Induction - experiences

[brookerz]

Hi All,

I'm currently 38+3 and booked in for an induction at 40+1. Had an 'issue' two months ago where scan showed edf not present and had weekly scans since, all scans perfect and consultant told me Friday that he felt that initial edf reading was false but was better to be on the safe side and keep scanning which I agreed. Anyway, we discussed labour arrangements and I personally want to wait however he wants to induce at term, not given me a real reason either just that because baby is on the 8th centile on grow chart he would like her to be born on term and me not go over.

Now with my first, I was 41 weeks and had a natural labour, which was very very quick, and this was 12 years ago. I have no idea what to expect, have tried to speak to my midwife but due to.having weekly scans at the hospital I haven't seen her much, and now when I need her - she's on holiday again.

Would you all kindly share with me your experiences of induced childbirth, what procedures, length of time, do they let you home in between or are you in hospital from the moment they start the induction procedure?

Thanks x

[williwonti]

I was induced with dc1 and it went well. Got hosp 11am, given tablet at 2 , went into labour within couple hours and was in delivery room by 6pm, ds1 born 5am, just gas and air. Pain hit me like a brick wall, no build up but not scary, just quickly. Stayed upright a lot as really didn't want any assistance (forceps etc) but ended up on bed. Tens machine was priceless for early stages, as was anything cold but delivered him ok (big head and 10lb) and went home same day. Good luck.

[CommanderShepard]

I was induced as there had been concerns about pre-eclampsia from about 32 weeks but at 40 weeks all the symptoms arrived so decision was taken to get moving.

I am going to be completely honest here - please know that what happened to me isn't necessarily going to happen to you!

Admitted at 5pm on the 9th
Everyone in Oxford was apparently giving birth so I was stuck on the ward and got no sleep at all (I swore very colourfully at the consultant and threatened to leave via the window - I wasn't allowed home because of my blood pressure readings)
Finally taken to delivery room midnight on the 11th; gel administered
Water broken at 6am (never never never never am I having this done again. Ever.)
Laboured til 11pm. Synto drip started at minimum level and increased every hour, so I did get a build-up rather than full-on labour
Baby not moving despite my pushing. Decels + maternal blood pressure = let's try forceps in theatre with a spinal block
Go to theatre - baby is not turning head correctly. Try forceps. Baby turns head, surgeon lets go, baby turns head back.
Try ventouse. Same thing.
Try - and I don't remember this but DH assures me it happened - the James Herriot approach and stick entire hand up fanjo. Stubborn baby is stubborn.
EMCS, stubborn DD arrives, perfectly healthy with 10 on the APGAR each time.

EMCS was, short of being dead/having a dead baby, the last thing I wanted but honestly, it was fine. I was on the obs ward by about 3am and on my feet by 9am. No problems with my stitches or any part of the recovery. Yes, the induction probably did lead to the EMCS but pre-eclampsia isn't anything to fuck about with and we have a very sad family history with it on my side so no-one wanted to take any chances. The only thing I'd refuse if I had to do it again would be the breaking my waters - it was the most painful thing I have ever experienced and it did nothing. Never ever again is someone sticking a crochet hook in places it is not designed for!

[Pants82]

I was induced at 42 weeks and on the whole it was a positive experience.

Had the pessary inserted at 3pm on Saturday and started getting strong contractions quite quickly. My waters broke overnight I had to stay in, hubby sent home at 10pm. Some hospitals let you go home after the pessary and come back when you are in full labour. Hubby came back at 8am and I was ready to go to delivery room. Labour progressed steadily until about 6pm when I was falling asleep (knackered) and contractions slowed down so they put me on the syntocinon drip. I was worried as I had read that this drip made contractions unbearable but it didn't really and I only needed gas and air. Fully dilated by 8pm Baby born at 9.33pm.

The worst bit was having to stay in overnight on my own the night before the birth as contractions felt really strong to me and I was scared (1st baby) but the actual labour and delivery were really fine.

[Twinklestarstwinklestars]

I've been induced all3 times and it was fine each time, all 3 fast 3 hours, 20 mins, 25 mins I can't imagine going into labour at home with no gas and air! I've had the pessary and drip and didn't find either to be worse than the other. Good luck!

[PinkApple86]

I went for induction at 40+12. Got there at 8:30 and was put on the monitor. Baby was a bit quiet and heart rate dropped a few times so drs kept coming in and looking at it. They examined me and was probably about to go into labour anyway and they were worried about meconium so the decided to skip the pessary and break my waters. Took to labour ward then waters broke at 11:00. Started to get cramps like constant period pains. Had a bath. Started to be in labour about 15:00 once they connected me to the drip and had gas and air, shortly after pethedine. Started pushing about 18:00 and baby born 18:42. All went very fast!

[tiggerpigger]

Hello

We are going through the process as we speak. I've got another thread about it, but thought I'd respond to your question too.

Induction is due to high blood pressure (currently 38 weeks 4 days).

Mon 8am - arrived
Mon 10.30am - pessary put in
Mon 2pm - hyperstimulation started really suddenly - basically one long contraction that can distress baby if allowed to continue
Mon 2.40pm - pessary removed and codine, paracetamol and injection of diamorphine given
Mon 11.30pm - internal examination - cervix still totally closed so breaking of waters impossible. Didn't put second pessary in as slight contractions started.
Tues 7am - contractions had stopped completely overnight
Tues 5pm - finally saw a doctor - 2nd pessary put in
Weds 1pm - internal examination showed cervix 2cm dilated, despite no contractions
Weds 5pm - 2nd pessary removed (only designed to be in for 24 hours)

We are now waiting to see what happens next. Still no contractions so the gel is likely...

Will update this list as it goes!

We know people that had an induction recently that was all over in 24 hours, so you really can't tell what will happen.

Hope that helps.

[BooItTooJulia]

I had IOL too. I wasn't allowed home at any point.

I spent two days on The induction ward trying the pessaries and sweeps before I was moved through to a delivery room where my waters were broken. About an hour later I was put on the drip. The drip was increased every half an hour until I was on the maximum dose. Once on the max dose it happens quite quickly.

I had no intervention, and managed on just gas and air. It was painful and brutally quick, but fine.

I too was dreading it. I'd had a home birth 7 years previously, so the thought of a really medical labour terrified me, but in all honesty it was fine.

Good luck OP!

[tiggerpigger]

Boo, did you consider having an epidural? That's something we have to decide on before we get on the drip...

Did you at any point wish you did have an epi, or were you happy on gas and air the whole way through?

[Twinklestarstwinklestars]

I had the drip and was tempted by an epidural but was fine on the gas and air and so glad I didn't have the epidural as they said it would have slowed it down, I was only in labour 25 mins though!

[tiggerpigger]

Thanks that's useful to hear. I think we will probably start off without the epi, but will ask them to let us know when the last opportunity is so we can make a final decision. She would really like to not be lying on her back which I think you might have to do if you have the epi.

To the OP - to answer your question, I agree with Boo - you will probably not be allowed home once the pessary is put in. I'm SO glad we were in hospital when the hyperstimulation happened - no way could we have dealt with that at home! It came on really suddenly and was very painful! Don't worry about it though, it was very quick and easy for them to resolve.

[BooItTooJulia]

No. I didn't consider an epidural. Although lots of people recommend it and recommend having it done at the same time the drip is administered.

It just wasn't for me, no other reason. I have to say, I felt very in control of the labour too. I had a dedicated midwife as soon as we were moved round to delivery, who literally didn't leav except for a lunch break when another midwife sat with me. She discussed at length with me my preferences, like who will cut the cord, whether we wanted delayed clamping, the injection for delivering placenta, etcetera etc.

It was quite boring too! The two days on the ward we were very much left to our own devices, encouraged to walk etc. then on delivery day, I was taken round at 8 am, and it didn't start getting painful till 2 ish. Baby born at 4.15.

Happy to answer anything else, buy not an expert!

[BooItTooJulia]

Oh, and I was happy on gas and air. Ish. He was a back to back baby and as a result I wanted to push much earlier than at full dilation. The last coup,e if cm took the longest and at that point I'd have had anything gong, but at 8/9 cm it was too late. And I was really ok, just desperate I think! Iykwim?

[BooItTooJulia]

Gah! So many typos. Trying to put ds to bed and typing doesn't work so well!

I saw your other thread tigger, how is it going? You caught hold of a doctor yet?

[youaremychocolatecake]

I didn't have a great experience of induction personally and wouldn't be doing it again, I'm going straight for an elcs if I don't go into labour next week naturally. However like the others have said. Your experience may be totally different and it heard plenty of stories where it's worked perfectly.

I was induced at almost 42 weeks because my waters had broken so I had to be admitted due to having polyhydramnios (too much water) they left me 24 hours to see if contractions started naturally and they didn't so I was given a couple of doses of gel to my cervix and bounced on a ball for most of the day and went for lots of walks however nothing started to happen. At around 6pm (36 hours after admission) I was started on the drip and it was recommended to me that I also took an epidural at the same time as the drip starts contractions hard and fast and your body doesn't get time to adjust. I refused at first and managed ok for 2 hours but when the next midwife came on duty she was like look. Take my word for it. Have the epidural, get some sleep and make this easier on yourself. So the drip was slowed down. I was given a mobile epi (amazing) and managed to sleep on and off through the night. By about 6 the next morning (12 hours after drip was started) i had only dilated to 3cm which is quite unusual I think? So by the time the doctors did their rounds at 8, the baby was in distress and his heart rate was taking a long time to recover after each contraction. It was decided immediately that I would be taken to theatre for an emergency c section and then it all happened very quickly and he was born safe and sound just before 9. At that point I was just anxious and tired and wanted him out safely. So much for my water birth and the iPod playlist I had lovingly created ;)

Good luck with the birth :) x

[tiggerpigger]

Boo - it's going ok now, thanks for asking!

I will carry on from my post above:

Weds 6.30pm - put on monitor, showing small contractions
Weds 7.00pm - waters broke
Weds 7.30pm - internal exam - show came out - cervix still quite far back, but 2-3 cm dilated. Too many contractions to try gel - will wait and see if labour starts naturally in next 24 hrs. If not prob drip and antibiotics as waters have broken.

[tiggerpigger]

Thurs 12am - 3cm dilated, contractions continuing but not increasing...

[tiggerpigger]

Thurs 11am -

[tiggerpigger]

Thurs 11am -

[tiggerpigger]

Thurs 2.25pm - fuck all. Still waiting for delivery room to become free to be put on drip. No contractions.

[BooItTooJulia]

Yep, it is boring and dawn out. Have you eaten? Can your dw get a shower? It all helps pass the time!

[tiggerpigger]

Yep, been to see the colonel once, and ronald once. Still deciding what to have for lunch...

Yeah my wife has been able to shower, wash and straighten her hair! It's not too bad to be honest, just frustrating to see everyone around us go down to the delivery suite, and see people come in for a few hours then get sent straight down, while we sit here day after day after day...

[tiggerpigger]

Thurs 4.15pm - still waiting. Promised monitor at 3pm which didn't turn up. Now over 21 hrs since waters broke and nothing has happened since then.

[PinkApple86]

Hope u meet your baby soon. This induction sounds awful. lo must be comfy in there. Wishing your all the best and when labour finally kicks in I hope it's quick and painless.

[tiggerpigger]

Thanks a lot!

Suddenly got a lot better:

7.30pm - asked to come downstairs to the delivery room to start the drip!

[PinkApple86]

Good stuff I had the drip it works pretty quickly