Being induced.

A friend has recently been induced ( wasn’t planned ) but I didn’t realise you couldn’t eat anything when being induced (on the drip), so make sure you eat plenty before to keep your energy up!!xx

@Lauren that’s crazy! Okay thank you! ♥️

I’m also being induced, Clear isotonic drinks are a must! You’re allowed those and they’ll definitely help keep your energy up x Induction can be a long process, sometimes taking days so just prep yourself for that x

@Leo thank you! Do you have any recommendations for drinks? X

I had an induction - pessary then drip with my first. You can eat while on pessary and drink while on the drip… As soon as I had my waters broken I was in absolute agony though and didn’t even think about food! Make sure you look into pain relief as artificial labour is a little more painful than natural.. I had an epidural with my first and I will prob end up being induced again and will do it then too xx

If you have to stay in while you’re being induced (pessary!) then take earplugs and an eye mask, it can be loud on induction wards. Take entertainment - a book/ipad etc. and try walk around every few hours to bring on contractions xx

@Amy thank you so much this is all so helpful ♥️

I was induced first time around pessary and drip. The drip was really really painful for me and I had diamorphine as pain relief and this for me was the worst choice I made. If I had to be induced again and get put on the drip I’d opt straight for epidural. I was enjoying my natural contractions until they hooked me up onto the drip and I found it really painful.xx

Okay, so straight to the epidural, absolutely! I’ll take anything to make it less painful lol xx

I had a pessary just the one and contractions started hour after it was inserted and then my waters broke at 1 in the morning and in pain crying on my own like a mard arse for 5 hours after until they checked on me and told me I was in active labour and needed to be moved to the other side so got moved at 5 am to deliver her and as soon as I got given the gas and air I was okay until I got to 9cm but I kept on the gas and air didn’t want a epidural or anything else and I had her at 9:49 am I feel like I had a very positive experience with induction and I was quite fast for her being my first, I was induced at 39weeks and she was born at 39+1 so the morning after the induction process started at 5pm the night before like I said I only had one lot of the gel and that was enough to start me off , yes it was painful but the contractions hurt for me more than the pushing, it also made me have the poos before having her but lucky I cleared my self out before pushing her out, she was 6lb 12 x

My advice as well is to listen to the midwives/doctors - I was adamant I wanted no pain relief but it was honestly horrific (back to back, fully engaged at 4cm and induction are 3 really painful things to happen in labour!) and my midwife literally told me if I didn’t opt for the epidural I could end up with a GA as I was in such bad pain 😅 had it and then had a really relaxing labour!

I had an induction with my wee boy. They went straight to the gels instead of pessary’s. It took until the last lot of gels before anything really happened but it was like somebody hit and on switch and my body went bam into Labour. The process happened very quickly after that. Try and rest as much as you can through the process incase it lasts a while

I was induced with all 3 of mine, i had a pessary with my first at 37 weeks, they broke my waters with my second at 37 weeks and 3rd i had 2 sweeps and went into labour at 38 weeks, you cannot eat anything so what i remember with my 3rd is i started contractions at 3am hospital rang at 5am saying they had a bed and i got to hospital at 6am so from 6am untill i gave birth at 8.15pm i was starved. It sucks i wouldn't wish it on anyone but you cant eat incase they need to do an emergency c section

You can ask for epidural before they start the drip! I’m having this done and it was recommended incase we do have to do C-section so defo ask about that as it’s incredibly painful when you start drip