Being Induced....what to expect

PerfectPeaches

Evening all

I have today been told at my latest scan and ante natal appointment that they will be inducing me at 38 weeks due to various reasons (I haven't had the easiest pregnancy). I'm currently 35+2 weeks so not long to go!

Would really appreciate it if anyone can tell me what to expect or an over view of their own experience. I was given a leaflet by the hospital which is pretty simple and it would be great to see how other people reacted to it!

Many thanks

Peaches x

moomoomama27

I'll try and help, but it's been a while since I was induced (13 yrs ago!!).

I had to go in the night before, but I think that depends on the individual hospital procedure. The induction consisted of an internal examination, to check if the cervix was favourable. They use a score (which I can't remeber the name of) to determine which induction method is more suitable. Normally it's a pessary which is inserted into the vagina and rests against the cervix to soften it. Occassionally if the cervix os favourable they may want to break your waters.

In my experience the labour can last longer (it did in my case), and it can make contractions stronger from the get go because essentially they are false contractions as the body is being forced into labour.

It took me several hours to get to 1cm, and it was painful opposed to my second daughters birth when the contractions had a more natural build up.

Being induced if the body is not ready can lead to an instrumental birth (and I don't mean violins or flutes ), as well as ahigher chance of a c-section, but with any labour and any birth it can vary wildly from birth to birth! Each of my births was very different to the previous one!!

With my induction I found needed some pain relief quicker, starting with tens and moving onto gas and air and then an epidural. I think one of the reasons it can be more difficult and result in an instrumental delivery or section, is because it can often be lengthy, so pain relief such as epidurals are used, which in turn can slow down the process or put baby in distress, so the longer you can last without anything the better!!

If I could offer one piece of advice it would be to stay as upright as possible, birth balls, walking leaning, all fours up against the bed, it gets baby in an optimum position for birth and helps to speed things up (gravity).

Try not to stress, take it step by step and it'll be fine. Just be aware that often it can take a few attempts to get labour started, so patience is a must!

I hope I havn;t been too honest Best of luck xx

PerfectPeaches

That's great, thanks! And no you haven't been too honest it was exactly what I wanted to hear. The doctors and midwives always seem to put a positive spin on everything and I'd hear from someone who has gone through it personally!

Peaches x

linzi133

Hi
I was induced due to a problematic pregnancy. I had an attempted induction at 37 weeks (was due to be induced at 38 weeks but had more problems so ended up being admitted early)
Like the previous poster has said I had an internal to see if I was 'favourable'....I wasn't! I had a total of 3 pessaries. In theory you get number 1 and 6 hours later they check you and if nothing is happening you get another pessary and then same again 6 hours later. In my hospital they only allowed you to have 3 pessaries and then depending on your situation (they talk to you about this) they either send you home for a day or two and try again a few days later with the same procedure...or in my case you get a C-section.
I didn't respond at all to the pessaries and my cervix did not budge /soften at all.
Out of the 3 pessaries only 1 was uncomfortable (painful).....but I do think that was down to the midwife as the other 2 were fine. (I did tell the midwife she had hands like shovels!!! Much to the amusement of the other staff as she was the Sister on the delivery suite!!!
You are monitored all the time..both you and baby throughout.
The staff that looked after me were fantastic and made the whole experience calm even throughout the c section. It wasn't stressful at all and it turned out to be the best thing for me and my baby.

HTH
Lindsey
x x x

PerfectPeaches

Thanks Lindsey, it's much appreciated!

The hospital is too far away for them to send me home (nearly 2 hours) so they have advised me to pack a large bag!

I just watn everything to run smoothly and at least they will be taking care of me and they will be on hand. I guess it is something I just don't have control over which for a control freak like myself its hard not knowing!

Peaches x

linzi133

ha ha
I'm a bit like you I have everything planned! And hate it when things don't happen the way I think!

As I said everything is in theory......for me the reality was the total time of induction was 30 hours instead of the estimated 18 hours...the ward gotbusy so the length of time between pessaries was much longer than 6 hours.

Just try to relax as much as possible. If you have a partner coming in with you get them to get as much rest as possible. I ended up sendin my partner home (we only live 15 mins away) and telling him to take his time coming back the next day unless he got a call as everything took sooooo much longer than we thought.

Good luck honey. Enjoy your last few days of freedom. We had a 'date night' the night before I went into hospital and it really was the best thing we did. We went out for a lovely meal and switched all phones off.

Good luck
x xx x x

narabanekeater

Again2 very different births for me both being induced
DD one pessary and after 6 hours into delivery she was born 62 hours later naturally I am was shattered. I couldnt dilate so had a drip and epidural it was like she just didnt want to come
3 years later with DS again I was induced. Pessary was inserted and about half an hour later I told other half I was in labour. They gave me 2 pain killers but wouldnt check me as if they do they stand a change of moving the pessary after all I was 62 hours last time.
Soon after I was walking the walls in pain and told I was being daft. Now please no laughing but I got on the phone to my Mum and best mate telling them I was going to give birth in the waiting room which is where they put you when your induced
As I said I didnt mind students one came to chat with me and I remember saying to her " If someone doesnt get me into the delivery room im going to give birth right now in front of all these people and god I want to scream. At this point I think she really did believe me and fetched a midwife and I begged to be checked
It all went very quick from here the student examined me and said what she felt was the top of the babies head and the midwife said it wasnt. Then she checked me, my waters went all over her and popped loudly. Into delivery and one push and out he popped
Two very different experiences. After DS I got up minutes later off the bed and was walking round even eating chocolate (well I did deserve it)
I guess all labours are different. I wish you a quick and happy labour and do post back and let us all know

Fruit_Gum

PerfectPeaches wrote: »

Evening all

I have today been told at my latest scan and ante natal appointment that they will be inducing me at 38 weeks due to various reasons (I haven't had the easiest pregnancy). I'm currently 35+2 weeks so not long to go!

Would really appreciate it if anyone can tell me what to expect or an over view of their own experience. I was given a leaflet by the hospital which is pretty simple and it would be great to see how other people reacted to it!

Many thanks

Peaches x

Hi

I have experiences from both sides, I was induced with my second child and I am also a midwife.

Can I ask why you are being induced at 38 weeks?

With my second DD I was induced at 39+3, it took 3 pesseries and breaking my waters and drip to get my contractions going. The induction process was started on a Tues morning and I didn't actually deliver till the Thurs teatime.

The problem I see is that the earlier you are the more difficult it is to soften or ripen the cervix (that is what the pessary does). Once the cervix is open enough the waters can be broken and hopefully the contractions start without needing a drip.

I think a lot of mums struggle with the idea that if you are going to be induced on a Monday then you will have your baby that day, which is not always the case. Depending on your hospitals guidelines some women are given up to 4 pessaries, usually 6 hours apart, and sometimes after 2 or 3 you are given a "rest day".

Is it your first baby?

durham_girl

I was induced too at 34+5 after my little fella stopped growing. I also had gestational diabetes so I spent the whole time hooked up to 4 different machines :eek: In normal inductions the only thing you would be hooked up to is the syntocinon drip if needed.

So I went in at 6am on the Thursday and at around 10am I got checked and was given the first dose of the prostin gel (rather than a pessary). Nothing happened so I had 1 or 2 more doses, can't remember but nothing started happening until about 8pm that evening when I started getting period type pains.

The next morning I was woken at 6am and examined by the consultant. He broke my water and I got hooked up to the drips needed for my diabetes. The period type stomach pains continued, getting slowly stronger. It was progressing quite slowly so they plugged me into the syntocinon drip to try and get things moving.

So, to cut a long story short I was examined at 9pm and was only 7cm. The consultant was quite insistent that I go for a caesarian as labour had been fairly long but I wanted to deliver myself as I knew my son was going to go straight into the Neonatal unit and I wanted to be able to go straight down and see him. Anyway the consultant reluctantly agreed to let me go till 11pm, he came into check me at 10pm and all of a sudden it was all systems go!

So, listen to your body. Sometimes you know best! Also make sure you eat lots before you go into established labour as you can't have anything to eat while in labour in case you need a section. Nobody told me and I was starving!

It really wasn't bad, I've heard the contractions are meant to be stronger when induced but I've nothing to compare it to. I had gas and air then a shot of diamorphine which was fab, if your hospital does it I can highly recommend it for pain relief.

Wow, this has turned into an essay! Hope it helps

Princess_Coupon

I was induced at 42 +1 had a pessary put in on the evening and another one a few hours later moderate contractions started between them, strong enough to ensure I got no sleep but not enough to need pain relief.
Next morning despite being 3cm and IMHO coming also nicely, they insisted to put the drip in apparently "once it's booked you get it regardless" said the midwife. After the drip went in I had 60 agonising minutes of being strapped to the bed as "when the drips in you are not allowed to get up for monitoring purposes" I asked for pain relief but was told "too late 10cm NOW PUSH".40 mins of pushing and DD was born, so 1hr 40 of real labour.
It was pretty awful and agonising but as it was so fast maybe a blessing, who knows how it would have gone if it had been natural?
My advise is unless there is a genuine risk to you/baby insist on being mobile (till time to push) it is definately more painful lying down. And good luck

johnswife

Mine was a bit different as my waters broke with DD3, 2 weeks early, woke up thought I had wet myself. Didn't go to the hospital until late afternoon and I was induced the early the next morning.
There was 4 of us in this room who were induced, and I kid you not, as she walked away from my bed I immediately got severe contractions.
I thought something was really wrong but she got me into a bath to ease the contractions and about 2 hours later DD was born. It was more painful than my other 2 deliveries but my mum said it usually is if the waters have already been broken but that might be an old wives tale.
THe other ladies were walking up and down the corridor, some with drips and i was holding my new baby.

The thing is, PerfectPeaches, everyone is different and i wish you all the best.