induced.....

[angiemum2b]

What actually happens when you go into be induced ?

i've spent the last 2 nights up worrying about what's going to happen when i go in to be induced.

I'm already scared as it's my first baby, and i haven't a very good pain threshold at all, but I wondered how many of you mums have been induced and what do they do in the hospital ?

I have to go to hospital on Tuesday for my check up as i'll be a week over, and wondered what to expect, should I take my hospital bags or will they most likely send me home, to come back in a few days ?

any advice or story will be most grateful maybe just to settle my mind.

 

[violet-glow]

I got induced because my son was 2 weeks ovadue and I couldnt wait to see him hehe.

Got into hospital, they hook your up to a machine to monitor the babys heart beat for about an hour I think it was... someone correct me if im wrong.

I think every 3 hours or so, (sorry my memory on this is a bit foggy) they give you these tablets to take. Which *ahum* you dont taken in your mouth, you have to put them inside you. They give you something that looks like a tampon adaptor to do this with. Then you get hooked up the the machine and its just basicly a waiting game to see if the tablets work. I had to have 5 lots before i went into labour.

Theres nothing to it really. I didnt know anything about it either before I went into be induced. I was worried, but they monitor you and you can always keep asking them if something is worrying you.

 

[angiemum2b]

Thanks for that Violet, do they give you the tablets first or do other things first ? ?

I don't know why I'm so nervous and worried but I just can't seem to shake this thought of it being more painful than going naturally

i really want to meet my lil one now so I'd do anything for him to be here ASAP. but I'm a big worrier person so simple details I have to know previous for some reason.

 

[Urchin]

I've been induced with both of mine.

The first time, they monitored me for about and hour, gave me an internal, then inserted a pessary (a hormone gel which softens the cervix) inside me (I didn't have to do it) Then more monitoring, perhaps another pessary if nothing happened.
Then later they can give you a hormone drip to increase and regulate your contractions..the drip is quite severe...once on it things can get very painful quite quickly.

The second time I was induced they examined me and found I was already 2-3 cms so didn't need the pessary as my cervix was open enough for them to break my waters, so that's all they did to start me off, then I had the drip later on.

If/when you're induced, don't expect everything to happen straight away..there is generally lots of waiting and wandering about, we walked around the hospital about 15 times, went for a cup of tea etc.

 

[angiemum2b]

Urchin, You said the drip is quite severe in what way ?
they start contractions very quickly or the actual drip. Sorry I'm abit slow

 

[violet-glow]

I had to be put on a drip towards the end of my labour as the contractions werent coming as they should and I was nakerd!

The drip I think speeds things up, it made my contractions come harder and stronger and made me want to push more. I was only on the drip for about 20 mins and then he was out.

I dont think you notice the drip, your in to much pain anyway... so i didnt really notice apart from it working.

 

[angiemum2b]

Oh right, it's just to help your contractions really and that's the pain you feel.

i hope i don't have to have the drip and if i do i hope like you Violet it's only for 20 mins.!!!!!

 

[pips]

violet glow the tablets are currently being tested out if thats what im thinking of...
i was induced and was on the gel as well. everyone reacts differently to an induction, i'd say my prob was the length of time: from 4pm on monday to 3am on wednesday, though i only started to get sore on tuesday afternoon. but it was soooo slow!!

they gave me 2 pessaries and i had to go on the drip too but then my body was refusing to dilate because baby was stuck and not pushing; so after that my story is not reliable for a typical induced birth

don't worry hun it's generally not as bad as it sounds!
and stop stressing, that will just make matters worse, just go in thinking you'll be the happiest bunny ever shortly after

 

[Urchin]

Yeah sorry, the drip speeds things up basically, so your contractions will get stronger and closer together.

 

[michelle82]

hi i was like urchin after my sweep they decided to induce me the next day and as i was already 2cms they broke my waters, 4 hours later after much wandering around the hospital nothing happened so i was taken to the delivery suite and was hooked up to a drip they start the dose low and increase it every 45mins to get the contractions to be strong enough to work at moving the baby down, so dont worry its not instant painful contractions! i was advised that being induced by drip can be more painful and the mw said to have an epidural but i didnt want one so did it on pethidine and gas and air (that stuffs great makes you feel so drunk the pain drifts away!) but it can get more intense near the end and i found gas and air did nothing for me so i did the rest on will power alone, i also have a relatively high pain threshold, if your really worried about the pain wait it out and see what its like then if its too much ask for an epidural that way you wont feel it. But try not to worry every labour is different and you'll be fine

 

[angiemum2b]

Oh ladies I can't tell you how much better I feel after reading a few of your stories.
From knowing absolutely nothing to having that extra in my head just makes me feel abit better

I just worry alot in general, my OH tells me to chill out so many times but I still worry about stuff.

Once you girlies was overdue you went for a check up first ? ? How long after that first check up did you have to wait for till you went to hospital ?

 

[Urchin]

Hiya
I saw my MW when I went a few days over, and she gave me a sweep. She also said "oh you're already 2-3 you're bound to go into labour on your own" She booked my induction for me from the doctors surgery, she rang the labour ward and booked me in for when I was 2 weeks over.

 

[angiemum2b]

I don't see my MW again now until my lil one is born and she is doing the home visits on my lil one.

On tuesday I have to go to hospital

 

[violet-glow]

violet glow the tablets are currently being tested out if thats what im thinking of...

I had a thing that looked like a tampon-adaptor and in that they placed some tablets then a little bit of gel to hold the tablets in and so the adaptor would slid in easy I had to sit in bed still for an hour so the tablets wouldnt move about etc and was hocked up to a monitor.

I havent heard of the gel. Is that the same?

 

[michelle82]

they use the tablets here my oh sister had that method done, i think it depends on where you live and the hospital some use gel others use tablets

 

[pips]

i had a sweep as well a week before being induced, but i never dilated! not even a cm

as for the tablets/gel business i'm no specialist-maybe urchin can help?
all i know is before i went in i was asked if i wanted to try being induced with the new tablets they are still testing but when i got to the maternity i was told they don't do it here and i had to have the gel...
had to wait on my side 30mins each time violet

did you guys not get an ultrasound before the induction???

 

[michelle82]

nope i was hooked up to the moniters after they broke my waters for 1/2hour then left to it then when i got put in the delivery suite was back on the moniters for the whole of the labour

 

[angiemum2b]

so How long can they leave you after your due date I thought it was only 10 days

 

[michelle82]

it depends on where you live hun a week before i went overdue they were doing sweeps at term +7 and inducing at term +10days but then they changed to term + 10 for the sweep and term +12 for the induction they said that less people needed inducing that way typical just before i was due so had to wait even longer i had matthew at term +11 as i had protein in my wee so they did it a day early thank god i was so fed up of waiting

 

[angiemum2b]

I'm hoping it's 10 days I just can't believe I've gone this long to be honest
i just want my lil boy here!