Anyone Induced Without Pitocin?

Moo72 · February 2014

I'm being induced Feb 18th due to high BP. I really want to avoid Pitocin if possible but it doesn't sound like that will be likely. I've read a few stories online about instances where Pitocin wasn't needed but was curious if anybody here had that experience.

sandraanddrew · February 2014

I was induced with DS and had no pitocin. Wasn't on purpose though. Had cervadil inserted, was supposed to be in for 12 hours. It put me into full blown labour within 3 hours and fell out on its own. My contractions were regular and strong enough that my doctor decided it wasn't needed.

Moo72 · February 2014

I would like to avoid as many medical interventions as possible. Not thrilled that I have to be induced but understand it's for mine and the baby's safety.

karich · February 2014

I'm looking at an induction next week and am also hoping to avoid pitocin.
I don't want an epidural, and I'm not sure I'll be able to handle the contractions with pitocin.
I was told we could try the foley to dialate, and then break my water to get things going.
Maybe that could also be an option for you?

Arangia · February 2014

Depending on how dilated you are your dr can just break your water. That's what mine was going to do this Friday if I was still pregnant.

However, last Wednesday I had him sweep my membranes to see if we could get things going without the full commitment of breaking water, which does put you on a time line.

The next day around 10am I started having contractions. They were irregular but never further apart than thirty minutes. Most were 5-10 minutes apart.

By noon I lost my mucous plug.

By ten pm we went to the hospital to get checked, contractions still going but still irregular. Was at 4cm. By 11:45 was only at 5cm but dr asked to break my water. Hour and forty five minutes later dd was born.

For the record, both my labors were completely natural/unmedicated, with my first I labored with waters intact the whole time, broken at 10cm when it was time to push, this time labor was way way more painful only because my water had been broken. Which is often the case with pitocin inductions. It stands to reason that some labors are just more painful than others and Pitocin may not actually be to blame.

And for the record I am really against Pitocin as well if at all possible.

Moo72 · February 2014

That's what I'm hoping to try as well @karich. If those things don't work I understand that Pitocin may be necessary but I don't want to jump right to it (I think it's used to much, or too quickly, these days).

Moo72 · February 2014

Good point @KatyBriggs, everybody is different. I guess I'll just see how it goes and make the best decision based on health of me and the baby.

Good luck tomorrow!

MarineWife6713 · February 2014

I didnt do any research when i had my son, and i was young. I was induced with pitocin @ 40w4d, they would run it IV for 8 hours then I had 12 hours rest. Induction began on a Thursday. By Saturday early am i was 1cm. They used the cervical softening stuff & a Foley cath (which hurt like hell!!) only to get me to a 3 by 11am. My water did break on its own, with the Muconim (sp?) in it. No concern to the dr's at all. Labor progressed slowly and at 7 1/2cm, around 9pm, i got an epidural. Labor stopped. No more contractions. No mor dilating. So they began the pitocin again. Started contracting & with each contraction, ds heartbeat would drop to 20-30 beats. Finally at 1am sunday they did an emergency csection. I was rapidly developing an infection, high fever & my son was slowy being strangled.
I have never since heard of anyone else having such difficulty with pitocin.
I will never be induced again. Having a scheduled csection this time to avoid any problems for myself & this little man.
Good luck to you and be wary of what they are doing. I was 19, alone, and not in the most ideal if hospitals.

sdlaura · February 2014

My good friend only needed Cervadil to send her into labor. She was almost 42 weeks.

ahare2009 · February 2014

KatyBriggs said:

My doctor told me it's possible that the cervical softening agent will be enough to start labor on its own, but if not, it's Pitocin for me. I can say for certain this time tomorrow what winds up happening though.

I think it probably depends on how ready your body is to have the baby though, honestly. What works for one momma won't necessarily work for another. Good luck with your induction!

Mine told me the same. I'm scheduled to be at the hospital at 6am tomorrow. My worry is I won't dilate without Pitocin, because so far I'm only a fingertip dilated.

gateship · February 2014

Thanks for posting this! I don't have an induction scheduled yet but Feb. 18th will be the latest they let me stay pregnant (I will be at 42 weeks by that point). I really don't want to have many/any meds if possible and I know that I would probably end up needing an epi if I was induced with pitocin. It is good to know that there are some other success stories out there and other mommas who feel the same way.

I am crossing my fingers and toes that LO decides she is ready soon and we don't even have to think about scheduling an induction.

@ahare2009 I will be interested to know what your experience is like. I just moved from fingertip to 1cm but that has taken over a month and I have been having pretty constant contractions every day without it progressing me noticeably (I know a lot can change quickly and I sure hope it does). I hope that things go very smoothly for you and you will start dilating super quick! Lots of thoughts and prayers and happy vibes going your way!

JackieP1023 · February 2014

Here's my experience. I was induced at 39+4 due to gestational diabetes. The original plan was: be there at 6, check progress, have cytotec (cervical softening agent) placed, recheck in 4 hours, maybe more cytotec depending on progress. Break water at 4am if favorable and start pitocin. Here's how it went down: got there at 6pm, only 1.5-2cm dilated-first cytotec placed 7pm. 11pm, 3cm dilated, but lots of irregular contractions, so we skipped that dose. By 12:45, I was asking for pain meds-they rechecked and I was 5cm, 70% so they suggested epidural. By the time epi was properly placed, it was 2:40-my water broke, they rechecked, I was 10cm, 100%. 3:00 they had me start pushing. 3:15, they had me stop pushing-we were waiting on the doctor. 3:20, baby started coming out on her own (I wasn't pushing). Nurse had baby's head when dr walked in and took over. She was born at 3:28am.

All that said, I have cervical incompetence, and had a cerclage placed at 13w this pregnancy. They think the single dose of cytotec was enough to get my cervix to break through scar tissue, and it wasn't long after that because it was weak to begin with.

Good luck with your inductions!

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