I know several of our bumpies will be getting induced here shortly and many STMs have already experienced inductions. Are there any tips or reccommendations you have for being induced? Did you / do you plan to wait to get an epidural if you went that route? Did you try to go med free? Did you have the pitocin drip?
I really wanted to go med free, but I am very nervous about being able to handle the horrible pitocin contractions without some pain relief. And I am quite certain that bouncing on a birthing ball just isn't going to cut it. Once you start the pitocin drip at our hospital you are confined to your delivery room and no longer have access to the communal showers for their other alternative pain relief methods.
FTM here and I'm being induced in 6 days (at 37 weeks). I had planned to do an unmedicated birth before I knew I had to be induced and I'd still like to do that, but as you said, it could be harder with the pitocin-induced contractions. I still plan to try to go without an epidural, but I'm trying to just keep an open mind and I'll get it if I think the contractions are too much to handle. My husband and I have been practicing breathing exercises as a natural pain management technique.
I have an appointment with my OB the afternoon before and she'll check my cervix then and based on how things look, we'll have a better idea of how things will go with the induction the next day. Generally my hospital starts you off with cytotec to soften the cervix and start dilation. Once you've progressed to a certain point then they'll start the pitocin. My OB said they try to give you as little pitocin as possible and then turn it off if your body takes over and you don't need it anymore. Here's hoping I don't need a lot of it...
Question on this. I know with an epidural you're pretty much confined to the bed. With an induction because of the IV can you still walk around or are you pretty much in bed until delivery? I'm leaning towards an unmedicated birth as well, but having an open mind. I heard that walking around and moving into different positions can help with the pain.
Both my previous births were unmedicated but my second I needed pitocin because my water broke but no contractions. My hospital was fantastic and respected my plan to go med free so they started me off with a real low dose of pitocin. I am not going to lie, once my contractions hit they hit hard. It was about an hour of hell. It all happened so fast my husband wasn't back from checking on our dog yet. I was freaking out so that didn't help with me focusing on breathing. I finally said get me an epidural, mind you she had just checked me and I was at a 3 well apparently I was at a 10 in an HR because when the guy got there to do the epi she was like oh never mind she's at 10. Ha! Do the called my husband and said you want to see your son be born you might want to get in here. Thank the Lord he was in the parking ramp and walking in. My son was born in less than 10 minutes. So the point of that was it is possible and it is painful but hopefully with support you can make it through. Oh and you are confined to the bed which is super annoying and was alot different for me since I didn't have that with my daughter.
Yeah for me (induced 8 days late) it wasn't so much just that the pitocin contractions were AWFUL which they were, it was that I was then placed on continuous fetal monitoring and had and Iv for the pitocin, fluids, and penicillin (GBS+) still tried to do med free (Bradley method) but it just didn't happen. Couldn't walk, couldn't bounce on the birthing ball either because the fetal monitor kept coming off. Just not a great experience for that magical pain med free birth I had envisioned. I asked for the epidural at 4 cm I just couldn't handle the contractions anymore. They were so painful, they did NOT rise and fall with a peak, they just came hard and fast and basically plateaud and stayed super strong then ended but they did not build like my Med free birth book said they would. In the back of my birth book (ina may) it has some words about being induced basically saying it's not what had been described in that book as it's a lot harder to manage the medication induced contractions
I'm being induced too.. hoping to have the lowest amount of pitocin possible and then hopefully able to turn it off. I was planning med free until induction became the deal. Now I don't believe I will manage without an epidural.
Me: 27 years old DH: 27 years old Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
Married in July 2014
TTC #1 since late Feb 2016
BFP #1 3/29/16 MMC: 5/5/16 BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16 BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17 My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast: Juicebox Podcast Episode 118 A1Cs: 1/12/16 6.7% 5/25/16 6.0% 11/2/16 6.1% 3/22/16 5.8% 4/27/17 5.4% 6/13/17 5.3% "Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Question on this. I know with an epidural you're pretty much confined to the bed. With an induction because of the IV can you still walk around or are you pretty much in bed until delivery? I'm leaning towards an unmedicated birth as well, but having an open mind. I heard that walking around and moving into different positions can help with the pain.
I think this varies from hospital to hospital. I know with our hospital, they confine you to the bed once induction starts. If you need to use the restroom or want to sit on a birthing ball, you have to call a nurse to get permission. You really can't walk around either due to the fetal monitors and cords tethering you to the bed.
@JNR6510 my midwife suggested for me to start listening to labor affirmations and also I heard tennis balls for massaging. I will be doing both for this birth along with using essential oils. I just wanted to mention to you to please please do your research on the drug Cytotec. It is NOT FDA approved as a labor and delivery drug and can be dangerous for you and baby. I had to do research on it when I had a missed miscarriage last year and my doctor wanted me to take it instead if doing a D&C. I know you should listen to your doctor blah blah blah but you also need to be informed about the side effects of any drug given to you at any time.
Question on this. I know with an epidural you're pretty much confined to the bed. With an induction because of the IV can you still walk around or are you pretty much in bed until delivery? I'm leaning towards an unmedicated birth as well, but having an open mind. I heard that walking around and moving into different positions can help with the pain.
I think this varies from hospital to hospital. I know with our hospital, they confine you to the bed once induction starts. If you need to use the restroom or want to sit on a birthing ball, you have to call a nurse to get permission. You really can't walk around either due to the fetal monitors and cords tethering you to the bed.
I agree I think it depends on the hospital. My hospital has some wireless fetal monitors, so you can use those if you think you want to still be able to move around (assuming you don't have an epidural). Also before you start pitocin they will just put you on the fetal monitors for a little while and if everything looks good, then you don't have to wear them constantly and they'll just check periodically. I'm pretty sure once they start pitocin they want you on the monitors continually. I think they will still let you out of bed once you start the pitocin, but I'm not 100% sure.
Weird how my experience is very similar to @tfrangul. My first was med free. My second I had to be induced because my water broke and I didn't go into labor on my own within 24 hrs. I was still hoping to go med free but realized it might not happen.
I started with misoprostal and then moved onto pitiocin. Contractions weren't bad at first but started getting very painful as they upped the dosage. The midwife checked me and I was only at 3 cm. I was super discouraged and asked for (and got) the epidural. An hour later, DD was out with 2 pushes. If I had known it would be so fast, I could have held out for an hour!
@JNR6510 my midwife suggested for me to start listening to labor affirmations and also I heard tennis balls for massaging. I will be doing both for this birth along with using essential oils. I just wanted to mention to you to please please do your research on the drug Cytotec. It is NOT FDA approved as a labor and delivery drug and can be dangerous for you and baby. I had to do research on it when I had a missed miscarriage last year and my doctor wanted me to take it instead if doing a D&C. I know you should listen to your doctor blah blah blah but you also need to be informed about the side effects of any drug given to you at any time.
The side effects are induction of labor which is exactly the point of being induced. Stop with the fear mongering and actually try to comprehend what you're reading and how it relates to desired outcome.
@JNR6510 my midwife suggested for me to start listening to labor affirmations and also I heard tennis balls for massaging. I will be doing both for this birth along with using essential oils. I just wanted to mention to you to please please do your research on the drug Cytotec. It is NOT FDA approved as a labor and delivery drug and can be dangerous for you and baby. I had to do research on it when I had a missed miscarriage last year and my doctor wanted me to take it instead if doing a D&C. I know you should listen to your doctor blah blah blah but you also need to be informed about the side effects of any drug given to you at any time.
But don't you guys know that JustBored is actually a real life doctor? She knows everything about everything.
FWIW @JNR6510 my doctor was going to use cytotec to induce me with DS. I read up on the info they gave me and decided it was the right choice for us at that time. Don't feel like you need to explain your decisions to anyone, especially some clown on the Internet who knows nothing about you or your situation.
@JNR6510 I had an induction... and I had a healthy happy baby. Mine was just a bit of pitocin... but if your doctor suggests the other and you feel good about it go with it. I agree. Opinions are just that... opinions. Some are even uneducated based on the results from Dr Google OB-GYN
Aren't all the drugs bad? I mean the orange drink is poison.
@JNR6510, don't be scared of the medication. Talk it through with your doctor and SO and make the choice that is right for you based on the advice of people with education, experience and facts.
Also about the epidural, my personal experience was really awesome. I was still able to move around on my own and feel enough. They still didn't let me walk around or anything though.
I was induced at 38 weeks with DD. Cervidil then pitocin. I wanted to go completely natural and tried to stay firm in that decision. I had to have a foley balloon inserted to help me dialate. They recommended epidural before they did the foley, but I really wanted to try without. I realized really quickly that once you're induced sometimes your plans aren't they best option. So I had the epidural. Fortunately for me, the epidural got me through the worst of it and in the end I was able to turn off the epidural and felt every push, tug, tear and stitch.
Ultimately you have to go with your gut and do what is best for you.
@JNR6510 my midwife suggested for me to start listening to labor affirmations and also I heard tennis balls for massaging. I will be doing both for this birth along with using essential oils. I just wanted to mention to you to please please do your research on the drug Cytotec. It is NOT FDA approved as a labor and delivery drug and can be dangerous for you and baby. I had to do research on it when I had a missed miscarriage last year and my doctor wanted me to take it instead if doing a D&C. I know you should listen to your doctor blah blah blah but you also need to be informed about the side effects of any drug given to you at any time.
I would prefer to go the pitocin route for the induction.
TW in spoiler:
With out previous losses I was given Cytotec once to help move things along and to avoid the D&C. That was absolute hell IMHO. The contractions I experienced on it came hard, fast, and just did not let up. The drug did its job, but the toll of going through that was not a good experience. I ended up having several burst blood vessels in my eyes from all the pain. So I will definitely be doing my best to avoid that option if at all possible because I just don't think I could handle experiencing that again. I would rather not start off our daughter's birth with PTSD flashbacks to past losses.
I guess I am just trying to get an idea of what has worked for people in their experience. I would love to go pain med free. But I also don't want to stall labor or make the birth experience a nightmare when something as simple as an epidural could improve things.
@JNR6510@Rhubarb7216 oh okay we're having to switch hospitals last minute and can't get the info needed until 2 weeks from our due date. This is good to know though, hopefully they'll have wireless monitoring.
To be completely honest I am not trying to scare anyone. I am telling of a personal experience that happened to me. After receiving the drug and reading the leaflet that came with it that clearly stated not to use during pregnancy or even months before getting pregnant I did research, talked to the pharmacist and my doctor at the time regarding the drug. All I want is for others to be informed. There are other choices for induction of labor.
@JNR6510 my understanding is that if you're starting the induction without being dilated at all, they have to give you something else to start you dilating before pitocin. Some hospitals will do the ballon for manual dilation either in place of or in combination with cytotec. I think there are also different medications that can be used instead of cytotec. For my hospital it seems like it depends on which dr you have - my OB doesn't use the balloon. I totally get why you don't want to have the cytotec from your past experience, but just be aware they may have to do something before the pitocin.
To be completely honest I am not trying to scare anyone. I am telling of a personal experience that happened to me. After receiving the drug and reading the leaflet that came with it that clearly stated not to use during pregnancy or even months before getting pregnant I did research, talked to the pharmacist and my doctor at the time regarding the drug. All I want is for others to be informed. There are other choices for induction of labor.
Okay see and I can totally respect that, but sometimes the way you go about things just comes off overly preachy and judgemental. That's why you get the responses you do sometimes. Because it honestly seems like you're talking down to everyone.
Cervidil is another "cervix ripener" that is used to begin induction; it isn't supposed to start labor but a side effect is labor (contractions). Then they follow with the pitocin IV once the cervix is effacing and dilating.
I don't like Cytotec either due to its off label use for miscarriage, and the pain associated with it. It has poor connotations to many of us. But, I've never heard of it being a "bad" choice for induction.
Me: 27 years old DH: 27 years old Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
Married in July 2014
TTC #1 since late Feb 2016
BFP #1 3/29/16 MMC: 5/5/16 BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16 BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17 My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast: Juicebox Podcast Episode 118 A1Cs: 1/12/16 6.7% 5/25/16 6.0% 11/2/16 6.1% 3/22/16 5.8% 4/27/17 5.4% 6/13/17 5.3% "Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Lurker sept 16 mom. Sorry to intrude, I hope I don't offend anyone by replying.
@JNR6510 cytotec was the one hard no for me in the whole labor situation, i was open to every thing else if medically necessary. The reason why I chose to draw the line at cytotec is for a couple reasons.
1. Cytotec as a cervix softener is being used as an off lable method of action, which means the drug was not intended for this use, it has never been tested for this use. Doctors happen to notice what it can do and often use it for miscarriages, and then translated that use to labor, but because it's off label use there isn't the same testing and trials done for the cervix ripening action of this drug as there is for the intended use (prevent stomach ulcers when using nsaids)
2. Once cytotec is inserted there is no going back. Pitocin can be turned off if mom/baby don't do well with it. Cytotec dissolves completely and then you can't undo it if you have a negative reaction.
3. There's alternatives to using cytotec. Cervidil is a drug that was created FOR the intended use of softening the cervix, and it can be removed if a woman has a reaction to it. A foley bulb can also be used to open the cervix.
I'm sure many doctors have successfully used cytotec, but in the rare chance that I would be the one to have a reaction to it I decided that under no circumstances would I allow cytotec to be used in me. I would choose cervidil instead if I needed it.
I hope you can talk with your doctor about any concerns you have and that you can come up with a plan you feel comfortable with. Good luck!!
Yeah for me (induced 8 days late) it wasn't so much just that the pitocin contractions were AWFUL which they were, it was that I was then placed on continuous fetal monitoring and had and Iv for the pitocin, fluids, and penicillin (GBS+) still tried to do med free (Bradley method) but it just didn't happen. Couldn't walk, couldn't bounce on the birthing ball either because the fetal monitor kept coming off. Just not a great experience for that magical pain med free birth I had envisioned. I asked for the epidural at 4 cm I just couldn't handle the contractions anymore. They were so painful, they did NOT rise and fall with a peak, they just came hard and fast and basically plateaud and stayed super strong then ended but they did not build like my Med free birth book said they would. In the back of my birth book (ina may) it has some words about being induced basically saying it's not what had been described in that book as it's a lot harder to manage the medication induced contractions
This sounds exactly like my experience! I was 10 days late and I had a dose of cytotec and it kick started my labor. I never needed pitocin, but the contractions were intense and didn't let up at all. They were one on top of each other. I couldn't really move either due to IVs, monitoring, group B strep antibiotics, etc. I asked for an epidural after 4 hours. From the time of the cytotec to delivery was 10 hours for me. I'm going for an unmedicated birth this time with a doula at my hospital.
@createillumination cervadil isn't offered at all hospitals either. I preferred cervadil over cytotec but that wasn't an option in my city back in 2015. My OB said it wasn't available at any hospital for whatever reason. Also, my OB will only use cytotec at night. Something about how it works well with the hormones? I can't remember exactly, but if you went in for a day induction you only got pitocin. I think cytotec is contraindicated for an induction if there is a previous c-section.
Labor and delivery isn't without any risk even if your med free! Amniotic embolisms are also a real risk and they are almost always fatal (my biggest fear). So there isn't a need to produce a bunch of fear into inductions.
So at my appt today, we discussed induction plans. I asked what she uses, and she said Cervidil or Cytotec. I asked a lot of questions and expressed that I initially want Cervidil because it doesn't induce contractions like Cytotec does plus the stigma with cytotec.. and then I said I want it to work and not fail, so I asked her what works better in her experience. My doctor said sometimes Cervidil can sometimes fail to ripen the cervix so they have to move on to something different and that's more time waiting in the hospital. She said Cytotec can, at worst, put you into active labor which is the end goal. And that some people don't find cytotec to be all that painful while some do. Cytotec is also less expensive than cervidil.
So... it sounds like I'm doing Cytotec because I don't want cervical ripening to fail. /shrug
Me: 27 years old DH: 27 years old Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
Married in July 2014
TTC #1 since late Feb 2016
BFP #1 3/29/16 MMC: 5/5/16 BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16 BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17 My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast: Juicebox Podcast Episode 118 A1Cs: 1/12/16 6.7% 5/25/16 6.0% 11/2/16 6.1% 3/22/16 5.8% 4/27/17 5.4% 6/13/17 5.3% "Sugar Fancy Tutu"
@Sugargirl1019 thanks for sharing this information because it is helpful to have the comparison between the two! My OB has never mentioned Cervidil, so now I'm thinking maybe my hospital doesn't use it because the success rate isn't as high.
Maybe if you're lucky your cervix will ripen enough on its own before you get to your induction date and you can go straight to pitocin!
@Rhubarb7216 I think the hospital wouldn't carry it due to its higher price. I don't know about any control studies done on the effectiveness of each meds but that would be interesting!
Me: 27 years old DH: 27 years old Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
Married in July 2014
TTC #1 since late Feb 2016
BFP #1 3/29/16 MMC: 5/5/16 BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16 BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17 My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast: Juicebox Podcast Episode 118 A1Cs: 1/12/16 6.7% 5/25/16 6.0% 11/2/16 6.1% 3/22/16 5.8% 4/27/17 5.4% 6/13/17 5.3% "Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Cytotec isn't recommended for vbac, because it increases the chance of uterine rupture. L
Right, which is why it's contraindicated. I meant to say I think that is the only contraindication.
i was given a double dose since my hospital took 3 hours to admit me and i think that's why my contractions were so intense and worked so fast. If I had to take it again I would, but I would request one dose!
Cytotec is a synthetic prostaglandin. The reason it is not recommended for pregnancy is explicitly because it induces labor, regardless of the stage or nature of pregnancy. For a full-term baby there isn't anything wrong with this, but earlier on it would cause miscarriage/abortion (but would help complete missed miscarriages, etc.).
Prostaglandins, like oxytocin, are naturally released during labor. Synthetic versions are unlikely to harm mother or baby during induction, if given in proper dosages. There may be some endocrine issues immediately following, because hormones all do a million things and trigger feedback loops that affect many bodily functions, but one goal is for things to return to normal homeostasis, so this will happen in most cases.
If you have certain endocrine, blood, or inflammatory conditions, you may want to ask your doctor about side effects of prostaglandins since they affect more bodily systems than oxytocin/pitocin does, but for most people, there shouldn't be a problem either way, aside from some relatively mild side effects.
Anyway, as a neuroendocrinologist (research, not medical practice, so this isn't medical advice) I suggest looking into any drug you take. But there is a lot of fear mongering online and many of the counterindications of hormone based drugs are situation dependent.
I had an appointment with my OB yesterday and we chose a date for induction in my 39th week (I have gestational diabetes). It could get moved sooner based on how the baby is doing but I'm expecting to be induced rather than going into labor naturally.
We also had our second childbirth class last night and the instructor went over labor interventions. They were all very real/scary since I am thinking they're likely to happen for me. So now I am wondering whether I should try to have my membranes swept in the days leading up to the induction in the hope that it will help with cervical ripening and potentially make the induction go more smoothly (less need for cytotec, fewer hours of waiting for contractions). Did anyone else have this done, or is anyone planning to?
@divinemsm620 I had my membranes swept at exactly 41 weeks. My provider was already convinced she was going to see me later that night because I was so dilated, and we figured why not try to kick start things. I didn't have a single contraction until 3 days later.
**TW**
Me & DH: 32 Married 2013 Kiddo #1: Sept 2015 BFP: 1/19, EDD: 9/30
"I'm having fruit salad for dinner. Well, it's mostly just grapes, actually. Ok all grapes. Fermented grapes. Fine, I'm having wine for dinner."
@divinemsm620 I was induced with cytotec and had a baby 10 hours later. No need for pitocin or any other interventions (besides an epidural). Sending you good vibes you have an easy induction!
@divinemsm620 With DS, I had a membrane sweep at 39+3 (my previous MW group would not generally do them before 39w, as that is considered full term now, not 37w). My MW told me that it would work, usually within 24h, but only if my body was ready for labor. She also said I'd have some contractions, and they would either peter out, or develop into full blown labor. I had contractions by the time I made it to my car, and my son was born 10h later.
I also have friends who had it done twice, and it never did anything. It was uncomfortable, but quick, and I'd much rather try that first before inducing with medications.
@divinemsm620 It's routine to do a membrane stretch and sweep from 38 weeks on for my care team. My OB is really progressive and it's a teaching hospital, so they tend to do everything they can to help avoid interventions, including coaxing your body to go into labour on its own once you're full term. With DS they couldn't do it at all until I was 41 weeks because you have to be dilated enough for yourcaregiver's finger to fit through your cervix. There's loads of medical evidence that it does help trigger labour if your body is ready. It didn't work for me last time, and I was induced at 41+3, and delivered 60 hours later...
Thank you all for the input! I don't have to decide imminently as I haven't even had a cervix check yet, but I appreciate knowing others' experiences as I am anticipating talking to the dr in the coming weeks.
Re: Inductions
I have an appointment with my OB the afternoon before and she'll check my cervix then and based on how things look, we'll have a better idea of how things will go with the induction the next day. Generally my hospital starts you off with cytotec to soften the cervix and start dilation. Once you've progressed to a certain point then they'll start the pitocin. My OB said they try to give you as little pitocin as possible and then turn it off if your body takes over and you don't need it anymore. Here's hoping I don't need a lot of it...
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
I started with misoprostal and then moved onto pitiocin. Contractions weren't bad at first but started getting very painful as they upped the dosage. The midwife checked me and I was only at 3 cm. I was super discouraged and asked for (and got) the epidural. An hour later, DD was out with 2 pushes. If I had known it would be so fast, I could have held out for an hour!
edited for spelling
@JNR6510, don't be scared of the medication. Talk it through with your doctor and SO and make the choice that is right for you based on the advice of people with education, experience and facts.
Also about the epidural, my personal experience was really awesome. I was still able to move around on my own and feel enough. They still didn't let me walk around or anything though.
Ultimately you have to go with your gut and do what is best for you.
TW in spoiler:
I guess I am just trying to get an idea of what has worked for people in their experience. I would love to go pain med free. But I also don't want to stall labor or make the birth experience a nightmare when something as simple as an epidural could improve things.
I don't like Cytotec either due to its off label use for miscarriage, and the pain associated with it. It has poor connotations to many of us. But, I've never heard of it being a "bad" choice for induction.
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
@JNR6510
cytotec was the one hard no for me in the whole labor situation, i was open to every thing else if medically necessary. The reason why I chose to draw the line at cytotec is for a couple reasons.
1. Cytotec as a cervix softener is being used as an off lable method of action, which means the drug was not intended for this use, it has never been tested for this use. Doctors happen to notice what it can do and often use it for miscarriages, and then translated that use to labor, but because it's off label use there isn't the same testing and trials done for the cervix ripening action of this drug as there is for the intended use (prevent stomach ulcers when using nsaids)
2. Once cytotec is inserted there is no going back. Pitocin can be turned off if mom/baby don't do well with it. Cytotec dissolves completely and then you can't undo it if you have a negative reaction.
3. There's alternatives to using cytotec. Cervidil is a drug that was created FOR the intended use of softening the cervix, and it can be removed if a woman has a reaction to it. A foley bulb can also be used to open the cervix.
4. Women have died from cytotec. Here is a link to one woman's story in a official study on cytotec. It concluded that cytotec was too risky to use in labor. It is rare but it has happened. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684033/#!po=17.3077
I'm sure many doctors have successfully used cytotec, but in the rare chance that I would be the one to have a reaction to it I decided that under no circumstances would I allow cytotec to be used in me. I would choose cervidil instead if I needed it.
I hope you can talk with your doctor about any concerns you have and that you can come up with a plan you feel comfortable with. Good luck!!
days late and I had a dose of cytotec and it kick started my labor. I never needed pitocin, but the contractions were intense and didn't let up at all. They were one on top of each other. I couldn't really move either due to IVs, monitoring, group B strep antibiotics, etc. I asked for an epidural after 4 hours. From the time of the cytotec to delivery was 10 hours for me. I'm going for an unmedicated birth this time with a doula at my hospital.
Labor and delivery isn't without any risk even if your med free! Amniotic embolisms are also a real risk and they are almost always fatal (my biggest fear). So there isn't a need to produce a bunch of fear into inductions.
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
So... it sounds like I'm doing Cytotec because I don't want cervical ripening to fail. /shrug
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
Maybe if you're lucky your cervix will ripen enough on its own before you get to your induction date and you can go straight to pitocin!
@jessieR358
Type 1 Diabetes since 2001, MTHFR hetero A1298T
Dogs: Raider 4 yrs, Dex 4 yrs
BFP #2 7/6/16 SCH, D&C 8/4/16
BFP #3 12/26/16 EDD: 9/6/17
My Chart / My Diabetes/Pregnancy Blog
My Type 1/TTC/Pregnancy Podcast:
Juicebox Podcast Episode 118
A1Cs:
1/12/16 6.7%
5/25/16 6.0%
11/2/16 6.1%
3/22/16 5.8%
4/27/17 5.4%
6/13/17 5.3%
"Sugar Fancy Tutu"
i was given a double dose since my hospital took 3 hours to admit me and i think that's why my contractions were so intense and worked so fast. If I had to take it again I would, but I would request one dose!
Prostaglandins, like oxytocin, are naturally released during labor. Synthetic versions are unlikely to harm mother or baby during induction, if given in proper dosages. There may be some endocrine issues immediately following, because hormones all do a million things and trigger feedback loops that affect many bodily functions, but one goal is for things to return to normal homeostasis, so this will happen in most cases.
If you have certain endocrine, blood, or inflammatory conditions, you may want to ask your doctor about side effects of prostaglandins since they affect more bodily systems than oxytocin/pitocin does, but for most people, there shouldn't be a problem either way, aside from some relatively mild side effects.
Anyway, as a neuroendocrinologist (research, not medical practice, so this isn't medical advice) I suggest looking into any drug you take. But there is a lot of fear mongering online and many of the counterindications of hormone based drugs are situation dependent.
Good luck, everyone!
We also had our second childbirth class last night and the instructor went over labor interventions. They were all very real/scary since I am thinking they're likely to happen for me. So now I am wondering whether I should try to have my membranes swept in the days leading up to the induction in the hope that it will help with cervical ripening and potentially make the induction go more smoothly (less need for cytotec, fewer hours of waiting for contractions). Did anyone else have this done, or is anyone planning to?
Married 2013
Kiddo #1: Sept 2015
BFP: 1/19, EDD: 9/30
"I'm having fruit salad for dinner. Well, it's mostly just grapes, actually. Ok all grapes. Fermented grapes. Fine, I'm having wine for dinner."
I also have friends who had it done twice, and it never did anything. It was uncomfortable, but quick, and I'd much rather try that first before inducing with medications.
DS2: EDD- 09.08.17