Induced with pitocin and no epidural?

Question

My doctor is thinking of inducing me on Aug 4th (im due Aug 1st) because of high blood pressure. however i have decided not to have an epidural and i have heard that when they induce labour it is more painful. i was just wondering if anyone has had experience with being induced with pitocin and not having the epidural. If you have please share your experience. thanks so much!!!

Answer 1

I'm sure it is possible to not have an epidural after being induced with pitocin. However, I couldn't have done it. It is definitely true that the contractions are worse and by the time I got to 3cm I needed that epidural. I couldn't handle the contractions anymore.

Answer 2

Ok well I was induced but I did have an epidural. Before I had the epidural I was in soooo much pain. I even had some other drugs that they gave me in my IV and it didnt even help with the pain. I was fine until my water broke, but after that it was just so much pain. It took me 10 minutes to move over like an inch on the bed to get into the right position for the epidural. The epidural felt good compared to what I was feeling.
As soon as I read this question I kinda winced cuz I couldnt imagine not having an epidural. The nurse informed me that when my water broke that I would be in alot of pain because of the pitocin. She was very right and it happened very quickly.
I want to say that everyones experience is different, but also if you are in too much pain and too tense then it can slow down the labor process which can be harmful to the baby. So you should at least look into getting an epidural unless you are very mentally prepared for labor, but if you've never had a baby before then you cant really be prepared because you dont really know whats gonna happen.
Also I was in labor for 6 hours and once I got the epidural I slept for 4 hours then pushed for 2 then it was over.
Good luck....!

Answer 3

I had an induced birth with no epidural on July 18. Yes, it hurts worse. In a labor that is not induced every other contraction is a strong, working contraction. In an induced labor, every contraction is strong. Also, the time between contractions is shorter - as I neared transition I had one contraction that lasted 12 minutes.
The upside to the induced labor is that it is over faster. Mine lasted only 6 hours. Adding an epidural makes the labor last longer. My son was born after about 8 pushing contractions - only 45 minutes of pushing which, btw, feels GREAT to do when it's time!
A nurse gave me a wonderful tip that helped me get him here faster: When you moan, groan, or scream you are wasting the energy of your push. Pushing as silently as possible is most efficient and at that point you need your energy.
I had included in my birth plan that I didn't want anyone to offer me an epidural - that I would ask for one if I wanted it. I was glad I'd done this - there were some points at which I would have said "yes" if they had asked, but all of these points were much closer to the end of labor than I knew at the time. I would have only been prolonging the labor and I wouln't have had the pleasure of accomplishing a natural birth.
I did take a shot of whatever narcotics were available about 3 hours into it. I don't recommend this. It did not help much with the pain but it did make me feel drunk and unable to get control of my breathing. I think it made the process more difficult.
One more thing - if you want to go natural and induced, you might want to look into hypnobirth. I didn't use these practices, but I've heard since that it can help. Good luck! You can do it.

Answer 4

Yes many women experience more discomfort when they are induced. How are they inducing you: breaking your water, Pitocin, prostaglandin gel, Cytotec?? Which way they induce you determines a lot about the level of discomfort/pain and how fast the contractions start. HOW does your dr. plan to induce you? Remember that by being induced you and your baby are experiencing any risk from that medication; having an epidural compounds the medications and the risk. BOTH keep you flat on your back or on your side and in the bed which both give you a greater risk of a C-section.
Many women I've worked with have given birth without any medication when induced. It's not always easy but certainly can be done. I would suggest a VERY good childbirth education class (usually not found at the hospital) and possibly a birth doula to help you cope and support you emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Answer 5

43 weeks? I had always heard a DR would not let a pregnant woman go over 41 weeks. I would be more concerned about the possible complications of carrying a baby for so long more than the pitocin and epidural. I've yet to see any reliable info showing a link between pitocin administered during induction or epidurals and autism. Both of my deliveries were inducedwith pitocin and I used an epidural. My kids are not autistic.

Answer 6

I was induced with pitocin. When I arrived at the hospital, I was only 1 cm (and had been for about 2 weeks). I had on my birth plan to have medication upon request. When they broke my water (it didn't happen naturally), it immediately made the contractions so intense that I felt like I was going to croak. I hyperventilated and had to be put on oxygen. (I thought that I could "handle" it since they say that labor pains are similar to period pains, and I've had my share of those.) Although I requested the epidural during my intense pains, they didn't want to give it to me just yet b/c it would slow down the dialation. They waited until I was at least 4 cm (which took about 7 hours), but when I finally got it, it was awesome!!!!! I could concentrate on the actual labor, and I had no side effects from the epidural. (neither did the baby) So, although I got the epidural eventually, I did go many CRUCIAL hours w/o it. Since both pregnancies were induced, I have nothing to compare the labor pains to, but the second labor was better. BTW, please do not rule out meds completely as you may be deciding on them later.

Answer 7

I sister was induced with pitocin and didnt' get an epidural b/c her doctor said she had to be 4 cm before she could have the epidural. She was in labor for 18 hours and said it was painful. Good luck.

Answer 8

I had an epidural and after I had already started labor, they gave me pitocin to get it moving along. I couldn't have done it without an epidural. I would recommend having the epidural in place and they can control how much or how little they numb you. You just tell them what you want. It's hard to push when you're really numb like I was so with my second I will request less.

Answer 9

I had induced labor, but also had an epidoral. There is other things that you can have your DR give to you that is not as dangerous as an epidoral for the pain. I did have more pain when I had my labor induced. I do which I would have went with another form of pain medication, besides an epidoral. Each time I had an epidoral I started shaking badly all over and could not stop. I do not know if it was just me being scared because I could not move or what. I have had 3 epidoral. 2 with child birth and 1 with a surgery. When I had my tubes tied I could feel every thing they were doing but could not speak, this is how bad I was shaking. Alot of people swear on an epidoral and it did wounders when I was having my children, it is after I delivered that the shaking began. I would talk to your DR about other forms of pain medication that will not effect your blood preasure

Answer 10

I"m being induced on October 2nd and have decided to try to do it without pain meds. After all this is my 3rd and I've never gotten pain meds before. I too was worried about the pain and how long it would take. But my friend just had a baby in May and she was induced and went au natural and she said it wasn't too bad. And she's not very tough. I would have bet money that she would have taken the epidural. I wouldn't rule it out but I would let the nurses and your partner know that you would like to try to go without.