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Induction advice?

Last post 01/02/12 at 21:39 by reddevil, 23 replies
Post started by FoundationStage! on 18/01/12 at 19:11

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    Posted by: FoundationStage! 18/01/2012 at 19:11
    Joined on 10/02/2006
    Posts 1,109
    I am 12 days overdue with my first baby and booked for an induction this Friday at 8am. 37 hours to go! Am hoping he will arrive sooner so I can use the new birth centre at my hospital otherwise it will be in the labour ward. Just wondering whether anybody has any pearls of wisdom to help me through this anxious waiting time. Thanks, FS! :o)
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    Posted by: kittenmittens 18/01/2012 at 19:12
    Joined on 07/09/2008
    Posts 1,513

    Sorry no advice as my LO came 4 days late on her own- but good luck! Hope it all goes well, keep us posted x

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    Posted by: purplecat 18/01/2012 at 19:37
    Joined on 06/08/2005
    Posts 149

    I so know how you are feeling FS- I was induced at 12 days overdue and my son arrived the following evening. Those twelve days seemed like an eternity- almost like the whole pregnancy again!! I got so fed up with the texts/calls from people asking if there was any news/had baby arrived yet etc that I stopped answering the phone- as if I wouldn't have told anyone when baby finally arrived!!

     The only advice I can give is to be prepared for nothing much to happen and lots of waiting around. I too went in at 8am all geared up for things to happen and for the staff to start me off and i wasn't even seen by a member of staff apart from beng shown to my bed for nearly 2 hours!!! I had two pessaries 6 hours apart and then my labour started at 5am the following morning, before being transferred to the consultant led delivery (my blood pressure kept going very high and baby stopped moving around) in the afternoon and having him just before midnight. 

    Take food, snacks a new book, some music and some earplugs- the antenatal ward was next to the postnatal ward- I didn't sleep very well due to the crying babies and you need all your strength to get you through labour and the forthcoming sleep deprived days ahead.

     

    Good luck!!

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    Posted by: qu1annie 18/01/2012 at 20:22
    Joined on 28/06/2006
    Posts 893

     I was induced with the drip rather than the pessary as I had meconium in the waters. I was disappointed as it meant I couldn't have a water birth. I took my mp3 player and loaded it with lots of calming music which I listened to to help me sleep on both the antenatal and postnatal wards. Make sure you take lots of food/snacks for OH - I was very well looked after, but he didn't really want to leave me for very long once I was in established labour so he ate his way through lots of special K bars and dried apricots - no food otherwise and mine was mostly at night.  I'll be honest and say it was really painful as my body tried to take over from the drip and meant I had no respite from contractions so birth plan went out of the window and had I carried on I would have had an epidural (ended up having C-section.)But the midwife was brilliant at moving the monitor and drip stand to allow me to bounce on the ball/rock etc. 

    One of my friends was successfully induced with the pessary which kick started labour and meant that she could have a water birth.

    Good luck - fingers crossed you won't need the induction.

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    Posted by: leeds28 18/01/2012 at 21:06
    Joined on 11/10/2005
    Posts 512

     I was 14 days over, went in had the pessary walked up and down loads of stairs nothing much happened - no contractions or anything, but after 24 hours was dilated to 4cm (?!) so they broke my waters, and had to get my contractions started with a drip and things happened pretty quickly - I went for an epidural because they just started hard and fast, rather than building up. Got to pushing point, pushed for two hours, baby's heartbeat dropped and was no nearer so had spinal block and forceps with another two pushes. LO was born at 16 days over - 8lb 15oz. I really don't think he was ready to come out he was still very vernixy and not pickled! Take snacks, and puzzle books and don't be too frustrated if things don't happen as quickly as you think they will. I also got sooo cold and hospital sheets do not cut it for cosiness! Fingers crossed for you. x

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    Posted by: ladybug3 18/01/2012 at 21:37
    Joined on 17/01/2010
    Posts 1,210
    My advice is, prepare to be patient! I was induced at 10 days over as very large baby expected. Had pessary once and gel twice followed by them breaking my waters then the drip (pethadine and epidural needed!). LO finally born at 14 days over. Take lots of snacks, lots of books or other things to do etc. Also, tmi but anyway... If the pessary makes you constipated, tell the midwife on the ward... Or the inevitable will happen at the pushing-for-two-hours stage (very embarrassing!)
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    Posted by: jonesec 18/01/2012 at 21:44
    Joined on 07/01/2002
    Posts 588
    I was booked in for induction but at 12 days over LO finally arrived on his own. I was walking 5 miles a day (quite briskly), bouncing for hours on my ball but I am sure the thing that got things going was seeing a friend who made me laugh hysterically. Things suddenly started to happen. As a result, I did avoid the induction. Hope things get started of their own accord. If not, best of luck and am sure all will go well. One midwife told me to do jigsaws on the floor - I did one 3000 piece one. It nearly killed me and did nothing to help at all. don't bother - am guessing you might not have time for a jigsaw now!!
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    Posted by: Chica77 18/01/2012 at 21:48
    Joined on 09/01/2007
    Posts 7,211

    I was induced with my 2nd the evening of 11 days overdue, at about 11pm!

    Be prepared for it to be quite quick....that was my experience anyway. As soon as she put the tablet thing in you could see slight contractions on the monitor, although I couldn't feel them. The MW said my cervix was very closed which is unusual for a 2nd baby, and when they put a 2nd tablet in at 6:30am the next day she said 'when it happens, it'll be fast.'

    Contractions started about 10, and rapidly were every 2 mins, lasting a minute or more, and she was slightly back to back so i really felt them!

    Do you have a TENS machine? I found that really helped, and going for a short walk helped labour go faster I think. Also gas and air is fantastic Big Smile

    My labour was 4 hours 21 minutes in total, and it was fine, and not that much more painful than when I had my 1st who wasn't induced.

    You still have time for him to arrive on his own anyway! My son was 10 days late, and was born the afternoon of the day when I would've been induced!

    Make the most of the next few hours reading, watching a movie, chatting on the phone etc....anything that you will have difficulty doing once baby arrives!!

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    Posted by: undiwear 18/01/2012 at 22:41
    Joined on 04/03/2011
    Posts 220

     Would you be able to use the birthing unit if you go +14 days?  

    Have you asked for 'expectant management'?  ie using non invasive methods to be assured that the placenta is still working well and the baby is happy to be in there.  You do not have to be induced if you don't want to be induced even at post 14 days.  I have heard of women going into labour naturally at +22 days and baby was perfectly fine and not even 'overcooked'.  

     

    You can also ask for your Bishop's Score. (Whether or not the cervix is becoming favourable for labour - done manually) The higher your bishop's score the more likely you are to go into labour soon anyway so maybe worth waiting a bit longer.  The lower your bishop's score the more likely induction would not result in a vaginal delivery.  

     

     

     It is up to you however.  Best of luck with whatever you decide.  

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    Posted by: spiderkin 19/01/2012 at 17:26
    Joined on 02/12/2003
    Posts 1,050
    i agree with undiwear, you can refuse to be induced, especially if it's only because of dates and not down to a medical necessity. good luck x
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