being induced

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i am due in 2 days, but i think i will go over.my baby is posterior and i have heard posterior babies tend to be 'late'. my other children were anterior and born 2-3 weeks early. If you are induced is labour more painful as people who told me they have been induced said its bad. im expecting a painful labour anyway cos of the position baby is in but hope it will turn with the contractions. Any advice appreciated. Thanks. :)

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Oh, by the way, Prostin gel, which is BIG BUCKS here in the USA, has been derived from none other than PIG semen.

So yes, trying sex first, if not contraindicated, is a good thing. So is nipple stimulation. There are natural ways to try and get things going, for sure! Just be sure they are not contraindicated in your case.

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thanks again for the advice. had to go to labour ward as i had swollen hands, feet and face. all ok tho. gave me a sweep, said i was 1.5cm effaced, is that good? sorry dont know if it is or not as im not a midwife. and hoping not too long now. oh by way midwife said baby is not really posterior just turned slightly, which is good newa

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

HAVE A BLESSED delivery and healthy baby. My mind is with you......good luck.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Kay I would agree, I think sometimes we have to remember that despite a common language practise in the States and the UK is very different in some situations.

Oh one thing though you mentioned lots of sex and it being an old wives tale semen actually has some prostaglandins and we use the synthetic form in gel and pessaries to ripen the cervix, so why shouldn't the natural form work as well.

http://http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/natinduc.html#Semen

I aggree with what you say but the research is quite limited re the connection re sex and going into labour. I have had women who 'if ready' and if ready to go into labour being the key words, have had sexual intercourse and have gone on to labour. On the other hand I have looked after lots of women in the community and given this advice to no avail. So I would always promote sex as a way of helping women to go into labour but the results have been too variable. So I always tell women it helps because they then come back to you and complain that it hasn't worked. In my experience it works a lot less often than I would hope.

I aggree that prostin gels and pesseries dont work well on unripe cervix's but they are still given here in UK on a daily basis over a couple of days on majority of inductions. Synto is often used after the gels/pesseries have not worked or in conjunction with prostin.

Can I say I am really enjoying this thread as it is very interesting to compare knowledge and experience.

PS Uk-Nurse give your sweep a little helping hand and have sex tonight!!!

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Kay I think the key to any method of induction is that point when the cervix is 'ready', no methods even the most aggressive are quite as successful if the womans body isn't ready.

I work in the community and since we changed our policy, some 2 years ago, for induction in the case of post dates to do a membrane sweep somewhere between 7-12 days at home and follow up with prostin gel 2-3 days later in hospital if nothing has happened, our failed induction rates have decreased.

Have anecdotal evidenceas have manymidwives of success or not, of sexual intercourse, rasberry leaf tea and aromatherapy. I am all for trying anything that has the potential to work as long as it does no harm.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Kay I think the key to any method of induction is that point when the cervix is 'ready', no methods even the most aggressive are quite as successful if the womans body isn't ready.

I work in the community and since we changed our policy, some 2 years ago, for induction in the case of post dates to do a membrane sweep somewhere between 7-12 days at home and follow up with prostin gel 2-3 days later in hospital if nothing has happened, our failed induction rates have decreased.

Have anecdotal evidenceas have manymidwives of success or not, of sexual intercourse, rasberry leaf tea and aromatherapy. I am all for trying anything that has the potential to work as long as it does no harm.

I will consider myself told in the nicest of ways, i aggree with everything you have said but I have the personality of acting as the 'devils advocate'. I used to work in the community and we too did membrane sweep followed by prostin gel in hospital. I too have used all the above alternative therapies and I too have seen them work, but it doesnt stop me questioning the research :)

I worked in a sure start area where we had a 30% home birth rate because we all believed in natrual childbirth, I have also seen acupuncture used as well. We caseloaded and followed our women through 24/7 so believe me we didnt want to go to main unit and scrub for c/s.

I am no longer practicing as a midwife but have returned to nursing but I still carry with me the ideals of how wonderful midwifery can be if only!

Kay :)

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Wow 30% home births that is impressive. Our team works in a sure start area and we are all advocates of home birth we manage a measly 8-10%

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
Wow 30% home births that is impressive. Our team works in a sure start area and we are all advocates of home birth we manage a measly 8-10%

The girls who set up the sure start in the area I worked were really dynamic and almost killed themselves doing the job after 2 1/2 years most of the origional girls were experiencing burn out. It seemed to be all about number punching and that I questioned the safety issues continously re the suitability of some of the woman who were having homebirths. As we caseloaded you saw all your women in their own home and they never set foot in a hospital or a clinic, we tended to only look after the normal. We had on average 36 women per year, two of the midwives were partners and worked together with their women which helped them out a lot so the large percentage of home births were down to these girls. Safety issues didnt come in to question for my women until I had two labourers and one had to be taken by one of the other girls, I wont go into detail but this midwife who was direct entry and my boss, would rarely accept any medical intervention, allowed my woman to labour in a pool, when this woman had abnormal bloods, ignored a 2 litre PPH in the pool, and resulted in me going to say congratulations and finding her collapsed at the bottom of the empty birthing pool. We did manage to save her life just. The student midwife was traumatised, the husband and mother needed councilling and I practiced for another 18 months in another trust, and decieded I enjoyed Nursing more than midwifery. The saga will contunue for years to come.

The midwife in question was slapped on the wrist and allowed to continue to practice til a year later she did the same thing again to another unsuspecting mother, this time she had 6 months off sick and then returned to practice under supervision.

Gosh where did all that come from sorry.

Ps 8-10% is great figures

Kay

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