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Natural Birth
numbersgirl08
member
Induction by breaking water only?
numbersgirl08
member
I'm 41 weeks today and have been hoping and praying for a natural birth, but as time goes on an induction looks more and more likely (and I'm losing hope that I'll go into labor on my own!) I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon to discuss whether to induce on Thurs. (41+2) or Mon. (41+6) [those are the two days my dr. is available to induce]. My dr. would prefer to induce on Thurs, as she doesn't like to get so close to the 42 week mark. As of yesterday I'm a "good" 4 cm. dilated, 90% effaced, and baby is "very very low" (I don't know at what station). She mentioned that she thinks I wouldn't need pitocin for an induction since my body is so ready. She said likely they would break my waters and labor would start on its own, and said that if she were in my shoes that is what she would choose for this Thurs. That's also what my husband seems to be leaning towards as well.
Have any of you experienced this - induction that didn't require pitocin? If that was the case, I would more ok with inducing, but clearly you can't guarantee anything. And of course, breaking my water would put me on the time clock, which makes me nervous. Does anyone have any stories of successful inductions that didn't require pitocin, preferably that were able to be pain med free?
Every day I wake up not in labor is getting pretty discouraging now. I'm still hoping and praying that I go into labor in the next 24 hours so I don't even have to make the decision, but I'm feeling pretty down about my chances.
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Re: Induction by breaking water only?
First of all, I would push very very hard for the Monday induction. It's not uncommon for ftm's to go to 41 weeks or beyond, and most of the time giving your body those few extra days can do a lot, especially since you're already so open! Request an NST on Thursday instead to verify that the baby is safe and cozy, and if anything looks remotely off, you can be induced that day.
As for the water breaking, I can't give you a good story there. My water broke on its own at 41+1 and I ended up on a pitocin drip because contractions never started (I was 3 cm when I got to the hospital). I managed to avoid pain meds, but it still wasn't the experience I would have liked. Keep that in mind, that breaking your water not only puts you on a clock, but still presents a very real risk of pitocin induction. If I were you, I would ask my doctor how long she would be willing to let me go after my water was broken before she started talking c-section, and how long I would have for contractions to start on their own before she would want to put me on pitocin. Also, my hospital required constant monitoring after your water broke, and I wasn't allowed to get in the shower for pain management. My hospital wasn't very natural friendly or up to date, either, but that might be something else worth discussing. Those answers might help you make a decision.
I know some may not agree, but I tend to put AROM as the last resort. But I also favor keeping my waters intact and not doing cervical checks. I know that some of the research on pitocin says it isn't preferred over AROM for induction, but pitocin appeals to me better because it can be removed, and you can labor naturally. Where, with AROM there's no going back.
Find a good acupuncturist, and schedule a chiro visit if your comfortable with that.
Personally, I also would insist on waiting until you are closer to the two weeks over date. It is after two weeks late that statistics show worse outcomes for babies. You are far more likely to go in on your own if you allow yourself the time. I have had to be threatened with induction every time, because my babies have all been 6-12 days late. I am pregnant with my fifth now. Often, babies are late because they are posterior, and breaking your water can cram that baby's head down low enough in your pelvis to start labor, but not low enough to effectively dilate you. Without that cushion of fluid, it's difficult for the baby to turn to anterior, which is where you want him/her to be. If I was absolutely certain the baby was head down and anterior, I might permit the water breaking, and there is a good likelihood it would be a fairly quick labor. But with my personal history of posterior presentations, and the fact that it does, in fact, set the clock ticking and the likelihood of other interventions goes up, I would push for the later date. But I would also walk a lot. It sounds like your cervix is good and ripe, though, which is a huge plus for a first time mom. I have found it so much easier to ease into the hard contractions of active labor gradually, rather than slam into them with breaking your water and adding pitocin. On the other hand, my mother, who had seven children without anesthesia, really liked the get-down-to-business aspect of being induced. She had fast labors and easy deliveries. I have had long labors and difficult deliveries. Patience has made for the easier deliveries in my experience. I am certain that my first labor could have gone easier and been less traumatic if they had left me alone, not broken my water, and not added pitocin.
There is a great website called spinningbabies.com that will show you how to map your baby's movements to determine position, and also gives great advice for helping your baby into the best position for birth. https://www.spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/belly-mapping
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
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I would try to go for the Monday induction. You may not end up needing it.
Also, when I went to the hospital, already having contractions, they broke my water to move things along. I was told I could labor on my own for 4 hours and see how much progress I had made.
After the four hours, they were pushing me hard to do pit even though I had made progress.
So, if you agree to the arom only, be prepared that they very well may start pressuring you once you're there with broken waters. Because once the waters are broken, you can't undo it.
One more thing, while my contractions were painful at first, I was handling them well. As soon as the doc broke my water, like, as soon as I stood up, it was terrible pain, because my cervix wasn't quite ready and baby was now pressing directly on it, with no cushion.
For this reason, I will refuse having my waters ruptured artificially next time, if at all possible.
But I agree with the pp's, try for a nst on thurs, and as long as everything looksgood,inducemonday if needed.
Good luck!!
But to answer your question. I am a new doula. But I have attended 2 births in the last couple months that involved induction by water breaking. There are risks like all inductions. Once water is broken you are in hospitals clock and they have you like 2 hrs to establish labor. That isn't very long. Both my mama were at different hospitals am were given 2 hrs. The first didn't even need te 2 hrs. She was a second time mom and had an extremely fast fort both do this baby came 3 1/2 hrs after water break. She stared at a 4 and was a coupes days late. 2 nod mama was also a second time mama was not over due but paranoid of depression so wanted to be. She started at a 2 1/2 and afte 2 1/2 hrs she felt a big difference in contractions and knew they were getting more intense but when they checke her she was still at a 2 1/2. She said she wanted another hr before pitocin. She got into the tub just as they came to check her again so they just gave her more time. Kinda planned it that way. By the time they did check her she was at a 3 1/2 and was closer to 4 hrs after water breaking. Since she was progressing try held off pitocin. She went very quickly after that. So both very successful.
The thing I've learned about pitocin is they day they can turn it off if contractions are strong enough but try rarely do and they especially won't f you don't pay attention and ask. They just think might as well keep uping it and get things going. They don't give your body a chance to adjust to labor and you can't keep up with the intensity. It's a slippery slope. And f you don't know much about it then you really are at a disadvantage.