Induction - what is it really like?

[poppy]

For those of you who have had inductions, what is it really like?

I am due to be induced on the 13th of October. Obviously, I would ideally like to go into labour before then naturally, but if I have to get an induction, what should I expect? Would they immediately give me the drugs to induce or would they try and get me to go into labour by breaking my waters/pessary etc? Also, how quickly do you feel the pain?

I am a bit nervous about the idea of being induced as you can probably tell!

 

[Mervs Mum]

Hi hun

I was induced with Emily. They gave me pessaries/gels at 7.30pm and left waited to see if they worked. By 10pm I knew 'something' was happening. I had period pains and I coudnt get to sleep even after a sleeping tablet. About an hour later my waters started to trickle then broke and the contractions kicked straight in. They came thick and fast and I paniced. I thought if this is just the start of them how bad can they get!! Anyway I asked for every drug known to man when with hind sight I really should have waited a while and tried harder with the gas and air. After an hour or so the contractions settled to a more 'normal' pattern. But by this time I'd had pethadine and they were setting up my epidural. I think with the right encouragment, I would have been ok with out an epi.
As a result of the epi I was in labour for much longer than I think I should have been. The contractions slowed once the epi was in and I wasnt mobile. I finally delivered (with forceps) at 15.58pm the following day.

When ever this question has been asked I always say this is my top tip - Dont Panic. It might start off pretty intense but it often settles right down. I hope I'm not induced this time but if I am I feel like I'll be better prepared.

x

 

[Serene123]

Induction isn't ALWAYS bad. I had an induction and it went fab! It was a long and slow process to get to active labour, but once there, I was only in labour for 4 hours!

 

[aurora32]

Ive had 2 inductions and both were fine, they give you a pessary which if you are lucky will work with the one if it doesnt set it off you cant get another one for 6 hours, when the pains do start they are pretty intense, the best advice is to relax and go with it, relax i hear you saying, you will understand at the time, if the pessary doesnt work totally on its own they may give you a drip to speed things up i had that with one of my inductions, the pain with inducion is definately more intense than the pain with natural setting off but nothing to worry about at all.
Hope all goes well and i you are worried at any point just ask the mw that what she is there for. Good luck.

 

[louise1302]

i was induced with my first with the pessarys which i found horrible, i was having contractions but was getting nowhere as it was the pessary making me feel i was having them, so when they came to induce my 3rd child i asked for the drip which was amazing they put me on it at 7 pm with no signs of labour previously and my son was born at 8 37 pm i was so much more relaxed, it is different for everyone however i think if id have had an epidural the pessarys might not have been so bad, good luck xxxx

 

[Younglutonmum]

I was induced with Maya & to be quite honest it was really awful but everyone is different at the end of the day

I had the gel on August 9th around 6pm. I started to get contractions on the first go but I didn't dilate at all. I was given the gel twice more when finally my waters went & I was 3cm dilated. If my waters hadn't gone when they had & I hadn't dilated they would of then put me on the drip! I was then given an epidural & on August 11th at 5:43am Maya arrived.

It was a long process & very painful but I think the fact I was very scared & nervous didn't help. You have time to get used to the idea of being induced so hopefully you can go to hospital in a calm manner. I just popped into the hospital 2 weeks before my due date for a routine BP check & I was induced 4 hours later!! No time to prepare mentally what so ever!!

 

[Nikkinoonoo]

Personally speaking mine was great! I was put on the drip and given an epi at the same time. Didn't feel a thing. Mine ended up as a c-section due to complications but I felt no pain until after when i was back in the postnatal ward. Not what I originally wanted but turned out mighty fine for me Good luck with yours hun xXx

 

[khartnett]

Mine was fine contractions started about an hour after they gave me the gel, they said that i would have contractions but not be dilating for ages so i had a tens machine on. The contractions got stronger and I asked for pain relief they gave me a paracetomal lol as they wes conviced i was not in labor when they checked me i was 6 cm dilated so i had done it all without pain relief had a really easy 5 hour labor all in all. x

 

[alyxzandra]

I was induced with the drip. My waters were already gone and my contractions kept coming and going. I was given the epidural, but it did not work with me and I felt everything. It was awful and painful for me. But, I think it is because the epidural did not work and I had no other form of pain relief.

 

[Tezzy]

i was induced with Ffion and it was FAB! if i had another i definetly want to be induced!

went in to be induced for 8pm, had a pessary and something to eat and was left to it. colin went home around 10.30 and i got into my jammies, pains started coming quite often then, 1.30 i had a bath, 2am went to delivery suite, 2.25am my little girl was born!!

i was so organised before going into hospital, babys crib and everything was set up etc