Foley Catheter...

kristi2122

Has anyone heard of this method to induce labor?  My doctor wants to try it before Pitocin... 

I've just never heard of it and wondered if I was the only one or not....

TIA

kds24

Now that's something I have never heard before, I'm curious to see the responses.

GirlGenius

I think your doc is a sadist masquerading as an OB.

I've never heard that before. I'd guess the discomfort would induce the opposite of labor - clamming up tight!

busygal

I have heard of it, isn't it when they put it inside your cervix and try to stretch it open a little bit? I think it sounds painful but probably not as painful as pitocin contractions.

tiff-n-nick

I dont know how putting in a cath would induce labor -- I can understand how vagas nerve stiimulation (the back door) can - like enemas and bowel movements and such could, but I cant find anything in my nursing books about foleys bringing on labor. Weird.

tiff-n-nick

busygal:

I have heard of it, isn't it when they put it inside your cervix and try to stretch it open a little bit? I think it sounds painful but probably not as painful as pitocin contractions.

Oh, so they arent putting in the cath in the urethra?? Its going in the vag? Hmm, weird. Not to mention, possibility of infection if it isn done sterile. If it were me, I would say no way, sounds like a really outdated procedure.

MarksBride03

I have never heard of this...But I googled it for you!

https://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Inducing_Labor

Go down the page towards the end, there is a section on Foley Catheter

mrschascoAug25

Thank you for posting the link! I am actually supposed to have this done either today at my NST appointment if the nurses are allowed to do it OR tomorrow at my regular OB appointment in the morning as I'm scheduled to be induced at 7pm tomorrow night. Now that I've read all that stuff I don't think I want this AT ALL so lets hope the nurses can't do it and I'll chat more with my OB tomorrow. YIKES! I'll check back later with an update.

massagegirly

I had this done with daughter #1. It is like a balloon that they put into your cervix. Then they fill it with water to stretch the cervix. You keep it in over night. If it falls out that is a good sign that it is working. It hurts like a son of a gun while getting it done and walking out of the hospital. But once it is in you really can not feel it too much. I went home had contractions, went to sleep and it fell out on it's own. Went to the hospital and started pitocin.

tracy042206

I had one with my last pregnancy and I went from barely 1cm at 5PM to 4CM at 7AM the next day.  Basically I preferred that over getting any Cervidil and having to stay in the hospital o/n and that was what my doc wanted to do as well.

As far as the procedure it was OK, not totally pain free but I am a big wimp and it wasn't bad at all for me.  It was mostly pressure when they put it in and then I cramped a little on the way home.  All night I thought I was just cramping from the insertion but I was actually starting out on contractions (found that out when I got to the hospital the next morning).  The only thing I didn't realize from their description of the procedure was that a tube would sticking out of me until they removed it the next day - kind of annoying.

jakesbride2be

Yucky catheters..I'm so not looking forward to having another one with my baby girl.=0( I wouldn't go for it and it sounds like a weird way to get the induction process started but I'm no Ob.

kds24

Oh, my SIL had her baby in Israel and they did this with her.  I just thought they were crazy b/c she was also in a room with several other women giving birth.