Induction for first pregnancy. Anyone else?

SaraStrebel18

My due date is tomorrow, and she has no signs of being here any time soon. We've already set a date for induction next week. I'm just wondering if anyone else had an induction during their first pregnancy? Did it take a long time to take effect? I'd just like to hear other's stories. Getting a bit nervous!

Johnsonbmj

I'm in the same boat so I'm interested to hear others experiences. This is my first pregnancy and I'll be a week overdue on Monday and am scheduled to be induced Tuesday. I'm also not dilated or effaced at all and baby hasn't dropped yet. I'm nervous how it will go too, was really hoping to go into labor on my own.

cMichelle0423

I went 4 days past my due date with DS1. However at my 40 week appt, my dr scheduled me to be induced at 40w and 6d. I went into labor on my own 2 days before my induction date.

MyLilPeanut11

i went a week and a half past my due date and got scheduled to be induced. My baby had dropped, i was 50% effaced and 2 cm dialted (but i had been for 2 weeks).   They broke my water at 8am and by 12 i was having mild-medium contractions.  At 4 pm they got really bad and by 4:15 he was here!  I suggest alot of walking, I really think it helped me progress.  It was a great experience and i hope yours goes smoothly as well! Good luck!

megs68

Sure did! I had a c/s after a day of horrific pitocin contractions. Now I'm very anti elective inductions. You are three times mor likely to end up with a c/s if you're induced. Not very good odds, I'd say.

Rrrrrachel

If your cervix isn't showing any signs of being ready, honestly an induction is very likely to fail. You may want to start doing some things (if you aren't already) to try and get your cervix going in huge right direction. I haven't had an induction but I've been through the decision between a c section and induction twice with my sister and I've read a lot of research.

mandilou221

My first pregnancy was induced and I had a wonderful experience. Not to say this is the right choice for everyone or that it's going to be easy. I've heard a lot of horror stories.

I was measuring small my whole pregnancy, so my doctor didn't want me going to far past my due date. I was due Nov. 28th, induced Dec. 1st. They started me on the lowest dose of pitocin and baby Luke arrived 4 hours later!!!

I posted my birth story somewhere on these boards way back when. It's around here somewhere.

erind0213

I had to be induced because my water was leaking, not necessarily that it broke.  I was 39 weeks 5 days.

Induction is different for everyone, and sometimes lead to c-section.

For me it worked, and the induction was started at around 2pm with cervadil, then pitocin and water break around 7pm and I had a baby by 1:30 am. So it wasn't bad at all.

Ashleypixie

I think the later you have the induction the more prepared your body is, and therefore the easier it is. For me my natural labor was so much smoother and the pain, although probably was the same, seemed so much more tolerable than when I was induced. Labor with an induction starts very strong and fast. I don't know for sure but I have to imagine that the further along you are the more your body is ready to labor and the lower your risk of a c-section. But I am only guessing on that one! I am not a fan of induction, I would hold out if I were your situation as long as it isn't medically necessary. I had no signs of impeding labor at my 38 wk appointment and we discussed an induction, but I went into labor the next day. You never know!

tjkdlhb

They started inducing me at 37 w 4 days. (so much earlier than you would be)

I had 3 days of gel before they could get my cervix to a point where they could break my water.  at 38 weeks even, they managed to break my water in the am.  They started me on pitocin at around 1:00.  It took from 1:00-6:00 for me to dilate to 5 cm.  Then I went from 5 cm to having her within 30 minutes.

I was very happy with how it went.  I had NuBane for pain control, but didn't get to the point where I needed an Epi.

jess9802

I was induced. Had Cytotec for cervical ripening the night before. The morning of 39w3d, started pitocin at 7AM, when I was about 2-3cm dilated and 75%ish or so effaced. When I reached 4cm about noon, I requested an epidural, OB broke my water, and by 3PM I was 8cm. I was complete by 4, they let me labor down a bit, I was pushing between 4:30-4:40, and he was born at 5:21PM.

No regrets.

JuneMrs

I told them no with my first LO and she came at 40 weeks 5 days. I did everything I could to help things along I walked, had sex, spicy food, etc. Due dates are an estimate for me rushing and being stuck in a hospital on all kinds of drugs was not happening. I'm glad I waited it out.

seells

I was induced with my first. 36 hours later I was only 3cm and ended up with a csection. If you have zero signs I would try other things before the induction or even postpone it until 42 weeks if you're able and feel comfortable. Inductions in first time moms are twice as likely to end in a csection.

Amandysergio

I was induced at 38+1 for health issues. I didn't have her til I was 38+4. All Monday & Tuesday we tried Pitocin with no real progress. I was 3cm on Wednesday morning and my dr broke my water at 830am and she was born at 448pm went from 5-10cm in an hour and pushed for 20 minutes. Good luck!

yeah.

You don't want to hear this but I was induced at 42 weeks (would not have done it sooner without a medical reason, FYI). It took 50+ hours, I pushed for over 4, and had a c-section. Do not get induced if you can help it.

lizziealyssa

I had to be induced at 37w5d for high blood pressure last time around.  I was given Cytotek.  I was at a birth center and had a pain med-free birth, but it was certainly hard since it was induced (plus baby was posterior so labor kept stopping.)  I am SO thankful that my blood pressure is good this time around.  I am over 40 weeks now and I will NOT be induced for anything other than a vital medical reason.  If I go to 42 weeks, so be it-as long as baby and I are both healthy of course.  Just takes patience and monitoring.

mrspopsicle

I was induced at 38 weeks. I came in around 2 in the afternoon and baby was born around 5pm the next day. My water broke on it's own around 6 am.

pdilly2b

I would never accept an induction without a favorable Bishop score. Do you know what yours is? If baby needed to come out (like there was a medical reason as opposed to the doctors just thinking it's time based on some estimated "due date") and I had a bad Bishop, I would opt for a c-section instead.

How confident are you in your due date? If you're not, I would be even less keen on a non-medically necessary induction.

Don't get discouraged by "no signs" yet. Babies often never drop (DS did not) and your cervix is not a good predictor of when you will go into labor (people can be closed and go into labor or walk around a 4 cm for weeks). This is why many of us don't get cervical checks. They seem to add stress without giving any useful information.

If you want to wait it out, you can ask for non-stress test to check to make sure everything is OK in there with baby and fluid levels etc.. The risk of waiting doesn't really start to go up that much until after 42 wks when the placenta starts to work less well.