iduction of labour, good vs bad points?

qwertytlk

Hi all, my baby is 5 days overdue and at hospital appointmet today they gave me a date for induction next wed. Iv heard being induced is horrible compared to going into labour naturally as the contractions are much stronger and the whole process takes alot longer. Is this true, or are there any good points to being induced apart from the obvious of getting a little baby at the end of it and also knowing when baby will be born?? Also any advice from those with experience of being induced would be great. Thanks:D

January

I was induced on my first using ARM and syntocin, the syntocin is said to make the contractions stronger and closer together and you can have the epidural if you wish but it's said the epidural actually slows down labour so could be counter productive.

The only thing I didn't like about being induced was continuous monitoring on the CTG, but it did show that my baby was in severe distress so it was actually a good thing in the end. I never got to the end of my induction as it ended in c section because of little one being in distress so maybe someone else could explain what happened then.

Eoineo

If you are favourable then induction shouldn't be as stressful as you've been led to believe.

I was induced a few weeks early on my first child and I was favourable. I'd been using raspberry leaf tea, eating masses of pineapple & using some homeopathic remedies in the lead up to my induction day. Gel was applied at 11am, I was examined at about 7pm and had ARM - no syntocin drip. I started to have mild pains which got progressively stronger, asked to be examined at 3am and was holding my baby by approx 4am.

As I understand it, if you're not favourable then your chances of having a tough time are higher.

Best of luck and hopefully you will go yourself in the meantime.

embee

I was induced at 12 days overdue. I had the prostin gel (x2), ARM and syntocinon. I was admitted to the ante-natal ward on the Friday night, got Prostin that night and early next morning. CTG was showing contractions but I wasn't feeling them at all. At 1pm I had a VE (vaginal examination), I was 2 cm and suitable for ARM so the ARM happened at 1.25pm. Contractions after the ARM were much stronger and then they hung the syntocinon.... it was just contraction on top of contraction. I stayed on my feet for a lot of my labour. At 3.50 PM I felt an urge to push. Hadn't even been brought into the delivery suite. The midwife did another VE and I was 10cm and ready to go. Was brought around to the delivery suite and after a bit of faffing around in the pushing phase (took me a few contractions to get used to how to push properly). Daughter was born at 4.32pm.

Positive aspects - I was just grateful at that stage to have an end in sight to the pregnancy. I was so big and swollen and uncomfortable that I was desperate for it to be over. Being in hospital from the night before didn't make me any more anxious, in fact I was probably less anxious as I was being monitored all the time. Towards the end of the labour when she was getting a little distressed, the continuous monitoring helped the midwives to possibly react quicker than if they had been doing intermittent auscultation. As a first time mother, I was just so anxious about it all but in a funny way being in hospital did help lessen my anxiety.

Negative - The amount of VE's I had in the induction process (2 for prostin insertion, 1 at 2cm,1 for ARM, 1 VE at 10cm) was not pleasant. Some women don't mind them too much but I found them invasive and uncomfortable and having so many was a bit stressful. Also, because my labour was so quick, my wee girl was a bit shocked and started to have heart decelerations - she had to have a fetal scalp electrode attached to her head as her heartrate was dipping. There was meconium in the amniotic fluid, but I am not sure as to whether or not this was due to her being overdue or stressed. When she was born she didn't cry and wasn't that vigorous, she did need a bit of help to perk up. The midwife said that was probably due to the precipitous labour. She was fine afterwards but those few moments after the delivery were scary. Of course, if I had gone into labour myself these things could have happened too. I had the vaginal birth I wanted but it wasn't that "natural" if you know what I mean.

If I was ever to get pregnant again I would be keen to avoid induction. I had a positive birth experience with minimal pain relief (only had gas and air - started shouting about an epidural when I was 10cm lol) but the syntocinon contractions and continuous CTG were intense and restrictive in terms of positions to adapt, moving around etc. I would also like to have had a physiological third stage but to have that you must have a physiological labour (ie going into labour spontaneously and no augmentation of any kind).

10 women can be induced in the exact same way and have 10 different outcomes..... mine is a fairly standard outcome - induction resulting in a vaginal delivery and a healthy baby and mum. The best thing I would suggest to anyone being induced is to try to remain open minded about the outcome and the entire process- you could be induced only to find your baby is not tolerating the process and then a caesarean section may be neccessary.

Best of luck!

Hobbitfeet

I found this website informative

http://www.dare-to-give-birth-naturally.com/labor-induction.html

Hannibal Smith

I was induced at 36 weeks, so my story really isn't valid because neither me nor the baby were even nearly ready for labour or birth, they were just giving me a chance I reckon

But what I would say is, I'm not sure if you've had a baby before and know what labour pains are like? But when you get the gas and air....concentrate on your breathing...don't breathe in and out like you normally would...when you feel a contraction coming inhale (the gas) and when it hits, blow out for the entire contraction.

This is probably useless information, that you haven't a hope of remembering but when I got the gas first I was just breathing in and out and it made me feel sick. A second midwife came in and told me that trick and omg she should get a Nobel Prize for greatness Inductions are tough because the pain is so intense straight off the bat and you're not really prepared for it...well that's what I found anyhow, so the breathing tip was fantastic.

January

Hannibal Smith wrote: »

I was induced at 36 weeks, so my story really isn't valid because neither me nor the baby were even nearly ready for labour or birth, they were just giving me a chance I reckon

But what I would say is, I'm not sure if you've had a baby before and know what labour pains are like? But when you get the gas and air....concentrate on your breathing...don't breathe in and out like you normally would...when you feel a contraction coming inhale (the gas) and when it hits, blow out for the entire contraction.

This is probably useless information, that you haven't a hope of remembering but when I got the gas first I was just breathing in and out and it made me feel sick. A second midwife came in and told me that trick and omg she should get a Nobel Prize for greatness Inductions are tough because the pain is so intense straight off the bat and you're not really prepared for it...well that's what I found anyhow, so the breathing tip was fantastic.

:eek::eek::eek: That's a great tip about the gas & air that no one ever told me before! Will have to remember that for if I go again!!

Hannibal Smith

January wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek: That's a great tip about the gas & air that no one ever told me before! Will have to remember that for if I go again!!

I reckon that's the key to labour January. I reckon it's all in the breathing, but they don't teach you that in the ante-natal classes, which is a shame. I really want to do some sort of lamass (sp) classes this time, because I reckon if I could get myself focused breathing wise, this baby will be out in two pushes :D

It doesn't only work on labour btw...every time I stub my toe or bang my elbow, I use it too

Cat Melodeon

Another positive induction story here. Was 10 days over, had been pressured for a while from some of the doctors to go for an induction but neither me nor the baby were in anyway ready. At 10 days over it seemed to be time. I was given a dose of the prostin gels at 11am and was told it would be repeated again the following morning if nothing happened. If that had failed, we'd have had to discuss other interventions (I was thinking ARM/syntocin, they were thinking section). In the event, the first lot of gels worked. As I said, I was given them at 11 am, started walking the hospital grounds after that, felt nothing. At 3.30 I was put on a monitor to see if anything was happening. They weren't happy with the machine so at 4pm I was sent to the delivery ward to go on a better machine. 30 mins later my waters went, 4 hours after that my son was born. I've mostly heard of inductions that are a lot quicker than spontaneous births - maybe if epidurals are involved it takes longer?

It was intense, but as I have nothing to compare it to I can't say if it was any better or worse than not being induced. I think what freaked me out were all the stories about induction being harder or more painful than spontaneous labour, so I kept expecting the pain to get worse. It actually didn't, the first pain was no worse than the last, the later ones just came together a bit quicker. I also managed grand on gas and air. I did look for an epi but it was too late and I'm very glad I didn't get one as I really felt in control when it came to the pushing and the birth itself. Like Hannibal, the midwife showed me how to breathe in the gas on the contraction and release slowly while it lasted. I lost it a bit with the breathing on the pushing stage, could have done with more help there although the breathing exercises I learned from yoga and hypnobirthing CDs definitely helped keep me on track. I needed no other interventions other than that first gel. Vaginal exams were kept to an absolute minimum and the midwives really worked to make it as comfortable and natural as possible. I hadn't been at all favourable for induction - before I got the gels, my cervix was still firm, posterior and shut tight, the baby still hadn't fully engaged - but luckily the gels did their work and we managed the rest ourselves.

One thing though - apparently if you've been induced and you don't get an epi, the urge to push can be very difficult to control. If baby is crowning and the midwives say stop pushing - STOP! Fight the urge if you can at all, it will save your bits!

All in all, it was intense, it was quick, and if it happens exactly the same way next time I'll be delighted.

qwertytlk

ok...well despite my worries, none of that sounded too bad. Except the prospect of alot of vaginal exams. Had my first one in the hospital last week and it was not pleasant at all. Iv had a good few smear tests and things like that so am used to relaxing myself down there so it doesnt hurt so really thought id be an old pro...but no, i was actually in pain. Not sure if some of that was to do with the fact that i DO not like the doctor who performed the exam but hopefully i wont have to have too many. Im mostly worried about tearing and being stiched up, or having to have an episiotomy. Really dont want one. But all things said and done, if i say i dont want it and am told i NEED it then il have to give in...
kind of worrying about the state my nethers will be in after this:eek: I swear, i worry about something else ridicilous every day haaha:D

Cat Melodeon

qwertytlk wrote: »

ok...well despite my worries, none of that sounded too bad. Except the prospect of alot of vaginal exams. Had my first one in the hospital last week and it was not pleasant at all. Iv had a good few smear tests and things like that so am used to relaxing myself down there so it doesnt hurt so really thought id be an old pro...but no, i was actually in pain. Not sure if some of that was to do with the fact that i DO not like the doctor who performed the exam but hopefully i wont have to have too many.

I found the midwives were much nicer than the doctors at doing the VEs and as they'll be managing your labour for the most part, hopefully you won't have to suffer too much! You can also tell them you are sensitive down there and they might leave you alone. Like I said, I only had one when the pessary was inserted (very gentle, less invasive than having a tampon inserted), one when my waters broke and another that I didn't even notice when labour was very advanced.

qwertytlk wrote: »

Im mostly worried about tearing and being stiched up, or having to have an episiotomy. Really dont want one. But all things said and done, if i say i dont want it and am told i NEED it then il have to give in... kind of worrying about the state my nethers will be in after this:eek: I swear, i worry about something else ridicilous every day haaha:D

Not much I can say to you here except that the aftermath WILL heal - if you're lucky you won't even need stitches, if you do need stitches, just make sure you've stocked up on the teatree oil for sitz baths afterwards.