3rd Trimester
TheEditor
member
Induction stories? I'm nervous.
TheEditor
member
I'm having an induction late this week due to having mild pre-e. I'm freaking out, as I've heard nothing but awful stories about the pain of rushing / back-to-back contractions.
Would you be willing to share your induction experience?
- How long it took for cervix to dilate
- Length of labor + delivery time
- Pain levels throughout contractions
Anything you'd be willing to share to help me prepare for an induction would be helpful. I know every woman's experience is different, but I'd appreciate hearing your story!
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Re: Induction stories? I'm nervous.
My induction ended up in a c-section, but it was not a horrible experience. I checked in the night before, they start cervadil and gave me some Ambien to help me sleep. They woke me up around 6:30 AM telling me they needed to switch my room and that's the first time I noticed contractions. They weren't painful until they started the pitocin. When the pitocin started kicking in the contractions were painful. I was only 1 cm dialated but they let me get my epidural right away. The epi was great-- no problems-- and could no longer feel much of anything. I was in labor for about 18 hours when they broke the news that the baby was not descending in my birth canal and that it was because my pelvis was too small. I ended up with a c-section, but like I said--my induction experience was not that bad.
Edited to add- This was my first pregnancy. My second was a scheduled c-section and my third will be a scheduled c-section as well
You can read mine from my first pregnancy... note that its in two parts... the first induction failed and since my BP had returned to normal, they sent me home. I was also induced for mild pre-e. Hope this helps!
Part 1: https://sinceeverybodyelseisdoingit.blogspot.com/2010/10/nicholass-birth-story-part-1.html
Part 2: https://sinceeverybodyelseisdoingit.blogspot.com/2010/10/nicholass-birth-story-part-2.html
- How long it took for cervix to dilate
I was already between 4 and 5 cm when I went in, so I did not need the Cervidil. I dilated fairly quickly after they broke my water.
- Length of labor + delivery time
I went in around 8am and was admitted, prepped, and hooked up to fluids by about 9:30. The nurse started Pitocin around 10am and contractions came on hard and very quickly. I'd planned on getting an epidural anyway, so when they asked if I wanted it, I said yes. The anesthesiologist came in around 11ish. At first all of the meds went to my one side, so I was super numb on my right side, but felt every contraction on my left. The anesthesiologist came back and adjusted it and all was okay. DD heart rate kept dropping after each contraction, so they stopped the Pitocin and the resident doctor examined me. My doctor had suggested putting an internal heart monitor in, but the resident doctor wanted to try to break my water and see if labor continued naturally. Luckily, it did and I didn't need the internal monitor or any more Pitocin. At this point, I'd say it was around 12:30pm, but it's a bit fuzzy. I more or less relaxed, napped, and watched bad daytime TV until 4:30 or so when they checked me and I was just about 10cm. At that point, my doctor came over from her office. They prepped the room for delivery and I pushed four times within a 25 minute period and DD was born weighing 9lbs 1oz and 22.5 inches long. Therefore, from the start of "labor" (the Pitocin) to DD being born, it was just about 7.5 hours.
- Pain levels throughout contractions
The contractions that I felt before getting the epidural were extremely strong and about a minute or less apart, so there was no recovery in between. The best I can describe them would be to say the worst period cramps you've ever had times 100. I have a pretty high threshold for pain, but I give a *huge amount* credit to women who go through childbirth med free.
Edited to add that my induction experience was great, but I know not all are like that. If my body seemed ready, as it was with DD (dilated already, head engaged), I would not oppose another induction.
Mine isn't a pretty story. I hated my experience and really feel like my docs did some shifty things to me. However, you want stories, I will give you mine.
Anyways, I was at my 41 week appointment. The did a NST and then I saw the doc. The doc told us that my induction was set for that night at 9pm. We went home, packed my bags, took a nap, then went out to eat. Mom and I showed up in L&D at 9pm. They checked us in and got me to my birthing suite. Hooked me up to all the monitors, IV's, ect. Around 10pm the inserted the Cervidil. They said I couldn't get up for 2 hours. They gave me an Ambien to sleep.
Sometime in the very early morning I started waking up to cramping and contractions, but would fall back asleep afterwards. Around 7am we woke up, ate breakfast, and chilled. They were saying starting the pitocin at around 11. They then removed the cervidil and I was maybe 2 cm. They told me to take a shower so they could start the pit. I got up and my water broke, completely on it's own. I took a shower and got into bed.
They didn't let me labor for very long on my own. I wasn't progressing fast enough I guess. Around noon or 1pm they decided that I could get my epi since they would be starting the pit. I took the epi, I was so scared of pit contractions. I was only 2cm when the epi was put in. The rest is kind of a blur. I had my epi, my lovely cocktail of fluids and pit, and just the sheer amount of labor pressing upon me. I was in and out of it for hours. They kind of left me alone while I was on the pit only coming in to up it. Which was often apparently.
By 10pm my OB came in and checked me. I was 4.5cm. This is where she informed me that I was on the max amount of pit they could give me, and had been maxed out for over 4 hours. I wasn't progressing quick enough for their liking, so they wanted a C/S. I asked them to please wait 2 more hours, I really wanted DD to be born on the 13th. They told me that was fine, they had another baby to deliver. So I signed the forms and went on my merry way.
Rosie was born via C section at 1:49am on August 13th 2010. It was horrible. The worst experience of my life. Looking back on it now I know many things. Like I should of fought to walk around, go on the birthing ball, ect. I should of pushed to not have the pit adminitered so soon after my water broke and then monitored how much they were giving me. I think that I was a case of where the doc wouldn't wait so they did all they could to get me to either progress too quickly or end in C/S. They also maxed my pit out FAR too quickly. These are things to think about when going through an induction. It isn't always pretty.
There's a lot I don't remember...like how far apart my contractions got at any point; there was definitely at least a little bit of a break between them.
I was started on Cervadil around 7:30pm the night before. That caused mild contractions all night - nothing I wouldn't have been able to sleep through if I was allowed to turn on my side, but I had to stay on my back to keep the monitors on so it was very uncomfortable. This was like menstrual cramps.
My water broke on it's own around 5am and the contractions started to pick up. At 8am I was 3cm and begging for an epidural, which they allowed me to have.
At 9:30am they started Pitocin.
At 3pm I was 10cm and began pushing, and DS was born at 4:19pm.
So from the time my water broke until delivery was about 11 hours.
I don't know how to describe the pain levels, honestly...a lot of it is fuzzy. Contractions hurt like hell, but even without an induction I'm sure they still would have. No way around it, but you will get through it!
DD (5 years old) from IUI in 2012
TTC 3rd and final!: IUI #1 in progress!
I was induced at 38 weeks for pre-e.
Not sure how long it took the cervix to dilate. I started the induction at 2 cm.
Total labor was 7 hours and 45 minutes. Three pushes (less than 10 minutes of pushing) and he was out.
I started my induction of mag-sulfate and on my side. My OB broke my water, inserted an internal monitor and gave me a catheter. My contractions started right away. An hour later I was put on Pitcocin, and later this was turned off.
My contractions hurt, but it was manageable pain. I would feel the contraction coming, and the first the first part was horrible pain. Like the worst menstrual cramp you've ever had. Then it would start to focus, reach it's max, my whole body would push down, and there would be release. The pain focusing and the body pushing felt really productive to me, so I think that helped a lot mentally. I just had to focus through the pain of the first part. I was able to go without an epidural.
I was induced and thought it was a positive experience.
Though it was my only experience. I went in at 9 am, they got me started on on the fun meds. The first entire day was soooo slow and nothing really was happening. I walked around a while to try and get things going. At bed time I started to feel cramps and asked for something (don't remember what it was but it helped me sleep and not feel the contractions) I woke up at 6 or so and was in pain. I got my epidural soon after to find out I was only 4cm. After getting my epidural it didn't take too long to be fully dilated. I took a nap with my epidural, it was wonderful. I was group strep b so I had to wait for the 2 doses of meds before I could push and they were busy so DS wasn't born until 1. Overall it was a very positive experience.
Don't be nervous. Best advice is to just go with the flow!!!!
This for me too! I'm going in on the 7th at 7am. Editor- when are you going in?
'I loved you for a thousand years and I will love you for a thousand more'
I was a 1 at 7 in the morning and it took me forever to dilate. I think I was a 3 or 4 around 1 PM and then things finally started moving fast at 7PM. I went from 4 to 10 and was complete by 10 PM. I pushed until 11:19 and he was born without problems.
I had an epidural but was never in serious pain during the day. My epidural completely wore off an I was in intense pain starting around 7PM. I had a room full of visitors and I think that made it a lot worse. If I felt like I could relax I think I would have handled the pain better.
A very long day but I'm very thankful it was very uneventual and problem free!
Either Thursday or Friday, I think.... O_O
Best wishes to both of you!
I'm scheduled to go in on the 7th at 7am too! Unless I go into labor naturally first. Not for pre-e.
Lots of Dec mommas going on the 7th! Prayers for safe and successful inductions!
'I loved you for a thousand years and I will love you for a thousand more'
Lurking from 3-6, but I'll share my story:
Induced at 39w3d due to chronic hypertension. Went in the night before and was 2cm dilated and 75% effaced, received two doses of Cytotec overnight. At 7A I was still 2cm but more effaced, and they started the Pitocin. It was pretty slow going for a few hours; the contractions were very manageable. By noon I was 4cm, my OB broke my water, and I requested the epidural as I could no longer manage the contractions. The pain got worse, the first epidural didn't work, and I was in a lot of pain. By the time I got a working epidural I kind of passed out for a bit...but I was 8cm by 3P, started pushing at 4:30P (but was complete for some time prior to that), and had baby at 5:21P.
If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the epidural earlier, but I really didn't expect to dilate as rapidly as I did. My labor was about 5 hours shorter than my doctor had predicted. But I really have no other regrets about my induction experience.
Married Bio * BFP Charts
I'm due in about 2 weeks and actually very, VERY nervous that I'm going to go naturally! Scared to death that my water will break and I won't make it to the hospital. I was induced with my daughter and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. A lady I know called me the night before telling me horror stories (no idea why you would do that to someone getting ready to go through it, much less a first time mom to be?!) Anyway, I was admitted the night before, given some meds to kick things off, and spent that night dilating a little....I didn't have much progress, so that next morning they broke my water and gave me the epidural. My doctor checked me and said that at some point I would feel pressure to push, before she got to the end of the hallway I told my Mom and husband that I felt the urge to push (which they thought was me just being paranoid lol) but sure enough the dr. came right back in and I was "complete".....I pushed for about 25 minutes and she was here! The nurses and doctors said I couldn't have had a more textbook perfect delivery! I was terrified of what would happen but things worked out beautifully! Just try to stay calm and relaxed and pray a lot! That's what I did
Best of luck to you, I'm sure it will all go great!