If you are not getting any answers then make a fuss!! Seriously do it! You can ask to speak to the nursing unit manager, and if she doesn't come to speak to you, then ask to speak to the patient advocate. You have every right to know what is happening and there is no way that they should be fobbing your worries off at all! I don't care how busy they are, there is always time for every patient.....don't let them get away with it! Kick up a stink!
If Bub is being monitored and in no imminent danger, I'd be getting up and about, going for a walk around the grounds/ward, up and down stairs. Preferably in the fresh air. Take some food with you. Is there anyone who can visit and keep you company?
The doctor has been around and told me that due to the baby not growing an me being considered term they need to make a plan to induce me. Baby is now head down (yay!) but his head is still very high. My cervix is not ripe so they have decided to start with gel. She told me that they had to push a planned induction to tomorrow as they were so busy on the ward and if they get to busy tonight they may not be able to induce me as that would be putting me at more risk than doing nothing as they wont have the staff to monitor me properly. So the plan is to insert the first lot of gels around 4pm today and assess every 6 hours. I am hoping that as I have had 2 vaginal births and even managed to get a posterior baby who come out forehead first out naturally that maybe the gel will be enough. Is that just wishful thinking do you think?
I told my midwife this morning that I was not happy with his movements and I wanted a ctg. for the first 20mins he was slow and seemed lethargic but after drinking some cold water he perked up slightly. I have told them that I want a repeat ctg shortly and they said they will do one after the gel is inserted!
Have any of you ladies had the gel? Did it make you dialate at all? If they are not 'too busy' I think they will either break my water tomorrow, give me the drip or do both. As this is my first induction I am pretty worried but just want my baby out so I can start fattening him up and know for sure he is ok. I will be talking to the nursing manager tomorrow if they say they are too busy to induce me as I think this is ridiculous and it is unfair on me and my baby. As you say, if I went into labour naturally they couldn't just turn me away!
Last edited by Jessikah27; September 18th, 2013 at 01:48 PM.
Jess hello! How uneasy you must feel. It sounds like you are worried about lack of movement etc. I echo the others- make a huge fuss. It's your body and you have been carrying this child, you know what's right and you need to act on your instinct if it is telling you something isn't right. Don't accept 'it's too busy for an induction' if you feel this baby needs to come earthside sooner rather than later. Can your partner or a trusted person speak up for you? In the meantime yes, as others have said, get active! I hope you get some action soon.
Hi Jessica, I had then gel and it put me into labour within any hour, I was 2weeks over though. My cervix was closed too. Hopefully cos your body has done it before it will take over with just then gel, 39wks isn't too bad for any induction, and the babies head will most likely come down with contractions, it's not unusual for someone who has had babies before to start labour with a high head, just walk around as much as you can. Best of luck xx
Coming from a midwifes perspective, if they don't have the birthsuite room or the staff available due to busyness, they can't safely induce you and need to wait until there are experienced staff and/or a proper birthing room with emergency equipment available. It would be irresponsible to induce you and have no one or no where to look after you.
Obviously you will get precendence over social inductions ( I have cancelled many social inductions in my day and been screamed at/abused/heard hysterical crying etc) but people who present in established labour will need the birthrooms first, as long as everything is ok with your baby- and i presume the ctg monitoring was good otherwise you would know about it. I know its frustrating but as long as the monitoring is good with your baby ( and if you have had repeated u/s they would have looked at placental blood flow etc) just try and relax ask for as much monitoring as you want- I just know that kicking up a fuss isn't going to free up a birthroom and will make you more upset.
I really hope they get the show on the road soon, try and go for some slow walks as people have suggested and remember your body has done it before and theres no reason it can't again, it just might need a kickstart. Once you have the gel you will be on the moniter a lot so take the chance now to move around while you can! xx
Good to hear that you've had some monitoring at least!
I was induced with my first for similar reasons to you. It was one day after my due date, and when they inserted the gel my cervix was soft but closed. This was around 4pm. At 10pm they inserted the second lot of gels, there was no change with my cervix. At midnight I felt a pop and my waters broke on their own and I then went into established labour, I had bubs on my chest 2 hours after that. By the way, my little man was perfectly fine, just a little on the small side at 2.88kg, he's now a very healthy, very happy nearly 6 year old
Glad you have more information to work with now, even if the answer is not really cutting the mustard.....
I was induced with gels with my first, baby was pretty high at the time. Labour started about 5 hours later and baby was born after 2.5 of labour. So yes it can certainly do the job and you are right, as your body has done it twice before it may not need much help to get underway. I was supposed to have 2 doses of gels hoping that would get my cervix favourable enough the break my waters. So even if the gels don't work as you want, they may still help you get to the next step to meeting your baby.
Oh Jess I posted before I saw your update. Well that's good. I've not been induced so can't comment on that but I assume lots of active labour positions would be beneficial, moving lots, and when my DD was overdue I found massaging my pressure points (just above inner ankles and a little way up from my inner wrist) MAY have helped spontaneous labour occur.
Decreased growth & possible induction tomorrow morning....
I had the gel, unfavorable cervix (was too high to even reach). Was told I was not ready but was induced as I had hit 41 weeks. Started having contractions less than 30 minutes later and had a vaginal birth within 3 hours. That was for our second baby.
I'm glad you're getting some answers. Hope your baby is in your arms soon
I had my first lot of gel inserted around 4:30. Have been on the monitor for over an hour and baby seems happy with a baseline of 120bpm. I had one contraction about 50 mins after the gel went in but it was only noticeable not painful. They are going to reassess me at around 10pm tonight. I am really hoping that something happens just from this first lot and if not from the second.
I just want to thank you all for your advice & support. You have really helped me to get through today so far and I can't wait to share my baby news with you all. I will keep you all updated. Thank you again x
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