[Guest_- Poppy -_*]

I have developed GD and bub has grown too big and they are going to induce me early because if he goes full term his is probably not going to be able to fit.

Im a bit scared of being induced, I really really wanted a natural birth no drugs.

My questions are:

When you were induced, what did they do? Are you hooked up to an IV or any other kind of drip?

If you are induced is your birth still classed as a natural birth?

Is it a good idea to get an epidural? I have heard being induced is very painfull and scary because you go from 0 - 100 and you dont have time to adjust so its a good idea to get an epidural.

Any other information would be greatly appreciated!

[Bomber girl]

I was induced with my second. I had the drip and it was quite intense and quick (3hrs , 1st was 14) I had no drugs and it was ok. It was not my worst birth

[duck-o-lah]

I went into labour naturally, but needed a bit of a hurry up, so was induced. I had a syntocin drip, so yes, hooked up to an IV the whole time. In terms of pain relief, I requested an epidural quite early on in the piece, but the MW kept saying it was too early, so I imagine it would be something you could decide as you go.
Good luck

[2 Gorgeous Girls]

I was induced for my first and had my second naturally.

I was induced because my waters had been broken for 4 days with no labour (I was close to term). I went straight on a drip.

I'm not sure whether it's a natural birth. In my second pregnancy it was just about whether it was vaginal or c-section.

If I had another induction I would ask for an epi as soon as they would give me one, in fact it was in my birth plan second time around!

I didn't even really realise I was in labour with my second as the intensity was so much less. When transition hit I thought labour was starting and freaked out about the pain

I'm not trying to scare you. Just telling you my honest experience. Other people will give you ideas too and there are definitely some people where they didn't feel natural vs induced labour was any different

Good luck with your impending birth!

[laridae]

Yes, I was induced. They put me on a drip, put monitoring on my belly, broke the rest of my waters (the hind waters broke naturally but they reckoned it was taking to long for labour to start afterwards - so the helped by inducing).
Then they put in the syntocin and it went from whoa to go pretty quickly.

Still classed as a natural birth

I won't lie, it is very full on, you don't really get much of a break between contractions, and they ramp up very quickly. I didn't have an epi though. They did give me the pethadine shot, and in hindsight, I think it would have been better without it. It just made me very out of it, but still had all the pain.

All over pretty quickly though - induction started about 8 am, DD was out before 2pm.

This post has been edited by laridae: 21/11/2012, 08:12 PM

[sarahec]

I was in hospital for three days prior to induction, they tried to induce labour through giving me a pessary. Then on the third day they put the drip in. I was in so much pain!! I wanted to die. I had an epi and the rest was fine. Two of my friends were induced about the same time as me and neither had epis or that much pain. I think it depends. My baby was 4.38kg, so a biggish baby.I guess I would classify it as natural? You are hooked to a drip and a machine that monitors the baby so you can't move much. Well I couldn't.From what I remember it was day one pessary to dilate cervix, day 2 balloon catheter to dilate cervix, day 3 doctor broke waters and drip was put in.

[Saecularis Angel...]

I was induced because DD was 11 days overdue and there was no sign of labour starting spontaneously.

There are different methods of induction; I had my membranes ruptured and a syntocinon drip.

As I understand it, (I am so not the expert on this stuff), purists will classify a natural birth as one with no interventions, but someone who is induced can - and generally does - have a vaginal birth.

Look, the approach I took to pain relief was, "Don't rule anything out, take it as it comes and see what I need at the time." I was induced at about 8am, and I had an epidural at about 4pm. I didn't find the pain unmanageable until about 2pm (when I started using gas), and I didn't find the build up overwhelming or scary. I did lose the plot a bit after they gave me a shot of pethidine (about 3pm), but I think that was as much to do with the pethidine as anything else.

I loved my epidural and had no problems or side effects with it; but you need to weigh up for yourself the risks involved. From my point of view the great benefit was that it didn't just take away the pain, it also gave me back the ability to take in what was going on around me, respond to the people trying to help me, and work with them; from debriefing with my ob and my midwife (separately) later, I believe that without the epidural I would have ended up with an emergency Caesar, just because I was too out of it with the pain/confusion at that point to be able to do anything to help myself.

Oh, I recommend using a TENS - I found it great in the earlier stages before I started with the gas.

[-Belinda-]

I was induced with my first due to high BP.
Broke my waters about 9am, went for a big walk and put on the drip about 12. Contractions kicked in at 12.30pm.
Was able to stand up (with drip attached) to rock, have a shower etc.
First 3 hours were OK, next 3 hours were more intense but only used gas for pain relief.
Pushed DD out at 6.30pm, it took about 30 mins.

Waters broke naturally with my second, labour was more painful (posterior) and ended in C-section about 4 hours later when bub became distressed for unknown reasons. Total opposite!

Good luck, you'll be fine.

This post has been edited by -Belinda-: 21/11/2012, 08:05 PM

[tanyak1]

I was indued with my 1st and 3rd babies.

First - I was about 3cm dialated beforehand (didn't feel anything). The OB recommended I have an epidural straight away as DD was posterior. So I got the epidural put in, syntocin drip started, and waters broken - can't remember the sequence of events but one procedure after the other. I pretty much didn't feel a thing for the 10 hours, the midwives told me when to push. Ended up having a forceps delivery (I think more due to DD's posterior position, she didn't turn).

Second induction/3rd baby - 3cm dialated again. Water was broken and the midwife had me walk around for a bit to try and start labour, nothing happened so after about an hour they started the drip. From first contraction to birth was 2 1/2 hours, it was hard and painful and I used only gas, but I knew I could handle it as I only had gas for (non-induced) DD2. The induced labour was harder and more painful but because it was quick it was not so bad.

[Bunbaker]

I was induced with all 3 of my kiddies.
Mainly due to their size and mine. My first was induced 4 days before due date.
I had the gel applied the night before at around 10pm and started getting crampy through the night and then labour began at 9am. I had a 9 hour pretty straight forward labour. I would say it progressed well and steady. I had pethedine with her although didn't like the feeling of that.
I was then induced at 37weeks and 6 days with bub 2 and he was my easiest labour/birth. I had my waters broken and then drip. This was a drug free labour and also steadily progressed.
Baby 3 was induced at 38weeks was 6.5 hours. I was induced with gel and I was in labour within 15mins (before the middy had even left the room lol). Again a drug free labour and fairly straight forward. They had to break my waters at 4cm as they were bulging and this made my contractions very intense and I went from 4cm to 10 in a matter of half an hour. This was very painful but I managed and that really didn't have anything to do with being induced.

Don't believe everyones stories that being induced means it will be more painful or go from 0-100 quickly. It will depend on you and your bub. I am hoping next bub I will go into labour naturally but I cannot go past 38 weeks now so I will be limited time wise.

Good luck and hope all goes smoothly xx