Question regarding induction. I know that sometimes they can break your waters and see if that will start labour. However, if it doesn't that usually means they will start pitocin.
How soon once pitocin is started do contractions usually begin? Or is it too variable woman to woman? And is there ever a scenario where they would place an epidural BEFORE contractions begin? Reason I ask is because with my first contractions didn't start until 7cm, I would hate to wait for them to start and miss the window for an epidural completely.
I've done it med-free once, so I know I can do it again, but I'd like to be prepared with my expectations!
@nasalot188 it’s hugely variable from woman to woman when pitocin will cause contractions. Some start feeling them within the first 30 minutes, and for some nothing happens for hours.
If you really want an epidural this time around, I’d ask if they’d be willing to do it a bit early, given your history. The worst they can do is say no.
How common is it for water to break on its own? And is there any truth/data or scientific reason behind what I’ve read that most people’s water breaks at night, as opposed to at an inopportune time in public or at work.
@nasalot188 They broke my water in the hospital with DS1 and DS2 and started pitocin. It took contractions about 4 hours to kick in with DS1 and less than 30 minutes with DS2. I know I'll probably have to get pitocin again this time but I want to avoid getting an epidural. My hospital will allow you to get an epidural whenever you request it. I would tell them about your experience last time and they shouldn't have an issue giving you an epi earlier.
i don't know how it works other places, but where i am delivering the epidural is mostly up to the doctor. mine was willing to give it at basically any point once he knew you were there and delivering, which was great for me because i was not dilated at all with either of our first two until half an hour before they were born. with our third he was on vacation though and despite having had conversations on the subject with the dr who would be delivering, he did not want to okay the epidural when i was ready for it. (i got the distinct impression, from things he said and from nurses, that it had something to do with the fact that it was the middle of the night and would require him to come in and check me). i only got it in time because our nurse decided to "stretch the truth a little" when she told him where i was after checking me. he was clearly unimpressed when he came in and checked himself and found out, but she just smiled politely, admitted she could have been off a little, and left the room. yay for awesome nurses!
I was glad to hear that typically my hospital is able to administer an epidural within 15 minutes of requesting one and that it usually takes about 15 minutes to kick in.
@rabtaido1214 I’ve heard statistics that only between 10-50% of women’s waters break spontaneously (personal experience at work would put it around the 25% mark). It’s often true that labour starts at night, less fight-or-flight response active to prevent labour but I don’t know if I’d say that hold true for rupture.
@sammierose464 they may be able to access an epidural in 15 minutes, but the OB needs to agree to order one for you first. Some have a specific number of cm they want you dilated to first, before they will order it.
As someone who's water did break naturally I was curious and looked it up - it seems general consensus is that only about 10% of women have water break naturally. (various internet sources ranged from 8-15%). Mine was at 6:30 am, so about an hour before I would have been on a commuter train for a full hour, so this time I'm working from home 2 weeks before even though odds would be minor it would happen on the train - but not taking any chances. It would just be so embarrassing plus eff up everyone's commute.
I know this is completely woman specific but my contractions started within an hour of the pitocin. (I had to get pitocin because my water broke, but contractions never started on their own). Eventually they would have, but my doc didn't want to let me go too long as the risk of infection increases if you don't have the kid within 30 hours of your water breaking.
I had my water break on its own for both of my previous deliveries. One time it broke around 2am, the other around 6pm. The first time contractions did not start on their own, so I had pitocin. Things went from zero to 60 quickly, and I think I remember the nurse turning the drip down, then off, but that was 9 years ago, so I might not be remembering it accurately. The second time labor thankfully started on its own and I didn’t need pitocin.
@HoosOnFirst it is funny to see such low statistics but then hear about all the women that it did break naturally. Mine did also, I felt a pop and jumped up and my water broke at 5:30am.
@HoosOnFirst it is funny to see such low statistics but then hear about all the women that it did break naturally. Mine did also, I felt a pop and jumped up and my water broke at 5:30am.
Right? It feels like it must be higher given the number of women I know who it did happen to. I also had an assisted delivery which is 3% but yet i know others who had vacuum or foreceps too so it feels higher. I think there’s a term for it - maybe this? Like when you buy a Honda and then see Hondas everywhere: https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion
My water broke around 6:30am but this was after a full night of laboring at home. Once it broke I think I went from 1cm to 10 in like 2 hours, it escalated quickly after that. I'm hoping I have warning signs and very gradual labor like last time. I don't want my water to break in front of 36 teenagers. It'd probably go viral on YouTube!
*just adding that my waters also broke spontaneously at home.
@jennybean80 - I'm seeing people say that just because you are 10cm doesn't mean it's time to push. The pushing is the part i didn't get to experience, so i'm just wondering if i should rely on the doc to tell me to push, or if i need some sort of physical sign or self-awareness (spoiler, i suck at intuition, knowing my limits, self-awareness, all that.) I know that bodies were made to this, but my body has proven time and time again that it is stupid and confused about everything.
@jengibre_zorro It’s mostly just pushing if it feels like you should be pushing (it’s similar to the feeling when you need to poop, a strong urge to bear down). If you dont feel that urge, and baby’s heart rate is good it’s reasonable to wait a while (even a couple of hours) for your contractions to do the work to bring baby down. It’ll put less stress on the baby, and you will push less time and get less tired.
Edited to add: if you have a really strong epidural, you may never get that urge to push, the nurse will help guide your pushing if that’s the case.
@sliztee You should still feel the urge to push. I could still feel contractions with the epidural and I knew it was time to push because I felt like I was pooping myself with every contraction.
@sliztee with DS I had my epidural set low so I could feel pressure but no pain. I was still able to move my legs and could feel him moving down, so I knew when it was time to push. With DD they cranked my epidural up because i had such a horrible, painful reaction to the Cervidil and I literally could not move or feel contractions or anything, but I still felt the urge to push.
Feeling the urge to push was crazy. It was like one minute I was relaxing, trying to go to sleep with my semi-effective epidural, and the next I was frantically calling the nurse because the urge to push was so intense. And then during the two hours I was pushing (ugh) I was scared to push, but then I was like “I have to push” and then it hurt but it felt good too... so strange.
I wish I could have felt the urge to push with my epi! I couldn't feel a freaking thing, even when they turned it down... My nurses were awesome though, so it ended up being NBD and only took an hour (thank god)!
You should ideally be able to feel that urge to push even with an epidural. Most women can. Occasionally someone is a little more susceptible to the meds, and they get a really dense nerve block (then they usually can’t move their legs either), or the anesthesiologist is a little over generous with the dosage. In those cases you might not feel that pressure. In that case, asking them to turn the rate down slightly on the epidural is a good option. It should still keep you comfortable, but allow you to feel where and when to push.
You should ideally be able to feel that urge to push even with an epidural. Most women can. Occasionally someone is a little more susceptible to the meds, and they get a really dense nerve block (then they usually can’t move their legs either), or the anesthesiologist is a little over generous with the dosage. In those cases you might not feel that pressure. In that case, asking them to turn the rate down slightly on the epidural is a good option. It should still keep you comfortable, but allow you to feel where and when to push.
Yep, I was definitely in the "difficult to move legs" category. Mostly because I just had no idea where they were going How my nurses got me onto my hands and knees at that point still amazes me!
That was me too! I felt nothing and it was glorious until I had to push. We ended up turning it off and then I felt just enough to push in the right spot.
With DS I felt absolutely nothing, couldn't even feel where to push. They ended up having to shut my epi off (Or turn it down all the way? Idk how it works) and yea I couldn't feel or lift my legs at all. Had to ask the nurse to put my leg back on the bed ha! with my second I still felt uncomfortable with the epi, but wasn't in pain. Was able to tell my OB I wanted to push because it felt better than just dealing with the contractions lol.
interesting, didn't know you were supposed to be able to feel to push with all EPI's. I heard there was a regular EPI and a walking EPI and thought the walking one was the only one you could potentially feel when and where to push. Still don't want to do an EPI lol
My biggest fear about bearing down/pushing is that I am going to poop!! I know we have discussed this before but is it real common for people to poop during labour?
I'd like to go med free, but also not opposed at all to an epi. But I'd like the super low dose of it so I can still feel, just help out a bit. Of course I also have no idea what to expect, and am pretty go with the flow.
I think my biggest fear with the epi or a c-section is having to get a catheter. I know I won't be able to feel it, but I've had so many UTIs in my life that anything having to do with my pee hole really scares me.
@jandmnumber1 most women poop. But it isn’t a full-on BM, it’s like a tiny little bit. You can’t prevent it. Baby’s head is going to move anything in it’s way, out. So if baby is going to come out, anything in the rectum (last 1-2 inches of the bowel) is going to get pushed out of the way.
Nurses/midwives expect it and are prepared to deal with it. They’ll clean it up, usually even before your or YH realize it’s happened. They’re going to be cleaning up blood, mucous and amniotic fluid in the area pretty regularly anyways.
@SweetSweetTooth most epidurals these days are what used to be called a “walking epidural”. Basically as doctors got more familiar/comfortable with the procedure the concentration of meds they use has gone down significantly. A full block is rare.
I was definitely one of those who never got the urge to push with my Epi.
@hannaht8516 at my hospital an epi always comes with a catheter. I had one with my last birth and didn’t have any issues, but that’s a fear of mine too.
No question, just adding to the number of spontaneous water breaking. I was convinced I had to go to the bathroom, pulling my pants down to sit and my water broke. 4:19pm I had polyhydramnios, so it was full on movie style tons of fluid every where (that the ob nurses kept telling me not to expect it to be like.)
I actually didn't get a catheter with my first while I had an epi. Things progressed very quickly once I got my epi and I didn't need it. Meanwhile, my SIL had a natural childbirth and I guess was so swollen she couldn't pee and needed one.
I didn't know I was getting a catheter with my first until the nurse came in the room to insert it. I had an epi and couldn't feel anything but I was still so scared that it was going to hurt. The nurse just shook her head and reminded me that I couldn't feel anything below my waist. I didn't get an epi with DS2 because everything happened so fast.
I'm probably being super flipping paranoid, and I don't want to be one of those people that goes to L&D and it be nothing... I've had BH on and off since yesterday afternoon. I was much more active than normal yesterday (doing stuff around the house, a short 1/4 mile walk with DH) and today I'm also more active (nothing major, but not sitting around at work like normal). They are hard to tell a start, but I can definitely tell the peek and when it dies down. They are either very uncomfortable or stop me mid sentence. I've also been having a lot of digestive cramping and I'm down 1lb despite still eating similar. They will be consistent for a while then stop all together for a while. I really don't know the timing of it though.
Re: Ask Me Anything:Third Tri/Labour Edition
How soon once pitocin is started do contractions usually begin? Or is it too variable woman to woman? And is there ever a scenario where they would place an epidural BEFORE contractions begin? Reason I ask is because with my first contractions didn't start until 7cm, I would hate to wait for them to start and miss the window for an epidural completely.
I've done it med-free once, so I know I can do it again, but I'd like to be prepared with my expectations!
If you really want an epidural this time around, I’d ask if they’d be willing to do it a bit early, given your history. The worst they can do is say no.
yay for awesome nurses!
@sammierose464 they may be able to access an epidural in 15 minutes, but the OB needs to agree to order one for you first. Some have a specific number of cm they want you dilated to first, before they will order it.
I know this is completely woman specific but my contractions started within an hour of the pitocin. (I had to get pitocin because my water broke, but contractions never started on their own). Eventually they would have, but my doc didn't want to let me go too long as the risk of infection increases if you don't have the kid within 30 hours of your water breaking.
@jennybean80 - I'm seeing people say that just because you are 10cm doesn't mean it's time to push. The pushing is the part i didn't get to experience, so i'm just wondering if i should rely on the doc to tell me to push, or if i need some sort of physical sign or self-awareness (spoiler, i suck at intuition, knowing my limits, self-awareness, all that.)
I know that bodies were made to this, but my body has proven time and time again that it is stupid and confused about everything.
Edited to add: if you have a really strong epidural, you may never get that urge to push, the nurse will help guide your pushing if that’s the case.
Don't even worry, it's no big deal at all.
I worried far too much about it for what it actually was.
I think my biggest fear with the epi or a c-section is having to get a catheter. I know I won't be able to feel it, but I've had so many UTIs in my life that anything having to do with my pee hole really scares me.
Nurses/midwives expect it and are prepared to deal with it. They’ll clean it up, usually even before your or YH realize it’s happened. They’re going to be cleaning up blood, mucous and amniotic fluid in the area pretty regularly anyways.
@hannaht8516 at my hospital an epi always comes with a catheter. I had one with my last birth and didn’t have any issues, but that’s a fear of mine too.
I was convinced I had to go to the bathroom, pulling my pants down to sit and my water broke. 4:19pm I had polyhydramnios, so it was full on movie style tons of fluid every where (that the ob nurses kept telling me not to expect it to be like.)