How can I minimise intervention if I'm induced?

So I'm currently staring down the barrel of my first induction. I never thought I'd be in this position as DS1 and DS2 were born spontaneously before their due date ... but this baby boy is insisting on hanging around. It's been doing my head in on many levels, but I've realised I can't fight it - I've tried EVERYTHING (acupuncture, RLT/EPO, clary sage, DTD etc) naturally to bring on labour but (so far) to no avail. Of course, there's still 30-odd hours till I'm due at the hospital, so keeping my fingers, toes - anything but my legs - crossed for a spontaneous start to things.

I "think" the issue is bub is still a bit high, but my cervix is soft and as of Tuesday I was 1-2cm dilated. I've been feeling a ton of sensation, so it "feels" like my cervix should only have ripened further, but who knows.

My question ... how can I minimise medical intervention if induced? I'm a confident natural "birther" and I have no issue with vocalising/putting my foot down to hospital staff. So at this stage I've agreed to gels on Sunday night, and waters broken on Monday. I don't want synto at all unless there's a complete stall in the process.

Any tips on keeping intervention to a bare minimum provided bub is ready and rarin' to go?

are they going to allow you to do two applications of the gel?

I see you are a hypnobirther, so my first suggestion would be to use the techniques you have learnt from the very first induced contractions as they will really help. From the sounds of it the gel may work on it's own, but if they decide to use syntocinon the first thing they will do is break your waters. It is perfectly ok for you to ask for an hour or so after they do this to see if your body goes into labour on it's own before they put in the drip. Not only is this a much more natural labour, you are in a better position to argue for no CTG which will give you more mobility.

If you do have the drip, then ask for telemetry CTG which means you can walk around/use the shower. If they don't have it, remember you can still labour around the bed (think a beanbag, or on the birth ball) whilst attached to the CTG. It may mean a midwife or birth partner has to hold the belts in place during contractions but that's ok, midwives are well used to that.

Remember that if you have the drip you will be getting lots of fluid on board so pee lots. If you are on regular CTG a pee break is also an excuse to move and remove the belts for a few moments.

Most of all remember that your body knows how to labour, so it is likely that any induction will be straightforward and focus on having that baby in your arms. Good luck :)

If you've decided to go down this route, the best way to avoid intervention is to stretch things out.
If they'll go gel first, then give that time - and see if another application is possible - before moving on to the next thing.
If they're talking AROM, then give yourself a good 4 hours at least before considering syntocinon.
The more they do.... the more they do. And the more they'll insist on doing and the less room to manoeuvre you'll have.
Ask about the remote telemetry thingimybob, too.

Hope all goes well

Can you say no to the induction, I was 42 weeks before I went into labour naturally. Can you just ask for more monitoring to give you a bit longer? That's what I would choose. You don't have to be induced when they say. Just not turn up?

Trav and MadB have given good suggestions, the same things I told my sister when she was induced at 42 weeks.

Wireless monitoring. Stretch the time as long as you can - if they say AROM at noon then drip at 2, ask for them to delay the drip til 4. Or similar.

Walk lots. If you can. Walk after every step in the process.

If you end up needing the drip, ask them what dose they are starting on and then ask them to start on half that. So if they are starting on 40, ask for 20 instead. Don't quote me on figures!

Likewise if they need to increase it, ask how much they are increasing and then halve it.

My sister wasn't pushy enough to do that so I did it for her. Interfering little sister there going "Excuse me what are you putting it on? Can it go up half that instead?" then half an hour later "Excuse me, does it need to go up again? Can she have another half an hour?" then "Sis, go to the loo. Don't you need to go to the loo?" :lol:

If you can't push for 42 weeks (I went to 42 trying for a VBAC and they were happy as long as I had monitoring as was I) but then as PP's have said, stretch everything out as much as you can. Get 2 applications of gel if you can, I had one lot at 9pm then another in the morning. Then I had waters broken at midday and then synto at 2pm but I would have liked to have waited. Once you get the drip started, start as low and slow as possible and keep moving as much as you can. I was able to go in the bath and shower even though they technically dont like it in case you drag the drip machine in and electrocute yourself :rofl: I promised I wouldn't.

Good luck hope you work out a plan and go into labour naturally! xoxox Best advice I had heard around the time I was waiting for DS was that nobody was ever pregnant forever so waiting is a really good option if you can xoxox

I was induced with my first and I was completely in control of everything. I had the gels at midday and then was left until the next morning at 8am for AROM. It wasn't until 2pm that I had the synto and even then it was a tiny dose until I'd had enough of all the waiting and asked for it to be turned up at about 6pm that night.

I had wireless monitoring so I was still walking around lots, in the shower etc. Definitely insist on that.

My girl ended up being born without any further intervention just after 10pm on the second night. You can get through an induction without it leading to forceps, c-sections etc - just make sure you dictate the timeline and give bubs the chance to catch up with the fact he's been given an eviction notice.

Best of luck.

Thanks heaps gals, I appreciate your advice and you've probably reinforced what I was thinking re: taking things slowly each step. No idea about how many gel applications I'll need - I presume it will depend on my cervix length (it is already soft and starting to dilate). I am absolutely refusing any synto for several hours after AROM, and I do intend to be active and on my feet during the process. I had a CTG monitor on during DS2's labour and was able to move about and be upright, so while I'm not looking for continuous monitoring, that will be what I'll be asking for (well, insisting on, really) if it's necessary.

I had more than an hour of good contractions last night, so I'm sufficiently relaxed that if nothing else, all the pre-labour I'm having is ripening everything. Still astounds me that the strong contractions I've had (on three occasions in the past two weeks) haven't led to labour, but I heard third babies are notorious for pre-labour.

Re: refusing induction. Well, I'll be 42 weeks on Tuesday and I'm ready to have this baby. So while I'm doing everything I can naturally to avoid induction, I'm ready to meet my little guy. It's just that I want to manage this induction as well as I can. I've always felt quite educated about the birth process- what happens and why etc. I'm just not so well educated about inductions, so again I thank you all for your input.

I'll definitely be hypnobirthing again, and am in the right head space to that.

One more question ... is there a possibility the gel alone could kickstart labour?

yes the gel may well kickstart labour, but if your cervix is as soft and dilated as it sounds they may prefer to go straight to breaking your waters as the gel is only for ripening your cervix.

Thanks Trav. I'm not due in to the hospital till 6pm, so guess they'll do an internal and tell me what's going on. Gee, I might even be able to come home for the night if my cervix is ready and raring to go and go back tomorrow morning.

Admittedly I had a good sook last night about being induced. Logically I know I've done everything I can to start labour, but I know I need to accept that if induction is what it's going to take to have bub, then that's what it's going to take and it's not my "fault". Am still trying to process and come to terms with it, but feeling a bit more positive about things today.

Sounds like you are in an awesome space AndiE :hug: Hopefully all you will need is the gel or AROM to get things going! I guess I am just a bit swayed as I didn't research inductions very well and ended up having a c/s because my body simply wasn't ready and now strongly believe babies come when they are ready and when we mess with the process we can set up inventions that can end up being worse than waiting. I really wish now that I had pushed for a few more days (was induced at 11 days over) as I believe even those few days can make a big difference in the end. As long as you have researched and have a bit of plan to work through with your carers you will be fine xoxo

Thanks hun. I had such great births with DS1 and DS2 (though both spontaneous before EDD) that I don't want this bub's birth to be any different. I figure it's all down to knowledge and being in the right head space. Hopefully the rest will fall into place easily :)

Sometimes a good sook is an indication that things are happening. Hope your little one decides to move out on their own soon.

Re: the gel, both mine have been gel-only. I think with Amelia there was something pushing me along via drip, but not until I'd been having contractions for around 11 hours.


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So, it has come to this.

I was going to say you sound like me with my third and due to all the prelabour there was no talk of gel just breaking my water and I was at 3cm. However 6 hrs before I was due to be induced my water broke and after a 45 min labour he was here! Bet the induction by a few hours so there is hope bubs will come on its own! I was so surprised as I had my head in the right place for an induction :)

How did you go AndiE? Any bubs yet. :()

Thinking of you!

Hi all - thanks again for your help. Just posted BA. Only needed one application of gel to get everything happening. My body did the rest :)

Wooo hoo that is great AndiE! Congratulations hun! xoxo :dance: