my wife is getting induced tomorrow morning with pitocin and she is getting the epidural shortly after that. we are concerned about what will happen if the epidural wears off by the time she has to push or is in the last stages.. will they give you a redose or do you have to just deal with it?
will pitocin make her labor short so hopefully the epidural has less of a chance of wearing off? thanks
2007-10-10 12:46:56 · 35 answers · asked by Brandon K 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
It will hurt.
2007-10-10 12:48:58 · answer #1 · answered by Melie 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I went through the exact same thing, I had labor induced with pitocin and it actually slows down the labor process. I didn't get my epidural until quite some time after they induced labor, I waited until they broke my water. The contractions were really bad after they broke my water and that's when I got the epidural. Note, they break the water in an effort to get labor moving along quicker. Anyhow, I was in labor for at least 10 hours after I got my epidural and it didn't really wear off. I ended up having a c-section because the labor never did progress and during the c-section I started to feel some pain so they gave me a shot of something in my IV and it took away the pain.
2007-10-10 12:52:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Well, if you want the labor to progress quicker, your wife should try to wait until she's dialated to at LEAST a 4...if she gets the epidural before that it can stall her labor! If the epidural wears off right before the time comes to push, that can actually work to her advantage...if she can feel what she's doing, she'll be able to push more effectively. It's not the pushing/delivery that is the hardest part b/c once you can push you have something to focus on and it helps ease the discomfort of the contraction. I'm not sure if all hospitals offer the "pump style" epidural where she can control the meds herself...you can ask about that when you go in! Make sure your wife stays upright as much as possible during her labor to help speed it up...(since she'll have the epidural and stuff just try to have the bed in a more upright position), if that isn't an option, have her alternate sides (have her lay on her left side, then 30 mins or so later, or whenever she wants to... switch to the right side)...that will help baby come down faster...Best of luck!!! It's not as bad as people make it out to be...but everyone is entitled to their own opinions!
2007-10-10 13:10:04 · answer #3 · answered by Renee B 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have had 4 deliveries all of which I had to be induced. I Only had an epidural with one. They told me when I got it if it wore off they would give me more. But I didn't need it.
Yes the Pitocin should speed up the labor. They monitor it very closely. I had very short labors with it from 5 hours to 1 hour and 28 minutes for my twins. So it does help a lot. Good Luck tomorrow and don't worry they will take care of both of you!
2007-10-10 13:10:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is no way to determine how long/short labor will be... but pitocin will help the process move along quicker than without it.
When you're given an epidural you have it "connected" to all throughout the labor. And you have a button that you push every time you want a bigger dose of it...So, to answer your question... the epidural won't wear off, and she won't have to "deal with it"...
Now, I must prepare you... there is pain (even with an epidural)...not necessarily caused by contractions, but by the baby's head pushing out... Once you start feeling that lower pain, and think the epidural isn't helping, it usually means that the baby is ready to come out...and you'll start pushing as soon as you are dialated enough.
I wish you both the best, and healthy and happy baby. Congratulations and Good luck!
2007-10-10 12:54:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hopefully, labor will be short. The pitocin makes contractions harder and really hurt. They can control the epidural in terms of how much. In my case, they had to turn off the epidural, so I could push. My labor was 22 hours long, and I was induced. Good luck and congratulations.
2007-10-10 12:53:20 · answer #6 · answered by seatonrsp 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The epidural is an IV in your lower spine. It can be turned up or turned down. Of course there are some people who have had trouble with it not being strong enough when they want it... but I think that's rare. You will probably feel when the baby comes out. They like to turn downthe epidural a bit so you can feel when you're having a contraction so you know when to push.
2016-05-21 01:41:56 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they can give medicine to keep her comfortable during but will have to let the medicine wear off a little so she can feel her contractions so that she will be able to push (the pushing is better though if that makes sense)
also i had pitocin with 2 deliveries -- natural childbirth -- this thing about a needle in my back-- tell her she will need the epidural trust me because if that baby is still high and not engaged you just may be there for a while
i was in labor for 26 and a half hours after they broke my water i was also two weeks over due so it may be a long day for the 2 of you
tell her she can do it that she will be fine you too by the way and that in the end you are blessed with a beautiful baby and its worth it all
within 2 hours of my baby being born i felt like i could run a marathon i felt great
or she could be one of the lucky ones and go very fast
is this your first pregnancy?
first timers tend to go longer in labor
in any regards congrats and good luck!!!!
2007-10-10 13:05:55 · answer #8 · answered by bettylvsbell 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not a nurse or doctor, but I went through this very thing with my third pregnancy.
The inducement DOUBLES the intensity of the contractions, which means it also DOUBLES the pain. I asked for them to give me another Epidural after I had been in induced labor for about 5 hours and they told me I was 10 centimeters dilated but 0% effaced! Whoa! I wish I had just waited because getting up into a sitting position that far along in labor really was scary and extremely hard to stay still when I was getting very hard labor pains every 60 seconds or so!. When they laid me back down after the shot, I had fully effaced by then! Two pushes and the baby was delivered.
Just one woman's experience here though.
2007-10-10 12:53:24 · answer #9 · answered by Pixie 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how her epidural is managed. Some institutions will give bolus of medicine via the epidural which will wear off with time. If she is not complete by that time, she may be re-dosed. Some clinicians do not want the patient to be very numb before delivery, so they may hold re-dosing if she is complete and ready to push. Some institutions manage an epidural by a continuous infusion of dilute local anesthetic, which prevents a motor block but still provides sensory loss for pain control. Regardless of the technique (infusion vs. bolus) it is hard to predict whether her epidural will wear off before the delivery. In the event of a C/section, the epidural would be dosed with a different medication to provide a more intense block. I'm hoping it won't come to that for you.
I hope your wife's experience goes well. Best of luck.
2007-10-10 13:01:53 · answer #10 · answered by rod85 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
OK, with the epidural, the medication is continuously given throughout labor. (A Spinal is a one time deal that can wear off after a few hours.) With an epidural, a small catheter is inserted into her epidural space (near her spine), and medication is given. Then, the catheter will be connected to a pump (like an IV) that holds medication. This pump will slowly infuse the medication. If she has an EPIDURAL, the anesthesiologist can continue to manage her pain throughout the labor, even if it were to last all day.
2007-10-10 12:55:19 · answer #11 · answered by robinandmarty 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋