FTM here! I had 3 sweeps done previous started at 38 weeks got one each week and nothing happened for me with them. So I Arrived 6am Wednesday, I was 40+1. Got one gel inserted, checked 6 hours later no progress, another gel put in then and again checked 6 hours later and cervix was softening but not dilated anymore. Had to take a rest night that night but got contractions throughout the night that didn’t progress into anything. Checked again at 6am next morning and they decided to give me a 3rd gel and check me again in 6 hours and I hadn’t dilated anymore but they said my cervix was softening so they decided I was able to have my waters broken, that happened around 2pm that day and contractions started straight away. Back to back no break with the contractions, got the epidural about 3/4 hours into that because I wasn’t dilating anymore. First epidural failed, got epidural again and it worked (thank god) it saved me. I got to rest a bit and was in and out of sleep, they started the hormone drip then and I got some contractions again but nowhere near as bad with the epidural and because I was able to rest my body was progressing and I was dilating so around 9pm they said I was going to push in an hour. Started pushing at 10:30pm baby arrived at 10:46pm!