What is involved in having your labor induced?

Question

Hello everybody =)

I was due on January 19th but still no baby! I know that it is common to go to 42 weeks, especially with a first baby, but my Dr. offered to induce me on January 30th, so I gladly accepted!

I have to go in Monday at 4 pm to have medication applied to my cervix to soften it (since I am not dilated at all!!), then I will be induced on Tuesday morning.

Has anybody else gone through this? What can I expect?
I am a first timer and very nervous! I just want to be as prepared as possible. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance! =)

Answer 1

I was induced w/ my first. They put in a suppository thing to soften the cervix and started an IV where they gave me Pitocin and fluids. I began contracting right away, so they gave me Stadol for the pain until I reached 4 cm. I had an epidural at 4 cm b/c the contractions are hard and long. They broke my water too and then the contractions got worse. I went from 4-10 cm in 45 minutes!! Then I pushed for 30 min and baby was out. Total labor and delivery time 4 1/2 hours. I would take that over 24 hours any day. You will likely have a harder labor, but it should go quickly. Make sure you have an epidural if offered to you. I still felt the contractions and pushing even w/ the epidural.

Answer 2

i was induced with my first, but i never had to have my cervix softened or anything. i was already dilated to 3 cm for 2 weeks. my water broke and was only a tiny trickle for over a day. i never had contractions when it broke or any other signs that i was in labor. i went to the hospital and in the morning they started an iv with pitocin. i didn't start having contractions for around 3-4 hours, then they broke the rest of my water that was still in there and then i started getting the bad contractions, but then my baby was born within a half an hour. i'm having my second baby soon, and i really have no idea what natural labor feels like. usually you have contractions after your water breaks, but i didn't

Answer 3

well congrats! baby is almost here, you did it! anyways i was induced with my daughter. tueday when you go to the hospital the will put you in a romm ask you lots of questions, put a heart rate and contraction monitor on your tummy. then they will put an iv usually with liquids and potocin. ever hour they will up the dosage until you are at max dosage, or until you start showing good signs of labor. it will be a few hours later when you start feeling contractions. potocin makes them generally come stronger and harder. once you are in active labor the dr will break your water, if it hasnt broken on its own. when you start to get uncomfortable tell your nurse, she can give you pain relief. assuming you want some. which you probably will because it HURTS! when it starts to get really bad ask for the epi, it usually takes them a little while to get down to you. if you wait until its unbareable you will be miserable..then you will have a baby several hours later. just to warn you many times it becomes a failed induction and you will need a c section..this happened to me. my advice: try and sleep monday night, through all the excitment, nerves, and anxiety you need it. sleep whenever you can at the hospital, labor is hard work. eat a good monday night, that will be the last time you eat for a while. during the labor process you cannot eat. dont worry about crying, screaming, or being irratible. all these things are normal. good luck

Answer 4

I had the prostaglandin gel put on my cervix. I had to lay still for 30 minutes while they did a non stress test on the baby. Nothing happened...so 8 hours later they did it again...nothing happened. (there was a lot of women in active labour so they couldn't start stage 2..pitocin drip) So I went home the next day was home an hour...and my water breaks...still no labour. Finally the next morning they could start the drip...those contractions hit like a rail car so have your pain options chosen befoer...I had an spidural and was in labour for 6 hours and pushed him out in 33 minutes. Everybody will have different reactions to different things...It may work right away for you. I was being induced at 39 weeks do baby wasn't really ready yet.

Answer 5

First of all, why are you wanting to have this baby before it is ready to come out????
The last week and/or few days of gestation is when the baby puts on extra weight to keep their temperature normal, it develops a suck reflex so he/she can nurse effectively and their eyes become mature.
My advice is to wait it out. You have nothing to lose except a few more days of being able to leave the house without packing for two, and a few more nights of better sleep than you will have in a long time.
As for induction...You are being given something that will open your cervix prematurely...this will happen naturally if you wait. Then if/when you are dilated to about 3 or 4 cm they will give you a drug called pitocin to start labor contractions.
Pitocin.... is a BAD drug when used in the manner that you are entering into. It caused contractions that are stronger than what your body would normally make.. running the risk of rupturing your uterus... running the risk of causing your baby to get upset because he/she is being squeezed to tight to soon and so they poop inside their otherwise safe and sterile environment. If they get any of that poop in their eyes/mouth then they could get a really bad infection and will have to take antibiotics at a time of their life when it is critical that they develop healthy good bacteria in their gut which makes sure that they can maintain normal body weight and absorb/make all the vitamins their bodies need to function optimally.
When given pitocin the contractions are so strong and relentless that most women need pain control where they wouldn't have if they were laboring without the drug. Your normal contractions are not too strong to handle, and they give you a break every couple minutes, so you don't have to push constantly.
Studies have shown that breastfeeding relationships are jeopardized by the use of pitocin and epidurals/pain killers. They also increase the risk that your labor will not progress because it was not time for you to be in labor... and then you have a c-section.
Pitocin and epidurals reduce your ability to produce milk And, Babies get the drugs that you get so when they come out all drugged up they are bewildered and have trouble nursing. This first nursing session is really important to establish a good bond,and to give them the nourishment that they need to survive their first days.
I wish you well. It is sometimes tough as a new parent because we try to make the best choices we can for our children but if we don't have all the facts then we have to forgive ourselves for the stuff behind and focus on what we can change, today and tomorrow. it is not too late to change your mind about induction.

sally

Answer 6

Well with my first i was induced at 41weeks but the Drip (pitocin).
I went 17 hours of hard labour because the pitocin brought the contractions on really hard and fast. they were every 2min. BUT I wouldn't dialate past 5cm (I was 5cm the entire 17hours) and the baby's heart rate was droping so they decided to give me a c-section. :( Everything went well!
With my second birth I really wanted to try again so the specialist gave me the ok to try, But this time I went into labour on my own 4 days early, I did the first 5 hours on my own then when I got to 2-3 cm I decided to have the epidural and 8 hours later she was born. the last hour the epirural wore off so I was ale to feel everything which was important to knowing when to puch.
If I had to give my opinion to first time moms it would be to have an open mind when in labour! Because I believe if I have the epidural the first time I might not have had the c-section, but I was stuborn! (just my opinion).
Congradulation!!!

Answer 7

I was induced with both of my pregnancies,y first took 13 hours until i delivered my baby,they gave me pitocin to dialate my cervix and prob like 10 minutes after i started feeling horrible contractions...I got to get only half an epidural,as that hospital didnt give full ones and pushed for an 1 before the baby came out...

With my second I was 41 weeks and dialated to 2 centimeters before having a scheduled induction at 9 pm...I went in at 9 and waited for an hour to get situated in my room etc.. The doctor came in and put a catheter in me to catch the urine so i didnt have to get up to go to the bathroom..Thewn she gave me what looked to be some kind of string and placed it around my cervix just to thin it out before being induced...she said most of the time they have to continue with the pitocin when the cervix thins out all the way,but with me they didnt have to induce me afterall..i was dialating on my own and pretty quickly..i went from 2 to 4 centimeters in an hour...i told them i wanted the epidural then because the pain was unbearable but i had to get lots of fluids first through iv before that..so i had to wait another hour which then i was 5 centimeters..i got the epidural and in a matter of a minute i could feel anything!! i went from crying to smiling and talking,watching tv etc in no time..right after the epidural my water broke and i didnt even know it,cause i couldnt feel anything down there...they came and checked me and said oh your water broke and your 10 centimeters...that was at 1 am,the doc came in and i pushed for 10 minutes and then it was all over with..,.all together my labor only lasted for 3 1/2 hours,,it went by soo quickly..Dont worry u will be ok,as long as u get that epidural u will feel like u are in heaven =)

Good Luck!!!

Answer 8

I was induced with my first. I went in late in the evening they put in cervidil that started my contractions right away so they took it out. In the morning they broke my water then made me walk around a lot. Then put me on pitocin, which made everything hurt a lot. Then i got an epidural and played cards a while. I was in a long time though (i think cause they started then stopped my labor with the cervidil) so I ended up with an infection and things sort of stopped progressing. Baby was also in posterior presentation so that made for a slower labor. All in all though it was a rather long day so much going on and me in a tailspin the entire time. At the end of it though i got my son :) So it was well worth it.

Answer 9

i grow to be triggered with my first toddler, at 38 weeks by way of severe blood rigidity. regrettably, it did take 3 tries of the prostaglandin and the breaking of my waters to kick commence labour, so 3 days. the coolest component grow to be i grow to be given a dozing pill the night until eventually now and had the main suitable night's sleep ever! The undesirable information is that I by surprise had the main painful severe contractions without gaps and no time to construct up, so it grow to be lik going from no longer something to excruciating soreness in seconds. I did have an epidural, which i might advise, because it took the soreness away thoroughly, yet make the determination quicker somewhat than later because of the fact the longer you leave it, the extra danger there is of difficulty with the epidural. I did have a conflict on the top because of the fact i could no longer experience contractions and did no longer comprehend while to push, so they had to get my toddler out with a ventouse (I nevertheless felt the soreness then nevertheless!). Induction isn't notably, yet an epidural can get you by way of lots of the painful bit and make the journey plenty extra bareable and dare I say relaxing, for the two mum and dad! I even have heard of human beings reacting to induction plenty speedier, as with every labours, it relies upon how waiting your physique is for giving start. desire this facilitates,

Answer 10

with your first baby this usually takes the longest. I've been induced with 2 of mine. with my first 1/2 hour after i got to hospital they inserted like a gel stuff if this doesn't work after about 8 hours they do it again and again. luckily this worked for me the first time after about 4 hours i was having mild contractions then when your contractions get about 5 minutes apart they might break the waters for you if they haven't gone already. this helps to progress the labour further. but again this could be a while with your first baby. you could also try to drink raspberry leaf tea this helps soften the cervix and is available from health food shops, it is safe to drink this from 36 weeks pregnant. this could help to bring the labour on naturally. good luck- everything will be fine