Induction options

I was unsure too, so I did a bit of reading and my conclusions were:
1) the pessary is slightly more effective in inducing labour compared to the balloon
2) the pessary is slightly more risky than the balloon because it can cause too many contractions which may lead to an emergency caesarean section. So the balloon is more recommended if you had previous surgeries to the womb, or if you have a small baby or concerns about the placenta (cause baby would tolerate the contractions less well)
3) the insertion of the balloon can be painful, while the pessary insertion is quicker and should be less painful (but can cause more contractions - which would then be uncomfortable, but it's easier to have pain relief at that point)

All in all I therefore opted for the gel because it's more likely to be effective for inducing labour. However I never had surgeries and I don't have any concerns about the baby not tolerating the contractions at present. Your situation may be different depending on why you're being induced!

Thank you so much, this is really helpful!