Anyone have experience with Cervidil?

jhernanjm00

Hey ladies!

I'm being induced this Sunday due to complications with high blood pressure and was wondering if anyone could briefly tell me about their experiences with Cervidil?

I have been a fingertip dilated since 35 weeks, and only 20% effaced. My doctor will be using Cervidil to get my cervix to ripen first. 

Just curious what the process entails. I've been doing some research online, but always find first hand experiences much more informative. Anything you could share would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks! 

krstokes

I had Cervadil and Pitocin. The Cervadil I had first. The only thing I can say is I got nauseous an hour after getting it. Not sure if it's because of that or not!

As far as the process they put a pill by your Cervix to soften it. Not much more I can say I guess. GL!

mel1987

it looks like a little tampon that they insert. you can't stand up for the first hour after they put it in. They inserted it at 11pm and I started having contractions around 4 am (very weak ones), they started me on pitocin at 8am, I delivered my son at 1pm. I guess it just gets your cervix ready so the pitocin can work more effectively.

LittleLotero

are there different forms of cervidil? my doctor told me that it is a flat paper-like circle tampon placed on the cervix, not a pill.

prettipenny

I also had Cervadil and Pitocin, Cervadil 1st. It did not make me nauseous and I didn't mind it at all. It only took a second for them to insert it and a few hours later my water broke. After that they started the Pitocin and a few more hours later I was ready to push. From start to finish it took exactly 24 hours from when I was admitted to when DD was born. Not a bad experience in the least and I had been very nervous to be induced.

jhernanjm00

LittleLotero:

are there different forms of cervidil. my doctor told me that it is a flat paper-like circle tampon placed on the cervix, not a pill.

 

I have no idea... When my doctor first started telling me about this, it sounded to me like it was a shot.. And of course I didn't ask any questions, because heaven forbid I'm actually prepared when I go to an appointment and not in a total complete brain fart state of mind.

From what I've been reading it sounds like the cervidil is administered through a tampon like tubing of some sort.  

mfransdell

Yes, it's like a gel/tampon thing.

A very small percentage of women get contractions from it. I was one, my nurse was LAME and didnt believe how strong they were. I dilated from nothing to 5 in 3 hrs on Cervadil alone and My water broke on its own. I was 37 weeks being induced for PreE.

GL! Labor is....a trip!

LittleLotero

mfransdell:

GL! Labor is....a trip!

a trip i hope to take any day now....

juliane2004

my experience:

-put in at 4 am

-cramps BAD started 30 min later

-water broke at 5 pm

-then i had a c/s and DD was here at 7:26 pm

purple_posies

Yeah, it looks like a little shoe-string thing with prostoglandins on the end to help soften your cervix.  Once they soften (or "ripen") your cervix, you will probably be put on pitocin to help give you and regulate your contractions to help your cervix continue to ripen/dilate. They usually keep it in you for, like, 12 hours.

I was induced at 37 weeks due to pregnancy-induced hypertension; I had been 1-2 cm dilated and 50% effaced since week 35. They put the cervadil in around 4 AM and I started having contractions at 4:30 AM. The contractions continued to get stronger and more regular and I had my son -- with no pitocin -- at 3:13 PM that same day.  Apparently this is not typical (for cervadil to actually start your labor), but you never know!

Good luck!

annibes

Mine was a big string, and it was only in for 2 hours before they had to take it out. It sent me into labor with wicked cramping and then some nasty contractions. O and I did not react well to the induction.

g8orell

LittleLotero:

are there different forms of cervidil? my doctor told me that it is a flat paper-like circle tampon placed on the cervix, not a pill.

There are two types of prostaglandins (cervical ripeners) - Cervadil which is a flat, plastic thing with a string that is weaker and can be removed and then there is Cytotech which is a gel placed in the cervix, which is stronger and cannot be removed. Cervadil usually takes longer, but is more controlled b/c can be removed if you become overstimulated.

I was induced at 39 weeks due to Pre-E and baby not tolerating contractions on NST. I was 0cm, 80% effaced and 0 station; I was already in "early labor" because I was contracting every 5 min, but didnt' feel them at all. I had the cervadil placed at 4pm. It hurt a little because it's a plastic rectangle, so it felt like the rough edges were cutting me as they put it in. Once it was in it didn't hurt. I had to lay flat for 2 hours, as to not dislodge it. After 2 hours, I was able to walk around. Around 9pm, my contractions started hurting and were long...lasting 3 min with only 1.5 min inbetween. And it was back labor which sucked!!! At midnight I got Stadol because I was in pain...they had originally written Ambien, because it usually doesn't PUT you into labor, but since I was already in early labor, it did. Needless to say, Ambien wasn't gonna work at that point! My MW came back in 12 hours later at 4am and I was still 0cm (she pushed through to make me fingertip), 100% effaced and 0 station. She pulled out the cervadil, which again, felt like tiny cuts - they just need to round out those damn edges! She started me on low-dose Pitocin to actually give me relief since they were lasting 3 min. My contractions then went down to about 1 min with 3 min in between, which was heaven. Luckily at that point, DD turned anterior (she was OP - thus causing back labor) and all the contractions were in the front which too was HEAVEN!! At 7am, my MW came back and I was fingertip, 100%, and 0 station - no change. We talked about doing a c-section at that point, but I was exhausted from everything. I asked for the epi and to see if that did anything to relax me and maybe cause progress. I got the epi, which was the best thing in the world, she checked me again, and again, no progress. We decided that she would go to the office to see her morning patients (her office is like 2 blocks from the hospital) and she would return at noon for a possible c/s if no progress. She came back at noon, and the baby had actually moved UP! I was fingertip, 100% and -1 station! We scheduled my c/s for 12:30, but got bumped for an emergency. I rested more with my family and went for the section at 3:30 and DD was born at 3:42pm...almost exactly 24 hours after the induction. Good luck, and if you do need a c/section, it's not bad AT ALL, and I'm a huge baby. Honestly, I'd rather do a planned c/section for the next one then go through labor again! My recovery was great too...I even went home after 48 hours. I had a friend give birth 2 min (yup, 2 min, crazy!) before me with a vaginal delivery, and she had a 3rd degree tear...her recovery was much worse than my c/section!

cedens

i was induced with cervadil at 10pm and had contractions/baaad cramping a half an hour later- i wasnt forwarned that you could get contractions from it and was trying to fig out why i had period like cramping that kept getting worse and worse

i asked the nurse when she came in if i was to have cramps and she looked at the contraction monitor and said "ohh yes! you have contractions starting!" i was thinking....welll good to know! should have been informed! lol they got bad pretty quick and dh had gone home to get my blanket and pillow

i had a pretty bad induction experience that ultimately ended up failing and leading to a csection- after the cervadil (which takes 12 hours- first 2 hours no getting up), i was still closed but def had a softer cervix- i was given a breakfast bc they said i still had plenty of time- after breakfast, they checked me (like an hour later) and i was 3 inches dialated! they thought that was pretty fast, so they got me to labor and delivery at that point- and 2-3 hours later, i was given an epidural (4 inches dialated) bc they were going to start me on pitocin to get the contractions more regular- i swear the pitocin slowed my progress bc as soon as i was given that, my progress slowed down and it took me on average 3 hours to progress 1 inch! so i was tehre for a while! it was a friday night admitted around 6pm and didnt have dd til sunday at 3:40pm!  i was throwing up nonstop and had horrible pressure but i wasnt 10cm yet so no pushing was allowed- my cervix began swelling and then she had issues decending

i was still progressing but very slowly so eventually the docs said its up to me what i want to do- they gave me all scenarios (like me trying to continue with vag birth and the baby possibly getting stuck) or having a csection and ending this all right now...they knew i was completely uncomfortable and in a ton of pain and with the throwing up...i was D.O.N.E.

so i finally said ok- i had to think about it for a few hours until i finally admitted i needed a csection (i was terrified of surgery- never had surgery before)- i was in tears going into the OR (i was scared and disappointed that i didnt get to have her vaginally)- but all in all, i have a beautifuly baby girl and dont care anymore how she got here!

jonsdeedee

For my failed induction they started with cervidil.  I was 35 weeks and completely closed.  We did 2 rounds of cervidil, pitocin, and manual dilation and 30 hours later I was a whooping 1 centimeter dilated. 

It was like a scratchy tampon.  It was uncomfortable for me but did not hurt.

6-21-08Bride

I was induced at 41 weeks with cervidil first. The intention was to have the cervidil, sleep through the night and get pitocin in the morning. However, the cervidil went in at 7:30 pm and by 8:30 pm I was having regular and strong contractions. I got to 7 cm by 2:00 am and by 6:00 am was at 10 cm. Somewhere around 4 am I was given an injection to actually slow down the contractions because they were getting too intense for the baby. Needless to say I did not sleep and never made it to the pitocin as DS was born at 9:20 am. Good luck!

borc0080

I had Cervidil and Pitocin.  The Cervidil hurt when it was inserted, but seemed to do the trick.  I remember it was tricky to go to the bathroom without peeing on the strings (similar to if you left a tampon in when going to the bathroom). 

Good luck with your induction!