I'm being induced tomorrow?? Any personal experiences??

Question

I am being induced tomorrow morning by breaking my bag of waters, I was just wondering what maybe to expect because it's my first baby. I know that if labor doesn't progress I may have to have oxytocin to bring on the contractions, then if that doesn't work I would have a C-section.. I know all pregnancies are different, but I like to hear about personal experience... Thanks..

Is it normal to be induced on your due date or are they suppose to wait till you're overdue??

Answer 1

My labor was also induced. I had a great experience. Its really not as scary as you have probably built it up to be. Just get PLENTY of rest tonight and as much as you can before you actually give birth. Take some relaxing music too! Congrats and good luck, everything will be fine.

Answer 2

Both of my pregnancies were induced after going overdue, the first was 2 weeks over and the second was 1 week over. It depends on the doctor's preference and schedule as well as how your pregnancy has been going. But I find it interesting that they are starting by breaking your water. With my 1st I had pitocin (similar to oxytocin) through an IV first, that labor lasted 24 hours and I ended up getting an epidural after 18 hours. With my 2nd I had cytotec first (a pill placed down there) and the pain was never too severe to need an epideral, I was in labor for 6 hours. They always waited to break my water until I was well into labor, like 4 centimeters. Now I have 4 more weeks till my 3rd pregnancy is over, and I would never want to have pitocin or an epideral again if I could avoid it. But I don't think I would have pitocin without an epideral because it brings on painful contractions. I would ask to have cytotec or prostoglandin gel first. But if you can avoid narcotics do, they only made me really loopy and nauseated. Anyway you should expect to be very patient it seems to take forever. My husband and I brought along some movies we had rented and that's how we spent all of the waiting hours. And try and get sleep while you can. And make sure you eat and drink before, because you will get hungry and they probably won't let you eat very much if anything until you deliver. And try and get up and walk if they will let you, and maybe take a warm shower to help with the pain. And definitely don't let the doctor or nurses make you uncomfortable, speak up and ask questions or you'll regret it. Stick to what you want! Remember to breathe and relax your entire body during contractions, getting tense will make it take longer. Good luck! And remember that it will all be worth the pain in the end, when you get to hold your sweet bundle of joy in your arms.

Answer 3

I have been induced twice. If your cervix is not softened or efaced then the first step will be to induce a tampon like thing with cervadil on it to start this. After about 12 hours (unless things move faster on their own) they remove the cervidil and begin the IV drip of pitocin to make contractions more intense. Some women do not have contractions with cervadil , I did with the first but not the 2nd.
If they break your water , they use a long hook like thing to go through your cervix and tear the membrane (this will usually speed labor up as well). A lot of women say it hurts, I think it is more uncomfortable than it is painfull but you water may break on it's own with cervadil or pitocin.
If you were considering no drugs you should reconsider this choice since you are being induced. Contractions which ae induced by medication are far more intense than natural ones and there is no shame in needing help.
Remember that screaming and tensing up only makes everything harder on you.. Try to focus on your breathing and your husbands/partners counting. Example: put a clothes pin on the skin between you thumb and pointy finger and focus on it and it really hurts , do the same thing but focus on breathing and his voice and the pain is about 50% of what it was.
Finally , FYI a lot of hospitals will say no epideral until 5cm BUT this is because most women do not know this..... " If your contractions are being controled by pitocin then an epideral will not stop their progression. You can have the epideral as soon as you feel you need it and it will not stop or slow your labor as long as the IV is running." so don't let them screw with you and tell you that you have to be 5cm
In general a first time induction can take about 24 hours but not all of that is hard labor and it may go much faster since you are at your due date already.
Good Luck and Congratulations.

Answer 4

If There is a health risk to either the mother or the baby, then they will induce as early as 2 weeks before your due date! (In a low risk pregnancy!)
I'm pregnant and I have been asking a lot of people the same questions!
I have heard when you are induced, ususally breaking your water doesn't always put you in labor! They will put you on the drip (Oxytocin)
Your contractions will be harder and more painful than if you went into labor naturally, so expect lots of pain, (But of course there is meds for that if you wish!) but then again, if you have anymore and you aren't induced, it might be as painful!
Being induced can take longer and be more painful, then even end up being an Emergency C-Section! SO good Luck!

Answer 5

I was induced a week before I was due, b/c my doc was going on vacation. It was my first pregnancy so I gave no basis for comparison. But it was not too bad. They had to stop the pitocin twice b/c my contractions were too close together and the baby's heartrate was dropping. It was a little scary when that happened but the second they saw it on the monitors they were in there. The second time I had NO idea it was even going on (thanks to the epidural) until like 4 nurses came bursting into the room. Almost had to go in for an emergency C-section b/c of it! I started on pitocin at 7 am and had my son at 1020pm. But that does include the times they stopped it for an hour each time. Don't worry, it's not near as bad as half the horror stories you hear. Just ask for the epidural as soon as you can and it will be fine. (Also, the baby will come out quicker if you aren't afraid that you will crap on the doctor. Most women are worried about this and don't push as hard. I had my son out 30 min after I started. They say it normally takes 2 hours for a first time mom)

Answer 6

With my first and only child I was induced 3 weeks early. First the Dr. broke my bag of water and then started the Pitocin. I was comfortable at first and able to handle the contractions but once the Pitocin kicked in it was very uncomfortable. But believe it or not I delivered only 2 hours later. If I had it to do all over again I would of opted for no Pitocin, just break my bag of waters and let me dilate naturally, because with the Pitocin there is a chance that it can cause the contractions to come on too strong, which is what happened in my case. Good luck and God bless you and I hope you have a happy and safe delivery!!!

Answer 7

Please listen to me and don't get induced. My sister was induced on her second due date. They found out she was already in labor but went ahead with it anyway. Once the bag was broken, she went into hard labor which then turned into a whole medical debachery. I would wait until the baby was ready to come out before it becomes another medical mess. I will tell you that I didn't have hardly any medical intervention when I went through my pregnacy with my son. I have a very healthy and active little boy whose worst problem is allergies. He's topping the 95th percentile in the growth range. He's also very smart and I feel very lucky. I did have to have a c section done but that was only after 26 hours of labor and his head was so big that it got stuck on the way out. (it was 16 inch around which was bigger than his chest, he's since grown into his head).... if you still feel like you need to be induced, at least wait until your second due date...you may be surprised by then.

Answer 8

Induction depends on the doctor. They had to break my waters with all 3 of my kids. 2 were late, and one was induced before the due date. Expect at least 6 hours of labor, and expect it to hurt. The more you can stay calm, the less it will hurt. Bring a book, journal, playing cards, anything to help pass the time. After they give you meds, you'll not be able to walk around (at least I wasn't ever allowed). So bring a few things to keep you busy. You might also want chapstick so your lips don't dry out and lotion. Socks are good too, if the room is cold.

Answer 9

Keep in mind everyone is different, but this is my personal experience:

Went to hospital monday a.m. to be induced (a week overdue) and was told to come back...hospital too full and we don't have a bed for you. LOL

I came back at 4 p.m. like they said, they checked me in, monitored my contractions for a while, gave me some food, blah blah. I was moved to my LDRR and at 8 p.m. they broke my water. (I was already 3 cm dilated when I got there, so they skipped the pitocin or oxytocin or whatever it was they were going to give me.) Anyway, from 8:00 p.m. to roughly 11 p.m., I was contracting HARD about every 2 - 3 minutes, but only dilated 2 cm in that time. Finally, I asked for my epidural and got it at about 11:30 p.m. From 11:30 p.m. to 12:45 a.m., I went from 5 cm to 10 cm. Pushed for 30 mins and baby was out at 1:15 a.m. I tore and had to have several stitches. Not sure how many, but it was less than 10.

Answer 10

First let me say congratulations on you new arrival. I have four children and was induced twice with my first child. He was stubborn and did not want to come out. It started first on a friday, I was admitted, given an i.v. drip and the cervix softning gell. Contractions kicked in but my cervix wouln't open beyond 2 cen. I was released after enduring the pain for two days, and was told by the doctor to go home and have sex or start walking. I went back in for a check up the following monday, was admitted, and the induction process happened all over again. He finally decided to come out tuesday afternoon, and I must tell you, that after all of the pain of two inductions during that pregnancy it was the most wonderful experience I have ever had. Once they are handed to you for the first time, nothing you went through trying to get them out will ever matter. Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 11

I was induced with my second baby (third pregnancy), and things went great! I was only in labor for 3 hours. The labor did hurt quite a bit more from the pitocin, but the epidural fixed that! I enjoyed that labor more than I did with my first baby, whose labor took about 12 hours! Good luck!