For transparency, it is important to say that I did not support Gemma through her first birth, but she has kindly offered to share her Positive Induction birth story. I felt strongly that it might help other mums-to-be who might be considering induction for their baby.
It also highlights the fact that every birth is different and it is totally fine to want different things from your birth, than you think everyone else might want.
Every birth is different, but every birth is birth.
This is Gemma’s positive Induction Birth story:
George
With my first baby it wasn’t until around the end of the second trimester that I started to really think about the ‘birth part’ of pregnancy.
For some odd reason I just assumed I’d have a c-section, maybe because that was the experience of my friends. Maybe because the myth that “if you were small, it guaranteed you couldn’t give birth naturally” had lodged itself into my brain. As a result I found it really difficult to actually imagine giving birth.
My husband and I went to a birth preparation class at the hospital and antenatal groups, but I felt really disconnected from the actual giving birth part. I was convinced that I would have a c-section and so didn’t really think about any other possibilities.
The classes I went to definitely covered induction but I certainly didn’t dwell on it or commit the information to memory.
I’d also never considered things like a positive induction birth could happen.
Plans start to change
At around 35 weeks my blood pressure started to spike intermittently. I would get sent to the hospital for monitoring. Then, it would come down and I would go home. This continued for the next few weeks.
This was the point where it became clear that I would be ‘consultant led’. This meant that I would give birth on the labour ward, monitored by doctors.
Despite the concern related to my high blood pressure, I was actually relieved by this decision. Having doctors closeby was something I wanted. As well as, being close to the equipment and people that would be needed in an emergency.
This felt right for me
I had felt that I was supposed to want to have a midwife led birth in the birth centre or perhaps even at home. Neither of those felt right for me and I felt such relief that that decision had been taken out of my hands.
At 37+6 I had an appointment with the consultant regarding my blood pressure and to decide a plan. She asked me how I would feel about an induction. I had known from my midwife that an induction was a possibility and had quizzed my brother, who is a doctor, on what it meant.
Having friends and relatives who are medics, has allowed me to be really trusting of the medical profession. I figured that if it was safe enough to pass the rigorous tests these things have to go through, then it was something I was happy to have.
Also being a planner, a control freak and very impatient – knowing a day when the baby would come have me much comfort.
Induction is Booked
I knew that being a first time mum there would be 3 possible stages of induction. I was booked to have the induction the next day at 38 weeks.
Such a bizarre feeling, packing everything up, knowing that tomorrow was the day. I did have a pang of sadness that I wasn’t going to have that movie style labour story. But feeling a little bit in control of what was going to happen to my body outweighed that.
We arrived at the hospital at 9am. A lovely midwife explained what was going to happen. I’d be lying if I said it understood it, my thoughts were going at 100 miles per hour.
The midwives put what can only be described as a teabag in and told me to keep active and let them know if anything started to change. My husband and I dutifully walked laps around the hospital, feeling really excited that something would change any minute. But, aside from the odd cramp nothing did.
Night-time came and we decided that, living close to the hospital, my husband would go home to get a good night sleep rather than sleeping in the chair. It was tough without him overnight, but it was the right decision for us.
Things start to intensify
I had a pretty wakeful night with intensifying cramps, but the midwives were really supportive and helped me run a bath. Every time I asked for pain relief they insisted upon examining me to see if anything had changed, which I found frustrating, often because nothing had.
The next morning, hubby arrived nice and early and with nothing having changed overnight, we were eager to get the second, slightly stronger, induction pessary. But with this being my first baby the midwives were keen to induce me slowly. Another day with the teabag it was!
My cervix was not moving, my blood pressure was still being silly and the baby was lying awkwardly on a nerve in my back, causing me a lot of pain. Because I wasn’t in labour I was not allowed any stronger painkillers.
Moving to the labour ward
At around 11pm the decision was made to transfer to labour ward and begin the induction drip. I do remember thinking that this felt quite scary, but mainly because I didn’t understand how it worked.
The midwives explained that it was a hormone that would tell my body it was in labour. How much I was to be given would be carefully considered and monitored. This made me feel better. Again, I liked that I would have someone there at all times who knew what they were doing while I went through this great unknown.
Before they took me to the labour ward they asked about pain relief and, specifically, had I considered an epidural. I had written on my birth plan I was happy to have an epidural, should I feel I needed it.
The midwife explained that with a drip an epidural can help significantly, but I didn’t feel pressured at all. It felt like something I definitely wanted, especially with how much pain I’d been in with my back.
I did feel really worried or nervous about having the epidural. I actually had some gas and air which helped alleviate those concerns, and with an incredible anaesthetist it was absolutely fine.
The induction drip
At about midnight I got comfy in bed and then started the drip. I fell into a really deep sleep. It was an odd sleep, I was aware that I was contracting and every now and again the contractions felt quite strong so I’d start to stir, but then this disappeared and I fell back to sleep, my husband asleep in a bean bag on the floor next to me.
Around 6am-ish my midwife gently woke me, to say it was her break and introduce me to the midwife that would be looking after me for a bit. Upon waking up I felt like something was starting to come out, not painful just a pressure.
My original midwife said that she’d examine me before she headed off just in case, but my husband tells me that they definitely thought that my cervix wouldn’t have totally opened. I was fully dilated! Our baby would come soon. She said to ignore any urge to push, to just let the baby descend down as much as possible over the next 30mins or so.
Preparing to meet our baby
Throughout this I was totally awake and could feel my body working and it was amazing. I could feel really strong pressure, but it was in no way painful. This made me feel pleased. I had been sure that having an epidural would mean I wouldn’t feel anything. But actually I felt everything and it was incredible.
Eventually I was advised to start pushing with the contractions. My husband was able, with the midwives guidance, to guide our baby out. It was a really special moment for both of us.
Our baby is here
At 6.28am George was born. I hadn’t known that positive induction birth was possible, yet I had had one.
I had been worried about tearing during birth and that having an induction with epidural would increase the chances of this. Yet our midwives were great and by listening carefully to their guidance I only needed one tiny internal stitch, which healed quickly.
My birth was positive and even enjoyable. I felt in control and fully supported by the incredible staff at all times. My positive induction birth was just that. Induction doesn’t have to be something to be feared.