can somebody explain the induction process in uk?

[GypsyDancer]

Hi..as its looking more and more likely that i probably won't be going into labour naturally (10 days overdue) I'm starting to wonder about the induction process in UK..do i have to stay in hospital throughout the whole thing or can i go home after labours started? Do i havta stay on a drip? I'll be so dissapointed if this is the case as i wanted to stay active in labour..is my partner allowed to stay with me the whole time or will he be sent home if nothing is progressing? Alsoo I was really hoping to be in the midwife led unit but dont know if this is possible now...Im so dissapointed that my pregnancy seems to be ending this way is induction really as bad as it seems?

 

[Tulip]

*bump*
Sorry I can't help sweetie but don't want to read and run. Hope someone can answer your questions and that you get the active birth you want

 

[Shrimpy]

I haven't been induced, but in my trust if you're being induced then you can't go to a midwife led unit, you have to go to the big hospital incase there are any complications. Once the baby is born you can ask to be transferred to a midwife led unit for the remainder of your hospital stay though (I plan on doing this ) Also, from what I've read and watched (wannabe midwife here) it depends on what method of induction they use and what pain relief you have as to wether you can get up and about. If baby (and mum) is coping well then I imagine you'd be allowed to get up and walk around as this actually helps to establish labour. They do need to monitor the baby more often in inductions as some babies don't like it so you may find you need to be on the heart trace monitor more often than you would like. I would very much doubt you'd be able to go home unless they declared the induction a fail and were going to try again in a few days? Seeing as you're pretty overdue anyway again I would think this unlikely but every trust is different

Hopefully someone with personal experience will come along and be able to help you out

 

[daniellelk]

i'm booked in for an induction tomorrow...and everywhere is different, but as far as the info i'v been given for my induction goes...
5pm arrive at hospital, be examind and have a pessery (SP) tablet inserted to soften cervix, OH will be sent home at end of visiting, next morning at about 9am I will be examined again and if tablet as worked, will go down to labour ward (OH will be able to come back then) and have my water's broken, if tablet hasn't done it's job another will be inserted and i'll be left for another 6hour's.

 

[Kellycool]

Hi hun
I might be able to help as I was induced at 14 days with my DS in 2008.
So at 9pm I had the tablet inserted afterwhich my hubby was sent home..
About an hour later I got out of bed and my waters broke (gushed) everywhere so they phoned him to come back. This was on the Monday night..
After waters broke I was sent to delivery (no you can't stay in midwife led unit-I wanted a waterbirth so very disappointing but the reasons are because most inductions land up needing epidural as the contractions, I have heard are much worse once the drip is up).

So, waited and waited and by like 11am still no contractions and I sent hubby home to rest.. They put in drip at about 1pm.. OUCH,, I managed to use the birthing ball for a few hours but was getting worse and worse (hubby came back) and when they checked was only 3cm dilated so they made the drip stronger at which point mw said i would def need epidural. I carried on trying with just gas and air but it got too insanely sore so I agreed to epidural. This was about 6pm. And they inserted cathether at same time as epidural. From this point I could not move from being on my back. (back did get very sore). We managed to get a few hours sleep.. I asked that the epidural run out before the pushing stage as I wanted to feel baby come out. At about midnight I was fully dilated, epidural had run out and I pushed for just less than 2 hours.. He finally came and it was the most perfect moment of our lives.. !!!!!!!! This was 01.51 on wed morning!

Hun, being induced is obviously not ideal but I promise whne you are holding your bubs it is all worth it and nothing else matters other than the safe journey of your baby into the world!!

Oh and 2 of my friends have gone into labour naturally ON their induction days, so you never know

Good luck
xx

 

[Faerie]

I know each part of the UK is different, but I thought you would go to 43 weeks before being induced, as long as you're being monitored?

Anyway, I was induced at Oxford's JR and my DH was there the whole time. As were my Mum and two sisters, which was very kind of the midwives.

My case was a bit different as I was being induced early at 37 weeks as my baby needed surgery.

They insert the pessary, with me the contractions came on strong and quick after about 20 mins but after 6 hours nothing much had happened (waters didn't break and had only dilated to 2cm, was 1cm when I arrived) so I was put on the drip.

I had a mobile drip, so I was still able to walk around, use birth ball etc though obviously you're a little limited. The tried to break my waters around 12 hours later.

My induction wasn't successful in that it ended up in a c-sec, me and the baby were exhausted after 21 hours of contractions (18 coming every couple of mins) and nothing happening, but my body wasn't ready at all as I was only 37 weeks. Even after that, it honestly wasn't a bad experience.

I loved the TENs machine btw