Induction question

Hannie3

This might sound really dumb and I'm sorry if you've covered this before..
But how do you actually get induced?
And what is it like?

The reason I ask is because I have a sweep booked in for Tuesday and then they will induce me the day after if nothing happens..
My widwife said hopefully I will go naturally before then tho as being induced is horrible! (Yeah thanks for that!)
I told my mum and she said oh it's not bad apparently it just makes your contractions stronger!
(Again.... Thanks for that!)
I should have asked her at my appt but forgot!
And to be honest I reckon I will end up being induced I'm 7days late today and no sign of baby! I only got 3 days left to go naturally!

Thanks

Hannie3

Oh and also I've been told different things by different people so just wanted some of your experiences!

F47

Thanks for asking this question. I'm scheduled to be induced on Thursday night/Friday if I don't go before. I'm really hoping I go naturally before then, too (obviously) but want to know what to expect for induction.

I'm sure everyone's experiences vary. I'm mostly nervous about it leading to a C Section (which I have done next to no research on). Are you dilated at all? At my last appt I was 1 cm and 75% effaced. Doc said he hopes for more dilation before starting pitocin so that conditions are more "favorable."

Hannie3

@F47 yeah I'm more scared in ending in a C section too..

And I have no idea if I'm dilated at all they don't check me! Maybe it's an English thing?! Because you all seem to know and I'm jealous!

ugoglencoco

I am getting induced tomorrow night, but I don't know a ton about it besides that the newer research I've done says that you are actually less likely to end up with a c section when you are induced. I was really surprised, but articles from 2012 and back all state that it is more likely but pretty much everything on Google that has a date from 2013 says that new research shows that there is no correlation between induction and the c section rate, in fact the section rate was higher in moms who went into labor naturally. My sister got induced with her son and said it had been a little more intense than with her daughter, but nothing too horrid or different. Hope this helps a little!

lp0

Thanks for posting this. If the growth ultrasound tomorrow doesn't show sufficient weight gain they want to induce. Honestly I really didn't want it but after the week I've been having I'm kinda hoping for it. 

I was hoping that the dr sweeping my membranes on Monday would do it (and I really felt like it was going to afterwards) but it didn't. Hopefully you have better luck then I did and go on your own.

lilypienmessimy

I'm glad you asked too, I'm curious as well. I'm due Friday but will be induced the following Monday if nothing happens between now and then and really have no clue what to expect.

zou bisou

Usually it's some combination of meds that prepare your cervix (ripeners), start contractions, and breaking your water.

If I was heading for an induction, I think the one thing I'd resist doing too early on is having my water broken.  Once that takes place, the count down is really on to get that baby out.  24 hours is a common amount of time for hospitals to give before bringing up more aggressive action like a c-section.

Has anyone mentioned doing a Bishops score for you?

Katyj1125

Cytotec inserted at 8am, epi at 1:30pm, water broken at 2:00 pm and baby born at 6:15pm. I didn't have any pit at all. My labor was honestly a breeze. My OB let me call the shots and get the epi whenever. My contractions never got too strong before the epi. I honestly prefer induction to going into labor naturally. I feel more in control.

margaerytyrell

Mine was pretty uneventful.

It started off with an IV of pit, then the doctor came in a few minutes later and attempted to break my water. That was the worst part of the whole experience. He couldn't get my water to break and had to try 4 times. It was extremely painful.
Contractions were pretty painful so I got an epi and that made things so much easier.
There's no way I would have been able to handle an induction if I were trying to go epi-free.

Good luck!!

shortms6

I've been induced for both of my pregnancies.  The first was an emergency at 35w for pre-e and I started with 0 progress.  They gave me cervadil to ripen my cervix overnight (while at the hospital--sometimes women have it at home) and I was on magnesium sulfate (that's only used when your BP is high).  I started pitocin overnight and they broke my water and I labored throughout the next day until 4pm.  The whole thing took 27 hours (15 min of pushing).

With this one, I was induced for pre-e again but I was 37w and I had made more progress (2cm, 70% effaced, -2 station, beginning contractions on my own) before the induction at 6pm.  I was again put on magnesium and given a foley bulb this time to dilate me further (she over-inflated it and that shit HURT).  That got me to 4cm and then they started pitocin.  The pitocin didn't work as well this time and I had to go up to the max dose, they turned it off for an hour, and then started it back up again.  I finally made it to 10 and was able to push.  This one took 22 hours (10 minutes of pushing).

kyrsties

Well, I was induced with DD, and I felt like I had more control with it and that labor went faster, so I guess I enjoyed it. They say it makes labor harder, but I haven't experienced it any other way. It didn't seem that bad to me. I just went in that morning at 5:30am, and they started me on an IV and Pitocin. Nothing really happened until my doctor came in and broke my water at about 8am. Then, it was just a gradual progression. I made it til 7cm before I decided to get the epidural (they said they couldn't give it much longer after that, and the anesthesiologist was in and out of c-sections). Labor seemed to go super quick after I get the epi because I felt like I did the hard laboring on my own. DD was born at 3:12 that afternoon. I've heard a bunch of stuff and seen people with other experiences (literally everyone is different and every labor with every child is different, as well as every pregnancy), but that was mine, and I'm looking forward to doing it the same way this time!

Ansleyturner

I was also favorable so I only needed the pit. I got there at 6 am was on the pit by around 7. Doctor came and broke my water soon after. They increased the dose every 15 min and I was having very intense contractions so I got the epi around 9. (It was scary but I don't think I could've done it without it) after that I felt so much better. I started getting nauseous and my blood pressure kept dropping so they decided to check how dialated I was. I was 9 1/2 cm at 10. We started pushing and he was out around 1. Basically I had a very nice and quick induction and i wouldn't change it for the world. Good luck!

Hannie3

zou bisou said:

Usually it's some combination of meds that prepare your cervix (ripeners), start contractions, and breaking your water.

If I was heading for an induction, I think the one thing I'd resist doing too early on is having my water broken.  Once that takes place, the count down is really on to get that baby out.  24 hours is a common amount of time for hospitals to give before bringing up more aggressive action like a c-section.

Has anyone mentioned doing a Bishops score for you?

What's a bishops score?

MelbaCat

I had a terrible bishops score, aka, not at all favorable. but it was what it was. I started cytoec at 11am, had a foley balloon at 4pm, another one at 11pm b/c the first one wasn't in high enough. 

Finally got an epi around 1 am and started pitocin, broke my water at 5am. 

at 10am they started putting water back in me b/c DS wasn't doing well with the contrax.

At 12pm (over 24h later). I was still between 4-5cm.  at 27h, same thing and DS started having decels, so c/s it was. 

it wasn't an awful experience, it just wasn't "successful" in that i had a vaginal birth. DS was healthy, my recovery was ok.  Not what I'd planned but we all came out ok

dmbeatty87

In a related way I guess, Does anyone know how long it takes to get scheduled in for an induction. 40 +5 tommorow and doc said if still pregnant at appointment then we'll schedule one, just afraid it'll be another week :-/

esf60

I was barely dilated and barely effaced when I took the Cytote the night before induction around 7. Started pitocin at around 3 am. Water broken at 9 am. Had the baby before 6 pm, progressing all the way. It never stalled and I was a very unlikely candidate. Very glad I did it. She's here safe and sound.

ETA: I should add I had a sweep the day before & it did nothing.

clhathaway

You score between 0-13. At my ob office 8 is their magic number. There are points for your dilation, effacement, station and one or two other variables. If you score an 8 they will schedule an induction because the "failure" rate drops. That's what my ob said anyway, correct me if I'm wrong.
Eta: @Hannie3 quote fail.

KateVA

I'm glad you posted this, too. I went late but spontaneously with my previous babies and I'm due today for this one. I have an induction scheduled for 40+4 which seems a little early to me since I went 8 days late with my second. But I'm not making an decisions until after my appointment on Tuesday. I'm nervous about it but having the control of knowing when the baby is coming and being prepared also appeals to me

Supergirl2013

I was induced with my son and it was 17 hours later he came. I'm scheduled to be induced this thurs 12/12/13 but most likely will have her on 12/13/13 which happens to also be fri the13th. Which I'm not crazy about being superstitious and all.