Being induced

[EmmaLuna]

Hey lovelies.

I'm being induced on Sunday because of my gestational diabetes and bubba being on the big side.
I've heard being induced can make labour more painful and as the time draws near I'm becoming really nervous.

Just wondered if other mummies that have been induced could share how they found labour and maybe some tips on how to get through it.

Much love xxx

 

[CARNAT22]

Sorry to hear this Emma, I'm afraid I have no words of wisdom but I too will be induced due to GD. Currently planning on a 39w-40w induction if bloods stay stable but I had an issue flagged at growth scan yesteday so I need to be rescanned tomorrow and could be induced earlier.

Having had 2 vaginal births (natural - although my first was a very long labour and quite a medocal process. Natural deliveryin the end though) I don't relish the thought of induction but I also know that how baby gets here is just a very small part of the story and for the vast majority of women the birth will be hard work but they get through it and all is ok.

Best of luck

X

 

[snowbee]

I was induced at 38+5 after losing my waters and nothing else happening. I was already booked for induction at 40 weeks for GD.

I went in to be assessed in the afternoon and was kept in. They said they would start induction as soon as they had a room free, which turned out to be the following morning. Drip started at 11am and he was born just before 4pm same day.

I didn't realise it would go so fast. Once contractions started had gas and air. It was quite intense quite quickly but ok. My baby was also back to back, which apparently doesn't help. About 3pm the gas and air wasn't cutting it (I has been told would check at 4pm to see if dilated) and I asked for more pain relief. Was given pethadine. Felt a bit out of it on the two combined. Then realised my body was ready to push so I think I should have had the extra sooner really so it had kicked in.

I was terrified about induction, heard a lot of stories about it taking days. I found the worst bit getting the drip in to start with. The last hour wasn't fun but I would happily have an induction again and not be freaked out.

Hope it all goes well for the two of you.

Oh and my sugars had been fine whole pregnancy, just failed the gtt by 0.3. My baby measured spot on 50th centile at all growth scans and was 6lb and a bit, after they scared me saying he was going to be huge etc he was quite normal sized and went into tiny baby clothes.

 

[CARNAT22]

That all sounds really positive Snowbee? I'm glad it went well for you.

I didn't realise you had GD? How are you faring now?

I failed GTT by 0.2 but am now on 1500mg of Metformin and insulin

I'm not allowed to go to 40w, even 39w is pushing it for an insulin GD patient (according to my doom and gloom consultant lol)

Glad to hear a positive story though.

X

 

[snowbee]

I had to really fight them to agree to 40 weeks, they were properly doom and gloom over it, wanted me to agree to 38 weeks. I basically had a meltdown and they agreed to a growth scan at 38 weeks instead and induce if big at that.

I'm not sure if I had it or not to be honest. My only fail was the gtt, I didn't change my diet at all. I even ate three creme eggs and only then did I get a higher reading (and it still wasn't double figures). I was on metformin 500 for pcos as an experiment before pregnancy to see if it made any difference so I think that made them go a bit ott. I refused my gtt after birth, I hated it as it is very hard to get blood out of me and they have to go in the same spot both times as that is my only vein = painful. Instead I had a blood test to see my sugar levels in the months since birth, I've not heard back so I assume it was ok.

It was fine, I would have another one and if for gd again I would also refuse until 40 weeks if growth scans normal. If scans were showing an issue then I would obviously agree sooner but I think they scared me for no good reason. What have your sugars been like? High fasting if you are on insulin? How have your growth scans been?

 

[EmmaLuna]

Thank you so much Snowbee for sharing your experience, it's really helped.

My GD has been a bit of a nightmare, despite me being really careful about what I eat and working hard to control my sugars I was still getting erratic readings so was put on metformin which helped for a while. It's recently been increased but foods that I could tolerate a couple of weeks ago, I can't tolerate now and urgh, I'm over it.

 

[Wednesday]

Hi

Im borderline GD and have a big baby so being induced on Tuesday at 37+3. How far are you?

Like you, I am extremely nervous xx

 

[EmmaLuna]

I'm 37+5 now, Will be 38+2 when induced.
Thinking of you

 

[CARNAT22]

Hi Emma,

How are you doing / feeling?

Look forward to hearing all about babies arrived

X

I had to really fight them to agree to 40 weeks, they were properly doom and gloom over it, wanted me to agree to 38 weeks. I basically had a meltdown and they agreed to a growth scan at 38 weeks instead and induce if big at that.

I'm not sure if I had it or not to be honest. My only fail was the gtt, I didn't change my diet at all. I even ate three creme eggs and only then did I get a higher reading (and it still wasn't double figures). I was on metformin 500 for pcos as an experiment before pregnancy to see if it made any difference so I think that made them go a bit ott. I refused my gtt after birth, I hated it as it is very hard to get blood out of me and they have to go in the same spot both times as that is my only vein = painful. Instead I had a blood test to see my sugar levels in the months since birth, I've not heard back so I assume it was ok.

It was fine, I would have another one and if for gd again I would also refuse until 40 weeks if growth scans normal. If scans were showing an issue then I would obviously agree sooner but I think they scared me for no good reason. What have your sugars been like? High fasting if you are on insulin? How have your growth scans been?

Hi Snowbee, most recent scan (36+4) put baby at 5lb 14oz, following her line and they are happy. Although there is now as issue with the bloodflow from placenta to baby. Not sure if it's related to GD or not? So I'll most likely be induced for that.

As I'm medicated there is no way they'd let me go to 40w, they did tell me that is advance so I was aware. Although prior to the scan we were looking at 39w induction?

I thought you needed to have a different blood test after baby comes? Not the actual GTT? God that would be a pain to have to go back to antenatal for a GTT, not even being pregnant? I think I'll opt for the one blood test or just keep on taking my blood sugars.

What happened after baby came Snowbee, how often did they have to do babies blood sugars? How long were you in?

X

 

[snowbee]

I can't remember how often they did his blood, it was a few times the evening he was born, I think it was 3 or 4 times. He had one low reading (the second one) and said he needed to feed more. He was a bit slow to get eating, but my milk took days to come in. I'm a bit annoyed the lady never got back to me about colostrum harvesting until he was a week old and therefore pointless as I could get colostrum out in the weeks before!

He was born just before 4pm, I moved to the ward that evening and the following day we were allowed home. I actually chose to transfer to a close MLU to make sure we had got feeding sussed, so I stayed one night there.

I think GD can affect how fast the placenta and cord age so it could be related.

They make you redo the gtt here afterwards. I said no and they said I needed to get my GP to refer me for a full blood screen instead, which is the option I chose. (One needle instead of two and as it was I had to have both arms stabbed multiple times by two people just to get the one sample so I'm pleased I didn't go gtt and have to have that done twice!).

 

[snowbee]

Hope it went ok!

 

[Donna88]

I'm a bit late to this, but I was induced too - my waters started leaking, when they started me on the drip it kept nothing happened, they increased it a few times and nothing happened, this went on for hours turned out only my front waters had gone so they had to break my back waters. Then it all came at once, was quite quick and yes painful but as he is my first and only child I can't comment on how painful it was compared to a natural birth.


I hope yours went well x