Induction - failure to progress! Encouragement wanted.

heidiiwa · June 2015

Sorry for the new thread. I did try searching and didn't find my exact situation.

Went to the hospital at 5 am for my induction. They started Cylotec at 7:30 am to ripen my cervix. Cervix only got me 60% effaced and stalled there, but contractions were coming too close together for another round of Cylotec, they told me. So they started Pitocin. I could barely feel the contractions they said I was having, either with Cylotec or Pitocin. They started Pitocin at the low dose of 1, then progressed to 2, then stopped it because the baby had a few decelerations, and made me lay on my left side and rest till baby recovered.

Throughout all of this I had done as much as I could to be up and active, bouncing on the yoga ball, and walking the halls, which they let me do since I had a remote fetal monitor on me the whole time. Sometimes I felt kinda crampy and felt some mild contractions, but that's about it. Guys, it's 10:39 PM now, and I still haven't gone into active labor! The beginning was kind of fun, but now I'm getting worried that they are going to label it a failed induction and pressure me to get a C section if I've been here 24 hours with no progress. Actually that's what the doctor said to me!

In the afternoon they did suggest breaking my water, but I was still only dilated one cm! And from what I've read there is no hard evidence breaking your water can shorten the beginning stage of labor, and it seems to make things more uncomfortable for baby and mother and increase the risk of C section and infection. So I declined that for now, and what they are trying instead now is a different cervical ripening agent, Cervadil, hoping I will get more effaced and then they will start the Pitocin again. None of this has hurt like I was expecting. To be honest the most painful things have been the blood draws and when they tried to get an IV started on my hand and the blood vessel burst. The contractions have not been painful for me, I wish they were so we could get this show on the road!! I have been here nearly 18 hours and am still not in active labor!!! Thoughts and encouragement please? This is getting ridiculous!

I am open to letting them break my water later if it helps delay a C section decision, but I'm not sure it will do any good. I reluctantly agreed to this induction before my due date due to being AMA, but now it looks like it wasn't such a good idea if my body won't cooperate. Being a first time mom, being induced, and being older all increase the labor time, so I know it's kinda expected that things would take awhile, but the way they talk about my "failure to progress" within the expected time frame is making me feel bad:(

MaliKaela · June 2015

Hey girl, I was induced and wanted to wait to have my water broken. My doc said I had to do it because the pitocin alone wasn't working. I was just like you, the contractions were not painful at all and nothing was happening. I had the same fear about my water being broken and having it be ineffective. I ended up letting him do it and contractions got painful and effective FAST.

It seems to me like you have two potential options. The first is, can you simply call it a failed induction and go home? If your water is intact I believe you still have that choice... second, if they are already talking about c section than i'm not sure what you have to lose by having your water broken. Granted it might not work, but neither is what you are doing right now.

I have no medical training. This is just my opinion based on what you said and my experience. The best of luck.

P.s. if they do break your water get that anethesiologist on the way. My pain went from 0 to 10 in about ten minutes.

heidiiwa · June 2015

Thanks! I don't think I have the option of going home because they were very adamant about me not going over my due date due to being 40 years old. And Sunday is my due date.

Breaking my water is definitely preferable to C section so I will ask for that if I don't go into active labor by morning. It sucks that it is so sudden and irreversible a step because I really wanted to stick it out without pain meds/an epidural. Darn it, this isn't how I wanted it...but I know we don't always get what we want.

MaliKaela · June 2015

I understand how frustrating it is when things don't go the way you want. But just personally, I had a wonderful birth experience once I decided to just let go. Honestly, a truly great experience - even though I had to have oxygen, and all this other crap. It was just so cool. Lol. I think DH made it possible. There was a moment where we were deciding if we wanted to break my water or not and we just decided to go with it. I had been having a full blown panic attack because I was scared of a c section, and he said we would get through whatever happened and I knew it would all be ok. I know it's hard, but if you can get your mind in that place the whole thing is a lot more enjoyable.

Keep us posted!

foxa319 · June 2015

I was induced 2 weeks ago, went in on a wed night at 6 he wasn't born until sat morning at 7:10. Inductions can take a long time and most ppl are not correctly educated on this! Just bc baby can't tolerate something today doesn't mean they won't tolerate it a few hours later. Baby could be laying on the cord. Try different positioning to resolve such as hands and knees. Good luck! And it definitely will get painful so enjoy being pain free while you can!

heidiiwa · June 2015

Thank you @mcknzzee and @foxa319 ! Your experiences are really helpful to me right now. It's late at night, and I told DH to go home for a rest since nothing was happening. But I think the cervadil is working some. My contractions started being painful enough while I was lying down that I had to "breathe" through them, and woke up though I had been trying to doze off. So now I'm wide awake and I asked to get up to walk around some more. Thanks for the good labor vibes:)

virginiaunicorn11 · June 2015

I wanted to go without pain meds, too. But my only REAL birth plan was to have a healthy baby. I stalled at 8 cm and they were going to give me Pitocin. My contractions were already towards the threshold of my pain tolerance, so I got scared and said I wanted an epidural if I was getting Pitocin. They ended up breaking my water instead of the Pitocin, but that moved things FAST, and baby arrived within 1.5 hours.

Different scenario but echoing that having my water broken accelerated things. And I was glad for the epidural though originally didn't want it.

Hang in there, lady. Childbirth just ain't no picnic. Eye on the prize! Healthy baby, healthy mama. Work on mentally getting yourself to accept what's needed, if you can, to try to make it a little easier. For me, the stress of "caving" and getting the epidural was the worst part of the epidural. I made a quick decision to let that go, and I'm SO glad I did. It let me focus on being happy to have my baby, rather than sad about my "birth experience."

Good luck, you got this!!

ElRuby · June 2015

ask about the foley balloon catheter ... It hurts but it produces results!

LaurenAnn0405 · June 2015

I was also induced and this was my second induction (DD was born at 42 weeks with an induction). When the nurses at the hospital asked me what my birth plan was I said "to have a baby" because I knew things could change and if I was really set on one thing and it couldn't happen it would just cause me unnecessary stress and ruin the birth for me and nobody wants that! This time around I also didn't feel my contractions but I watched the monitor and saw that I was having them. They started me off on pitocin and kept upping my dose. 4 hours after they started the induction (GBS+ so they waited until I had 4 hrs of antibiotics) they broke my water and like PP have said after they did that I started to feel the contractions and asked for the epidural. Less than 3 hrs later DS arrived and the whole experience was wonderful in my eyes. Good luck with whatever happens we're here to support you!

opheliacantswim · June 2015

I am a lurker, not a poster, but wanted to share my experience. I was induced and my contractions felt like nothing but BH until the doc broke my water--and after that I needed the epidural an hour later and had my LO in my arms four hours later. Granted, he is my second kiddo, but breaking my water was the game changer for me. I would definitely try it and feel positive about it if I were you.

GL to you, and do try to "go with the flow" as much as you can. However baby comes, it will be the best day of your life.

KaLikeAWind · June 2015

Good luck @heidiiwa - I hope things have progressed since you haven't checked back for 6 hours. I'm still waiting on induction, myself, but as another AMA mom I'm really rooting for you! I was also wondering if they would just let you go home to 'ripen' a little more and try again? I know they don't like us 'old' moms to go late, but the compromise was reached with my drs office to have a NST and as long as that checked out OK they would allow me to wait thru the weekend (until Tuesday). I'm only 3 years younger than you, I don't see how those 3 years makes much of a difference!

I also got the 'failed induction leads to c section' talk and I'm really pulling for you! I hope your silence since 3am means things are progressing!

heidiiwa · June 2015

@mellymar , thank you for your encouragement! I am rooting for you too! I hope your induction goes smoothly!

After the Cervadil I got some painful contractions last night, but when I changed position and went to sleep they went away:( The nurse checked me this morning and said I was STILL only dilated a one and was "a little bit softer, maybe 70% effaced" compared to 60% yesterday. So not much progress yet. But at least DH and I got some sleep and feel refreshed, I had a good breakfast, tea and a candy bar, and I'm ready to start again this morning! They are going to start the Pitocin again soon. So I guess I have some more time to try to dilate today before they give up on me!

Good luck to you too, even if it takes a long time it will be worth it!!!

KaLikeAWind · June 2015

That sucks, they won't let you go home and maybe wait the weekend? Come back Monday? What a drag.

I know Sunday is your due date but they've had you hooked up to this fetal monitor so they know kid is not in danger? Bah. Sending 'opening' thoughts your way.

Serenamarr · June 2015

@heidiiwa hang in there lady! It's so wonderful to hear that you are feeling optimistic and ready to face the day with labor guns blazing. Try not to let negative terms like "failure to progress" etc make you feel bad. I'm a firm believer in language and attitude having a large impact on experience and cold medical terms like this don't help a laboring mama feel positive about herself and her body. Your body is not failing! It is doing what it knows to do, protect your baby until he/she is ready. It might need some extra time than what the doctors want to give it to adjust to this new plan, but hopefully like pp's have said relaxing and telling your body it is ok to let go and release will help, and I do hope your docs are willing to give you the time you need.

heidiiwa · June 2015

@Serenamarr , thank you for the encouraging words! That is what I needed to hear right now. I can be patient, DH can be patient, do I just hope others will be patient with us. That being said, I am a little worried about staying FOREVER in the hospital, with my insurance being stingy with me about what they will and won't cover (I've already had to submit two appeals for things they didn't want to cover during this pregnancy...and this hospital stay will be my most expressive medical intervention yet!) But I will try to be positive and believe in my 40 year young body and my amazing baby. We've made it this far together...

Now women who came into the maternity ward later than me already have their babies and are going home...as DH so kindly pointed out to me just now...so jealous, haha.

walshbunnie · June 2015

Hang in there. If baby is handling the induction methods well I'd keep trying -they can just take a while. I have a super conservative doctor who doesn't really like to do inductions but agreed to give me one this time past my due date and I'm also AMA. My first labor I went on my own and didn't have any issues, so my doctor assumed I'd have a short induction. Well the first round of pitocin barely increased my dilation or effacement and I also debated going home. I wanted to break my water but my doctor felt the baby was still at too high of a station so I took a break and walked around, showered, and went for round two of pitocin. Second round took off once it was increased to a 6 and the baby came way faster than my doctor expected. Don't lose hope and remember that you could wind up with a c section even if you go into labor on your own. I'd save water breaking for a last resort before a c section though.

heidiiwa · June 2015

walshbunnie said:
Hang in there. If baby is handling the induction methods well I'd keep trying -they can just take a while. I have a super conservative doctor who doesn't really like to do inductions but agreed to give me one this time past my due date and I'm also AMA. My first labor I went on my own and didn't have any issues, so my doctor assumed I'd have a short induction. Well the first round of pitocin barely increased my dilation or effacement and I also debated going home. I wanted to break my water but my doctor felt the baby was still at too high of a station so I took a break and walked around, showered, and went for round two of pitocin. Second round took off once it was increased to a 6 and the baby came way faster than my doctor expected. Don't lose hope and remember that you could wind up with a c section even if you go into labor on your own. I'd save water breaking for a last resort before a c section though.

Thank you @walshbunnie . My Pitocin is still only 3 right now, so your story gives me hope:) my baby is still at a high station too, about -2.

queequeg09256 · June 2015

Heidi wa I was induced 2 weeks ago it took a long time 72 hours. I was put on cyotec at first which became too effective and caused contractions every 2 minutes because of this I couldn't get another dose or move to potecin. So 24 hours went by finally contractions came down was able to get another dose of cyotec strong this time. Which finally move me to 3 cm then they tried the balloon thing which didn't work and was just 5 minutes of them trying to get it in. Another 12 hours go by, I went in on tuesday on Thursday they finally tried to break my water first doc wasn't able too 2nd doc was. Another 24 hours went by finally at 8cm on friday morning, because I was progressing they put me on antibiotics I was also on magnesium so wasn't able to get out of bed since Wednesday mind you. Waited another 5 hours from being 8 cm, finally got to 10 tried to push kept passing out. So I low labored for another hour. Then pushed for 1.5 hours. Didn't have a csection though I super wanted one by Friday morning. My lo was born 71.5 hours after they started the first dose of cyotec. And I would do it all again if I knew I was going to have another healthy baby. But it takes forever hang in there!

queequeg09256 · June 2015

Also my potecin was way higher by the end

MaliKaela · June 2015

Any news?

KaLikeAWind · June 2015

mcknzzee said:
Any news?

Was just coming here to ask the same thing

MaliKaela · June 2015

It seems that things went fairly well! So happy for you @heidiiwa

dancegurl1118 · June 2015

So happy for you that things went well! LO is SO FREAKING CUTE!!! Congratulations!

KarasTwin · June 2015

agree with @dancegurl1118, that is a REALLY cute baby! So alert looking! So glad everything worked out and that you're both doing well!

KaLikeAWind · June 2015

Saw your birth announcement! Right on! \m/ Gives another 'old mom' hope for her inducement. Your LO is precious, well done!

Want a personalized experience?

Induction - failure to progress! Encouragement wanted.

Re: Induction - failure to progress! Encouragement wanted.

Choose Another Board

Search Boards