Induction Experiences Please - what to expect?

[sloane]

i was induced with my DS at 40 weeks because of being on insulin for GD.

i had something other than the gels (they called it a tape, just a diff sort of product) put in on the tues evening. contractions hadn't started by the morning so they did an ARM & then started me on synto. i'd asked for a wireless monitor so i had one of those. i was quite aware that i was on a bit of a schedule (i asked & was told they wanted to see a 'good' contraction every 10 mins). i agree with PPs here & if i am induced again, i will be asking for more time as the synto was upped & upped till i was having contractions continuously & they had to stop the drip altogether.

i was fully dilated about 7 hours after contractions started but when i started pushing DS' heart rate wasn't recovering as they wanted so i was taken to theatre for an attempt at an assisted delivery with the ability to do an emergency c-section if necessary. in the end, they were able to get DS out with forceps. i'd had an epidural at the end because they wanted me to be ready for the c-section if required.

i had sterile water injections for back pain & gas during the 1st stage.

the m/w were very supportive of me trying different positions etc, although i wasn't able to have a shower (which i would have loved).

i consider it a positive story because i was still able to birth DS vaginally & that's what i really wanted. i did feel pressured & on a set time frame but i think with experience i would be able to stand up for myself better this time.

i did educate myself on the 'spiral of intervention' so i did feel at least mentally prepared for what might happen.

i spoke to an IM recently & she reassured me that inductions for 2nd births do not have quite the same risk of resulting in a c-section so that's also something positive to take into account.

for me, one of the worst things was the waiting overnight to see if the cervidil worked. i would have been so much happier if i could have gone home (maybe i could have, i didn't force the issue) & come back the next day.

[Amaunet]

Thanks so much everyone Your positivity has given me lots of information and confidence.

I feel really good about my decision, it just feels...right I know my body knows what to do and I trust my OB so I'm starting to get really excited My bump just keeps getting lower and lower and the pressure is amazing (I spend all day on the toilet) so I know things are happening anyway. My mum has money on me not making it until Tuesday but my bum/tailbone are still quite sore from my fall so I hope I have time for more healing in that area - although a great excuse not to be sitting/lying on a bed! Had a big talk about it all with my mum, she was induced twice (successfully) with only AROM so hopefully genetics will help out as well. I really like the advice not to be "rushed" or hurried but allow each step time to work... something I'll definitely be acting on (guess I'd better amend my birth plan as well!)

My Aunt (mums sister - we're all really close) is a midwife and is quite keen to come and be a birth support but she lives 6 hours away. I think we'll see whats happening Tuesday and if I am heading for the induction my mum will book her a plane ticket!!!

Thanks again - this community never ceases to amaze me with its support

[Trillian]

If your tailbone still feels sore by next week, make it very clear that you need to be moving or on your hand and knees/kneeling, otherwise you will place additional strain on your tailbone and make it worse. By not laying/sitting it gives your tailbone plenty of movement and flexibility. I'm sure that everthing will go just fine though Good luck!

[Nes]

Hi!

I was induced with both pregnancies.

For DS1, I went to the hospital the night before and they put the gel in. I found it was quite painful when they were trying to reach the cervix but that pain was quickly forgotten once they finished. I had to stay in the bed for an hour while they monitored me. After that, I was transferred to my room for the night. About 2 hours after the gel I started getting pains but my waters didn't break so my scheduled induction went ahead the next morning anyway. I was about 2 centimetres dilated in the morning and the OBGYN broke my waters in the morning and put on the syntocin drip (spelling) and my labour pains increased from there. That labour took 3.5 hours.

With DS2 the process was pretty much the same as for DS1 but I didn't get any pains that night. I only started getting pains (and in labour) about 2 hours after my waters were broken and I was put on the drip. This labour took 1 hour 16 minutes.

I'm not sure whether the labour with DS2 took longer because he was 39 + 2 whereas DS1 was 40 + 4 - probably.

I wouldn't be worried about it. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again (and don't think i'll make it to the hospital in time if I don't induce the next time). I had a very positive experience both times! Just put your faith in your health professionals.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Otherwise, good luck - you will be fine!

[Trillian]

I know you probably wont see this, but I just wanted to wish you all the best for tomorrow and I hope it doesn't take till Wednesday!

[forshelby]

I was induced with DS. I was 41+3 the last time I went to the hospital, my waters had been leaking for 3 days and having strong contractions all night for a week straight. I was already 2cm dialated when I was admitted, so next was AROM. I wasn't able to move because of strict constant monitoring, so it was really hard to cope. My contractions went from just cramps to needing to scream through them within half an hour of the synto drip starting. I feel like the MW turned it up too fast, she seemed impatient.

What helped me the most was the lovely student MW who just appeared from nowhere. It helped a lot to have an extra person to hold my hand and tell me to breathe. DP was stuck in the corner for most of it, unable to do anything.

I did have an epidural at the halfway mark, 6hrs in. For me, being induced was difficult, to put it nicely. I really *needed* to be in the shower or on my hands and knees but was stuck on the bed. My birth ended in c/s, but I sometimes wonder if things would've been different if I continued past the 12hr mark. For some reason I'd had zero urine output for the whole 12hrs and they were getting worried, so I felt an instant mental block, like I couldn't go on. So I didn't. Nobody can tell me to this day what the issue was with my bladder/urethra/kidneys.

Wishing you a gentle, peaceful birth and a happy ending for your pregnancy. All the best!

[Amaunet]

Thanks Tril! Looks like you bought me some good luck my waters have broken and mild cx started!

[Cranky Kitten]

Oooooh, yay!!! Good luck hun

[sloane]

that's great news!

[Trillian]

That's fantastic! I read your other thread and I hope by now you are well and truly in the thick of things!

[onthefly]

Hope things are going well for you!

[Kirley64]

I was induced at 38+6 for mild pre-eclampsia. I also had the cervadil tape + gel to ripen cervix. Dr said when he inserted them that bub was right there and cervix was pretty ripe and ready to go. So that may have helped me alot!
I got forgotten about so i didn't get induced until 10.30pm! worst thing ever!! (was meant to be done at 4pm). period pain started at 12.30pm and contractions were piggybacking and alternating between front and back alot between 2-4. Went to birth suite there and they started becoming regular. I was on a ctg which i absolutely hated! If you can get out of it with intermittant monitoring get your support person to try get this for you. You feel so constrained with it on. i pulled it off a couple times and my midwife got so grumpy at me...i didn't like her at all!! (she even said i could have a shower when i got there then took it back and said no i had to b on ctg - was very peeved off).
I was very adament that i wanted a drug free birth and so even though my midwife kept offering them i kept refusing. I tried gas for about two goes but i felt sick so i ditched it. I gave birth on my back, with no other drugs, hooked up to a ctg machine with no tearing in a four hour labour. So it can be done . I went in with the mindset and support people knowing that i wanted to birth this baby and that I COULD BIRTH MY BABY and I didn't want drugs. I also was very 'internal' not much noise or talking. I laboured in the room by myself after being induced where i could concentrate on what was happening and i hardly spoke throughout my labour. Just relaxed between contractions and focused on this baby being born.

My baby we 8lb 2oz and perfect. Good luck xx

[MummyDuck]

Subbing- dh wants me to be induced for the terrible reason that our edd is Christmas Day. I just want to see everyone's experiences before I even think about it as I also have a history of panic disorder I need as much support I can get.


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[Teeki]

What's the stat of the number of babies actually born on their edd? It's only a small percentage, chances are your little one won't be born on the actual day. Would that make your DH feel better and reconsider induction?

Sent from my GT-P7510

[BellyBelly]

3-5% are born on the EDD. Approx 40% born in the two weeks before and 40% in the two weeks after, from memory...

[jellybean88]

I was put on synto drip after my waters broke and labour didn't start, they started me at 9am and I had ds at 1, was very intense and I found I was restricted by drip but I found tens machine awesome pain relief just like having shower running on my back at full ball

[HotI]

that is one of the stupidest reasons ever to get an induction. tell him to research inductions and then get back to you.

[BellyBelly]

The Lie of the Estimated Due Date (EDD): Why Your Due Date Is Not What You Think By Misha Safranski

We have it ingrained in our heads throughout our entire adult lives - pregnancy is 40 weeks. The "due date" we are given at that first prenatal visit is based upon that 40 weeks, and we look forward to it with great anticipation. When we are still pregnant after that magical date, we call ourselves "overdue" and the days seem to drag on like years. The problem with this belief about the 40 week EDD is that it is not based in fact. It is one of many pregnancy and childbirth myths which has wormed its way into the standard of practice over the years-something that is still believed because "that's the way it's always been done".

The folly of Naegele's Rule

The 40 week due date is based upon Naegele's Rule. This theory was originated by Harmanni Boerhaave, a botanist who in 1744 came up with a method of calculating the EDD based upon evidence in the Bible that human gestation lasts approximately 10 lunar months. The formula was publicized around 1812 by German obstetrician Franz Naegele and since has become the accepted norm for calculating the due date. There is one glaring flaw in Naegele's rule. Strictly speaking, a lunar (or synodic - from new moon to new moon) month is actually 29.53 days, which makes 10 lunar months roughly 295 days, a full 15 days longer than the 280 days gestation we've been lead to believe is average. In fact, if left alone, 50-80% of mothers will gestate beyond 40 weeks.

Variants in cycle length

Aside from the gross miscalculation of the lunar due date, there is another common problem associated with formulating a woman's EDD: most methods of calculating gestational length are based upon a 28 day cycle. Not all women have a 28 day cycle; some are longer, some are shorter, and even those with a 28 day cycle do not always ovulate right on day 14. If a woman has a cycle which is significantly longer than 28 days and the baby is forced out too soon because her due date is calculated according to her LMP (last menstrual period), this can result in a premature baby with potential health problems at birth.

The inaccuracy of ultrasound

First trimester: 7 days

14 - 20 weeks: 10 days

21 - 30 weeks: 14 days

31 - 42 weeks: 21 days

Calculating an accurate EDD

Recent research offers a more accurate method of approximating gestational length. In 1990 Mittendorf et Al. undertook a study to calculate the average length of uncomplicated human pregnancy. They found that for first time mothers (nulliparas) pregnancy lasted an average of 288 days (41 weeks 1 day). For multiparas, mothers who had previously given birth, the average gestational length was 283 days or 40 weeks 3 days. To easily calculate this EDD formula, a nullipara would take the LMP, subtract 3 months, then add 15 days. Multiparas start with LMP, subtract 3 months and add 10 days. The best way to determine an accurate due date, no matter which method you use, is to chart your cycles so that you know what day you ovulate. There are online programs available for this purpose (refer to links in resources section). Complete classes on tracking your cycle are also available through the Couple to Couple League.

ACOG and postdates

One of the most vital pieces of information to know when you are expecting is that ACOG itself (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) does not recommend interfering with a normal pregnancy before 42 completed weeks. This is why knowing your true conception date and EDD is very important; if you come under pressure from a care provider to deliver at a certain point, you can be armed with ACOG's official recommendations as well as your own exact due date. This can help you and your baby avoid much unnecessary trauma throughout the labor and delivery. Remember, babies can't read calendars; they come on their own time and almost always without complication when left alone to be born when they are truly ready.

Mittendorf, R. et al., "The length of uncomplicated human gestation," OB/GYN, Vol. 75, No., 6 June, 1990, pp. 907-932. ACOG Practice Bulletin #55: Clinical Management of Post-term Pregnancy For more sources see: Center for Creative Leadership: leadership at CCL.org, leadership Development, leadership Training, Executive Coaching, CCL - Couple to Couple League

I agree with HotI - if he's keen on the induction, get him to research the pros and cons and come back to you as to what he's happy to deal with, what he's happy for the baby to deal with, and what he's happy for you to deal with... but its your body being subjected to these things so the ultimate decision should lie with you. You are the one who may end up with major surgery as its well known there is a clear link between induction of labour and caesarean section.