If only I had waited a little longer (Birth Induction)

Member Name: saraha007

Product:	Birth Induction
Date:	16/08/06 (4684 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It speeds things up

Disadvantages: You don't get chance to slowly get used to the contractions

There are several different ways you can be induced. I went through two of these ways before I could give birth to my beautiful little girl.

Firstly because I was 9 days overdue I was told I had the option of having a membrane sweep. This is a simple procedure where a midwife or doctor will sweep with there finger at the membrane inside which can help speed things along. When my midwife went to perform this on me she found initially on examination that I was already 3cms dilated. I didn't even know I was already dilating and she reckoned it had perhaps been happening slowly over a few days, so when she did the membrane sweep she said following that I became 4cms dilated. The procedure wasn't painful but just a little uncomfortable. This procedure doesn't always work, but for me it worked instantly and within an hour I was experiencing strong contractions that were just 5 minutes apart.

Because the contractions came on so suddenly and I didn't get chance to get used to them gradually it was quite a shock to the system and I tired very quickly. In fact I got so tired that when the contractions got to 1 minute apart I was struggling to cope and as I was so tired my body reacted by slowing the contractions back down and weakening them and overtime they went back to about 15 minutes apart. This was a bad thing as I was unable to push my baby out as the contractions were so weak so I didn't have the urge to push.

It was decided I would need to go on a drip that has a fluid in that once again induces and speeds things up. This worked and was very effective, although it speeds the contractions up so fast and they became so strong that they were very painful and hard to cope with.

Unfortunately for me I need to have an assisted delivery in the end due to me being so tired and my baby being in distress. I feel that if I had not been induced and that things had begun naturally I would of not needed an assisted delivery. I think it was just simply that when you are induced you don't get time to get used to the contractions slowly and they can be more painful when you are induced and this in turn tires you out quicker.

Given the option next time I would opt to wait a little longer and see if my baby would arrive naturally as opposed to having a membrane sweep. Despite all of this though I would go through labour again. The experience certainly hasn't put me off having another child.

Thanks for reading this,
Sarah

Summary: I would avoid induction unless absolutely necessary