Does it hurt worse to be induced for labor? People have told me yes and no! I'm being induced ina week.?

Question

i've had people tell me that it does hurt worse to be induced and others say it's no different. this is my 2nd child, so doc says i should be fine. any suggestions or comments?

Answer 1

I had my labor induced and truly, it wasn't bad at all - it just seemed like it took so long for it to work. But this being your second child, maybe it'll be faster for you. :-)

Answer 2

Congrats! I'm being induced in 5 days... and am a bit nervous myself. I called a friend of mine who was induced with all 3 of her children... and though she said it hurt, she didn't feel it was unbearable. She had an epidural with her first and hated it. This is my second child and because I had such a short labor with my first (and because I've developed Gestational diabetes), my doctor felt it would be best to induce rather than wait. I delivered my son natural (no drugs) and it really hurt. My contractions came on very strong... so I imagine the induction won't be any different. The only factor that has me questioning it also is the fact that it's a synthetic hormone where as oxitocin is natural. Evidentally, when your body produced the hormone, it also allows for a calming period between the contractions for relief of pain... where as with the pitocin, you don't have that calm before the next contraction. Since I plan to skip the epidural again, I'm preparing myself for a painful ride.
Listen... any way you slice it, it will hurt... but you know that pain will eventually end.
There's a website which I recently stumbled on... BabyTV.com and it has a constant schedule of topics ranging from parenting to labor, etc... At 11:59 pm tonight, they'll show a segment on "Why does labor hurt?". Watch this clip... it's only about 15 minutes. It will explain many of your questions. I know it helped me. Good luck... I'm sure it'll be a breeze.

Answer 3

If you're being induced, most women find it hurts more. The reason is this - when you go into labor and progress on your own, your body slowly builds up the contractions, gradually making them stronger. Your body also can recognize when it's making too much oxytocin (hormone that causes contractions) and it can tone it down a little or speed it up as labor progresses.

By using Pitocin, which is a synthetic form of oxytocin, you are having a medication dripped into your arm through an IV at a certain constant rate. While the doctors do try their best to increase the dosage slowly, some women find that boom, all of a sudden they're in hard labor. They might have been able to deal with the same contraction if their body was gradually building up to it, but it's very hard to deal with hard contractions if you've been thrown into it. Compare it to running. If you warn up, stretch, and gradually increase your distances and speed, it's a lot easier than if you just woke up one morning and decided to run a mile in 4 minutes right now, at that very second, just flat out run.

You are not the only one being thrown into labor - your baby is as well. This is why you see many babies who can't tolerate the pitocin, and their heart rate might start to drop.

Also, with the IV dripping at a steady rate, your body can not tell itself to make more or less of the hormone, you have a constant amount dripping in no matter what.

Babies will come when they're ready. Some come a couple of weeks early, others are 3 weeks late. If there is no medical reason for the induction, you should do your research, weigh the pro's and con's and decide what's right for your baby.

Answer 4

It depends on why you are being induced and how. Also your pain tolerance and whether you are having pain medication so that is why you are getting different answers.

I was induced with Pitocin which made my contractions very intense. I needed to have my contractions induced because my water broke and I was not having contractions yet. I chose to have a natural birth because I didn't want to have any complications that happen with epidurals. I also had back labor. There are so many variables with each labor and delivery that you can't accurately predict how your body will handle the situation based on the experience of another.

For more answers on pitocin you can see the link below.

Answer 5

I've been told the same thing. My sister has 3 kids. Her first she had natural. No pain reliever at all. The second one she had an IV drug, but was not induced. Her 3rd one that had to induce because his cord was in a knot. She told me it hurt worse when she was induced. I was induced with my little boy, and it was painful, but I have nothing more to compair it too. Either way it's going to hurt.

Answer 6

I don't think that one pain would be worse than the other. I mean, come on. You're having a baby. No matter which way you slice it, it's going to hurt.

I was induced with my first, but there's no guarantee that it's not going to be just as bad with this one if I'm NOT induced.

You know what this is, and you know what to do. If it hurts too much, get that epidural. That's what it's there for.

Answer 7

No it does not hurt ! i was induced with my first child and it didn't hurt it just speeds up the process for you to go into labor some people i have talk to about it said different things but i didn't have an epidural so trust me it wont hurt you. Good luck! I'm 30 weeks and I'm hoping to get induced this time to people might say I'm crazy but it i like to know when im going into labor its all planed out for me. it makes it easier for me to deal with it when its time.

Answer 8

I would say it depends on when they're inducing you. I was induced with both children. The first time, they induced me at 1 week late and it wasn't bad at all. I think my body was ready for it. The second time, they induced me 2 weeks early (thought the baby was going to be big) and the contractions were really strong and it was pretty bad. I don't think my body was ready for the baby.

Answer 9

I have been induced twice. Assuming you will be induced using Pitocin, the contractions you have will be stronger than the contractions your body would create naturally. Being that this is your second, your body knows what to do, so it may go a little quicker.

Answer 10

For my daughter, they induced, but the doctor gave me too much and it caused my pains to be continuous. For my son, they induced, and I explained why I was scared to for them to do that again, and they told me that the other dr. gave me too much, thats why it hurt so bad. My son was easy. I only felt 2 of the contractions and had him within 1 hr. I think it really depends on the person also. The main thing to do is relax. Good Luck and Congratulations.