has just come back to 4/5ths

My bump is still very high, and tbh hasnt dropped much in last few weeks, aww and im uneffaced

thanks misscreosote, im not against having a c-section, should it be needed, however had hoped to have noraml birth, having had 3 previously, was expecting same this time around

your comment that you only need one lot of gel for baby to start moving, esp with a unfavourable cervix, has deffo given me hope

Hi - its common in 2nd time+ pregnancies for the baby not to engage even until labour starts, so that doesn't mean squat.

I think its significant that your midwife questioned him - ie didn't agree. She knows more about 'normal' births than he does - is it worth chatting to her about her honest opinion? (although I suppose she might be too scared to nay say the consultant now he's given his opinion - maybe you could also see a different midwife?)

I was rushed into induction when I really wasn't ready, and I really regret it. Even if you do decide to be induced eventually, it doesn't sound like you are ready for it tomorrow, so I would just ring up, postpone and use the time to try to get your head around what you really want to do...

i think you need to ask more questions - they often start it off at nights so 3 or 4 days would mean you are exhausted. i'd go see midwife and ask re bishops score.

the last thing you want is a failed induction and consultant seems to be suggesting this is likely - why?

needed sorry typos terrible today

I was induced at exactly 41 weeks with dd. First lot of gel at 02.00, next lot at 10.00 and baby born at 22.16. Contractions started after 2nd gel.

First baby so I have nothing to compare it to!

He thinks it will be a failed induction, by his examination.

He stated my cervix were in excellent situation for pregnancy, not good for labour

well then why does he want you to do it? why not either wait to go into labour naturally with placenta checks or go straight to cs?

i am no expert but this doesn't sound at all sensible. (i've been on hols to tenby, lovely beach)

It does seem weird what the cons. has said to you...

I've had three induced labours, though nothing natural to compare it to, so I don't know how helpful it is. First labour was my DD who was stillborn. I was 41 weeks+, baby not engaged, cervix not doing an awful lot (but something I think) - one pessary and a five hour labour.

Second labour was induced at 38 weeks because of previous loss. Cervix pretty unfavourable, baby not engaged. I had 2 (or 3??) lots of gel which did nothing much, then straight onto ARM and syntocin drip. It was very painful, but it did work, I had a perfect epidural and a very nice five hour labour (once epi in).

Third labour induced at 38 again because of previous history and other medical issues. This time they didn't bother with gel, I had ARM only and was delivered less than 2 hours later. In that case, I was not dilated but pretty favourable cervix so was ready to go.

Given my history, I have always been happy to be induced earlier rather than later, so can't comment on when to have your induction (am very biased towards asap!). I can't see why you would necessarily have a problem, given it's your fourth labour and you've gone naturally with the other three.

So very sorry to hear about your first DC

I would ask for a second opinion from ano consultant, this guy sounds pretty awful. Really feel for you. No idea how he thinks he can tell whether you'll start labour naturally or not, what is he basing this on?
Had dd2 naturally having had elective c s for dd1 (breech), dd2 was 10 days over and i was climbing walls dreading ano cs (tho it's not so bad, just inconvenient recovering). Try reflexology?? Helped me I'm sure.
Otherwise can you wait till 42 weeks before you do anything; agree with fishie, why not go straight to cs! And induction meant to be ppainful. Good luck.

Hiya

I was induced with both Dcs at 40 weeks and both times it was fine - although I realise I have not had a 'normal' birth to compare them to.

Both times they reckoned I was not 'favourable' and I got one dose of gel at 4.30pm with a warning that it would would take a few more to get me going. Both times contractions started at about 4am the next morning.

With DS, they broke my waters at about 9, I got put on a drip to speed up contractions at about lunchtime and he finally appeared at 6.15pm after an hour of pushing.

With DD the contractions were strong and fast immediately. My waters broke spontanously at about ten past 7 am and she arrived 5 mins later.

I can honestly say that both experiences were very positive. I did have a monitor strapped to my bump for a lot of the time but I was still able to get up and about, sit on a birthing ball and adopt some different positions (DS was back to back so the midwife was instructing me in many different poses to try and get him round!)

Best of luck with whatever happens.

PS welsh - don't want to give you false hope.... yes it only took one lot of gel, but then the pain was excrutiating and constant (not contraction pain, had that on top), so went down the route of every drug under the sun, complications, crash C section and another 2 weeks in NICU plus me in for further complications as well. Don't want to scare you, but sounds like you need to appreciate that it isn't just the getting the labour started that's important, but it also can be HOW the labour starts that affects the outcome as well IYSWIM (ie naturally versus artificially). Getting a second consultant's opinion sounds like a v good idea, as you seem to placing an awful lot of weight on what your current one is saying.

(Unless of course there are complications with the baby, so need to get it out pronto... so sorry to hear about your DD mrsgboring)

I've had 2 inductions at 39 weeks with DC1 & 2, I had gel twice, then rupture of waters...still no contractions...so on to drip. I had an epidural both times after a fairly short time on drip. DC1 took about 3 days after arrival at hospital, DC2 took 1.5 days. Both were vaginal births with no stitches and no complications.

With DC3 I went into labour naturally at 38 weeks....and ended up with an emergency C-Section... Don't think my experience is typical though! I did have an epidural this time as well, but prior to that I would say the drip induced contractions were more painful than natural ones but not by a huge amount.

Here's hoping you go into labour naturally very soon!

thank you all for the replies, im eager to see baby now

Just dread of the unexpected.

Fingers crossed, i go tonight on my own, and worried for nothing

welsh I had a consultant say I needed a c section and the mw argued that he was being a control freak her words not mine I was in labor at the time they preceded to argue this out like I wasn't in the room it turned out I had a straightforward birth no intervention. consultants can sometimes be a little to happy to get the scalpel out. I would request a different consultant as even if there are no problems it sounds like he is pretty determined to interfere. Get a second opinion. Once they start interfering your chances of ending up with a natural birth go down. (sorry to hear about your dd)

I was induced twice at 39 weeks due to high blood pressure.

1st time around 6 in the evening, pain really kicked in around 4 in the morning and ds arrived shortly after 10 am. However, as no-one had believed I was in labour until around 6 am, I was knackered and needed forceps. It was fine - not fun - but definitely fine.

2nd time dd arrived about 1 hr. and 20 mins after the pessary. Certainly made my eyes water, but again, it was OK.

Can't comment on reasoning, but my experiences were OK.

Good luck.

I was induced with my second at 42 weeks. Wasn't that bad, had the gel, took a little while, about 10 hours, to actually go into labour. Once I started DD was born in 25 mintues. Happy outcome.

I had my 1st normally and was induced with 2nd. My cervix was also very far back and unfavorable when they did my sweep. I was 39 weeks so not actually due but the 1st gel got things going they only gave me the second to be on the safe side. My 2 labours aprt from that were pretty much identical, excepting that my 2nd was back to back.

any updates? just seen this, hope it went ok.