Induced Labour stories

Please tell me how it went and would you still get the option of epidural?

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Following as I’ve been offered one too x

Following as im 39+5 and been offered one next week. But im so unsure what to do 😩

I had one last time. I went to maternity about 3pm, had a sweep and put on the monitor. By 4.30pm I was moved to delivery as contractions had started, put on a drip and contractions were more painful than with my first and labour was progressing but not as fast, had my waters broken and given an epidural, which I'd asked because of the intense contractions. Then it was much more relaxed and baby was born at 5.15am so all in all 13 hours which was slow compared to my first who was natural with only gas & air, he was born in about 8 hours from first contractions. But for some people it can take days. I'm being induced again this time and I'll probably opt for epidural again.

I will be having an induction at 39 weeks but my midwife said you can still ask for an epidural! I guess all dependent on how the situation is in the labour room xx

I am not aware of any reason why you would not be able to get an epidural. Will find out on Monday about my induction timeframe.

With my daughter my waters broke at home & I got to 3cm but I had a bleed when they were examining me, so they started me on the hormonal drip & I had a positive experience tbh.
Though I was in labour for 24 hours, had gas & air, diamorphine TENS machine & birth comb, as I’m unable to have the epidural / spinal block due to previous surgeries.
I’m being induced this time round if baby doesn’t make an appearance before the weekend x

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8 weeks tomorrow ♥️

My names willow-eve

Let's see everyone's gorgeous babies !
Were does the time go'

Induction

I’m 38+2 had a stretch and sweep last night and was 1-2 cm dilated… had period cramps and back pain ever since but nothing else other than feeling unwell, like cold/flu symptoms and a headache! Being induced tomorrow if labour doesn’t progress, any tips to kickstart🤞🤞

Planned C-section turned emergency — a positive birth experience for nervous mummies 💕

Hi everyone! I wanted to come on and share my birth/labour experience because I know how reassuring it can be to hear positive stories, especially if you’re feeling nervous or anxious about birth. 💕

My little boy Michael was due in the middle of October, but decided to make an early appearance on September 24th 🥹🩵

Due to a lot of complications and anxiety around labour, our midwife recommended a planned C-section. This still scared me, but given the circumstances, having a planned C-section felt more predictable and helped me feel like I could prepare for the experience and minimise some of the unknowns.

However… just ONE day after we got our surgery date, Michael decided to break my waters, so we ended up being rushed into hospital for an emergency C-section — three weeks early! 🥴

When we arrived at the hospital, there wasn’t much waiting around. The team were absolutely amazing and so kind. They did the standard observations, checked my cervix and made sure everything was moving in the right direction.

We were then seen by a doctor who talked us through the procedure, before members of the surgical team introduced themselves and went through all the pre-op information with us. 💕

The scariest part for me was walking into the operating room. It was so surreal and scary, but at the same time there was this mixture of anxiety and excitement because I knew that within an hour, I was going to meet my baby. 🥹

Once in the room, they repeated my observations and administered the spinal. This was something I had been really scared about, but honestly, it was so smooth!

They sprayed cold liquid all over my back and gave me the numbing injections, which to me felt no different to having blood taken or getting an injection at the dentist. After that, I didn’t even feel the spinal going in. The most painful part was probably taking the sticky tape off my back afterwards! 😂😂

They quickly laid me down and continued doing observations while getting everything ready for surgery. They did lots of checks to make sure I couldn’t feel any pain before starting, which made me feel really comfortable and reassured.

I could feel some pressure — I assumed this was the catheter being put in — and then the next thing I knew, I heard my baby boy crying! 🥹🩵

I genuinely had no idea they had even started. It was absolutely amazing.

We played music in the operating room and we knew everyone by name, which made everything feel so much calmer. 🥹 After Michael was cleaned up, they gave him to my husband and we were just in this little bubble together. The last part of the surgery honestly felt like five minutes — it was over so quickly that you could barely process what had just happened! 😂

During the procedure, you feel pressure rather than pain. For me, it felt a bit like someone was doing the washing up inside my stomach 😂. The pressure became much more intense when Michael was being delivered and when the placenta was removed. For me, this felt like someone was leaning heavily on my chest.

I also suddenly had a really sharp headache and felt nauseous, but as soon as everything was out, I felt this instant relief. It was honestly the most amazing and insane thing I’ve ever experienced. 🥹

At the end, I was sick because of the medication, but overall the whole experience was just so surreal. They then took me into recovery, where everyone was so kind and reassuring. I was there for around 3–4 hours before being moved onto the ward.

And honestly, my recovery has been much better than I expected! I was up and walking later that same day. I’ve had quite a bit of pain on one side of my incision, but as long as I stay on top of my pain relief, it has been nothing like I imagined it would be.

And being in that newborn baby bubble really does help keep you going. 🥹🥹

I know everyone’s birth and recovery will be completely different, and I’m definitely not saying a C-section is easy — but as someone who was really nervous and scared about giving birth, I wanted to share a positive experience because I know I would have found this reassuring to read beforehand. 💕

If you’re nervous about your planned or emergency C-section, just know that you can absolutely get through it. The whole experience can feel so overwhelming beforehand, but once you’re there, the team guide you through every single step. And before you know it, you’re meeting your baby. 🥹🩵

Sending lots of love to all the expecting mummies! 💕

Miles or Jack??

I love the name Miles, but I’m worried about the fact that it’s also a unit of measurement (we live in the US) and could be annoying for our son to deal with. Jack is also great and feels like the safer and more classic option. Opinions/experience with the names welcome!