Anyone's "natural-birth" plans get squashed because of GD and/or induction?

Re: Anyone's "natural-birth" plans get squashed because of GD and/or induction?

• MommyAtty member

  February 2014

  I was induced because of a sudden blood pressure spike. My concerns mirrored yours. My entire labor once they started the pitocin was 3.5 hours. It hurt less than a bad migraine for me. And I did it without an epidural. So it's still very possible!
  
  Oh, and my entire prep for natural childbirth was a one-day class at the hospital that covered general birth topics including an hour or so on naturally controlling pain. (This time I'm doing a 4 hour course in natural pain management taught by a doula, mainly so DH is more involved this time.)

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• Rrrrrachel member

  February 2014

  I have gd and I'm facing a similar scenario. I'm hoping they let me go to 41 weeks (hopefully I can avoid medication).

  Mama to a little girl born July 2011 and a little boy born April 2014!

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• Summer889 member

  February 2014

  I had to be induced at 41 weeks due to low amniotic fluid, and still managed to have a natural birth.  I think a lot depends on how they do the induction.  I came in at just 1 cm dilated, so my midwives started with a cervical softener (cervadil) overnight.  It turned out that's all I needed - my body started having contractions on its own the next day.  I did end up getting a small amount of pitocin during the pushing stage when my contractions spaced out.  But they started at the lowest dose and increased it very gradually, so that wasn't bad at all.

  
  

  Just do your research on induction options and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself and what you want!

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• stephl3055 member

  February 2014

  Are you okay with being induced that early?  You could ask your doctor about additional monitoring if you want to wait until your due date or later to be induced.  The evidence based birth website indicates inductions before due dates are not usually necessary for GD, but if you are on insulin it might be different (I was diet controlled). 

  In general, most first time moms are in labor for about 18 hours.  That doesn't mean your pain is at a 10 the entire 18 hours.  It's more gradual.  FWIW, I went natural and I was induced.  We did cervadil the night before and started Pitocin around 7am the next morning.  She was born at 5:38pm that day.  I was preparing myself that I might not make it without the epidural, but I did it.  I don't want to say that it wasn't THAT bad, but it really wasn't.  I know I have nothing to compare the Pitocin contractions to, but they weren't as bad as I was expecting. 

  My water broke on it's own and the induction was the only intervention I needed.  I only pushed for 45 minutes, which is somewhat unusual for FTMs from what my doula told me.  I feel that my birth went really well considering everything that could've gone wrong.  So yes, it is possible. 

   
  LO then (2 days) and now (1 year) 
  

  
  

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• MayKay12 member

  February 2014

  I wanted a natural birth with my other two. I was past due date and my last one had a few bad NST's. I am desperately trying for a natural birth this time and have a midwife. I've had a few bumps this pregnancy that were looking to prevent that (complete previa and failed 1 hr glucose) but both cleared.
  
  I had pitocin and epi's with my other two. The contractions were too strong for me and labors too long.

  

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• megs68 member

  February 2014

  I wanted a natural birth but an induction and the horrific pitocin contractions killed that for me. Even my sister who had 2 natural births couldn't do it with her last after she had to be induced with pitocin. Pitocin is evil, I tell you.

  

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• jasi704 member

  February 2014

  LOL @ "pitocin is evil"
  
  

  megs68 said:

  I wanted a natural birth but an induction and the horrific pitocin contractions killed that for me. Even my sister who had 2 natural births couldn't do it with her last after she had to be induced with pitocin. Pitocin is evil, I tell you.

  
  

  
  
  

  
  

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• MommyAtty member

  February 2014

  megs68 said:

  I wanted a natural birth but an induction and the horrific pitocin contractions killed that for me. Even my sister who had 2 natural births couldn't do it with her last after she had to be induced with pitocin. Pitocin is evil, I tell you.

  Not everyone reacts to Pitocin that way. The only reason I point that out is I had heard "oh, heck, if you need Pit, it's so bad you should just skip right to the c-section." I haven't given birth without Pit, but frankly for me labor even with Pit wasn't as bad as a bad migraine. Granted, I have a very high pain threshold, but I would just hate for someone to give up hope of a natural birth because they had to be induced.

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• megs68 member

  February 2014

  MommyAtty said:

  I wanted a natural birth but an induction and the horrific pitocin contractions killed that for me. Even my sister who had 2 natural births couldn't do it with her last after she had to be induced with pitocin. Pitocin is evil, I tell you.

  Not everyone reacts to Pitocin that way. The only reason I point that out is I had heard "oh, heck, if you need Pit, it's so bad you should just skip right to the c-section." I haven't given birth without Pit, but frankly for me labor even with Pit wasn't as bad as a bad migraine. Granted, I have a very high pain threshold, but I would just hate for someone to give up hope of a natural birth because they had to be induced.

  
  yes, it's good for OP to get different viewpoints since she did ask for personal experiences. Good for you for sharing yours, I shared mine as well. My induction ended with a c/s and I'll tell you, a pitocin induction was a walk in the park compared to that, so I'd highly encourage an induction with pitocin over a c/s. OBVIOUSLY my experience isn't everyone's experience, in case anyone else needs a disclaimer,

  

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• Rrrrrachel member

  February 2014

  I think sometimes they just crank the pit straight up to 11 vs starting it low and seeing how much you really need, too.

  Mama to a little girl born July 2011 and a little boy born April 2014!

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• MvE13 member

  February 2014

  I had to fight hard not to be induced since my baby was more than 14 days overdue. I did everything to start labor myself and it worked. I had 3 acupuncture sessions, used primrose oil, castor oil, went for long walks and took rasberry leaf tea. The contractions started and I went into labor myself but things didn't progress as quickly and I had the synthetic oxytocin. Baby was also still a bit posterior. The induced contractions were pretty hard to deal with but morphine and an epidural gave me a bit of a break so I could regain strength. In the end, I pushed my boy out in 1 hour and didn't need any instrumental intervention. So, being induced won't always lead to a c-section, even though that was my huge fear. I did not tear not did I need an episiotomy. I know there are a lot of horror stories out there about being induced but for me, it turned out okay. My labor in hospital lasted 12 hours. Hope this is helpful.

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• Chichigo member

  February 2014

  You can ask to wait and see rather than schedule an induction in advance. My doctors were concerned about high blood pressure (I never had GD), and sent me for NSTs twice a week during the last month. At my last visit, we had a serious induction talk. I wasn't dilated or effaced ad the baby wasn't in position. She sent me to L&D for monitoring, my BP reached acceptable levels, and LO was fine based on NST and ultrasound.

  
  

  I went into labor naturally the next day-3 days before my due date.

  

  Parent of Baby Boy M, born December 2013 Angels: Miscarriage @ 9 weeks, May 2015, Chemical Pregnancy November 2015

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

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• PanWang member

  February 2014

  I have type 2 diabetes and have heard that they would either induce me between 37 and 39 weeks, or let me go to 40 if I planned a c section. I'm really hoping to do hypnobabies and plan to talk to my doctor about this at my visit next week as an alternative. Not sure how it will go, if she will be open to it or not, or if it would be possible to do hypnosis with pitocin, or if I should try to put myself into labor before they induce or cut me. I really am not sure how high the risks of complications are, if they really need to rush and make me deliver early or not.

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• robyn2201 member

  February 2014 edited February 2014

  I don't have any advice on GD and how it relates to inductions but I would suggest researching induction in general and recommended Pitocin dosages. I have seen birth stories about how they really cranked up the Pitocin and it becomes so painful that an epi does end up being needed. Also, look into information about having the Pitocin turned down once your body establishes a good labor pattern. I would make sure your support person is informed as well, so they can keep an eye on how often it's upped and how much.  

  
  

  Here is some information that I bookmarked a long, long time ago. It's an old blog by a Midwife. She doesn't update anymore and by the looks of things she doesn't even have info on herself anymore, but it could be a good jumping off point for some research. 

  
  

  https://birthsense.org/?p=587 and https://birthsense.org/?p=1339
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Ivy: July 2010  |  Stella: Dec 2012  |  BFP#3: MMC at 11Wk's, July 2017 | Wyatt: April 2019 | BFP#5: Twin Girls due Sept 2020

  
  

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• Wyn member

  March 2014

  Maybe I'm too sensitive or don't understand...why do people say things like, "my doc will make me be induced or have a c/s at 40 weeks?" Don't they have to get your consent??

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• Reallynervous83 member

  March 2014

  It is now becoming the practice of many physicians to get prior consent from patients.  Obviously, if at the time, a patient doesn't want to be induced or have a c/s at that time they don't have to.  What I don't understand is patients and doctors who are not on the same page.  WHy not get a doctor who feels how you feel?  It's not like it's a short period of time--it's nine months--plenty of time to look around.  I would also, honestly, have a back-up.  A doctor isn't required to treat you and at 39 weeks if the doctors tells you that you should be induced or c/s at 40 weeks and you refuse the doctor can refuse to continue treating you.  In the end, the doctor is liable if anything happens to your baby.    

  

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• Rrrrrachel member

  March 2014

  Sometimes options are limited either by being in a rural area or just not having many doctors who are willing to compromise. And of course with gd some doctors play the dead baby card, which can make it hard for a hormonal pregnant lady to disregard their advice

  Mama to a little girl born July 2011 and a little boy born April 2014!

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• jasi704 member

  March 2014

  Reallynervous83 said:

  It is now becoming the practice of many physicians to get prior consent from patients.  Obviously, if at the time, a patient doesn't want to be induced or have a c/s at that time they don't have to.  What I don't understand is patients and doctors who are not on the same page.  WHy not get a doctor who feels how you feel?  It's not like it's a short period of time--it's nine months--plenty of time to look around.  I would also, honestly, have a back-up.  A doctor isn't required to treat you and at 39 weeks if the doctors tells you that you should be induced or c/s at 40 weeks and you refuse the doctor can refuse to continue treating you.  In the end, the doctor is liable if anything happens to your baby.    

  
  Of course it's 9 months and I had plenty of time to choose my doc. We were always on the same page and he knew I wanted to try to go as natural as possible...until I had to start taking insulin, which occurred at like 35 weeks. The topic of induction didn't get brought up until then. So no, I had no desire to shop around with just a couple weeks left to go.

  
  
  

  
  

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• JAM85 member

  March 2014

  I don't have GD but I am high risk due to lupus at which I was told early on that they look to start inducing at 39
  Weeks due to increased risk of still birth. I want to have a pain-med free birth, however, and avoid the pit if possible so I have hired a doula to help Me achieve my goals knowing if I have to be induced it may likely be that much harder to labor without pain meds. I already have plans to start natural inducing early and by 36 weeks will be doing primrose oil vaginally and I'm already taking the red raspberry tea. My doctors have been pretty flexible although not specific on what things will start looking like closer to 39 weeks but my MFM said as long as I consent to NSt
  As often as they need they they can stall inducing until my cervix is ready.

  

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• sweetsyrup member

  March 2014

  I was induced at 40 / 6 for GD. I planned on a natural birth and I wanted to labor at home as long as possible. They started with one of the meds inserted behind the cervix, it gave me contrax, but they slowed down after 7 hrs. I had 1/2 hr of pit and was pushing 3 hrs later. Pushed for an hour and had my 9# 13 oz "little" boy. I did end up with 1/2 ,dose of fentanyl, but it didn't do anything other then make me dry heave. Transition was hard for me and I caved.
  
  I do think my contrax were worse then before the pit was started, but it was a short labor....

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