Induced labour

MrsA

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone else has had their labour induced? Our baby was due on the 12th of January and has still not shown up. Our induction is booked now for the 24th of Jan and I would love to hear stories of how inductions have gone.

I suppose it would be niave of me to just ask for positive stories but, at the same time I would prefer not to hear total horror!!

Thanks
M

Nevyn

My second had to be induced.

I went in for my check up and was told to go home and come back in at 8:30 in the morning as I was going to have my baby the next day, I broke into tears and the dr was concerned I had to reassure her that I was reliefed that I wasnt' going to be pregnant any more I was 12 days over and it was a very hot July.

I arrived in with my bag and partner entow, checked into reception and was brought up to the induction ward. There were 6 beds all filled with over due women, 1 midwife in charge of the ward and a bevy of other midwifes attending.

I was assigned a bed and got changed into my nightdress, I was given a phyiscal exam and the first thing done at 9:00am was a jelly was applied to my cervix to disloved the last of the plug. I sat reading and waiting then after my chart was reviewed and there was a discussion about breaking my waters which I agreeded to as they never broke by themselves in my first labour. This was done at 10:15a, and was arather odd sensation to say the least.

By noon I was put on the drip which contains an artifical hormoane which brings on contractions. Every 15 mins the drip was increased. I was able to walk around which was encouraged by the midwife, ( who happened to be the same lady who delivered my first ) and did so drip entow until I left the first hard twinges.

I have a pretty high pain tolerance but soon I was on the bed with a fetal and contraction monitor checking everything was ok, the midwifes kept asking if I was in pain yet as arround me the other ladies where crying ouch and being whisked away to the delivery suites.

Apprenlty I was hitting 6 and 7 on the scale on the contraction monitor and not yelping then it hit and ouch it was sore and I did yelp, and the contraction monitor and by blood presure was checked and the midwife grinned and said ah ha so it takes a 9 on the scale to get your notice. At that stage my cervix was 6cm dialated.

At this stage it was 1:15pm I was the last in the induction ward and I was transfered to the delivery suite. The drip is kept going at all this time. I was transfered and it was asked at this stage did I want to proceed with the option in my birth plan for an epi and I certainly agreed.

For the next 30 mins I paced, braced and breathed with contractions enjoying the space in between knowing once I had the epi I would be confined to the bed with it, the two monitors and the blood pressure cuff.

I had to use some gas and air to still myself to have the epi and it turns out I had it just in time as any later and it would have been too late.

Everything proceeded fine and by 3:30pm I was ready to start pushing, by 3:50 I had two midwifes with me one with each leg braced against her sholder and was pushing like mad. I did have to be cut at the very last minute and at 4:30 by daugher was born and was put up on my tummy for me to say hello to.

By 5pm I was cleaned and tidied, my daughter had been dressed by her dad and we had tea while I started breastfeeding her. It was my second time giving birth so I knew the process by body was going through and had read up on what was going to be done as part of the induction process and I found the midwifes to be great at responding to and answering questions.

I was in the Rotunda by the way.

Beruthiel

MrsA wrote: »

I suppose it would be niave of me to just ask for positive stories but, at the same time I would prefer not to hear total horror!!

20 years ago I was induced, in that cowshed aka Castlebar Hospital.
I was quite happily dealing with the pain until I was induced.
I was just about to tuck into my lunch when they came for me at noon, dragged me off starving and induced me.
I was in hell until she was born at 10.20pm that night.
Once induced the contractions were very strong, so bad that I couldn't move from the bed.
Nobody told me to ease up on the gas. I couldn't feel my arms or legs I took so much and had to stop using it when I needed it most.
I had no other pain killer, drip of any kind, any other assistance in fact, none was offered.
I also had an episiotomy, I'll spare you those details which are still burned in my mind clear as day!
An experience I'll never forget and the decision to have no more kids was made firmly in my mind.

I'm sure that your experience with be more like Thaeds, times have changed and as long as you're not having your child in Castlebar, you should be grand.

Quality

My second was also induced.

I was given the Gel at 9pm at night and was told that there was a lot of work to be done and that I would probably need a second dose.

My OH left the hospital at 11.30pm and I went to sleep for a couple of hours, I woke at 2.30am feeling uncomfortable I waddled down to the nurse and she told me " Ah thats the Gel, you'll be fine, do you want to have a bath"

So I got into the bath about 3 and I was sitting there talking to myself, I had a natural birth first time round and hoped to do the same this time, However I was in bits.. When I got out of the bath I had a show, I rang the bell and the nurse came down. She got me back to the room and checked me I was 9cms.

I just about got to ring my oh I just about got a message to him, I was ran down to the labour ward, I got to the labour ward at 4.01am and my ds was born at 4.14am 8lbs 2oz, just a bit of gas and air,

I rang my OH who was still on his way to the hospital and told him I had his baby in my arms..

It was great, after an 18 hour natural labour on my dd I was relieved to have it all over an done with so quick on my ds

Irongirl

Does being induced have any effect on the kind of labour you have? I would have thought it was the same experience no matter how the labour was initiated. I know it was for me. I was induced on my first child and found labour surprisingly easy. 5 hours from start to finish. First 2.5 hours are not bad pain and then I had an epidural which kind of took care of the other 2.5 hours. When I was pregnant the second time I thought things would be much harder since there were no plans to induce me. Gladly, it was the same.

Quality

In my understanding, Inducing labour is suppossed to bring the pains a lot quicker and stronger than an uninduced labour.

In saying that all labours are different, What you experience on one child may not be the same on the other. Whether you are induced or not induced.

Nevyn

the gel and the breaking of the waters to kick start labour is inducing but it is a natural labour, the drip is artifcial labour and can be harder, faster and sharper due to the fact the hormoane is being introduced into your body rather then your body producing it yourself.

shrapnel222

my wife was induced for our second son. she went in at 9am, where they kickstarted everything off around 10, i went in at 12, baby was born by 4 after only about 30 minutes of pushing. Compared to our first (long and arduous birth), it was a doddle (my wife's words not mine). After the birth, my wife said she would do that again as it was straightforward and stress free, and no cut this time. I realise this wasn't all down to the fact she was induced, but the doctor had clearly stated that morning if all goes according to plan, the baby would be there by 4.

Dizzyblonde

I was induced on my 2nd daughter - almost 21 years ago, in the Rotunda. Since I was having an epidural, it was given to me at the same time as the drip so I never had a pain at all. I still had the urge to push though I couldn't feel anything, and the labour was quick and easy.

undecided

I was induced with the hormone drip on my first had my second naturally with no pain releif. My experience would be that the drip makes it alot faster and more painfull. Also because of all the hormones I was violently sick the whole time.

As far as I know if its gel and breaking of waters it v similar to natural labour.

I must admit given the choice I wouldn't have the drip again I felt that with second I could have some control therefore remain calmer and deal with the pain better!

Hope it all goes well for you best of luck!

tuppence

undecided wrote: »

I was induced with the hormone drip on my first had my second naturally with no pain releif. My experience would be that the drip makes it alot faster and more painfull. Also because of all the hormones I was violently sick the whole time.

Hope it all goes well for you best of luck!

Would agree re the drip. I would recommend booking an epidural if you are going that way. I had being managing the pain myself before but once i got the drip it came too fast and sharp for me and i ended up asking for epidural.

embee

I was induced at 40+12, and I got the deluxe package.

I was brought into the hospital on the evening of 40+11, and given the first dose of Prostin gel in a pessary at 10pm. I slept all night soundly, not even a stir of anything happening (which is quite common, especially in first time mothers, it can take 2 doses of the Prostin before anything happens). They woke me at 6am and gave me the second dose. I promptly fell back to sleep and only woke up at around 11am because my partner had arrived at the hospital. By around 11.30am that morning, I started having "pains" - they were contractions that were so mild they were no worse than period cramps. This continued until 1.25pm, when I was examined and I was told I was 2cm dilated. At this point, they broke my waters and immediately put the oxytocin drip up. Contractions suddenly came out of nowhere and were vicious. I managed for maybe 30 minutes just doing deep breathing exercises, but I had to ask for the gas and air. My contractions were long, strong and very frequent. I felt I had a major aversion to lying in bed or sitting, so I decided I needed to get to my feet and move around, which the midwives were very encouraging of. So, with me dragging the drip and my partner dragging the gas and air canister, I took to the corridors, pacing. Drip was being notched up every 15 minutes by midwives. At around 3.50pm, my gas and air ran out, which made me panic. I shuffled as quickly as I could back to the labour ward to get more. When I got there, the midwife said she wanted to check my progress, but she couldn't - I got a huge urge to push and I couldn't get up onto the bed. I told her I needed to push, she said "No you don't, you won't have dilated enough since 1.30"... I eventually managed to get up onto the bed and, lo and behold, I was 10cm dilated. I was whisked into the delivery suite, where they put the scalp monitor on the babys head, I was on the CTG etc - every intervention going. Baby was having decels (which I put down to the augmented severity of my contractions due to being induced with artificial hormones) so they told me to start pushing. I started pushing at about 4.10 - was doing it all wrong at first. Changed position on bed and pushed properly, gave maybe 6 big huge pushes and she was born at 4.32pm, 8lb 2oz. All of the usual post-delivery intervention happened as well - baby got Vitamin K injection, I was given an injection to help with delivery of placenta.

All in all, I was in pain for 3 hours and 7 minutes - only had real pain from the moment after my waters were broken. I'm sure if I'd laboured on my own it would have been a longer labour, but in some ways I am glad I was induced. I got loads and loads of sleep the night before (which meant I wasn't really tired at all after delivery) and it was quick. Some inductions won't be as quick as mine was, and it can often be the case that some babies won't tolerate the artificially enhanced contractions brought on by oxytocin. Induction in an otherwise normal pregnancy has a higher incidence of birth taking place via c-section.

If I were to go again, I'd prefer to labour myself. The particular day I was in hospital was very, very busy - every bed in labour ward and post-natal ward was full, and I think that they took an approach of getting people through the system quickly by inducing and administering interventions very quickly when perhaps there is no need to. I don't think they needed to give me the drip, for example. I had gotten to 2cm (enough to have waters broken) with the two doses of gel and I'm sure that the waters going and therefore bringing the head down onto the cervix would have got me going on my own, it just would have been slower. The induction left me with very little options when it came to pain relief, purely because of how quick the labour was.

At the end of the day, I don't think that it will matter to you in a years time how your baby came into the world, be it "naturally" or by c-section. A drug induced labour to me is no more "natural" than a c-section is.

magnumlady

I went into labour naturally but had the drip both times. The first time because I was in labour for over 12 hours and they wanted to speed things up.
The second time as soon as I started having contractions they give me the drip so the labour wouldn't be as long as the first. It was great, my daughter was born after only an hour I had no pain relief and she didn't cry when she was born.

embee

magnumlady wrote: »

I went into labour naturally but had the drip both times. The first time because I was in labour for over 12 hours and they wanted to speed things up.
The second time as soon as I started having contractions they give me the drip so the labour wouldn't be as long as the first. It was great, my daughter was born after only an hour I had no pain relief and she didn't cry when she was born.

It isn't a negative that a baby doesn't cry when its born. When babies cry after birth, it is a physiological mechanism to help them clear their lungs - that is why its such a lusty cry.

My DD didn't cry after she was born, but she didn't have a chance to. There was meconium staining in the liquor and she had to be suctioned to prevent MAS as a matter of urgency.

magnumlady

embee wrote: »

It isn't a negative that a baby doesn't cry when its born. When babies cry after birth, it is a physiological mechanism to help them clear their lungs - that is why its such a lusty cry.

My DD didn't cry after she was born, but she didn't have a chance to. There was meconium staining in the liquor and she had to be suctioned to prevent MAS as a matter of urgency.

I thought it was great that my daughter didn't cry she just looked around and seemed so unstressed by it all. Unlike my first born, who cried and then wee'd all over me!

embee

magnumlady wrote: »

I thought it was great that my daughter didn't cry she just looked around and seemed so unstressed by it all. Unlike my first born, who cried and then wee'd all over me!

It is great that she didn't cry - all I'm saying is that it isn't abnormal for babies to cry when they're born.

It is entirely possible that your daughter received a bit of suctioning or vigorous rubbing to help her expel any residual amniotic fluid and/or mucous when the midwives were doing the initial examination on her afterwards.... do you know if that happened?

Lol, tis funny that your firstborn wee'd on you - my daughter didn't do anything like that, she just came out covered in sticky green meconium - she wasn't too attractive when she was born, all covered in green slimy stripes

The flipside to that was that I never had to deal with the awful "first nappy" - her first poo was a normal, non-gooey one, but it took her 4 days to do a real poop. I wasn't allowed out of hospital with her until she'd opened her bowels.

magnumlady

Yes I think they did use a suction on her. She was a very peaceful baby.
Not only did the first one wee on me, he also had his finger up his nose. The midwife said typical man!
That must have been very worrying for you with your daughter.

embee

magnumlady wrote: »

Yes I think they did use a suction on her. She was a very peaceful baby.
Not only did the first one wee on me, he also had his finger up his nose. The midwife said typical man!
That must have been very worrying for you with your daughter.

Haha, finger up his nose... typical man indeed!!

It was worrying, on reflection. At the time, I didn't realise that her bowels were so sluggish - it was my first baby and I didn't realise that they should be poo'ing very soon after birth. Having said that, it took about 36 hours for her to get fed properly - I attempted breastfeeding but I couldn't get her latched on and she basically had nothing to eat for the first day and a half, so there was nothing to poo out. When I gave her some formula, it got her gut moving and once she'd done two poops, they said "she's grand, ye can go now". I did ask "how come I can't go home yet?" and they told me they weren't happy to let her out til she'd passed some bowel motions... think they were worried about a bowel obstruction.

Anyways, once she started poo'ing, she never looked back!

metrovelvet

I had a failed induction. I can tell you why. They made a mistake and thought I was dilated by 1cm, then booked the induction. When I went into the hospital it turned out I wasnt.

Induced contractions are soooo painful, and eventually I got stuck mid contraction, developed a fever, the babys head got stuck and his heart rate dropped and I was c sectioned.

If I had to do it again I would refuse to be induced. Make sure you are dilated. Otherwise your body and the baby simply are not ready.

embee

metrovelvet wrote: »

I had a failed induction. I can tell you why. They made a mistake and thought I was dilated by 1cm, then booked the induction. When I went into the hospital it turned out I wasnt.

Induced contractions are soooo painful, and eventually I got stuck mid contraction, developed a fever, the babys head got stuck and his heart rate dropped and I was c sectioned.

If I had to do it again I would refuse to be induced. Make sure you are dilated. Otherwise your body and the baby simply are not ready.

You don't have to have any dilation to be induced. You would have been assessed and scored on what is called Bishops Score. Dilation is preferable, but it isn't necessary. I hadn't dilated at all and I had a successful induction resulting in a vaginal birth with the bare bones of pain relief.

Nevyn

I was not dialated at all when my induction process was started and things well pretty well.

Dizzyblonde

I wasn't dilated either, I had a planned induction because I was so overdue. And it went without a hitch.

foxy06

most people are induced by appointment so they would not be dialated at all. I was due in at nine for induction but pains started at five that morning so was lucky. Had to have water broken on two occassions though and wouldn't want to have to do that again!

metrovelvet

Ok I was reiterating the explanation the nurses had for why it probably failed.

Nevyn

metrovelvet wrote: »

Ok I was reiterating the explanation the nurses had for why it probably failed.

Sounds more like you labour did not progress, again I would suggest you get a copy of your medical records from the birth and read them.

MLE

Hopefully Mrs A youve had your baby ok by now, let us know.

Im not a fan of inductions. Was inducted a week over on my first and basically ended up with one of those horror birth stories that no one wants to hear.

Didnt want to be induced on second and so was booked in for a section at a week over but went myself and ended up having a similiar birth to the first.

So I thought being induced was the reason for the birthing experience on my first and it hindsight it wasnt as second birth was similiar, I just basically grow babies whos heads are too big for me to birth naturally but they couldnt diagnose that till after the second one.

But in saying that I think people are better not being induced.

Nevyn

Well the fathers gentics play a part in it was well, seriously if I knew then what I knew now... big headed fathers make for big headed babies.

MLE

Thaedydal wrote: »

Well the fathers gentics play a part in it was well, seriously if I knew then what I knew now... big headed fathers make for big headed babies.

Yes you are soo right they both had their daddies head and man is his head big.:D

MrsA

I am sorry for not coming back sooner to thank you for the advice.

Later the same day I posted this I went into spontaneous labour, and from the pain of the first contraction until my little man was lying crying on my chest was just over 50 minutes!!!

We did not have time to go to hospital so my husband delivered him in our bedroom at home. We had what is technically an "unassisted birth" but, not by choice more by necessity.

We are now all home from hospital and getting settled into family life. We are so exhausted but happy and safe.

M

Quality

MrsA wrote: »

I am sorry for not coming back sooner to thank you for the advice.

Later the same day I posted this I went into spontaneous labour, and from the pain of the first contraction until my little man was lying crying on my chest was just over 50 minutes!!!

We did not have time to go to hospital so my husband delivered him in our bedroom at home. We had what is technically an "unassisted birth" but, not by choice more by necessity.

We are now all home from hospital and getting settled into family life. We are so exhausted but happy and safe.

M

Ahh that is fantastic news, Well done to you and your husband and congratulations..

Nevyn

Oh wow congratulations.