# Induction - does it mean a more painful labour?



## Jayneypops

Hi ladies,

At 38 weeks Im hoping that I will go into labour naturally and wont need to be induced - however I know babies are unpredictable so am preparing myself for the idea of induction.

One thing Ive heard from a few people who have been induced is that labour tends to be more painful/intense as strong contractions start more or less straight away rather than having a gradual build up?

There seems to be a bit of a fear of induction amongst women.

To anyone who has been induced, and experienced a 'natural' labour, how do they compare?

xxx


----------



## ZoeZo

I've heard the same as you, the drug induced ones are stronger than natural ones, but I've no experience!

Any reason why you think you'll have to be induced? If I go 'over due' I'm going to try my best to not accept induction and let it happen in it's own time (unless medical emergency) x


----------



## RachA

I had both.

With my 1st i was induced about 4 hours of major contractions that weren't going anywhere. I was on gas and air so i didn't feel anything but according to the monitor they were very intense and the next contraction was coming before the previous one had finished.

With my 2nd the initial contractions were a lot more painful than with my 1st but they didn't get much worse. I did most of the labour on gas and air again but did manage about 1 1/2 just prior to pushing without any pair relief at all. There was no way during my 1st labour that i'd of been able to do that.

So i would definitely say that they were worse when i was induced.


----------



## rockabillymom

I was induced with my daughter. It really wasnt painful for me I only had 2 hours of actual labor. I mean its a long process depending on how they do it. FOr me they put the gels in first and then after I did 6 hours of walking around on and off they put the pitocin right before I went to bed. They broke my water the next morning and I had my daughter 2 hours after that. There really wasnt any complications or more than the usual pain youd expierience. Just more time in the hospital.


----------



## Dorian

I was induced twice. Once with Picotin, and my labor/contractions didn't feel any worse/intense than my one natural birth.

But my second induction, I had the gel put on the cervix, and YES contractions were much more painful for me. But labor lasted just about the same amount of time (must be me, cause all three of my labors were between 7-9hrs).


----------



## NaturalMomma

Just so you are informed, it is rare for the body to not go into labor. Inductions are used way too much, and for no reason at all usually. If your Doctor says you need an induction at 41 weeks because you haven't gone into labor, that is actually normal and 41 weeks is not even late. You're not late unil 42+ weeks, and even then, some babies just take longer or your due date is off by a few weeks.

Having said that, yes a induction normally hurts more because your contractions aren't naturally getting more intensed, they are forced to be more intense and closer together than normal.


----------



## fifi-folle

I've only had an induction so can't compare but if I had to do it again I would say no to induction. My edd was changed based on u/s but I am convinced I had my dates right. I gave in at 42wks (their date), had all stages of induction, ended up with an epidural. In the end due to ds heart rate going up I had an emcs. 
With an induction your chance of interventions increases dramatically. I had planned a water birth using hypnobirthing but went through a horrible experience instead. I regret agreeing to be induced.


----------



## kimmie_kisses

I'm so thankful for this thread. My doc has asked me about inducing the last two appts and I have said no both times which he was completely fine with. I go back this coming Monday which is my due date and if I haven't gone into labor by then I will ask his opinion on inducing. I have also heard that induced labors are harder, but I have no experience yet. I do know that my mom was induced after her water had already broken and it completely stopped her labor. They finally did get it started again, but she said it was the worst experience of all 5 of her labors. Hope that helps. Good luck!


----------



## we can't wait

I was induced, and my labor was fantastic. Labor contractions are only stronger if you are given Pitocin. For my induction they didn't give me pitocin, just Cervidil. I was in labor for about four hours. It was so amazing. I honestly can't wait to to do it again.

All inductions aren't bad. :flower:


----------



## ohara123

im currently 41 plus 3, my waters went with my mucus plug this morning at 8am went through hospital to be checked around 10.30 was told to go home until contractions got more intense n closer and if not they are inducing me at 7 in the morning :( ..... im so scared.... my contractions have come to a stop all together and feeling really stressed about this induction... have tried everything! i mean everything to get baby moving .. nothing :( does any1 know length of time you naturally go into labour after your waters break and plug goes? mine was over 12hours ago now ...x


----------



## Birdie747

I really think that it depends on each person individually. My waters broke at 39+2 with DS & I didn't go into labour naturally, hence the reason I had to be induced. I was induced at 15:45 in the afternoon & by 1900 the same day, my contractions started, every 3 minutes, lasting for 2 & a half minutes. This lasted for 18 hours (no, this is not a typo), even then, I ended up having an emergency C Section. I just hope & pray to God with baby number 2, I go into labour naturally.


----------



## amore

kimmie_kisses said:


> I'm so thankful for this thread. My doc has asked me about inducing the last two appts and I have said no both times which he was completely fine with. I go back this coming Monday which is my due date and if I haven't gone into labor by then I will ask his opinion on inducing. I have also heard that induced labors are harder, but I have no experience yet. I do know that my mom was induced after her water had already broken and it completely stopped her labor. They finally did get it started again, but she said it was the worst experience of all 5 of her labors. Hope that helps. Good luck!

My mum say's the same. I was the third baby but by far the worst labour due to induction. My mum told me that it made her contractions come thick and fast and she didnt have any build up like she did with my sisters. 

I hope you go into labour naturally hun and should you need to be induced that it all goes well for you xx


----------



## blessed22

Well ladies I guess I will be the only person with a positive Induction story!! I dnt have anything to compare it too...However it wasnt that bad and my labor definately didnt stop!! I was 3 cm when I got there and i started poticin shortly after 3 hrs later I was 8 cm and 5 hrs later I had my son!! I was scared going in but it was a great experience and it wasnt that bad honestly!! I mean labor is not going to feel good no matter how it happens but I can guarantee that when you LO arrives it wont matter how s/he got here you will be happy either way!! thats just my experience and my opinion my entire labor early active and all was 10 hrs not bad for a first time momma at 39 weeks!! :)


----------



## wish2bmum

I hope it depends on how you are induced too, I've been told that when/if I end up going in for induction this coming Monday they should be able to break my waters as midwife could easily feel them whilst doing my sweep. I'm really nervous now about induction, didn't want it to come to this but baby isn't budging! I wish they would just let you go into labour naturally, prob don't becasue of the extra monitoring and cost of keeping an eye on overdue babies! glad to hear a couple of posetive stories though............anymore ?


----------



## DaretoDream

Yes getting induced is supposedly more painful- mostly because it's not your body doing it. It's a drug. It is causing you to have the contractions and they are apparently really intense. You also tend to tear more because you can't control your body as well. The pain is bad because the contractions peak and you don't really get a relief. Just to give some of you ladies a heads up- SWEEPS- yeah, that's a form of induction too- they can make your contractions pick up really bad too.


----------



## fifi-folle

wish2bmum said:


> I hope it depends on how you are induced too, I've been told that when/if I end up going in for induction this coming Monday they should be able to break my waters as midwife could easily feel them whilst doing my sweep. I'm really nervous now about induction, didn't want it to come to this but baby isn't budging! I wish they would just let you go into labour naturally, prob don't becasue of the extra monitoring and cost of keeping an eye on overdue babies! glad to hear a couple of posetive stories though............anymore ?

In the UK you can opt not to be induced and have regular monitoring instead. My friend did this. She had been induced with her first and had such a horrible experience she didn't want to go through it again. With her second she was monitored instead (mainly checking level of amniotic fluid) and went into labour naturally at 42+3 and had a water birth at home.


----------



## wishingfor3rd

With my first i had a completly natural birth no induction and it was 19 hrs long and i did it all with no meds at all
With my second my water broke at 35 weeks and after 4 hrs i wasnt contracting on my own so they gave me pitocin and the contractions came hard and fast! It was much harder than natural and i ended up getting an epidural when i was about 8cm cause i couldnt take it anymore! and his labor was only 7 hrs so i really think there is a difference (when you get pitocin anyways)
This time im expecting twins and if i dont go into labor before april 9th I am having another induction and dr said she will break my waters to get things going so im hoping it wont be as intense doing it that way?! good luck and no matter how they get here, it wont matter once your holding your new bundle!!


----------



## RachA

fifi-folle said:


> wish2bmum said:
> 
> 
> I hope it depends on how you are induced too, I've been told that when/if I end up going in for induction this coming Monday they should be able to break my waters as midwife could easily feel them whilst doing my sweep. I'm really nervous now about induction, didn't want it to come to this but baby isn't budging! I wish they would just let you go into labour naturally, prob don't becasue of the extra monitoring and cost of keeping an eye on overdue babies! glad to hear a couple of posetive stories though............anymore ?
> 
> In the UK you can opt not to be induced and have regular monitoring instead. My friend did this. She had been induced with her first and had such a horrible experience she didn't want to go through it again. With her second she was monitored instead (mainly checking level of amniotic fluid) and went into labour naturally at 42+3 and had a water birth at home.Click to expand...


is this something fairly new? When i had DD 2 1/2 years ago i was told i'd have to be induced at 41+1. If may be because i'd had a previous section before though. I wasn't happy with having to be induced though and thankfully managed to avoid it.


----------



## cassarita

I think it is true that labour can hurt more and be longer when induced. I think it might be mostly because the baby/body wasn't ready. A lot of people forget that it's normal to go anywhere between 37-42 weeks. Just because it's your due date doesn't mean your body is ready or baby is ready.


----------



## fifi-folle

RachA said:


> fifi-folle said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> wish2bmum said:
> 
> 
> I hope it depends on how you are induced too, I've been told that when/if I end up going in for induction this coming Monday they should be able to break my waters as midwife could easily feel them whilst doing my sweep. I'm really nervous now about induction, didn't want it to come to this but baby isn't budging! I wish they would just let you go into labour naturally, prob don't becasue of the extra monitoring and cost of keeping an eye on overdue babies! glad to hear a couple of posetive stories though............anymore ?
> 
> In the UK you can opt not to be induced and have regular monitoring instead. My friend did this. She had been induced with her first and had such a horrible experience she didn't want to go through it again. With her second she was monitored instead (mainly checking level of amniotic fluid) and went into labour naturally at 42+3 and had a water birth at home.Click to expand...
> 
> 
> is this something fairly new? When i had DD 2 1/2 years ago i was told i'd have to be induced at 41+1. If may be because i'd had a previous section before though. I wasn't happy with having to be induced though and thankfully managed to avoid it.Click to expand...

Her son will be 2 this summer. Her previous birth was forceps I think rather than section. Not sure if it's a Scottish thing maybe. I'm glad that where I live they don't induce you if you've previously had a section, I'd choose an elective section over induction any day (but hoping for a home water birth!)


----------



## ClaireLouise

Iv have only been induced so i cant compare it to anything but i will tell anyway :)

I had undetected HELLP at 40+4 so i was induced quickly. I was given a pessary and had my waters broken at 4pm, then they put me on a drip of the drug (cant remember what is called) and gradually pumped more and more into me. I remember them starting at 6pm and them being maybe a few minutes apart, then after a couple of hours they were maybe 45-60 seconds apart (cant remember exactly, it went so fast IMO) and this carried on until the pushing stage at 4am. Baby was getting distressed so i had assisted forceps and was given an epiosotomy (lots of stitches OUCH!!!!) and Marley was born at 6.07am the next morning. 

But i did all the above on gas & air only (well i was told i couldnt have any other pain relief so not through choice haha) and to be honest i think i felt safer starting labour whilst in hospital. I know many people may not agree with me but when i got pregnant i always had this worry that i would go to the hospital too early or too late and end up having my baby on the floor of Tescos haha. The pain i felt from having stitches was worse, 10 times over, as i really expected the contractions to be cry your eyes out painful. Thankfully, for me they weren't THAT painful. Not painful enough that i wanted to cry. 

I would have prefered a simple water birth like i had in my birth plan ;) but labour and birth isnt predictable and hopefully, being induced is only ever used when necessary.


----------



## CaptainMummy

I was induced, and put on the drip, the contractions were really painful, and I wasnt allowed pethidine, as they were worried because Paige hadnt been moving and they didnt want it to affect her even more. I decided to just go for the epidural as the G&A was crappy imo.
In the end, it ended up that Paige was just neing lazy and there was nothing to worry about... but it was painful before the epidural!


----------



## mummy1985

I was induced and didn't actually feel my contractions at all. I only had the urge to push and the midwives didn't believe me and so refused to even examine me, when my husband forced them to I was 5cm, they sent me straight down to delivery and my daughter was here within an hour.


----------



## Bats11

I was induced with my first daughter, twenty minutes after the induction she was born, but it hurt like hell, sorry dont mean to scare you.


----------



## emilyjade

in my experience no it dosnt! I had a great induction x


----------



## Jayneypops

Thanks for your replies ladies. 
I'm 40 weeks today and visiting the MW. Ideally I do still want to avoid induction but it helps to hear that there are ladies out there who've had positive experiences 

X


----------



## XJessicaX

I wasn't induced...but I wish I was. It was one of my main fears during my pregnancy and actually....I don't know why! At least when you are induced you are already in hospital with all the lovely staff keeping you calm and monitors and pain relief!

Beats hours and hours of contractions at home and not knowing when to go into hospital!


----------



## Buddysmum89

_This will be my first baby too, and i am quite anxious they'll end up inducing me as late babies runs in the family ..i was late and so was my brother!.

My mum went into labour naturally with my brother and was in labour for 18 hours, with me she was induced and she said it was painful but it was over quicker for her _


----------



## mdmomma

I was induced at 37 weeks with my daughter bc of preeclampsia & induced at 38weeks with my son bc of gestational diabetes. I assumed bc baby#3 has had no complications that I could not be induced. To be honest I was worried about going natural and not knowing when my third would get here with 2little ones and no family close I prefer induction (my sister almost had her 2nd in her living room & the cord was tight around his neck so that would've been devastating). Labor pains are awful no matter what so when I get induced this time I will again be getting an epidural. All my kids were born healthy& beautiful and getting induced provided the safe, stress-free, controlled environment I needed. I hope this helps women weary about induction.


----------



## MomtoGavin

Hell yes it is more painful! Do not let them give you the potossin (sp). My first was planned to be natural until the impatient DR kept increasing the potossin...I was full max with no epidural and wanted a c-section instead, so they gave me an epidural :(...then it wasn't bad at all. Had him the old-fashioned way but needed pain intervention.


----------



## Redclaire

I was induced there 3 weeks ago and as he's my one and only i cant compare it to going into labour naturally but i have to say not more painful cos i had the lovely epidural!!
All i'll say about getting induced is that its slooooowww! 
I went into hospital on St. Patrick's morning at 6am, had the gel inserted, walked around with mild period pains til about 6pm. Gel repeated, got to 2cm by midnight, stronger pains overnight, had pethidine and had a snooze for about an hour, walking around alot to try move things on! Gel repeated again at 6am, waters ruptured by doctor at 9am cos i was finally 3cm as per hospital protocol. Moved into delivery suite.They started the Pitocin drip at 2mg/hr with a plan to increase it every hour. That strengthens the contractions. Sat on my birthing ball (really good) dealing with contractions with gas and air til about 12 midday then asked for epidural. I think i was about 4 or 5 cm then. Felt relief and relaxed following epidural but nausea and vomitted a few times. Had a snooze. Baby had heart rate changes at 4pm they took a blood sample from his scalp and said he was ok. At 7 pm he had probs again, they did another test but said he was still ok but if any changes it was a c-section. At 9 they said deliver in the hour or c-section but i was stuck at 8cm. 10pm they maxed up the drip and turned off the epidural. I was really scared cos i thought i would never be able to push baby out cos i was just nackered. The doctor and midwife were fab tho! the midwife told me exactly what to do and the doctor said a suction with an episiotomy would have him out...i thought i had an hour or so of pushing ahead..6 pushes later out he came at 22.33pm!!Didn't feel a thing downstairs as i delivered his head and body but defo feel the contractions in my back.
Long story short...if you have to be induced, stay calm, rest, get pain relief so you can rest, listen to your midwife/doctor, pain not that bad and i've already forgotten it!! And i have my beautiful boy:happydance:


----------



## Jayneypops

well my worst fear came true.....I was induced, but actually thanks to my friend Mr Epidural, it was fine! :)

They had to increase my drip as I wasnt dialating past 1cm, the contractions became so intense with no gap between them - I was a shaking wreck! it was then that I decided gas and air wasnt enough and it was the best decision I could have made. 

Just goes to show, you cant plan these things really as baby will dictate what happens (I had meconium at 40 +2 so had to be monitored - home water birth out of the window!)


----------



## fifi-folle

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter!


----------



## couturecuts

I was induced via pitocin with my first, i didnt have any contractions and used up "all the pitocin" allowed i guess, so they broke my water and then it started. it was very painful, but i was able to labor naturally for 5 hours until i was 6cm, got my epidural, then an hour later i woke up from my nap and nurse said she was crowning and it was time. honetly if the pain i was in was worse than natural simply due to the pitocin i had in me, i would totally go for natural birth. sure it might burn when your pushing, but the contractions were manageable for quite some time. im a petite woman though, so my fear is the size of baby and tearing, etc during pushing, so ill prolly still opt for the epidural after i reach 6/7cm again because i dont want to feel any tearing or cutting or stitching up they may do. i guess i had a small rip in my urethra from the first, and then a little tearing on the inside of my vagina, so after baby was born they were doing stuff down there, i dont wanna feel that, haha.


----------



## Angharad87

mummy1985 said:


> I was induced and didn't actually feel my contractions at all. I only had the urge to push and the midwives didn't believe me and so refused to even examine me, when my husband forced them to I was 5cm, they sent me straight down to delivery and my daughter was here within an hour.

I wish they'd take that more seriously. I can't feel tightening but I'm cramping like hell. Cos my waters have gone they won't check me as the pain would be "more" than my 'really bad period pains'. I'm like wtf... So every woman is in agony?! I'm "too calm" for it to be real is the other one. :/


----------



## Jayneypops

Angharad87 said:


> mummy1985 said:
> 
> 
> I was induced and didn't actually feel my contractions at all. I only had the urge to push and the midwives didn't believe me and so refused to even examine me, when my husband forced them to I was 5cm, they sent me straight down to delivery and my daughter was here within an hour.
> 
> I wish they'd take that more seriously. I can't feel tightening but I'm cramping like hell. Cos my waters have gone they won't check me as the pain would be "more" than my 'really bad period pains'. I'm like wtf... So every woman is in agony?! I'm "too calm" for it to be real is the other one. :/Click to expand...

I hate that too. I had prolonged rupture of membranes as my waters went a couple of days before but it was a slow trickle on and off, with contractions starting a day later. After 2 hours of contractions I called the hospital to be told it couldnt be labour yet as I was 'too calm' on the phone and wouldnt be able to talk if they were 'real' contractions???? - how can they know how every woman will react when faced with pain? I could still talk throughout labour even though it bloody hurt! :growlmad:


----------



## mummy1985

Angharad87 said:


> mummy1985 said:
> 
> 
> I was induced and didn't actually feel my contractions at all. I only had the urge to push and the midwives didn't believe me and so refused to even examine me, when my husband forced them to I was 5cm, they sent me straight down to delivery and my daughter was here within an hour.
> 
> I wish they'd take that more seriously. I can't feel tightening but I'm cramping like hell. Cos my waters have gone they won't check me as the pain would be "more" than my 'really bad period pains'. I'm like wtf... So every woman is in agony?! I'm "too calm" for it to be real is the other one. :/Click to expand...

My husband forced them to check me in the end. They were dead set against it, she actually said "well ok I'll check you but then I won't be back for another 3 hours at least" the look on her face when she said oh your 5cm let's get you down to delivery was priceless. 

Then at delivery the woman said right 5cm ok I'll be back in an hour I could have cried! I said ok I need some painkillers then, as by this point the urge to push was too much to hold back, (still no contractions) she went off to get the pethidine by the time she got back she took one look at me and said "I think you'd better start pushing" 2 pushes later my daughter was here.....


----------



## michelleclare

My first birth was spontanuos and my second was induction no difference for me! My induction was a better experince as once 4cm i had a epidural and 2hrs later baby lol! 
I would personally recommend a epidural when been induced as i was not allowed to move about!
Good luck hun


----------



## pinkribbon

I was induced, they say the contractions are more intense but I have nothing to compare it to so whether or not that's true I couldn't say. One thing that was tough was not being able to be active because of the drip when I had wanted to walk it out so to speak lol.


----------

