Early Induction due to Cholestasis

mrsamr2013

This is my fourth pregnancy. I have just been diagnosed with Cholestasis of Pregnancy... which means there is excess bile in my system due to an abnormality in the function of my gallbladder and liver. This will not harm me (except an INSANE itching all over my body) but It causes problems for the placenta. So my Doctor is going to induce me at 37 weeks. If they dont induce the chances of stillbirth increases drastically. but they wont induce me before 37 weeks because they want to give baby as much chance to develop his lungs as he can have. I am going in 2 times a week for a non-stress test and an ultrasound to make sure baby is growing and the placenta is functioning correctly. If at any point the baby is in dis-stress they will induce me before 37 weeks.....  the doctor was explaining all of this and then she said that my chances of needing a c-section double because with this condition the baby might not handle the stress of labor well... especially if they induce before 37 weeks. My question is.... is there anything I can do to make sure my cervix is ready at 37 weeks? I googled ways to naturally induce labor but it seems to me that is for women who are term. I hate that we have to kick him out early:( but I want to make sure it is as safe as it can be and I want to do everything in my power to not have a c-section. HELP! anyone have any suggestions on ways to make sure my cervix performs when asked? The doctor said that because I have given birth vaginally 3 times before (the last one was 6 years ago) that the cervix will probably remember what it needs to do and it will be fine... but like I said... I want to do whatever I can to deliver this baby naturally and vaginally. 

boymamaco

I'm so sorry you are dealing with that! Sounds awful. I don't have any experience with it BUT I'd think the recommendations for softening cervix when at term would apply preterm as well.

doodlemonkey22

I know exactly how you feel. I developed Cholestasis with my last pregnancy. I was induced at 38 weeks. The Certified Nurse Midwife group I see wanted to induce me at 37 weeks, but I told them I wanted to try to start labor naturally before being induced. They were okay with that. I gave myself a week to try naturally and I had to do a NST every other day to make sure baby was doing okay. DH and I tried EVERYTHING to induce naturally. I walked a lot, had membranes stripped twice, had lots of sex, even tried eating spicy food and drinking castor oil. Nothing worked. Baby was just not ready to come out and I felt so angry that I had to kick him out early. But deep down I knew I had to do it. So at 38 weeks I relented and was induced. This was my 2nd baby. So MW was expecting one dose of Cervidil to do the trick...that my body would remember and go into labor. Nope! They had to pull out the big guns and use the Pitocin. I waited until I couldn't take the pain anymore to get my epidural (that was around 6-7cm)  I already knew from previous delivery that the epidural slows down my labor. I know there is a big debate about that being true. But I can say it is true for me. So I waited until the last minute because I didn't want it to end in a c section. And I ended up delivering vaginally. I wasn't able to do it naturally without medical intervention but I didn't get a section and that felt great. Now I'm pregnant again and, surprise, have not developed Cholestasis as of 35 weeks. I know there is still a chance but I am hopeful.

oprastr

Early induction due to cholestasis here too!  I was also able to deliver vaginally although not naturally.  I was able to avoid pitocin as well.  Two doses of cervadil did the trick for me.  Honestly (sorry if this is TMI-but you asked!) I had at least one orgasm a day in the two weeks leading up to induction.  Then the LD nurse I had REALLY got the cervadil in there, it was painful,  but worth it to me to avoid pitocin.  Good luck!  

BTW-really cold water on my hands and feet really relieved me itching.