i have been told natural childbirth is much more tolerable than unduced and im wanting to hear first hand some stories and wether u felt it to be true.

i was induced with ds1 by having my waters broken and the drip started straight away. i went into labour within minutes and by 30 minutes in i was having back to back contractions.
his labour was very full on and i barely got a break and the pain was very intense. i managed to get through doing it with no drugs (i asked for an epidural but when the aneathatist came in to give it i said i needed to push lol) and im really hoping to do it again drug free with this bubba.

i have planned to use the bath as pain relief this time and i dont plan to be induced unless its absolutly necessary.

I was induced with DD1 at 38 weeks due to IUGR.... Had the gels at 8pm Friday night, Sat morning not much had happened so more gels at 6am. 12.30pm had waters broken and it was a very full on 4 hours from there till she was born... After waters were broken had an epi which didn't work angry

DD2 40t5 days went into labor naturally on the day i was booked into being induced.... Starting contractions at 2am friday morning nothing to bad, was able to stay home till 5pm when we headed off to the hospital. On arrival i was checked and was already 8cm dialated and she was born a few hours later completely drug free.

For me i felt more in control as contractions didn't hit so suddenly. Am 20 weeks pregnant with number 3 and hope to avoid being induced.

I have only been induced and the pain was horrendous straight away. No build up at all. I'd say natural would be a lot better just knowing that your body is not being forced into it. Good luck and hopefully you won't need to be induced

I was induced with DD. Waters broke at home at 39+2. Went to hospital and didn't go into labor naturally. Had the drip about 1pm and the pain was horrible straight away. Contractions were one on top of the other and very intense. DD was high up and posterior and wasn't born til 6.24am next day. Had the gas and it did nothing for me so had pethadine and that made me high as a kite but I was able to get an hour sleep. Had the epi and it was nearly useless for me but my body wouldn't stay in labor if the turned the drip down to help me cope with the pain so had to be constantly turned up. 16 and a half hours labor.

DS I started getting cramps at home around 6am. I was 40+5. Cramps were persistent through the day but were easily dealt with. I was able to take DD to the park, do grocery shopping and have a nap. Full labor didn't start till 8pm and I went to hospital at midnight. I was home alone most of the time as a single mum. Got to hospital was 5cm and 2 minutes apart. Had epi and was bliss but it slowed me down a lot and had to wait for it to wear off so I could push and he was born 3.57am. 8 and a half hours labor.

Natural was sooooo much better for me and I think I enjoyed the experience more.

DD1 was a natural labour, no drugs, just got through on the gas. It was a good experience, I was on such a high after the birth and recovered very quickly.

DD2 I was induced with the gel, it was horrendous. Nothing happened for 8 hours and then all of a sudden I was haemorraghing and contractions were hard and fast. The pain was out of this world and I ended up having an emergency caesar and then went into shock afterwards. The recovery from the caesar was hard and the only saving grace was my beautiful bub was healthy.

WOW! well done! Iv never heard of someone having an induction with no pain relief.I was induced.It was fine for 5 hours then after that i could not bear it! I had an epidural.Im hoping for a natural birth next time ,do not want a repeat of last time.....tho i had a stupid midwife who kept telling me to push when the baby was stuck....after me screaming at her im not ******* pushing! because it was so painful when i pushed she got the doctor and the doctor used the vaccum and said that her shoulders were stuck and wouldnt of been coming out anytime soon then 2 pushes later she came out! hope i dont get a midwife like that again she was saying shes gone walkabouts shes gone walkabouts im like no its more painful when i push you stupid women and she wouldnt tell me when my contractions were after me telling her like 10times i do not know when to push as i cant feel it because iv had an epidural, she still never told me when to push! had to guess when i felt a tiny bit of pain.Next time i want to be in control.

I was induced with all 4 of my girls as I was overdue. Didn't have the gel, just waters broken and the syntocin drip. I went in at around 7am for all my inductions, by the time I was actually feeling any sort of pain wasn't until around 2pm, then they were all born around 6pm! My first ended in an emergency c-section though as she was in distress and the middle 2 were natural. 4th was an emergency c-section due to ruptured uterus right at the end of labour! No pain relief with any of them!

I would say they were very similar in pain levels.

I was induced with DD. Had the Cervidil inserted at 8pm the Wednesday night and then waters broken at 8am Thursday morning, drip put in about 11am and she arrived at 4:05pm. I had gas only and didnt find it too bad really.
DS went naturally, felt a twinge about 2pm thursday afternoon which I thought was just because I was mucking around with DD on the floor (rolling around and playing horsies, lol). Felt a couple more twinges but then they started coming more regulary at 6pm. Called the hospital at 8pm and went in at 10:30. Contractions were only 2mins apart from when about 9:30. DS was still sitting at 4/5above brim till my waters finally broke when I was 7cm so until then his head kept hitting my back which was painful, once he dropped then the pain actually got better as I wasnt getting the pounding of his hard head. I had pethadine when I was about 6cm as I didnt want the gas again as it made me throw up with DD. he finally arrived at 5:13am.

I have had 1 natural labour and 2 induced,

They are both painful, although I had an epidural with DD1 as I was in labour for a long time so didnt feel pushing. 19hr labour

DS induced day before due date with 2 lots of gel, waters broke on their own, 2 and a half hr labour

DD2 induced 2 weeks early, 2 lots of gel, waters broken by midwife, drip started turned to maximum before in active labour, total actual labour 1hr 50mins, whole induction process almost 22hrs, was hard waiting for her to be born as I was expecting similar birth to DS

DD1 i was induced due to waters leaking (39 wks) had the gel didnt work then got put on the drip and bam they hit! had to be on the bed with monitors on my belly was horrible couldnt move ended up with epidural but not the hole thing as just the local relaxed me then started pushing all up active labour was 7 hrs and 1&1/2 hrs pushing.

DD2 waters leaking again (40wks)had the gel and that worked straight away did it drug free 5 hrs active labour 40 mins pushing. had alot of pain in thighs from the gel but 2nd time way better been able to move and do what i wanted got to use the pool. i was so happy i didnt have to get put on the drip.

I've never been induced but want to share anyway. tongue

My body seems to labour particularly well; so well in fact that DS1 was born in under 4 hours and DS2 in under 2 hours; with most of his labour being done in my sleep. Contractions were pretty full on from the start both times, with no break and build up was not slow for me, but I don't think that is generally the 'norm' for first babies, especially when I was told I wasn't in labour upon arriving at hospital even though I clearly was. Generally speaking though, because most women have laboured and birthed before and the body has some idea of what is happening, second labours tend to be faster anyway even if they aren't induced.

I only had about 10 puffs of gas with DS1 (that I later found out was using wrong anyway)and nothing with DS2. He was born in water, only just got the pool filled though, and my pain was basically non-existent with him once I was in the 'zone'. Floating in water and being able to change positions easily was great...even if I was only in there for about 14 minutes. laugh I found leaning over things to be particularly helpful and spent the vast majority of my labour on my knees.

I actually preferred my second labour on a whole host of fronts..though the speed of it wasn't one of them.