For those who have experience natural labour and induced labour

[Mummato2]

Hi Guys,

My last birth was an induction.

This birth my OB has spoken about another induction BUT she is extremely willing to work with what I'd like.

I am playing with the idea of trying to labour on my own when my body is ready with close attention from my OB in the last few weeks.

BUT the pros for me for an induction - I can get an epidural before the pitocin is started......the cons of natural birth is my last labour was only 5 hours, I am 1.5 hours away from the hospital. I am worried that if I turn up and I am too far advanced, I miss the boat for pain relief and I am petrified of the pain......

SO my question is:

If you have had both, what were the major differences in labour and how much easier/harder was established labour when it happened on its own?

OH - and please, I don't want any negative scare tactics of why induction is so bad. I'd just love to hear of some personal experiences of those that have had both

[Oorki Galoorki]

Natural labour is SOO much easier then an induced.
inductions generally lead to further interventions, epidurals can put baby in a not optimal position which may require instamental extraction.

labour pain when natural is nothing to fear it is important for your baby and yourself.

Yes i have had both! and i would NEVER be induced again

[diannescruffy]

I have had both and for me personally going into labour naturally was much better. The pain comes on gradually and gives your body time to adjust but I found with induction the pain hits you hard. As far as pain relief goes, believe me I'm the biggest sook, I actually had two drug free births and two with gas. Your body will surprise you. I wish you all the best in whichever decision you chose.

Regards,
Dianne

[Mummato2]

labour pain when natural is nothing to fear it is important for your baby and yourself.

Yes i have had both! and i would NEVER be induced again

Thank you!

I just remember with the induction, it going from 0 - 100% in 15 minutes and I just could not catch my breath.

The epidural went in and it was just bliss.

I am so scared that once I hit established labour, the difference in contraction intensity is not much and I won't cope.....did it get like that once you were close to delivery with your natural birth?

[Oorki Galoorki]

nope in natural labour it builds up the way its meant to NOT how a drug makes you.. much easier to deal with!

[Mummato2]

I have had both and for me personally going into labour naturally was much better. The pain comes on gradually and gives your body time to adjust but I found with induction the pain hits you hard. As far as pain relief goes, believe me I'm the biggest sook, I actually had two drug free births and two with gas. Your body will surprise you. I wish you all the best in whichever decision you chose.

I faint with sunburn - seriously

I couldn't imagine doing an induction on just gas - you are a champ!

[Lulu]

I think if you avoid the induction, you avoid the speed of the unnatural labour and one cancels out the other.

I do wonder if you would have had a fairly fast birth anyway. I have fast births and they can do your head in, but they weren't that horribly painful. Well not for long anyway

[Mummato2]

I do wonder if you would have had a fairly fast birth anyway. I have fast births and they can do your head in, but they weren't that horribly painful. Well not for long anyway

Well my first was 5 hours from first contraction til my DS was out.

My OB reckons less this time - but I truly believe it depends on bubs position, your activity level in labour etc that determines it.

I wouldn't mind fast and a bit intense - I am blessed that my OB supports and encourages water birthing and the hospital is equipped for it.

I might just park myself in a bath until it's time and then just deal with it!

[harleysgirl]

Hi Mummato2

I have had both,

My DS was born at 39wks via induction, started with putting the tape on my cervix that started contractions straight away then 12hrs later was taken down and put on a monitor then the drip was started. i had a 22hr labour that went by text book induction labour with no complications. I didnt have pain relief either. was straight forward and my body did all the work on its own.

My DD was a spontanious labour at 41wks was 6hrs but a boring labour lol my contractions never regulated because the cord was wrapped around her neck so therefore i was going in and out of labour, i had my waters broken and she was born 36mins later. No pain releif

as far as pain goes - Labour without the drip is FAR MORE easy, the pain was alot less and i was able to move around.

I wouldnt worry too much about not getting to hospital in time, once you know your labour has started go in and you will be fine.

My personal oppinion after my 2 births is that a non induction is fair more comfy and less pain and less intense.

I def prefer a non induction labour but only on the comfy front.

Good luck and no matter which option you choose its what you want so will be the best for you.

[~clover~]

I've never been induced myself, & only really had pain relief in my first labour, but my ob talked about induction the first time around.
I was going to go ahead with it, but my mum refused to let me. She was induced with me, but labour started naturally with her 2 labours after me & there was no way she was letting me go through an induction.
I personally never considered an epidural either. I have a big enough fear of needles. I do know alot of people who've had them & alot of those people have also had problems since.

[Glamourcide]

My first baby was induced two days before her due date and it was pretty horrific. I was adamant about avoiding epidurals so I didn't have one (I used bucketloads of gas and some pethidine, which I hated), but my labour was quick (4 hours) and I nearly bled to death after having a PPH. I was so determined to avoid an inuduction with #2 because the birth was a bit traumatic, the recovery was long and hard, breastfeeding failed, and I suffered mild PND after the event.
#2 was a spontaneous labour, one week overdue (and yes, I'd got to five days over and booked another induction, I just wanted her OUT!). Got to 8cm in the comfort of my own home (I had plenty of warning that the baby was coming, if that's what you're worried about - the contractions and dilations usually take a long time and once you're at 10cm it's very fast), then decided to go to hospital to see if the baby was coming tonight or the next day. The midwife broke my water when I was at 10cm because I was getting tired, and then it was about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, until bub arrived. Just a couple of puffs of gas and a few pushes, no trauma, BFing established straight away, I had a shower and went home that afternoon.

It was a much better experience for both baby and I - not that I judge or look down on anybody who has different births, but in comparison to my first daughter's birth, the second was a really wonderful experience. Painful, yes, but it's bearable. I can't fathom the idea of having an epidural because I found the pain of childbirth to be more mind over matter, and couldn't comprehend not being able to feel what was happening and how close I was to the end of the road. I loved that I was clear-headed and able to talk myself through it (with the induction, it all happened so fast I lost all control over my body and what was happening and panicked, it was really frightening), and loved that the recovery was so speedy after a completely spontaneous birth. I'll never be induced again and I'm so glad I experienced the birth that I did, especially after the first - because when it's your first you just think 'this is how it's meant to be, right?' but a natural labour was much, much easier, gentler, and more positive than my induced labour.
All the best with whatever decision you make! It will be the right one for you no matter what

[MrsFabuloso]

I have also had both and would shoose another natural birth in a heart beat. My induced birth was horrible so I don't know if I could be a good sounding board. I also went from 0-100 with the pain in 10mins and was in that amount of pain for 23hours. I had gas and one shot of pethdine which made me vomit and heave for about an hour afterwards. It truly was horrible and if I wasn't so terrorfied of a c/s I probably would have given in when my ob first suggested it after about 12hrs. But I was too scared of the surgery and pain and I stuck it out til DD was finally born after 3 hours of pushing and a rather large epesiotomy. Afterwards I was so swollen and damaged down there that I had to have a catheter for about 3 days I think.
I would choose my natural birth in an instant over my induced birth. It so much easier and I handled the pain on my own. I didn't even realise it was true labour til I got to the hospital and the mid wife told me I was 8cm dialted!! They artificially broke my waters and DS was born with in the hour, with only 3 pushes! The pain was nothing compared to the pain I had in my induced birth.

[Trillian]

My first two were spontaneous labours and they were wonderful - my first was a gorgeous first birth I thought - gradual build up with cx starting at 20 mins apart, then getting closer and closer till he was born 12 hours later. My second I could do all over again, it was pretty intense compared to my first birth as cx started at 5 minutes apart and in the end she was nearly born on the loo. It was 8 hrs long and my *perfect* birth. My only induction was hell. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. 4.5hrs of sheer torture that ended in a trip to theatre for a manual placenta removal and a haemorrage that required a blood transfusion. My 4th birth was much better - bloody hard work to get him out but rewarding at the same time. I dodged the induction bullet with him too - I had one booked but didn't need it and I am sooooo glad I didn't have another one. I would rather perform my own c/s with a blunt knife than do it again.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

i was induced both times though first time baby was no where near ready to come and had to start the process with prostoglandins. not such a good experience, had epidural after 4hours, vaccum and internal tears. labour was over 12 hours

second baby i was induced again though baby was ready, had a show etc only had waters broken and then that was pretty much it. labour was 4 hours.

i am not sure if it was a better experience second time round due to it being a short one, having done it before, knowing what to expecft, being more knowledgable and experienced, or having less intervention in getting labour established.

but i would 100% want a natural and non induced labour going by first experiences.

just adding that if you are planning on an early epidural anyway then maybe it is better to be induced... since it wont be a pain factor persuading you in that case. i guess it is just a possible complication thing for you to toss up.

[Spring Angel]

This is such an interesting thread. I've been induced twice (once with every drug I could get and once without even having gas) this time I'm going to do my very best to go into spontaneous labour. It is very reassuring to hear that natural labour seems a little more gentle on the body.

Keep the stories coming ladies. I'm enthralled.

[Trillian]

Spring it's amazing. having had the benefit of having two spontaneous ones first I don't think I would have known otherwise just how terrible an induction could be kwim? I would have thought that this is what birth is like. I really hope that you get to have one too so you know how good it can be.

[willow5]

Hi Mummato2 my first labour was natural it was 9 hours start to finish and posterior, the pain built slowly, I was tired towards the end and contractions were coming quickly and had 2 peaks until bub turned to anterior, I was offered an epidural but the thought of the huge needle going in to my spine scared me to death so I declined. I did use the gas and had some pethidine.

My second labour I was induced with a synto drip, it was cruel like the some of the others have said 0 to 100 instantly!! No control whatsoever and no chance to get used to it from a natural build up, I would be terrified if I was to have another induction this time! Although it was very quick, I think if I was left to labour in my own time it would still have been fairly fast once active labour was established, but not so traumatic. ( It was 15yrs ago a public holiday and in the middle of a doctor and nurses strike, they wanted it over with and I interrupted the docs golf game well excuse me!) My waters had broken in the morning just leaking in trickles but back then as soon as your waters broke you had to go in to the hospital and stay there. Even though my waters broke there were no real contractions to speak of that's why they hooked up the drip to get it moving. From start of drip it was 1hr45mins till DS was born, but OMG so painful and out of control, and once he was born it wasn't over the contractions kept coming hard and fast the placenta wouldn't budge so ended in a manual removal which I woke up half way through and was not pleasant at all.

I would definitely go for the natural start to labour any day!
Good luck whichever way you go

[Pinny-mum]

I was induced with my first birth, post dates and it was a painful traumatic birth which ended with a epidural and forceps delivery...I was fine at the time and thought along the same lines as you, I'll just get an epidural next time straight away..but after reading 100's of positive birthing stories I decided I would try for a natural birth with my second but no expectations

I ended up having the most wonderful birth with DS that I said straight away, " I want to do that again!!" T
The pain is so different, it's is hard to even compare the two, the contractions at their worse in my second birth (just before pushing) were not nearly as painful as the with my first and I did it without pain relief the second time around
Honestly I would choose never to be induced again if I go back for a third, to be honest it makes me feel sad to think that I may never give birth again!! And after my first I Never wanted to do it again, so a big difference for me.

Hope that makes sense, feel like I have rambled a bit...Good Luck