If you were induced with Cytotec... Please share your story!

cburitz

I am being induced tomorrow night with Cytotec (and then Pitocin in the morning if needed). Has anyone been induced successfully with Cytotec? How long were you in labor? Did you end up needing Pitocin as well?

Thanks for sharing!

(Disclaimer: I am aware of the risks of Cytotec. The hospital that I am delivering at doesn't offer Cervidil & my OB says she's had great success with Cytotec.)

Sharon21

Ok, I know you said that you know the risks but please do some more research before going through with that. I find it hard to believe that any women would take Cytotec knowing the TRUE risks for it. Both the FDA and the manufacturer have said that this product is not safe for inductions. The only reason that it is still used is because it costs the hospital less. Do you really want to put your safety and the safety of your baby on the line to save the hospital some money? Why do you need to be induced anyway? Why don't you just go straight to pitocin or get your membranes stripped instead?

cburitz

Sharon21:

Ok, I know you said that you know the risks but please do some more research before going through with that. I find it hard to believe that any women would take Cytotec knowing the TRUE risks for it. Both the FDA and the manufacturer have said that this product is not safe for inductions. The only reason that it is still used is because it costs the hospital less. Do you really want to put your safety and the safety of your baby on the line to save the hospital some money? Why do you need to be induced anyway? Why don't you just go straight to pitocin or get your membranes stripped instead?

*Sigh* Thank you for your opinion but I have done my research and chosen to go with Cytotec. There are risks to ALL drugs & medical procedures. There are also plenty of other drugs that are used for off-label purposes. I trust my Dr over non-legitimate internet websites.

To answer your question, my cervix is only dilated to 1cm. If I went straight to Pitocin, I would most likely end up with a c-section which I would like to avoid. Membrane stripping did not work.

cZa

I was induced with Cytotec. I went into the hospital around 7 and had pill placed about 8:30. I was not dialated at all. I was having contractions every 4 minutes by 9:30. About 2 am is when they became strong and uncomfortable. Heat packs helped my back labor. In the am maybe 6 they started pitocin. My contrations became so intense that they gave me something to slow them down. I had epi about 10:30 which quit working after about an hour ( I could feel everything on my left side) About that same time I went from a 5-6 cm to 9 in about a half hour. They had me start pushing and I pushed for almost an hour. DS was born 1:30. I think my experience was good. I don't think your doctor would do this if they believed it to be unsafe. Good luck!

cburitz

cZa:

I was induced with Cytotec. I went into the hospital around 7 and had pill placed about 8:30. I was not dialated at all. I was having contractions every 4 minutes by 9:30. About 2 am is when they became strong and uncomfortable. Heat packs helped my back labor. In the am maybe 6 they started pitocin. My contrations became so intense that they gave me something to slow them down. I had epi about 10:30 which quit working after about an hour ( I could feel everything on my left side) About that same time I went from a 5-6 cm to 9 in about a half hour. They had me start pushing and I pushed for almost an hour. DS was born 1:30. I think my experience was good. I don't think your doctor would do this if they believed it to be unsafe. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing! I hope my induction goes that quickly.

Sorry about the Epi not working... Ugh. That is a fear of mine...

kcisthebombdotcom

cburitz:

Sharon21:

Ok, I know you said that you know the risks but please do some more research before going through with that. I find it hard to believe that any women would take Cytotec knowing the TRUE risks for it. Both the FDA and the manufacturer have said that this product is not safe for inductions. The only reason that it is still used is because it costs the hospital less. Do you really want to put your safety and the safety of your baby on the line to save the hospital some money? Why do you need to be induced anyway? Why don't you just go straight to pitocin or get your membranes stripped instead?

*Sigh* Thank you for your opinion but I have done my research and chosen to go with Cytotec. There are risks to ALL drugs & medical procedures. There are also plenty of other drugs that are used for off-label purposes. I trust my Dr over non-legitimate internet websites.

To answer your question, my cervix is only dilated to 1cm. If I went straight to Pitocin, I would most likely end up with a c-section which I would like to avoid. Membrane stripping did not work.

Glad to see someone intelligent around here. Everyone thinks they're a doctor because they did some internet research. lol.

I had a good experience with cytotec. I was induced with cervadil first, but when it didnt work my doctor tried cytotec first before pitocin. It did put me into labor and I was contracting regularly but it wasnt the horrible contractions that you hear about from pitocin that come on crazy strong all of a sudden.

I did end up with a c-section, but I dont think it was from a failure on the medication (my child was 10lbs and had a head off the charts in size).

GL!

Sharon21

KC_13:

cburitz:

Sharon21:

Ok, I know you said that you know the risks but please do some more research before going through with that. I find it hard to believe that any women would take Cytotec knowing the TRUE risks for it. Both the FDA and the manufacturer have said that this product is not safe for inductions. The only reason that it is still used is because it costs the hospital less. Do you really want to put your safety and the safety of your baby on the line to save the hospital some money? Why do you need to be induced anyway? Why don't you just go straight to pitocin or get your membranes stripped instead?

*Sigh* Thank you for your opinion but I have done my research and chosen to go with Cytotec. There are risks to ALL drugs & medical procedures. There are also plenty of other drugs that are used for off-label purposes. I trust my Dr over non-legitimate internet websites.

To answer your question, my cervix is only dilated to 1cm. If I went straight to Pitocin, I would most likely end up with a c-section which I would like to avoid. Membrane stripping did not work.

Glad to see someone intelligent around here. Everyone thinks they're a doctor because they did some internet research. lol.

I had a good experience with cytotec. I was induced with cervadil first, but when it didnt work my doctor tried cytotec first before pitocin. It did put me into labor and I was contracting regularly but it wasnt the horrible contractions that you hear about from pitocin that come on crazy strong all of a sudden.

I did end up with a c-section, but I dont think it was from a failure on the medication (my child was 10lbs and had a head off the charts in size).

GL!

I am an extremely intelligent person. I got my degree with a 3.7 GPA. What was yours? Also, I am not just book smart I have common sense. Enough sense to base my opinion on more than just what a doctor told me. Doctors are humans too and don't know everything. The reason I feel so strongly about not using Cytotec is for two reasons. 1) I know someone who had to have a hysterectomy because of it. 2) My SIL is a nurse and and told me about another nurse who got fired and sued because she gave a women Cytotec and the women died. It was the nurse that was held responsible (not the doctor) because she was the person who administered it. Doctors have nothing to lose because it is the nurse that gets in trouble if something goes wrong.

OP- I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do. I hope that if you do decide to use Cytotec that you are able to have a complication free delivery. I hope that you are able to come back here and tell me I told you so.  

pinkflipflops44

I started out my induction on a Tuesday with Pitocin.  I started out dilated at a 1? I don't remenber but it was basically nothing. I was on it from 830 to 430 and it did nothing for me.  Apparently I was having contractions but I didnt feel them and thought people were crazy for saying Pitocin was so horrible.  So I stayed the night and the next morning had cytotec at 730.  Now I can't remember if I moved 1/2 a centimeter or nada but I had to have another one at 1030.  By 145 I was at a 4 and they broke my water.  Then the contractions gradually picked up and by 4pm I was in the tub/shower and did that til 630.  Then I got nubane because I was having insane back labor and I wanted a tad of a relief but I did not want an epi.  At 830 I thought I was going to die and decided screw going without an epi get me one now.  And I apparently was dilated all the way to 10.  So no epi for me. I pushed for 2 and a half hours and then my daughter was born.  She would have come out sooner if she would have come out when her head came out the first time.

Spartanmama722

I was induced with cytotec and honestly it went great. They put the pill in around midnight, which was a little painful but no more than an internal, I had to stay lying down for 2 hours while it dissolved, and then they checked me again at around 6:00-6:30 and started pitocin. The cytotec caused a lot of contractions but nothing really severe - I was able to nap for a couple hours while it was in. I did need pitocin to get me the rest of the way, but I only started at a fingertip dilated and "soft," so it wasn't a surprise that I needed more than the cytotec. It did get me to 3 cm and 100% effaced.

The cytotec worked great though. Honestly the worst part was not being able to get up to use the bathroom for 2 hours since they'd been pumping me full of IV fluids, then were pressing on my bladder when they put the pill in, and then expected me to hold it for 2 hours! That was brutal.

Good luck with your induction!

genekelly

I was induced using cytotec.  I expressed concern to my OB whose opinion was that the off label usage for inductions and the associated risks were not significant in my case ie no previous c-section(or birth).   I required two doses of Cytotec to soften my cervix enough but labor did not start on its own and the OB/midwife suggested either pitocin or rupturing my membranes.  I chose pitocin but after 12 more hours of pitocin ended up with a c-section b/c baby was not tolerating the contractions well during pushing.  LO was also 9lb 2oz at birth so much bigger than the 7-8 lb they had forecast at my 32 wk growth scan.    Good luck and hope everything goes smoothly for you!  There are plenty of successful inductions out there and actually my induction was successful as I dilated to 10 cm and was able to push for 1-2 hr until LO decided he didn't like contractions.

kelsgreeneyes

I was induced twice.  For the first inductionb(because of low fluid) I was given cytotec.  I started out at 1 cm and 70% effaced.  I received 4 doses of cytotec- 1 every 4 hours.  After each does I was still 1 cm and 70% effaced.  I then received gel.  After the gel didnt work they decided to check my fluids and I was sent home. 

After going home and doing research I refused the cytotec with the second induction.  The second induction went much smoother and progressed at a nice rate!

 Good luck with your induction!  Some meds work better for some than others!  

MntllyBlonde007

I was given cytotec and it didn't do anything except cause intense labor. I went 16 hours straight without dialating after having it administered. It was awful.They finally broke my water and things went quickly.. i wish they had done that in the 1st place.