Induction Question

KariAnne1985

With my first, I went into labor naturally, but had pitocin to push me along near the end. My doctor is talking about inducing me the week before my due date because I have a 2 vessel cord and he wants me to be on time/early. I'm scared to death to be induced, and for a silly reason: I want to be home for the first few hours of labor (before hitting the magical 6 cm mark for an epidural!!) so I'm comfortable and can walk around and do what I please. I'm terrified to be laying in a hospital bed during the beginning of active labor. Any suggestions to calm my nerves? (besides to bite the bullet!!  )

Meery82

When I was induced, they told me I could have my epidural as soon as I needed it. I don't know if there are different rules when you're induced with different meds though. They used Piticon on me. Also, there's no way of knowing for sure that you've hit 6cm without being checked in the hospital, unless you have a midwife at home with you.

KariAnne1985

I just remember being at home for the first 5 hours, dying!, going to the hospital and being 6cm, which is when I was told I could get my epidural! My first nurse wasn't very kind, when she was trying to get the IV in me for fluids before getting the epidural, I had a really hard contraction and asked if I could please sit up or move from lying on my back, she yelled at me and told me to breathe through it because the longer it took her to get my IV in, the longer I'd have to wait for my epidural! I was a little irritated because I knew I needed to move from the position I was in, I'm just fearful of that situation again! I'm also just being a big baby about the pain...it's all coming back to me now!

memali26

You don't have to be confined to the bed in the beginning. I was in labor for almost 30 hours before getting my epidural with DD1 and I was up walking, sitting in a chair, etc., until I requested the epi. I had to be on monitors for at least 40 minutes of every hour, but the monitors can be used sitting and my hospital even had wireless monitors I could use to walk and be up about the halls and my room.

PrimRoseMama

memali26 said:

You don't have to be confined to the bed in the beginning. I was in labor for almost 30 hours before getting my epidural with DD1 and I was up walking, sitting in a chair, etc., until I requested the epi. I had to be on monitors for at least 40 minutes of every hour, but the monitors can be used sitting and my hospital even had wireless monitors I could use to walk and be up about the halls and my room.

This.

I was walking and in the shower before I was confined to the bed due to fetal distress.

KariAnne1985

That's good to know! I guess I figured I'd be able to move around and stuff, just the memories of that nurse came crashing into my brain and it freaked me out! She was so mean about me just laying there, but I knew I absolutely HAD to get up!!! 

jess9802

There is no reason to delay getting an epidural - the dosages used in epidurals these days is not associated with stalled labor. A hospital that insists on delaying an epidural until an arbitrary point of dilation (especially 6cm!) is depriving patients of adequate pain relief. That is bullshit.

KariAnne1985

jess9802 said:

There is no reason to delay getting an epidural - the dosages used in epidurals these days is not associated with stalled labor. A hospital that insists on delaying an epidural until an arbitrary point of dilation (especially 6cm!) is depriving patients of adequate pain relief. That is bullshit.

Yes! I agree!! We all know that labor hurts! Some women are amazing and can go through all of that pain focusing on the end knowing that they will soon hold their sweet bundle of joy...some women (like me) do not handle pain well and want to be as comfortable as humanly possible, as soon as humanly possible, so I can have this sweet boy, and get the heck out of the hospital!

proctorcookie7

im going to attempt to stay home as long as possible as I want as little interference but it's a balance so I don't wait to long. figure in time of day how long ride is especially if rush hour traffic will be an issue for you. I m not sure if I can handle whatever is coming my way without the drugs but i'm going to do my best as I too would like to be in the tub and mobile as long as possible but hey I don't really know what we are in for so i'll remain open. do a test run to hospital, get data and the more data you have the less fearful you'll be:) good luck