Has anyone had a prost gel induction?

[jen35]

Hi ladies, thought this would be a better forum for this thread than 3rd tri. I've got an induction booked this Saturday where they'll be using prostaglandin gel. After being examined this morning my cervix isn't anywhere near ready for labour so she did a sweep. Would you mind sharing your experiences so I know what to expect?

THanks

 

[winston83]

hey there i had the gel with my last baby had to go into hosp the nite before they woke me at 5am and put me on the moniter for an hour then at 6 they gave me the first dose it didnt hurt or anything checked me after 6 hours nothing had changed gave me a second dose and checked again still nothing they will give 2 doses a day so had to wait and start again in the morning unfortunatly my baby was way to comfy and when the 3rd dose didnt work they put me on a drip to start contractions and broke my waters hope this helps xx

 

[iznil8]

I was supposed to have this, I had a sweep on the Friday, when I went for my induction on the Wednesday I was 2cm already, they examined me an hour of so later and I had went to 4 so they just broke my waters, 4 hrs later I had Megan!

The examinations seemed to irritate my cervix enough to let them in to break my water, Hopefully you have as much luck as I did!

 

[firstprincess]

My lo was 14 days overdue. I was admitted 8pm Tues and given my first dose by 2.55am Wed my lo was in my arms. Xx

 

[Mary Jo]

I had this because my hind waters had broken (40+3) but LO had not dropped and they just wanted to speed things up (they didn't think baby was coming by himself in the next 24 hours but they wanted him to get moving because of the waters situation). I was 2-3cm dilated and almost fully effaced when they did it, around 11.30pm, already having contractions but perfectly manageable ones. The pessary definitely got things going, I only needed the one, and Adam was born 13 and a half hours later at 12.49pm (40+4).

Midwife who put the pessary in was pretty brutal, though.

 

[Susie28]

Hi ladies, thought this would be a better forum for this thread than 3rd tri. I've got an induction booked this Saturday where they'll be using prostaglandin gel. After being examined this morning my cervix isn't anywhere near ready for labour so she did a sweep. Would you mind sharing your experiences so I know what to expect?

THanks

I was induced using prostaglandin gel too. I was 40+10 days overdue and my midwife had given me a sweep three days before but nothing was happening.

I was taken to the induction suite at about 10pm on a Thursday night, had a quick examination, blood pressure, put on the monitor to check babys heartbeat etc, and an internal examination where I was told I was 2 cm dilated and had regular contractions already about 5 mins apart. I was then given my first dose of the gel, and then another 6 hours later... I was able to walk round, sleep etc between doses and was monitored every hour.

A few hours after the second dose was inserted, my labour started properly! I had my little girl at 11.30pm the following night. So from dose number one, it took about 24 hours to have my little girl (took slightly longer than it should have as my contractions really slowed down and went from every 2 mins to every 10 mins..ending in an assisted delivery with forceps). Hope this helps and good luck! x

 

[New2Bumps]

Similar experience to Mary JO
My waters broke a month early, so they had to get me started. I had a pessary inserted (it was quite a sharp pain a bit like a rough smear test, nothing too bad!). I had it re-inserted 2 times as it came out (had to look out for it when I went to the loo!). It got things started pretty naturally for me. About 2 hours later I started having really small period type cramps but quite regular and it just went from there. About 6 hours later I was having proper contractions, enough to go down to the labour ward, but it bought on a nice normal labour for me - things just happened gradually and once labour was established I was roughly dialating 1cm an hour x Good luck x

 

[jen35]

I was supposed to have this, I had a sweep on the Friday, when I went for my induction on the Wednesday I was 2cm already, they examined me an hour of so later and I had went to 4 so they just broke my waters, 4 hrs later I had Megan!

The examinations seemed to irritate my cervix enough to let them in to break my water, Hopefully you have as much luck as I did!

Cool, this gives me hope! During the sweep today she said my cervix was still long and not 'preferable' i think was the word. I've not had any signs or symptoms of labour and I'm really keen to get it started. Fingers crossed i go before then! Thanks for all your replies girls, hopefully I can join you all here soon!!

 

[lynnikins]

I had this with ds2, I had a internal exam 5 days overdue and cervix was high closed and unfavorable she did her best to pull it forward but booked me for a sweep the next week, went back a week later and cervix was still high and closed but was a bit softer, got booked in for induction the next evening went up to the hospital at 9pm got a bed and examined and put on the monitor and about 11.15 they gave me the gel ( cervix still high and posterior at this point ) mild contractions started but we sent DH home and i tryed to get some rest ( read my book ) by 5am i demanded they examine me again as things had sped up and i was definatly in established labour, got told at 5.45 that i was 5/6 cm and my waters were buldging and to call my husband who arrived back at the hospital at 6.36 and DS2 was born at 6.58 am, My body just needed the push from the drugs to get going as i was severely anemic and my body wasnt preparing for labour as there was very high risk to my health to go through labour and delivery, we sorted my iron levels out post birth when they discovered exactly how low they were

 

[lea28]

I was admitted when I was 38 weeks due to having gestational diabetes. My cervix was preferable for the induction. I had 2 doses the first day and 2 the second. It wasn't hugely painful, but got more painful each time. For half an hour before each dose I was monitored and then afterwards for an hour whilst I wasn't allowed to get up. Nothing major happened, went from 1 to 3 cms dialated and had niggly pains. On the third day they were able to break my waters and luckily my contractions started on their own and didn't I need the drip. Unfortunately I ended up with an emergency c section as I had pushed for 2 hours and my LO hadn't progressed far enough down (she was a biggie and back to back).

Good luck with your induction. Hopefully its a quickie but do be prepared for the long haul! Bring plenty of magazines etc as if you're like me you're sat waiting for 2 days for something to happen!

 

[Dee_H]

I had to have 3 doses before anything started to happen...my third doses was a double dose and really started things moving...good luck!!

 

[NickyT75]

I hate to tell you this hun but my cervix wasnt favourable like yours and I had 3 failed prostaglandin inductions
(8 tablets in total given on 3 seperate occasions with a few days break inbetween)

**this was because my baby was in the back to back position meaning she wasnt putting enough pressure on my cervix to open it** so I eventually had to have a section xx

 

[karenm28]

Didn't work for me either but think we are in the minority.
Went in at 11 days overdue for induction, cervix completely unfavourable, had prostin gel inserted, nothing happened.
Had double doses once or twice a day for 5 days (so approx 6 or 7 double doses) and still nothing happened.
Not even open enough to break waters and had very high bp and my hands had gone purple with carpal tunnel by this time so went straight to c-section at 16 days over.
All the other ladies who went in for induction with me went into labour that night - I could hear them all huffing and puffing while I was trying to sleep every night more ladies came in and went out and I was still there!

It is sort of like a smear when they insert it. I had to put my hands under my bum to get in the right position. Then you have to lie for half an hour so it doesn't come out. You have to have baby monitored before and after each application to make sure they don't get distressed
They said if I get pains to let them know and they would bring paracetamol but I never had a single pain.
They just try to get you 1 or 2cm open so they can break the waters and then they can get you on the drip.
Good luck - hope baby makes an easy and speedy arrival! xxx

 

[Jchihuahua]

I was induced with a pessary at 38 weeks due to obstetric cholestasis. I was induced on the Saturday morning and started having mild contractions straight away. My cervix was not dilating though. They said they'd give me the gel if the contractions eased up but they didn't. I was in slow labour from the Saturday until the Tuesday night. They broke my waters finally on the Tuesday night then Daisy was born on the Wednesday. It was a very slow process so take plenty of books, magazines etc just in case!

 

[jen35]

Didn't work for me either but think we are in the minority.
Went in at 11 days overdue for induction, cervix completely unfavourable, had prostin gel inserted, nothing happened.
Had double doses once or twice a day for 5 days (so approx 6 or 7 double doses) and still nothing happened.
Not even open enough to break waters and had very high bp and my hands had gone purple with carpal tunnel by this time so went straight to c-section at 16 days over.
All the other ladies who went in for induction with me went into labour that night - I could hear them all huffing and puffing while I was trying to sleep every night more ladies came in and went out and I was still there!

It is sort of like a smear when they insert it. I had to put my hands under my bum to get in the right position. Then you have to lie for half an hour so it doesn't come out. You have to have baby monitored before and after each application to make sure they don't get distressed
They said if I get pains to let them know and they would bring paracetamol but I never had a single pain.
They just try to get you 1 or 2cm open so they can break the waters and then they can get you on the drip.
Good luck - hope baby makes an easy and speedy arrival! xxx

Oh my days you poor thing! That must've been really depressing, 5 whole days!! Fingers crossed I don't have to wait that long or I'll be sending OH out for a sink plunger lol!

I've not even any changes down there since the sweep this morning, not a sausage. I just wish I knew how its gonna go!