Tips for coping with induction

[RockabillyKitty]

Anything really - what to do during the waiting? How to make the hospital stay more comfy? Allow family/friends during visiting hours?

I'm booked for Friday when I'll be 40+12 and I'd love to hear from anyone who has been through it - good or bad.

[inadreamworld]

Hi I was induced at 40 +8 as waters began leaking and I didn't go into labour naturally. It was fine, 12 hour labour which is not too bad for a first baby, normal vaginal delivery, did have a post partum bleed of more than a litre but recovered quickly with iron tablets. The only thing I would advise is to have an epidural if they put you on the drip as it is very painful. I felt brilliant and v relieved after the epidural!!

I am now expecting baby 2 - due in two days time but won't be worried if I have to be induced again. Good luck!!

[piprabbit]

I started induction on the Wednesday night and DD wasn't born until Sunday evening. I spent a lot of time wandering around (walking is meant to be good for getting things going), chatting to anyone who couldn't get away, reading and watching TV. I loved it. It was a very calm and positive, sort of focussed experience. I think I was slightly detached from my usual self.

However, I also needed an epidural once they put me on the drip on Sunday lunchtime. It was quick and painful.

Good luck.

[NAR4]

I was induced with all four of mine and they were 20hrs, 2 hrs, 9.5hrs and 38.5hrs. The pain intensity of each birth also varied a lot as did the length of time it took to start labour off.

I didn't have visitors other than Dh and children. Read a lot of magazines, but ultimately there is no getting away from the fact that it is boring waiting for your labour to start.

In my experience induced labour doesn't always mean extremely painful, but can do and also doesn't seem to make a difference to it taking a long time or being rather quick. My longest labour was by far my most painful and the 9.5 hrs labour the best, painwise.

Just take it as it comes and take whatever painrelief you feel you need at the time.

Good luck and remember not long now until you have that baby.

[Vix0809]

I was induced just over 7 weeks ago with my first baby and it was fine. I was 40+12 when I was booked in but due to the hospital being full I wasn't actually started until 14 days after. The worst bit was having to go in everyday from day 12 for them to check the baby was fine and then being sent home again. Eventually started with the pessary on day 14 at 2pm. Went for a long walk as recommended and then settled down for the night. Woke up at 5am with period like pains. Found the midwife who gave me 2 paracetamol. Bounced around on the ball until 6 when pain got worse. Found midwife again and asked to call husband in mid contraction in the hallway. Waters broke at 6.30 with meconium. Phoned husband at 7. He arrived at 7.45 as I was being wheeled to delivery suite. Baby born 8.38 in a couple of pushes and some gas and air. Labour timed as 1 hr 58 mins. Had to be cut to get him out but all seems to be fine. Would not worry if had to be induced again.

[bitbot]

I was induced at 40 +12 at 11am on the tue, contractions were 7mins apart by. 2pm and 4cm dilated by 11pm tue...baby born 2.06am the Thursday by emcs....erasing all that happened on the Wednesday out of my head I went armed with lots of magazines thinking there would be lots of hanging around...but my contractions started pretty much straight after the pessary was put in. Good luck

[PaleHousewifeOfCumbriaCounty]

Ive had two inductions,one at 38wks and one at 40+11, no epidural with either. First one four hours but took a good 24 hrs to start. Second one was started at 10am, nothing really happened. Waters popped on their own at half five, delivered at five to seven with a bit of gas and air.

[littlemissnormal]

My first 2 DCs were induced at 40+14. The induction part of it was fine but they both took 3/4 days of constant examinations and pessaries until they could break my waters to start labour.
So my only advice is to take books, magazines, snacks etc to keep you entertained just in case it doesn't kick things off immediately!

Patience is essential too as I found myself frequently being pushed back an hour or two to see a midwife/consultant as higher priority cases came in.

The first birth was 9 hours, second 1.5 so I don't think induction bears any kind of lengthening of labour itself.

Hope it all goes well for you!

[SurroundedByBlue]

I was induced with my first (and second) baby. First one was lots of waiting around whilst the pessaries kicked in but when it started it was very quick and easy - only 2 hours, start to finish and not very painful really. I had gas and air and was able to come home 6 hours after he was born. With the second, they broke my waters and again had a 2 hour labour, pretty similar to the first.

Induction doesn't always have to be awful although you have probably read loads of horror stories. I was hopeful for an induction with my third but went into labour naturally (I was scared of just going into labour without the routine of bring induced) and it only took 20 minutes.

I would take a b

[SurroundedByBlue]

Posted to soon:

I would take a book, some snacks and a drink plus my phone charger. Waiting around is boring.

Best advice I can give is try not to panic. I did with ds1 and it was the only point that things got a bit scary, they were fine again when I got a grip of myself

G

[PaleHousewifeOfCumbriaCounty]

Just bear in mind people like to tell a hideous birth story, the easy shelling peas ones dont get as much airyime ;)

[PaleHousewifeOfCumbriaCounty]

Airytime?!

[inadreamworld]

I agree PaleHousewifeMany woman like to over dramatise their birth story, either making out they had a hideous experience or that they had the most wonderful, natural birth ever. The reality for most women is somewhere inbetween.

[redexpat]

Well had a midwife stick a pill in my vagina at 6pm.
Admitted at 7pm. Reassured it would probably take days.
Got mild period type pains at 9pm whilst watching Trinny and Susannah.
Was given 2 paracetamol at about 11pm.
Water broke at 2am after several trips to the loo.
Midwife took ann AGE to get up to the ward to examine me. Requested pain relief, denied because it was too late and the baby was ready to 'fall out' of me.
Was in the delivery room at 3am.
DS born 0504.

Take your PHONE CHARGER.
Travel games. We played some backgammon.
Get some good podcasts on your mp3 player. I recommend Friday Night Comedy from BBC radio 4. Also iPM. Take charger for mp3 player.

[pickledparsnip]

I was induced at 37 weeks as my waters started trickling. Pessary was put in in the evening, was put on drip at midday the next day, son was born 8pm that eve.

Was all rushed. Was told we would wait to see if the pessary would do anything, but woke up the next day being told I was to go upto the labour ward to be put on the drip. In hindsight I wish I had waited and given my body a chance, but it was my first time and I was scared.

It was very painful, but as I don't have another birth to compare it to, I have no idea if it was more painful due to being induced. Was nothing like I wanted as was on my back & told I couldn't move as was constantly monitored. I am aware that not every induction is like that. I have friends who were induced and all was fine. I wish I had done more research into what would happen.

[10000Fireflies]

I was induced in the middle of a heatwave, so as soon as I was given the ok to go out for a walk, DH and I had a stroll round the park and then went home and sat out the 12 hours until the next monitoring session at home. Sitting on the balcony eating ice lollies was infinitely preferable to being in a pre-labour ward surrounded by women screaming their heads off in pain.

I had been so completely wound up by incompetent monitoring from 39+6 on a daily basis, where MWs thought baby was in an unstable lie, I was developing pre-eclampsia etc etc. So much fuss, and none of it right, that I wasn't in a calm state of mind for birth.

Labour came on fast and intense. Hosp botched epidurals and spinals. V unpleasant. Ended with CS due to failure to progress. CS and recovery actually ok. Wish I'd had an elective. Would have been far preferable to what I'd experienced.

[Smorgs]

I was induced at 40+7 (based on French way of working - 40+21 from LMP) and went straight onto the oxytocin drip as I hadn't even started to dilate. Contractions started but I still wouldn't dilate so they broke my waters (not at all painful as I had been warned it would be). Still no dilation despite them upping the amount on the drip more than a few times. By this time the contractions were very strong and regular and I was struggling to stay in control of my breathing. So the ob/gyn recommended I have the epidural to see if it would speed things along (I gratefully accepted) In an hour I was 6cm and another hour 9cm! After that I had a blissful experience chilling out in the birthing room, telling my DH how much I loved him and waiting for the last cm before I could push. I had loads of energy for pushing and out he popped after 25 minutes of pushing.

The only thing I used while in there was my iPhone with some nice relaxing music on it. I couldn't concentrate on anything else as I was too excited about the arrival of my little one! I wouldn't allow family/friends to visit, but that's just me really. I wanted it to be DH and I only. Plenty of time for others to visit after the birth. I also found sitting on a Swiss ball helped during contractions before the epidural.

Good luck, you will be fine x

[pourmeanotherglass]

redexpat - your story sounds really similar to mine.

They gave the thing around 6:30pm, DH stayed and played cards with me until 11:00 or so, then went home, as we had been reassured that it was unlikely anything would happen overnight. When he went, I told the midwife I had really strong period type pains, but she said it was just 'after pains' from the pessary, and I should try to get some sleep. I was awake most of the night, (stuggling with diarrhoea) then when I called the midwife back because I needed some pain relief she said I was 8cm dilated, and had to rush. DH only just got back in time. All quite quick, but I tore a bit.

I guess my main tip is not to send your DH to get hospital food for you (I'm sure the lentil and chick pea curry was connected with the diarrhoea), and if you're getting regular strong pains, don't let them persuade you you're not in labour.

[Snowgirl1]

I was induced at 40+5 as waters had broken but labour hadn't started naturally. I was induced by drip and they started the induction when a delivery room became available, which was midnight so while waiting for things to happen I slept, so that filled the time for me!

[whymummywhy]

I was induced at 40+10 as I was going insane waiting for labour to start and begged them to induce me! I had a pessary at about 12 then mild cramping all afternoon during which time I had lovely chats with the other ladies on the antenatal ward and listened to music etc. It got suddenly worse at about 8pm but they sent dh home saying nothing was happening. I knew for a fact (this was my second baby) that I was in active labour and insisted they examine me at about 9:30pm...I was rapidly dilating and they called dh straight back. I was supposed to have an early epidural following issues when ds was born but it all happened too quickly although they did try to get the epidural in but I couldn't cooperate fully so just used gas and air. Dd was born just after midnight in the sac - I tore a bit and fractured my coccyx but it was very quick and actually preferable, for me, to sitting at home and waiting for another few days. The camaraderie with the other ladies was lovely and we saw each others babies afterwards - they even gave me a cheer as I was wheeled to the delivery suite because I was the first to go! As other people have said, trust your instincts and don't be shy in telling the staff. (I had a student midwife apologise to me the following day for not giving me an early epidural despite the instructions of the consultant anaesthetist on my notes and I did point out to her that it is always a good idea to listen to the mother to be...)

[brainonastick]

My main tip is to make sure that you are happy with the date of your induction. Don't feel pressured into it. if you are not ready, then postpone a day or two (or more, with expectant management).

From my own experiences and talking to others - regardless of how the labour started or progressed - one of the very most important factors in feeling positive about it afterwards was whether you felt you maintained some sort of control over the process.

I'm not talking about a birth ending a different way to your ideal plan, because 99% of the time things will not go as expected in some way. By maintaining control I mean feeling that you were as informed as you wished to be, and made appropriate decisions for yourself given the circumstances. So if you are ready and mentally prepared for induction, then brilliant. But if not, then don't hesitate to postpone. Don't be pressured.

[MollyNollyNoo]

Was induced with DC's 1 and 3. Lots of waiting for things to get going. Definitely take the phone charger and magazines to read etc (and for your DH/DP if he is waiting with you). Snacks to keep you energy up are a good idea.

With DC1 I panicked a bit and didn't get to grips with the gas and air, in hindsight I wish that I have been a bit more pursuant with it, it would have made waiting for the epidural a bit easier (or perhaps I wouldn't have needed one at all, who knows).

With DC3 I had pethidine which gave me a bit of rest from the pain so that I was ready for the delivery...and gas and air most of the way through.

[mejon]

I had one at 40+12 with DD2. I had a pessary at 9.00am and that started mild pains which were quite manageable. I was monitored for around 30 minutes afterwards. I was then able to leave the ward and go for a walk around the hospital but not leave the site. I had the 2nd pessary at 3pm and that really got things going and within 30 minutes or so I was having pretty intense contractions. I asked for pain relief and was offered a bath and a couple of paracetamols. The bath was useless and in fact made me worse and I was in too much pain to catch a breath to take the paracetamols. Gas and air was pretty useless for me too as it was with DD1 (I only seem to get any relief with it after I've delivered and am being stiched-up!) DD2 arrived at 7.30 after pushing for 5 minutes.

I had been quite worried about the induction as I'd read all sorts of horror stories on MN beforehand but luckily all was fine and I only needed a gentle kick-start.

Best of luck for Friday - chances are you'll have had the baby already .

[HearMyRoar]

I was induced unexpectedly, I went in for a second opinion on my blood-pressure and was told I wasn't going home. DD was having none of it and it took days and days to get me going. The best thing i did was, after a couple of disturbed nights on an anti-natal ward with 3 other people, going and asking if they had a spare private room I could use for a night. This gave me a bit of peace and privacy and the next morning I was finally dilated enough for them to break my waters.

So my bit of advice is if things do take a while or you feel you need some space don't hesitate to speak to a midwife about it, mine were really lovely and I only wish I'd asked earlier! :)

[Glup]

Hmmm. I'm another one who found that their induction kept getting bumped out of the way because of more urgent cases. I went in on the Thursday and didn't actually get induced until Sunday evening.

I had loads of books and magazines etc. but was utterly bored and, as I thought I was going to be taken in any minute, didn't really feel like I could start anything.

When I was actually induced it took 6 hours, but was fine, really.