we are booked in

Ok so due to being term we have been booked in to in induced. The doc was kinda open to the fact that i was not happy il have to be induced and did say she was happy to have my waters broken and leave us for a few hours before they try the next thing.

I have a few questions as i was induced with my last and it was horrible and i will honestly admint i am a lil scared of going thru it all again.

So ild like to know is there a way for them to monitor me and bubs with out me having to be stuck on the bed.....i wasnt even allowed to get up to pee last time and it made it so hard. I have had in my mind how much i want to be able to hop in the shower as with my first the water was amazing at helping with the pain. So any info would be great thanks.

i dont have any advice hun as i have never been induced, but could they not give the "gel" first which i have heard is more gentle htan actually breaking your waters? (my sis in law who was induced told me this)
Good luck hun hope someone can give you some more answers soon, but surely you can choose how much monitoring you want/need whilst everything is going okay?

Could you ask for some more time? You're only just 40 weeks now. I was induced with my first and it was certainly not an experience I'd care to repeat.

Re monitoring - because of the extra risks to you and baby of the induction, they do like to do it more often. I don't know that continuous monitoring is really warranted, however, unless there are signs of trouble. Sometimes they have mobile monitors (can't remember what they're called) - you could ask at the hospital if you could use them. Being stuck on the bed is absolutely horrendous! I only had intermittent monitoring until the last few hours when they insisted on continuous monitoring and I too was stuck on the bed.

You can always refuse anything you're not comfortable with - maybe discuss monitoring options with your doctor before hand also.

I was also induced but for medical reason so no choice but to have continous monitoring but my OB knew that I still wanted a relatively natural birth and wanted to be able to move around so I had one of those wireless monitors but I can't remember the name either - I was able to get up and move around, have a shower, go to toilet etc.

So don't know that is an option available that you can discuss with your OB if the little one doesn't come naturally before the induction date, best of luck


Just googled - it's a called Telemetric Foetal Monitor :)

yea we asked about how late they would leave it and were told they dont let you go over more than 7 days. I just thought now i prob cant leave the bed if they have to put the iv in :( Oh well i think im going to give them a call and ask all my questions hehe cant harm

Ringing and asking all the questions you have is a good idea. I had my waters broken & the IV in right from the start and still was allowed the wireless monitoring so hopefully if they have that type of machine you'll be allowed to use it. Best of luck

Only 7 days! Is it private or public hospital? You *could* consider asking for regular monitoring and provided all is ok going longer than 41 weeks. With any luck you'll go into labour before then (hope so!) but it might at least take the pressure off you - it's stressful when people pressure you with deadlines.

Definitely ask about everything adn all your possible options. Sometimes they just tell you standard practice at first, but then if you query things suddenly they'll give you different options.

7 days after your EDD is not overdue, and if you are not happy then you have the right to say no. Many women have regular scans to check placental function and fluid levels and wait until their body labours on their own. If you do decide to accept their offer of induction then at each stage you have the right to say no (for example if they break your waters and want to put up a drip straight away you can ask them to wait, even for a little while. If you are hooked up to the constant monitoring belts then it is difficult to move, but you can certainly go on all fours or on a birthing ball by the side of the bed. If you need to go to the toilet you can take them off. In fact I know a lot of midwives encourage women to "need" frequent loo breaks to ensure they get time off the belts and space to move. Getting in the shower or bath may be more difficult unless they have the waterproof CTG units, but if you are not on the drip then there should be no reason for constant monitoring. Perhaps you could agree to a CTG for 20 minutes every hour if they are insistent, and then you will have 40 minutes where you can hop in the bath or shower.

Obviously the above is only appropriate if everything remains well with you and bub. Best of luck.
xx

I wasnt induced but had an iv in and continuous monitoring. I just ended up jumping off the bed and pacing back and forth to get things moving. At first it was just about 2m then they got me the telemetric machine and i was able to walk further and get in the shower.

Even if they insist on continuous monitoring it doesnt mean you have to stay on the bed. Just do your thing and ignore anyone if they tell you to stay laying down (unless theres a medical need for it). If you cant walk far, do some belly dancing moves like hip circles - it was made to help with birth.

GL and I hope bub comes soon

Second babies are often a little easier to encourage into the world, it may well be that breaking your waters is enough and you'll labour on your own,
So try not to think about the drip, and agree with others, if you can negotiate a but more time and or cord free monitoring, if they don't do that you could ask for intermittent Doppler monitoring or agree to do 20 mins per hour or something similar. Good luck. Look forward to your BA

Thanks everyone. Yep we were surprised too as MIL told us they let her go 9 days past and we are only allowed 7 ugh.

I will be making sure to tell them i want time of the machines as last time they told me no and i could even pee i hated it.Thanks again i am going to call on monday and go thru my list of questions hehe. Im pretty sure they think im a difficult person already due to all my things on my plan, ive put down what i will not accept and what i will ect and every time we go there someone wants to run it all by us again lol

:hello: hun!!

as u know i was induced with DD.....

my waters were broken and i had 2.5hrs to walk the hospital and get things moving, but it wasnt happening quick enough so i had the syntocin drip...

i was hooked up to the CTG permanently ans could move as far as the power cord and the tummy thingy cords would let me... but i was happy on the bed, plus we had a scalp monitor on DD so i was terrified it would come off.

i could have probably fought to be able to move around and stuff but didnt bother.

Hey crumpet :)

Thanks hun :) Im so in two minds i know they need to monitor her and me but at the same time i remember how helpful being able to hop into the shower was with DS1 and i really am hoping to try and avoid to many drugs to help.......and the pee thing hahaha But then i dont want to risk taking the monitor off and something happening. Im going to run through it all with them today and just let them know my worries ect and see how we go.I guess in the end it wont matter to much as long as we have a healthy bub and mum at the end of it all :)

I just wanted to wish you all the best and offer support if you wanted to stand your ground. I went into spontaneous labour at 8 days past my EDD and had I not done so I would have been offered a S&S at 11 days past my EDD - and faced a possibly induction at 12-14 days past my EDD. You don't have to be induced if you don't want to - when the doctors give you the impression that they won't "let" you do something, it is still your choice and your body.

Also, wanting a healthy bub and healthy mum doesn't take away from the importance of a positive birth experience, for both of you. Traumatic birth can affect you and baby, even if physically you are both well.

FWIW, things got moving for me after I had a chiropractic treatment, acupuncture and an induction massage. Good luck!