Were you induced?

sarahns80

My Dr. wants to induce me this Thursday unless I have her before then (God willing). I am having mixed feelings about it though. I will only be 4 days late then but the Dr. said baby is getting big. I also just think going naturally would ensure she is ready to come out.I also heard inducing is much more painful and can increase odds of c-section. I also always thought it would be nice to have that "honey it's time" moment. However I know there are health risks to being too late. What was your induction experience?

Lerxie

I am a big supporter of waiting. I was induced at 40w1d because of GD and my body wasn't ready. The induction failed and I was sent home. I went back 4 days later for another induction and everything went smoothly.

If you are not high risk, and your gut is telling you to wait, talk that out with your doc. The baby just being "big" is not a reason to induce IMO. Your dr can't know exactly how big the baby is anyway.

Good luck!!

gbtc01

I had a smooth induction. If my baby hadn't been breech I am sure I would have only been in labor a few more hours. I went from 1 cm dialted at 8 am to 5 cm by 12. I had her at 12:45 but like I said she was breech so a C-Section was kind of my only option. She was 9 pounds 11 oz so I actually thank my lucky stars for my c-section. Her head is still in the 100th percentile for size. I couldn't imagine what damage she would have done on the way out!

TARAnj

I had a great induction. I went in already 2cm dialated though. how far dialated are you? Induced 7:30 am...baby out at 3:12.

Shellyburger

I was 12 days late and was going to be induced with cytotec. ?But the day of induction I had made NO progress and he was super high so I opted for the c-section. ?

I do know people who were induced and gave birth vaginally. ?It can work for you?

laur1120

I know it can be nervewracking. I had an awesome induction experience.  I was induced at 41 weeks.  They broke my water and started pitocin around 7:30 am and I was fully dilated by 1:15.  Baby girl was born at 1:57- It would have been sooner but I had to stop pushing becuase my doc had to go to a forceps delivery for a baby whose heartrate was all over the place.  Yes pitocin contrax are very painful and right on top of each other but once I got the epi I was good to go and progressed very quickly. 

If you want to wait longer definitely ask your doctor to do so! Esp if they are just doing it for the size.  My friend jsut had her baby and a week beforehand they were saying the baby was already 8 lbs.  Um yeah that baby came out and was 7lbs 5 oz.  They are notoriously wrong with size estimates.  (she was 3 days late) 

My babe was 8 lbs 13 oz and she came out no prob but apprently I have a good size pelvis according to my OB. 

Personally I would see if you could push it back until next week and give that baby a full week to come out on their own.  GL!

cajuncutie0169

i was induced at 36 weeks bc of severe pre-e. it sucked. it was yretty painful. i was in labor for over 30 hours and was stuck at 1 cm. they finally did a c/s.

beany14

Kevin was 9lbs 4.1 oz and 8 days overdue but he came on his own and there were no complications (thankfully) I had no idea how big he was and i pushed him out fine do what you feel is right and don't be afraid to speak up to your dr!  maybe they can help you in your decision!

Kris&Amy

I was induced 11 days late, which was pushing it for my doctor because she said the same thing. She expected the baby to be close to 10 lbs, and I wasn't buying it. DD was 8lbs even when she was born....
The induction wasn't too bad, the contractions were more painful on the pitocin and I got an epidural after 5 hours and ended up with a c-section after 11 hours of labor because I wouldn't progress past 5 cm and DD was face up. It really wasn't that bad, the nurses made my experience better because they were all extremely nice and helpful.
Just set a date that you don't want to go past and discuss it with your doctor, I'm sure they'll monitor you very closely until that date. Good luck!

Donniesgrrl

I was induced at 39 weeks and 3 days.  I had a hard time with it also because I was dead set on going on my own, but it came down to what was best for DD and for hers and my health.  It was painful but then again I have nothing else to compare it to as this was my first.  I made it almost 8 of the 17 hours without an epidural and although it gave me some relief it wasn't placed right so it kept wearing off.  They broke my water and got the Pitocin going I started having hard contractions about 3 hours in, and they continously got worse as the day wore on.  I was able to vaginally deliver however they were talking c section because I went backwards at one point.

If you have a doctor who is willing to be conservative with the pitocin which mine was, and who is willing to give your body the chance to do what it should you will be ok. 

For what its worth I was a stretchy 3 and about 80% effaced when I went in so I was really favorable for induction as well.  

alisonada

I was induced with DD #1, but she was almost 2 weeks overdue and once you hit that point, the risks of waiting do go way up. My induction wasn't horrible, but I still would have rather avoided it. I would definitely ask if you can wait until you're at least a week overdue before inducing. My doc does an u/s and non-stress tests every two days if you're overdue, but as long as things are OK they'll let you go up to 2 weeks overdue before really encouraging induction. My labor was pretty long and difficult and I narrowly avoided a c-section at the end. Also, I have never had a non-Pitocin induced contraction (DD # 2 was a scheduled c/s due to being breech) but man, those contractions were ROUGH, right off the bat. I've heard they start off much more manageable when they're not drug-induced.

mrsmitch06

I want to preface my story by saying I really didn't want to be induced, but everything went smoother than I could have expected! Here's my long story - no need to read all of it, but I thought I'd post it if you wanted...Good luck!!

DH & I checked into the hospital @ 7pm on Tuesday, March 3rd.  They took me to triage and monitored DS and I.  Everything looked good, so they admitted me to L&D.  They hooked me up to pitocin & IV immediately.  The pitocin was only @ 2 milliunits. They also put the monitors on to track DS's heartrate.  DS was reacting very well to everything.  That night DH & I tried to sleep as much as possible. 

 

The next morning, around 7:00 they increased my pitocin.  They continued to check me and by 10 am I was dilated to 3 cm.  That's when the Dr. came in & broke my water (10:04 am).  Contractions started coming in stronger and they gave me Nubain, since I wasn't dilated enough for the epidural.  The Nubain really didn't "take the edge off" like they promised.  So, my noon, I was having contractions about every minute and they were increasing in pain.  I asked for the epidural, but they said I needed to wait till 1:30.  So, at 1:30 I got the epidural, but it only numbed my right side. They had me lay on my left side for a while, but I could still feel all the contractions on my left side.  They said that was due to my curved spine.  Either way, they came in and increased my dosage of epidural and then it finally numbed my left side as well.  From there, I slept until about 3, when the Dr. came in to check my progress.  I had progressed to 5 cm and 100% effaced.  I went back to sleep and the Dr. came in again @ 5:30 to check and I was at 10 cm, 100% effaced and ready to push.  I had 3 options at this point: 1) Try to push even though I was numb (I could feel an urge to push); 2) turn down the epidural so I could start feeling things and start pushing in about a half hour; 3) wait a half hour w/ the epidural still on and see if DS comes down more.  So, I decided to pick option #3 and rested for another half hour or so. 

 

The Dr. came in and I started pushing @ 6:15 pm.  I couldn't feel a thing, except some pressure. That was my only indication that a contractions was coming on.  In the room was DH, the Dr., the Nurse, and a paramedic that was observing.  Between each contraction everyone was talking and enjoying themselves (me too, don't worry they weren't neglecting me).  I think the fact that I was still numb and not feeling anything made me and everyone else more relaxed.  I pushed for almost 45 minutes and DS was born @ 6:52 pm.  I had a 2nd degree tear, but that was it. 

 DS was born at 6 lb 14 oz and 19.5 inches.  He is doing well. He has lost a little weight, but we're working on putting it back on   He's our little bundle of joy and it's amazing being a mom! 

 

mrsmitch06

Sorry - I was induced at 40 weeks & 3 days due to low birth weight and low amniotic fluid. 

Karen_77

I was faced with the same decision but luckily baby made it for me.  I had a 40 week appt coming up  and they said the week before if I hadn't had the baby by then I would go in that night to be induced.  I agreed with all your concerns and felt that if the baby wasn't ready to come out an induction was only leading me straight to a c-section (I also wasn't dilated at all).  DH was planning on going with me to the appt and we were going to talk to them about delaying the induction another week.  Happily though my water broke that morning before the appt.  I still didn't dilate and needed pitocin to get my contractions moving but I delivered vaginally by 7:40 that day with  no complications and really feel that it went smoothly because the baby was "ready" to come out.

soontobemrsc.

I was induced with both of my pregnancies due to pre-e.  If I had the choice I would have rather waited and gone on my own, but I couldn't.  With my son, I had made no progress before the induction and it was a long and slow process, but I did end up delivering vaginally. 

With my daughter I was already dilated to 2cm so the process was definitely not as long and I did it without pain meds and delivered vaginally as well.  I agree with the pp that your doctor has no idea of the size of the baby and if you are not comfortable with an induction, definitely voice your concern.  You have rights as a patient, and it makes all the difference in your labor and delivery if you are comfortable with what is going on.

Good luck.

hunnybunny2021

The key to the induction going well is if your body is ready... are you already steadily dialating and effacing?  I was induced with DS #2 and it was a wonderful experience... however I was already dialating a cm every week and was almost completly effaced by the induction date.  I started induction at 2 cm and 50% effaced and was already having minor contractions every 2-5 minutes.  I had DS#2 within 5 hours. 

The pain is not really worse with an induction... I had DS #1 naturally and I would say that the contraction patterns and pain with both deliveries were pretty much the same. 

As for the "it's time moment"... it is fun to have, but it is also nice with an induction to know and prepare for the moment.  This time around I was able to have my house cleaned, laundry done and a full nights rest, shower and breakfast before delivery.  It was much more pleasant than with DS #1 where I worked all day, then started contractions to where I couldn't eat or walk around and was in labor at 1:30am.

As for PP comment about a "big" baby... there are health problems/issues that can arise with giving birth to a big baby... esp. if your body is not able to push the baby out.  I would talk to your doctor more about the risks of going into labor with a big baby. 

MandaGail

I was induced the night of 40w3d with cervidil (around 7pm), then started pitocin drip the next morning (5am).  I progressed just fine and started pushing around 6pm.  After trying the vacuum and forceps, I had a c-section because he was NOT budging.  The reason was because the cord was wrapped around his neck twice.

Garnetbaby09

I was induced 4 days early and the labor was wonderful.  Delivery was horrendous but not because of the induction.  I had to be induced because of my blood pressure.  All in all I would do it all over again.

margarita1365

I was induced, but my situation was different since my water broke.  I just wasn't having contractions on my own, which is why they had to give me pitocin.  It took forever for me because they could only give me a very low dose of pitocin, because J wasn't tolerating it when they tried to increase it. 

If I had gone late, I would have insisted that I wait till 42 weeks unless there was a real need to induce.  I agree with you that I think it's important for the baby and your body to be ready.

sarahns80

TARAnj:

I had a great induction. I went in already 2cm dialated though. how far dialated are you? Induced 7:30 am...baby out at 3:12.

I was 1cm and 80% effaced last Wed.

TexasLadyBug

Induced at 39 weeks 1 day. He was getting big 9lbs at birth. When i went in to start the induction i was 80% effaced and 4cm dilated. I went in at 7am started everything at 8 am had him at 3:58pm. It went great no pain ( had epi).?

little__bit

I was induced at 41w, and everything went fine.  No C/S, even though DS was big (9 lb 7 oz).  We didn't know he was so large, so I'm glad we didn't let it go another week.  Then I fear a Cesarean really would have been necessary.

KatGapp

I also had a very smooth induction on my due date.  Went in at 9pm, pitocin started at 10pm, water broken at 11:45, epi at 12:00am, DS born at 3:16am.  This was my first, so I don't know what to compare to, but the contractions were about what I expected.  Our nurse also slowly started the pitocin and then increased a bunch when I got the epi. 

Fish4Fun

I had very mixed feelings about being scheduled for induction at 39 wks and 3 days.  Turns out, my water broke on its own at the 39 wk mark, and I had the smoothest delivery ever.  So, you could still get your wish.  Good luck!

mama31

I was shceduled to be induced on a Monday morning.  I was told to come in on a Sunday night and was given Cervidale.  The cervidale must have did its thing because I went from 2 the night before to 4.5 cm the next morning, so I didn't end up getting patocin afterall.  If you are given cervidale be aware.  I had cramping from 12 am until 6 am non stop.  I am glad I was induced just to get it over with and I didn't have to worry about the time of night or day I would go into labor at home.

inbetweendreams

I was induced at 41 weeks. I was given cytotec at 9:00pm Sunday night. They started pitocin around 3:00am Monday morning. The doctor broke my water around noon. I stalled at 8cm and had a c-section at 7:45pm Monday night. Almost 23 hours from start to finish. Although I would have liked to have delivered vaginally, I would not say I had a bad experience. I know several people that were induced and delivered vaginally. Inductions are different for everyone. If you feel like you want to give your body a few more days, I would talk to your doctor about it--especially since you'll only be 4 days past your due date.

MTJunebride

I was induced at 41 weeks. ?I was on oral Cytotec overnight to start, which was pretty ineffective. ?Then I had my water broken the next morning, and then started Pitocin at noon. ?I made it until 10 p.m. before I needed the epidural. ?It was really tough in the last two hours, but I had wanted to see if I could do it without pain meds. ?Once I got the epidural, I rested for several hours and then pushed for two hours. ?DS was born at 4 a.m., 29 hours after I checked in to the hospital for my induction. He was 9 lbs, 4 oz, so I am pretty happy I didn't try to push for another week before getting induced.

My main goal was to avoid a C-section, so I considered it a success. ?I had really wanted to avoid an induction, but it ended up not being so bad. ?I still feel like I had a great birth experience.?

?

jay.otter

I wouldn't want to be induced for a large baby. Those measurements are usually off, and an induction does raise the odds of complications. I was induced for pre-e at 38 weeks though, and it was a piece of cake. I didn't even need an epidural.

buckeyethor

i was induced because of pre-e. i spent 2 days taking cervadil and cytotec. it was terrible. i didn't sleep at all because of the 4 hour cervix checks and new meds being inserted. nevermind the moniters on my belly constantly falling off. then i ended up with a c-section. i was 31 weeks 6 days when i delivered though so i am sure your body will respond much better to those type of meds as its more prepared for delivery than mine was. mine just knew it wasn't really time to have that baby. good luck to you and be grateful that you made it to 40 weeks!

ASarracino

I was induced 4 days after my due date. My Dr. wanted to induce me the following Monday because she did not want me to go past 1 week late, but I asked for Friday so that my family out of town could be there for the weekend. Everything worked out great. Knowing when the baby would come was great for me as I was getting so impatient. DH and I had a nice night together before induction and we made it special. I didn't feel panicked or anxious at all. Labor was 9 hours total from when they broke my water to when DS was born. I would say trust your doctor and the nurses who will be working with you. There are always health risks either way.