So, at 40 +9, I have had one sweep and have another booked for tomorrow morning. If they're unsuccessful, I have an induction booked for Sunday morning. I've read the leaflets I was given and I still have a lot of question which the leaflets just didn't answer. Can anyone help?

I had planned an active birth in the midwife led unit nearby, medication only if I felt I needed it, but with as little interference as possible. An induction means I have to go to the main hospital in Colchester which means less 1:1 assistance, more background noise from screaming women down the corridor, less privacy and I have no idea what it's like there (where things are, who the staff are etc) 'cos they don't offer tours (and since I've been wearing blinkers I probably wouldn't have gone anyway 'cos I never expected to be in this position)

So...

1) Does an induction (whether by pitocin or by arm) mean absolutely no chance of a water birth?
2) If so, why?
3) Will I be tied (metaphorically speaking) to the bed if I'm induced? I really wanted an active birth
4) Is an induction REALLY that much more painful?
5) If you were induced, did you end up delivering vaginally or with an emergency c-section?
6) How soon after the birth were you allowed to leave? I want to be transferred to the midwife unit as soon as possible.
7) These staff have never seen me before, did anyone struggle to get staff to adhere to their birth plan? (I don't want the injection to speed the placenta delivery and we don't want baby to be given Vitamin K)

I've just had about half an hour of sobbing over this. I REALLY don't want to go to the main hospital. It's just so impersonal. Damn body not doing what it should.

I'll be keeping an eye on this - I think I might end up in the same position so I better start forgetting about the waterbirth

Bearing in mind I don't live in the UK, I'll give you my experience.


1) Does an induction (whether by pitocin or by arm) mean absolutely no chance of a water birth?
2) If so, why?

For me, yes, because I needed to be monitored closely. I had straps around my belly with a heart monitor/contraction monitor to check that LO wasn't in distress. I think that's common with inductions.

3) Will I be tied (metaphorically speaking) to the bed if I'm induced? I really wanted an active birth.

I wasn't, when I told them I wanted to be able to move about, I was hooked up to a mobile heart monitor that had a shoulder strap. I was able to walk about and sit on a ball etc.

4) Is an induction REALLY that much more painful?

I have no other experience to compare it to, but for me, contractions started immediately (I had gel and a catheter) and it was pretty darn painful, but then I expected pain My contractions were very close together from the outset, but it wasn't unbearable. I managed 4/5 hours before any pain relief. Before that I was just using the ball, breathing techniques and heated pads.
I opted for an epidural because LO's head was presented awkwardly and I noticed a massive increase in pain because my body was trying to right him. I was tired out by that point and pretty much at the end of my tether.
Unfortunately they don't do gas and air here so it was epi or nothing.

5) If you were induced, did you end up delivering vaginally or with an emergency c-section?

Vaginal birth, about 10 hours after the gel was inserted.

6) How soon after the birth were you allowed to leave? I want to be transferred to the midwife unit as soon as possible.

I went home the next day. Here though, they like you to stay in for 5 days but meh, I wanted to go home.

7) These staff have never seen me before, did anyone struggle to get staff to adhere to their birth plan? (I don't want the injection to speed the placenta delivery and we don't want baby to be given Vitamin K)

Not at all, they were lovely, very caring and understanding, always asking me if this or that was okay to me.
I had my tummy massaged to pass placenta and they don't give vit K injection here.


Hope that helps, feel free to ask anything else that comes to mind!

Thank you Kittifer, that helps a bit. I still hate the idea of the main hospital though! An overnight stay in that place (or any stay) will be like trying to sleep/give birth on the M25 motorway in my opinion. Ugh, I hate noise.

I really, really don't want to have to be induced for same reasons as you - want to be as active as I want to be and really fancy trying a waterbirth. I am worrying a bit prematurely yet though as am only 38 weeks 3 days yet. Midwife is due to be giving me a leaflet about induction next Friday when I see her, so that will probably be what you've been given x

1) Does an induction (whether by pitocin or by arm) mean absolutely no chance of a water birth?

with dd i couldnt have had a water birth as my contractions wouldnt happen by themselves so ended up with the drip meaning constant moitoring, but i have been told by my mw (and its in my notes) that if things start to progress naturally then i can have a water birth if pool is free.

3) Will I be tied (metaphorically speaking) to the bed if I'm induced? I really wanted an active birth

i wasnt as such tied to the bed they kept suggesting i sit on the ball, but i only wanted to lay on the bed but as to how far you can go with an active birth, again i assume this is only if you need the drip or constant monitoring.

4) Is an induction REALLY that much more painful?

as someone else said i have no other experience to compare to, but i have always said to people i managed an induced labour on the drip and back to back baby, if i can do that i can do any labour and even the next day i was asked if i had been put off and i still said no. i was told its the drip that makes it more painful as they intensify your contractions.

5) If you were induced, did you end up delivering vaginally or with an emergency c-section?

vaginally

6) How soon after the birth were you allowed to leave? I want to be transferred to the midwife unit as soon as possible.

i lost alot of blood which meant i had to stay longer then i should have, she was born late saturday night, but was having a transfusion so stayed in the delivery room til 2pm sunday went home monday about 3pm. so not to long.

7) These staff have never seen me before, did anyone struggle to get staff to adhere to their birth plan? (I don't want the injection to speed the placenta delivery and we don't want baby to be given Vitamin K)

i cant really comment on this as i never had a birth plan but even without a birth plan i was still asked about the injection for me and baby, so i would like to think they will try and follow your birth plan.

i hope that helps

1&2 Where I gave birth, induction meant no to water birth. And thats because you have to stay monotiored and make sure baby is handling the process fine.
#3 they told me I could walk around the room, bounce on a birthing ball if I would like.
#4 I havent experienced natural induced labor only induction and to be honest was the most pain I ever experienced. Back to back contractions. Pitocin wasnt bad, it was when they broke my waters. I didnt even want to move during those contractions so I got the epidural (amazing!)
#5 I delivered vaginally after 18 hours in labor and 20 minutes pushing with just a small 1st degree tear. He never showed any stress and took to it great.
#6 Not sure if you mean leave delivery or hospital.
I was up and walking around 30 minutes after birth and going to the bathroom. About an hour later we walked to recovery (time flys during this period) I didnt leave the hospital for 3 days because my LO had jaundice.
#7 Never had to have anything for placenta. My doctor just pulled it out right after my son was born.

I was too scared, but all in all my labor was AMAZING and the best day of my life. Induced or not, there is always a chance things won't go the way intended so just try to enjoy it

Im scared of ending up with induction as well. Had my first sweep, induction is booked for 17th April. Ive had my mind set on a water birth since the beginning, giving birth lying on a bed looks horrific to me and makes me feel sick just thinking about it. I asked my MW at my sweep about this and she said I wouldn't be allowed a water birth if induced because they have to monitor you Really hoping I go into labour naturally

hiya, i have had 2 inductions.....

1) Does an induction (whether by pitocin or by arm) mean absolutely no chance of a water birth? - i wasnt allowed with DS1 as they put me straight on the drip as was already 2cm, i had a tablet put in my foo with DS2 and was told to be as active as possible to bring contractions on but it didnt and as i was 1cm they put me on the drip so was straped to the bed so they can monitor baby to make sure baby isnt in any danger.2) If so, why? - to monitor baby, DS1 heartrate kept going up so they had to lower the dosage of the drip.
3) Will I be tied (metaphorically speaking) to the bed if I'm induced? I really wanted an active birth - if you are given the drip then yes....i wasnt when they tried the tablet and was allowed to walk around the hospital grounds
4) Is an induction REALLY that much more painful? cant really comment as only had inductions, but my epidural on DS2 didnt work so just had gas and air and i coped fine and i am a total wuss! lol 5) If you were induced, did you end up delivering vaginally or with an emergency c-section? both vaginally but with DS1 his heartrate towards the end was rreally high and if i wasnt fully dilated then i was going for ECS but thank god i was, unfortuantly they had to use forcepts thou. DS2 was a brilliant labour and was out within 7 hours start to finish.
6) How soon after the birth were you allowed to leave? I want to be transferred to the midwife unit as soon as possible. - DS1 i lost alot of blood and DS1 pooped inside me so he had to go special baby care everyday for 4 days for anti b's so couldnt be discharged, i couldnt be discharged either as i had to have 2 blood transfustions - DS2 i had him 3.56AM and would have been out that afternoon if they induced me within 24 hours of my waters breaking but they left it 36hours so had to stay overnight so DS2 could be monitored for 24hours, but was let home 10am the next morning
7) These staff have never seen me before, did anyone struggle to get staff to adhere to their birth plan? (I don't want the injection to speed the placenta delivery and we don't want baby to be given Vitamin K)
the mw's listen to me and asked what i wanted and i hadnt met them before x

i really wouldnt worry hun, people make out inductions are worse than they are. x good luck from a fellow Essex girlie :0)

I wasn't induced with DD but, I was given a drip to speed my contractions up as, she had poo'd inside me so, that is a sign that your baby is in distress. I went in labour natuarlly about 30-45mins after my waters started trickling. The most important thing to keep in mind is the health and safety of not only you but your baby. With my DD I had no strict/rigid birth plan I just went with the flow, I had the injection to speed up delivery of the placenta and also choose to have DD given the Vit K injection as it saved me and my hubby remembering to give it to her later. I will be going with the flow this time round as well as, my personal feelings are if you have such a strict/rigid birth plan that you really, really want to stick too and things don't go the way you planned or envisoned they would you could be setting yourself up for alot of stress and upset at a time when you can really do without it. As with regards to noise in a hospital yes its noisy but, I found when I got home it was just as noisy as DD could wake the dead with her screaming/crying early hours when she was a newborn so, need to get used to it I'm afraid as noise and sleepless nights go hand in hand and what a shock to the system it is the 1st time round! Hoping it isn't as bad 2nd time round but time will tell soon enough for me. I would just try and look at the final outcome your baby will be born and you both will be safe and healthy and what happens getting there is just part of the journey. Wishing you luck and a not too long a labour.