Have you had the gel on the cervix before an induction? Booked in for next week

[Mum2Willie]

Hi. I have gestational diabetes so have to be induced a little earlier than usual. I am booked in for induction next Sunday at 5pm to have the gel put onto my cervix. I will be 40+5 wks.

I had an internal today and not dialated at all (plan was to induce this week) so OB said to wait. Cervix soft but closed.

The OB said the gel will be inserted at 5pm Sunday, stay overnight in hospital as it takes 12hrs to take effect and then he will induced early Monday morning.

I would love to hear people's experience with the gel and induction.

I was induced with my first son at 41wks but as my cervix was dialated, I did not have the gel - went straight to breaking the waters at 7am the day he was born. Then the drip at about 10am when nothing happened. He was born at 3pm and contractions commenced at 11am.

What has the gel done for you?

[Glamourcide]

I had two applications of the gel when I was induced with DD1 at 39+5 (for no medical reason). It didn't work at all - my cervix didn't budge and 12 hours after the second application, it was onto the drip, ARM, the works :/
I'm pretty sure the gel only works if your cervix is pretty much ready to go anyway, I hope you have the same luck this time around as you did last time! Good luck, hope it all goes well!

[Ginger]

i had 3 lots of the gel with ds2 and it worked and i didn't have to have any further encouragement. my cervix was closed and soft to begin with. how many doses of the gel are they willing to give you before they start the drip?

[Jaffaz]

With DS I went in on the Tuesday (41w+2d) around 4pm for 1st app of gel they checked at 10pm and decided I didn't need another app. I started having pre-labour pains around 11pm that lasted all night. By early morning I was having real contractions and at 6:30am my waters were broken, DS was born at 2:07pm (didn't need the drip).

If this little one doesn't make a move I am booked in for the gel again at 41w, but the hospital I am going to this time will do 1 app of gel in the evening and then monitor you and if all is well you can go home and see if anything happens over night then come back in the morning for 2nd app (or sooner if things really get going). This sounds like a much better plan to me as I hated being alone in a hospital room with pre-labour pains all night. If you have to stay in hossy I would push for your partner to stay with you, I really wish I had.

Good Luck!!

[SweetPea]

I was induced with the gel for both my boys at 41 weeks. With DS1 I was 2 cm dilated when they applied the gel at 8pm, my waters broke by themselves around 1am and started to get mild contractions (I actually didn't think I was in labour!) and was 9 cm by 8am!

With DS2 I was 1cm dilated, the gels went in around 9pm and I started to get tightenings immediately, once again my waters broke spontaneously around 2am and he was born at 3.35am, so much quicker!

I was really glad that we decided to stay at the hospital both times as everything progressed pretty quickly. Seeing as it is your second baby and the cervix is soft hopefully you'll only need the gel, your body has done this before!

[Mum2Willie]

Glamourcide - sorry the gel didn't work for you but thanks for your well wishes.

Ginger, Jaffaz and sweatpea - thanks for your stories! It really clues in me in more.

Ginger - I don't know how many doses they are willing to give? I didn't know they could give multiple so didn't ask the question. Over what period did they give you your 3 doses?

Jaffaz - Thanks for info re checking in the night. Great that bubs was born without the use of the drip. I think doctor is planning on breaking my waters early in the am. And thanks for information re hubby as I was contemplating that as I have a toddler at home but yours and sweatpea's stories have helped with that! (Although home is only 15min from hospital) so I guess I could call him to come in - as it is a private hossy with a double bed! What do you think?

Sweatpea - It worked well for you both times. 9cm by 8am with DS1 and bubs born in early hours second time. OB did say that he expects me to have a quick labour again once my cervix gets moving - so fingers crossed! Did you have hubby with you at night too? Or did he go home to toddler then you called him in?

[Visitor6]

Hi. I have gestational diabetes so have to be induced a little earlier than usual. I am booked in for induction next Sunday at 5pm to have the gel put onto my cervix. I will be 40+5 wks.

I wouldn't call 40 + 5 with GDM earlier than usual, but it's great that you have come so far with it! We only got to 38!

[Mum2Willie]

Stretcher Bearer - I meant earlier than usual for a normal pregnancy. I am very happy with the fact that OB is letting me go on - as I was originally told my best case scenario was 39 weeks! And each visit since then, they have been happy for me to go a bit longer! So, yes it is long for GD but early for normal!!!

[SweetPea]

Dh stayed with me both times, we thought it was easier to arrange someone to already be with DS1 than try and get someone there at 2am! Luckily we did, the midwife didn't realise that I was ready to push so he probably would have missed the birth, she ran out of the room to call the ob! All the best with your induction, hope it all goes smoothly.

[Mum2Willie]

Thanks Sweetpea!

[nattyfred]

I only had the gel and it moved everything very quickly. Check out our story on my sig...Good luck