Your experience of induction

Chattastrophe!

January wrote: »

Merkin, have you heard of a Bishop Score?

My advice would be, if you do go overdue and induction is mentioned, to ask what your bishop score is and go from there with what you decide. It will tell you a lot about whether induction is likely to work or not. If all is well with baby you could buy more time by waiting out a few more days or just go straight to an elective c section if you wanted to avoid a long hard labour that might end up in a c section anyway. (I've heard elective c sections are a lot easier to recover from than emergency ones but I've never experienced an elective!).

I had all the intentions of asking my bishop score before being induced but forgot all about it at the end

Yes, this! It is something I would definitely have asked about if only I'd known to ask about it.

Merkin

January wrote: »

Merkin, have you heard of a Bishop Score?

My advice would be, if you do go overdue and induction is mentioned, to ask what your bishop score is and go from there with what you decide. It will tell you a lot about whether induction is likely to work or not. If all is well with baby you could buy more time by waiting out a few more days or just go straight to an elective c section if you wanted to avoid a long hard labour that might end up in a c section anyway. (I've heard elective c sections are a lot easier to recover from than emergency ones but I've never experienced an elective!).

I had all the intentions of asking my bishop score before being induced but forgot all about it at the end

Wow, this is brilliant. I hadn't heard of this at all so it's great to be able to reference something tangible like this to use as a guide if an induction is recommended, thank you!

xalot

That Bishop Score thing is amazing. Do all hospitals use it?

Definitely handy to know for next time!

pwurple

Merkin wrote: »

Seems like the AMR and the sweep (if the cervix is ready) are a lot more gentle whereas the oxytocin seems to take people by surprise somewhat!

I don't think any of those are gentle. Nothing is particularly gentle in labour. the breaking of waters is quick for sure, but not fun.

Merkin

Funny you say that, was chatting to Mum about it today who said AMR is most definitely not what she'd describe as a gentle experience! She actually had oxytocin with all of us after they broke her waters and said that it was managed very well through a drip (she went privately under the care of Professor Gavin in the Coombe with us all) and while it did make the contractions stronger, it really speeded things along nicely. So many conflicting stories!

RentDayBlues

The breaking of my waters did not hurt at all, it was not uncomfortable and was so quick. Maybe that was helped by the fact I was well on my way anyway, with my first my waters went naturally. I also did not find the sweeps uncomfortable either

Pitocin for me sped up what was happening anyway and with one at home I wanted to have my baby and return home ASAP. It ended well for me but last delivery got stressful towards the end as because of epidural I had been pushing for a long time and baby got stressed, again it shows each time is different

Ms2011

I had a sweep done a few days before being induced which didn't work. Just before having the drip they attempted to break my waters but couldn't, then I 'failed to progress' with the drip & babs got distressed after 5 hours in labour, ended up having an emergancy c-section, all v.stressful for me, my OH & our son.
Should I get pregnant again & so long as me & the baby are fine I will not be having a sweep, waters broke or any form of induction, baby will arrive when ready;)

whatdoicare

I was ten days over according to hospital and even though I kept telling them not only do I not think Im ten days over,im most definitely not at the point of getting ready to give birth. My bump was high,she hadn't settled down towards my lower pelvis yet,i wasn't uncomfortable,no feeling of contractions,no dilation etc etc the doctors ignored me and all their own training and just went ahead with sweeping. Didn't work so a few days later gave me a gel at 6pm,then another at 6am. Didn't work,didn't even get cramps. So waters broken and onto drip. Six hours later i had dilated a whole centimeter. Baby in distress. Emergency Csection. Next time im going to tell them to flip off with their interventions. If all the signs point to a happy baby,comfortable mammy and no sign of babs getting ready to go then forcing me into labour and risking my baby's life is really counter productive. Never again will i agree to that drip. And ignore all talk of a big baby,they haven't a clue,its all guess work,all along i was having this massive baby, well,she was 7 pound exactly at ten days over. Not even average. So ignore all that ****e. If it feels like yr not ready to give birth follow that instinct,i learned the hard way that i should have listened to my gut.

Neyite

I had my waters break naturally but had a meconium issue, so as I was only 1cm along, I got the ocytocin drip. The midwife warned that statistically epidurals were more likely with the drip, but we agreed I'd give it a go without it and keep the option open.

But after 3 hrs I was still 1cm and baby's heartbeat was becoming slightly erratic, and they started hinting at a C-section. I got the epidural when I knew it was more than likely, and about an hour later was brought to theatre.

What I liked was that with the epidural, they were able to top it up so I was awake for the procedure, so I got to hear the baby cry and all that.

A C-section is no picnic, but I dont think I'd be nervous if I had to have another. Pain-wise, I was on morphine that day, Diefene + Paracetamol for the 5 days after. Stitches were out on day 5, paracetamol for a few days after that when I was at home, I was tender but not sore by that stage. I think the worst part of the C-section was those bloody support stockings I had to wear for 6 weeks I managed 3 weeks afterwards in an Irish heatwave.

2 years on, and my scar is about 1.5 inches long, barely visible, and in a location that only my partner, a gynae doc and my waxer would ever see! It was the bead stitch they used and it is so neat and healed perfectly flat.

January

You had to wear the support socks for 6 weeks??? I only ever had to wear them as long as I was in hospital!

Neyite

January wrote: »

You had to wear the support socks for 6 weeks??? I only ever had to wear them as long as I was in hospital!

I managed three.
My PHN told me off for it, then admitted I lasted about a week more than most women, and made me promise to take a short walk daily instead.

Ms2011

January wrote: »

You had to wear the support socks for 6 weeks??? I only ever had to wear them as long as I was in hospital!

I didn't get any at all?!!!

January

Ms2011 wrote: »

I didn't get any at all?!!!

God the inconsistency in care in this country is appalling... Did you get the anti clotting injections?

Neyite

January wrote: »

God the inconsistency in care in this country is appalling... Did you get the anti clotting injections?

Is that the heparin? I got 4- 2 in each arm. Maybe it was the nurses technique but I had massive bruises from that, and I take a fair whack before a visible bruise will show. Then again, it was anti-clotting. Derp.

January

Neyite wrote: »

Is that the heparin? I got 4- 2 in each arm. Maybe it was the nurses technique but I had massive bruises from that, and I take a fair whack before a visible bruise will show. Then again, it was anti-clotting. Derp.

Yep heparin, I had to have it every day I was in hospital, had it in my stomach though not in the arm.

I bruised really badly this time Everyone was shocked, every time a nurse looked at it they sucked in their breath and went 'oh wow, you are really bruised...' I didn't realise how much until I got home.

Ms2011

January wrote: »

God the inconsistency in care in this country is appalling... Did you get the anti clotting injections?

I'm not sure to tbh, was pretty out of it after the section, didn't even realise they'd taken babs to the NICU until OH came in the next morning asking where he was & I had to send him up the the nurses station to find out :eek::o
I know from my notes (not that I was ever told) that I bled excessively during the section (probably added to me being so out of it) so I'd say I most likely did get something for clotting but no socks.

Sligo1

Neyite wrote: »

Is that the heparin? I got 4- 2 in each arm. Maybe it was the nurses technique but I had massive bruises from that, and I take a fair whack before a visible bruise will show. Then again, it was anti-clotting. Derp.

Should usually be given in the subcutaneous tissue of the abdomen (ie into the belly). But can be given in arm. And yea can cause terrible bruising in some people. Some people's bellys I have seen were destroyed with the bruising.

highly1111

I haven't read all the posts but I was induced on 2 out of my 3 so here's my tuppence.

First child I was overdue and extremely uncomfortable - my bump was rock solid and very very sore. I went in and they examined me and found I was leaking fluid so they induced me with the gel which was applied internally. Within a matter of minutes I started getting pains. Gel was applied at 6.30pm - the pains kept on coming and were extremely painful (hence the term pains!!! ha!!) the contractions were coming thick and fast and of course not knowing my ar*e from my elbow every time I had a contraction I thought I would poo!! at about 2.30am my waters broke and the pains got even more intense - I got pepidine (injection into the bum!) but it didn't work for me at all. I finally started to dilate at about 7.30am when I was examined again - got my epidural at about 9.30am and baby arrived at 4.22pm - I only had one gel application.

2nd baby - was getting lots of Braxton hicks, was 13 days over and went into hospital - turns out it was Braxton hicks because basically once I went into the hospital the pains all stopped (at the time we were living over an hour away from holles st and midwives had advised me to come in because 2nd babies can come much faster) - they kept me in overnight and the following morning doing rounds the doctor broke my waters - said he was hardly going to send me home only to come back tomorrow - I was due to be induced on the Tuesday anyway and this was the Monday - he broke my waters - wasn't painful and within 3 hours - pains had well and truly begun! however, I dilated much faster and at about 1pm I was taken to the delivery suite and got my epidural and baby was born at 4.25pm.

3rd baby arrived naturally 6 days overdue - she was my biggest baby but my easiest labour.

I knew/know very few people who have experience of being induced and of going naturally - however, those I do know advised that induction pains are far far worse than natural labour pains and I 100% agree with this. I do believe that it's because your body is been artificially pushed into labour (although medically - it may need to be) - but the labour pains on my first and second were far far more intense than my 3rd. lets put it this way, if I had gone naturally and then been induced (i.e. my labours were the other way around) I would have been convinced that something was seriously wrong with either me or the baby.

I just want to make it clear that I'm talking about my labour pains as opposed to my deliveries - my 1st delivery was horrendous - little fella decided he would turn in the birth canal - and my 2nd and 3rd were fine - for the purpose of this post, I'm talking about labour pains only - not delivery!

so at the end of my rambling post, my advice is this - if at all possible - try and avoid induction. my 3rd labour was so so much easier - but not faster - in fact, number 2 arrived faster than number 3! my husband even couldn't get over the difference between labours 1 and 2 and then my third.

PS - I also had 2 sweeps on my 2nd and nothing happened!

SmokeyEyes

Great to read all your experiences...Im 40 + 8 and booked in for Tuesday to be induced. Was examined by master on weds who said I was extremely favourable and 2-3cm already and I had a show when he did the internal. He said he'd eat his hat if I didnt go before Tuesday ( he actually thought id go that night) so fiance and I were on high alert but sure enough it's Sunday and no baby! Mucus plug coming away all the time and aches and pains but we're starting to think Im going to still end up being induced which we wouldnt choose if it's that or natural labour. Good to know all your experiences...sitting here waiting for labour is tough:-)

lazygal

I know it's been said but you don't have to agree to induction. It may be hospital policy to say induction is done after X days overdue but you can decline any intervention, including induction. I know of people who declined gel induction or having waters broken and went naturally themselves.

whatdoicare

lazygal wrote: »

I know it's been said but you don't have to agree to induction. It may be hospital policy to say induction is done after X days overdue but you can decline any intervention, including induction. I know of people who declined gel induction or having waters broken and went naturally themselves.

Can you do that if you're over their policy days? I really want to say no the next time around. They do that scare tactic thing where they say it's more dangerous for baby etc. Is there anywhere I can read about my rights about this?

Hannibal Smith

January wrote: »

God the inconsistency in care in this country is appalling... Did you get the anti clotting injections?

I'll never forget getting the injection...I hit the nurse ...not like a full on slap but...she injected me and it pinched and my reflexes just lashed out I wouldn't mind it was night 4 software I should have been well used to it!

As for oxytocin I hated it...absolutely hated it. I had my waters artificially broken, 3 gels and nothing worked ao I got the oxytocin. ...it was horrendous. ..it was full on pain out of no where that did nothing but distress me and junior. ..so much so I had an emergency c section. ....luckily the second time around I needed a the section before they could even suggest oxytocin so I missed out on it.

Ms2011

whatdoicare wrote: »

Can you do that if you're over their policy days? I really want to say no the next time around. They do that scare tactic thing where they say it's more dangerous for baby etc. Is there anywhere I can read about my rights about this?

There's a really good closed VBAC group on Facebook with some good reading:)

lazygal

whatdoicare wrote: »

Can you do that if you're over their policy days? I really want to say no the next time around. They do that scare tactic thing where they say it's more dangerous for baby etc. Is there anywhere I can read about my rights about this?

Of course you can. The staff might try to put pressure on you to agree to induction but you are within your rights to refuse. It is policy not the law. Holles St allows 14 days over but the Rotunda and Coombe are different. I know of women who declined induction on day 14 and went naturally themselves.

whatdoicare

lazygal wrote: »

Of course you can. The staff might try to put pressure on you to agree to induction but you are within your rights to refuse. It is policy not the law. Holles St allows 14 days over but the Rotunda and Coombe are different. I know of women who declined induction on day 14 and went naturally themselves.

Limerick only allows 10 days max and they go by a 28 day cycle which is ridiculous.
I'm glad I could potentially say no. I'd at least like a chance at VBAC but Limerick Maternity seems to have the lowest rates of it in the country.

SmokeyEyes

Just my two cents after being induced last Tuesday. I had my waters broken straight away and after 3 1/2 hrs was fully dilated and brought into delivery suite. I was very lucky as everyone else was just given the gel and by the time I had delivered no one else had even gone into labour yet. So my experience was very positive but again I got away without any gels or drips

tazwaz

My experience at being induced....I was 10 days over and baby was very comfy :-) I had the 1st gel at 8am and no stir at all. Had the 2nd gel at 6.30pm and baby was born at 12.05am. It was fine, pains came quick & strong but they were bearable. In the end I went from 7 to 10cm in under a half an hour so no time for an epidural. I had heard horror stories and I was bricking myself at the thought of being induced but it ended up fine.