Help!! - Bellville,OH

M.,
I was induced with my 2nd child last June. It was the best thing ever! The meds started at 8:45am, epi at 10am and baby at 12:45pm. Smooth as silk!
J.

I was induced w/my 2nd child. Do I regret it...no. Was it painful? YES! I think the patocin makes it much more painful.

Goodluck!

S.

I was induced in order to have my Dr. with my 2nd, and I regret it. She ended up with Jaundice (spell?) and later I found out that patocin can be a cause. Had it been for a medical reason, I would not regret the induction, but since I chose it for convience and comfort, I do regret it.

I was induced with my first baby. It was not bad, but the labor was hard and fast. They started the pitocin drip at 8:00, and she was born at 1:50. The day before that, I had the Cervadil insert to get things going, but it didn't work. I ended up lying on my back in the hospital for twelve hours and no progress (not fun). I did have a fourth-degree tear, but this may just be me rather than the induction (I had a third degree tear with my second baby who came on her own time. I wouldn't mind getting induced again, but I prefered the natural labor the second time around.

It really depends on if you get an epidural or not. I had both of my kids pain med free. My first I was not induced and my delivery rocked! My second I was induced and given small dosages of Pitocin to stimulate contractions and boy did that stink! Pitocin is evil stuff if you go naturally. I managed to deliver without pain meds even with the pitocin but it definately made the contractions come quickly, strongly and regularly from the get-go.
Hope your delivery goes well no matter what you decide:)

I was induced with both of my pregnancies. I am diabetic and my boys were growing faster than my body could handle them. My youngest was a month early, due to induction, and he weighed 8 1/4 pounds.

My experiences weren't that bad, it helped knowing what to expect the second time. I didn't start having noticeable contractions until about 2 hours on the Pitocin drip. There was an hour of a contraction every 5 minutes while they were making sure that my body and the baby were progressing well. That was tiring, but it wasn't extremely painful. I mostly remember not being able to breathe well, kinda like working out. After that I had an epidural (both times) because I wanted to enjoy my kids being born and not associate it with pain.

Neither of my boys had adverse effects due to me being induced. My oldest was two weeks early and grew and ate like and average baby. My youngest was a month earlier than my due date and feeding him was hard as he had trouble sucking for the first week. Because he was so early my ob did an amnio to see if his lungs were developed and that hurt, alot.

I had family menbers that made snide comments about how they had thier babies 'all on thier own'. It was hurtful but because I was induced I got to pick my kids birthdays and that is so cool to me.

Lisa hit the nail on the head! Everyone is different. I was induced with both my kids & both the deliveries were different. I developed mild pre-eclampsia with both. With my son, my water broke at 37 weeks. I was in the hospital & hooked up by 4pm. He was born at 9:41. No epidural, just IV pain meds. The pain was not too bad. With my daughter, my blood pressure started to raise & the doctors didn't want to wait. I was 38 weeks. My water hadn't broken yet. After being hooked up by 3, they gave my pitocin. It felt like mild period cramps. They broke my water at 8pm & the cramps got worse. By 9:30, I was ready for an epidural, but my daughter was ready to deliver. I had been given IV pain meds which worked somewhat. But, Claire was born at 10pm. It still wasn't too bad. She came in only 3 pushs. I don't regret either. The end result was worth it for me. I have two beautiful & healthy kids. Good luck.

I have been induced twice. If you are going for a certain date and time, not even induction will work. My first the induction began on Monday @ 6:00 am and I didn't deliver until Tuesday 12:20 pm. The other was induced on Monday and delvered on Wednesday. I have heard that it does increase the pain of contraction, that was not my reaction, it really made no difference. Maybe that is why it didn't really get things moving. Breaking water will move along labor but I don't know of a Dr who will do that if you haven't already started.
Just know that induction is common but it doesn't work for everyone.
After thinking about my 1st response I am amending it. The most important thing is your baby not the Dr. I had to have an iduction for mine for the health of the baby and me. Before my 4th was born they acctually gave me "pit" it didn't bother me but it was stressful on the baby. It was determined with the pit that he could not stand the stress of dilvery and he was an emergency c-section. My point is, even though it didn't bother me it did bother him.
Just ask yoourself how important is it?
The Dr who delivered my first was kind of a jerk, and it doesn't matter her birth was beautiful and so is she.
Congrats on the new baby and good luck

M.,

Don't bother with being induced. Is it REALLY that important who catches your baby? Do you really want to endure the sudden sharp pains of strong contractions without the built-in ease into system that Mother Nature intended? Why do you want to force your baby out into the world too soon? Each day in the womb is important for some type of development. Let your baby develop and arrive naturally. Spare your body the upset.
Far too many women are electing to eject their babies early for someone's convenience, and who knows the negative repercussions this may have in their futures?

I delivered both of my babies completely naturally with no pain medication. My first was born in the middle of the day on his due date, and the second was born 7 days before his due date (and he came so fast that the hospital staff pulled the doctor on duty as fast as she could run to come catch my boy! They *thought* they were going to send me home for failure to progress after 45 minutes although I TOLD them I was there to deliver, but that's another whole story.)

Best wishes,
K.

Personally, I hated being induced. I ended up in emergency C-section, after 9 hours of active labor, that could have probably been avoided. You are more likely to have a C-section if you are induced. I've heard from many people who have done it both ways that induction is much more painful. I know of 4 peole that were able to go natural and not have any pain meds, and then later induced had to get an epidural because of the pain. I would choose to go without being induced if at all possible. If there is no medical reason to be induced, then I would say don't.

Hi, Everyone women carries there baby different. Some take 43 weeks and some can be 38 weeks. It is best to let it happen naturally. But if you do decide to get induce ask about your bishops score. This tells wether you are more likely end up with a c-section. One of my clients went ahead when she was dilated only two 1 and not effaced at all and after a whole day of inducing she ended with c-section because she was still only to two cm. Her body was not ready yet. Remember this is your birth, your baby and your body. Doctors will listen and it is your decision. If you have any more questions feel free to email me. Let me know how it goes. Jo

Hi M.! I personally was induced with my first pregnancy and delivered in about 3-1/2 hours with no epidural, which was GREAT!!! However, I work at a hospital and many women get induced every week so I can tell you first hand EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!!! You will probably get TONS of comments about other's personal experiences, but really you aren't going to know until you do it! Good Luck and CONGRATS!!!

Hi M.,
I have three children and all three were induced. I don't know what its like to 'go into labor'...on my own. I do like the induction because you know when the baby will be here and you can prepare and plan a bit better. They can actually help control the pain because the induction progresses you into dilating so they know when they can give you your epidural and you don't have to wait as long as if you were already in labor a.k.a. PAIN....
Good luck....

you already have alot of advice that i just skimmed through, but here is my 2 cents. I had a sort of induced labor with my only girl. I had my midwive tear my membranes to help encourage labor a few days befor my final due date (i was given a week) that was on a friday by monday my water had broke but the contractions were worthless so they put me on Pit and that did enhance the contractions but I had all back labor due to the fact she ws facing the wrong direction, I got an epidural and never even felt them put it in I was in so much pain. Got the epidural around midnight ant 2:13 she was born with 3 good pushes in 15 min. I wouldn't have had it any other way. See if your doc will tear your membranes (it can hurt) and that should/could cause you to go into labor, then go from there.

I'm sorry I can't help. Both times my doctor wanted to induce me I went into labor on my own only hours before i was supose to report into the hospital. I would have to say though that i have heard many people that were induced say they didn't like it. That its intense. I would talk to your OB about it sometimes they are willing to work with you on it and take the time to decrease the pit a little to ease back a little. Ultimately there is nothing like going natural though from what i have heard. I on the otherhand go into labor and deliver three hours later...with all three kids from the first contraction at home to delivering. My doc gets so nervous because I live in Strongsville and drive all the way to Fairview to deliver...Hubby works in the clinic system so we have to go through a clinic hospital. So she always tells me to call her at the first sign and then i the nurses are waiting for me the minute i get there to check where i am right away...she always tells them i go so fast the kids head could be out when i get there...they learned this the hard way with my first...gave me my epi at 4 cm and layed me down 10 minutes later and i was fully dialated and ready to push...so much for even bothering to give me an epi....Anyways...if you can wait it out then unless they have to induce..then wait

Hi M..

Why would you want induced? You aren't over due and you and your baby's health is fine. The only reason Dr.s want to do this is for scheduling on their part. IMO it's selfish. This is God's plan we are messing with....what happened to waiting for it to happen naturally?

And yes I was induced with my second because my water broke and after 12 hours I did not have contractions yet. It was HORRIBLE. I prefer natural labor with NO drugs over the pain associated with the super strong contractions that the pitocin caused.

And by the way epidurals do NOT always WORK! I asked for one with the pitocin because the pain was terrible....even worse than back labor without pain meds. And guess what? It didn't take, and I was stuck in bed for HOURS after having my child, AND vomited for 8 hours after delivery AND almost passed out on the toilet when the nurses finally got me out of bed to walk around. (normal side effects of the drugs)

Blessings.
M.

Trust your body and trust nature. There are many disadvantages to being induced - the worst being that it has been statistically proven to put you at much higher risk for c-section. Unfortunately in today's world, doctors "schedule" inductions for the convenience of their schedules. How do you feel about the other doctors in the group? Would you rather let nature take it's course and reduce your risks for complications by naturally going into labor even if you have a different doctor OR, scheduling induction and increasing the risks for yourself and your baby just to get one particular doctor? I realize your doctor may tell you there is little risk to being induced, but he is biased. Check out the resources and information on these websites -- www.childbirth.org, www.daraluznetwork.com, www.birthsource.com, www.babycenter.com, www.askdrsears.com.

Best Wishes!
J.

I was induced and I am GLAD, because I had some other pregnancy complications that were best 'closely watched' prior to going into active labor. I did NOT want to start dilating rapidly and have to rush to the hospital given my circumstances. I was given Pitocin, had my bag of waters broken, and 10 hours later delivered. The epidural was fine - didn't really hurt going in, and I'm a big wuss when it comes to pain management! Basically, this induction wasn't a 'personal preference' but I am so glad that it happened this way.

There are definitely advantages of being induced - you know when it will happen so you can mentally prepare for the birth, you are being closely monitored and medical intervention is there if needed, and you have a little more control over the situation. On the downside, being induced doesn't guarantee an easy birth and could result in a longer, more dangerous labor that necessitates an emergency c-section. Also, being induced takes away a lot of hope for a 'natural/drug and intervention-free' birth (if that's what you're going for).

In the end, it's your body and your child. Weigh the pros and cons and make the best decision for you and your family. I can totally understand your desire to have YOUR ob/gyn deliver your child as opposed to a total stranger, especially if you had a comfortable experience with him/her.

By the way, don't let people scare you about epidurals. Sure, some people have severe problems, but I was up walking around after all the craziness and hooplah of my delivery was over, without any adverse reaction whatsoever.

Hi M.!

I guess I'll put my 2 cents in too! I am a mom of 3 kids under 4 1/2. I was induced for 2 out of 3.

I was induced with my first because my son was small for gestational age. The first induction didn't take. I was there all day and no regular contractions started. A few days later I came back in and tried again. This time it worked. The pitocin was started at about 9AM and I had my son around 8PM. My labor was not too bad. I didn't feel anything until about 3PM and then took nubane to take the edge off and then a little later had an epideral.

With my second child, I was scheduled to be induced. I had been a couple centimeters dilated for a few weeks and my doctor wanted to make sure I got to the hospital in time. Well, had a very bad cold, so I delayed the induction 3 days. My daughter decided not to wait. My contractions started at about 3AM. By 5AM I was on the way to the hospital and the contractions were 2 minutes apart. The nurses said that if my water had broken I would not have made it to the hospital. It was too late to get an epideral. Let me tell you, I would MUCH prefer to be induced and get an epideral than not. I went natural and it was much more painful than induced with an epideral.

My third child I was also induced and had an epideral. Again, because she was running small (not quite as much as my son though - they doctors were just taking precautions). Anyways, it was the easiest delivery. One and a half pushes and she was out - I couldn't believe it was so easy. My IV hurt more. I was at the pool with all 3 kids 4 days later and physically would have been ready to go back to work.

So, my thoughts are that I much prefer to be induced. For me, I did not have stronger contractions on Pitocin (but everyone is different). I am also a person who likes to be organized and plan things out. So, for me it worked better to know. Plus, I always had the fear of not getting to the hospital in time (which was obviously a valid fear)...

Good luck.

L.

I was not induced, but my son was a week late and they were going to induce me the day he was born. My doctor strongly recommended I do everything in my power to not have to be induced, she recommended sex the night before and it worked like a charm! I was in labor within an hour, lol!! But, she did not want to induce me because she said it would make for a hard labor. Since I was not induced, I had my son 26 minutes after I got to the hospital with no drugs and no pain...two pushes and he was out and I was up walking within an hour! Sorry I don't have better advice, but I'm glad I wasn't induced because my labor was cake without any drugs. That was my first and only so I don't have anything to go on other than that and I know some people who were induced and ended up being in labor for HOURS and having C-sections. Good luck!

Hi!

I was 23 when I was induced with my one and only child (he's 10 now). I was a little more than a week overdue. They started the pitocin at about 8:00am and he came into the world at 9:20pm. As it turned out, it was the best choice I could have made, even though the contractions were much more intense and frequent (I would have three contractions in a row, then about a minute rest between). We found out when they broke my water (around noon that day) he had already had a bowel movement and was in danger of aspirating it into his lungs. He was born a healthy, big boy (9 lbs, 9 oz) with no complications and has no lingering effects from the induction.

Each case is different. You have to do what is best for you. I was already overdue and my OB gave me the choice to wait one more week. I decided not to. It was the right call for me and my son. You are the only one who knows what's right for you. I'm sure you'll make the right choice for your family.

Good Luck!

Many posts already mentioned this, but it's true...Everyone and every birth is different. I did not want to be induced at all with my daughter (although, I must admit at my last appointment, 2 days before my due date, I was REALLY considering it!!). I've heard many stories about how the pain is more and it makes for a harder birth. Fortunately, our daughter was born on her due date so it wasn't really an issue.

Most doctors wait at least 1 week after your due date before they will induce you. In my opinion, that means it's probably best to let things happen naturally and go late. I won't go into too much detail on here, but if you really want the labor process to get started, there are things you can do on your own. Check with your doctor or on the Web for suggestions. (Or email me.)

I have a friend that was induced since her doctor was going to be out of town the week of her due date, but I think she was talked into it. Whatever you decide, make sure it is your decision, not your doctor's.

Let us know how it goes!

I was induced with my first child and am expecting my second the end of June. I am not going to be induced this time. You go from no labor to extremely hard labor in a very short period of time. I don't think that my body was prepared for so much so fast. I had hoped to go natural, but I ended up with an epidural since the labor became so bad so quickly. I also had a level 4 episiotomy and tore the other direction. I don't know if any of this was related to being induced, but I will not be induced this time around.

Hi M.-
I had my 1st 2 children all on my own, and my 3rd was induced at 37 weeks, but I was already dialated 1cm, and we did it becuase my Dr. was scheduled to go out of town. It was a bit more painful, the only one I requested an epidural for. It worked fine for me, went in at 5:30 on Thurs. night, had her at 9:15 Fri. morning, and I have no regrets about it! I have heard several stories of people being induced to early and having to have c- sections though. It really should be your decison and not your Drs! Good luck!

Hi M.,

I was induced with my son and it did not hurt at all they put potocin (not sure if that is spelled correctly) in my IV and that was that. All being induced does is create the contractions that would have come eventually anyways you still go through labor. I was induced at 9 am and had my son at 5:56 pm. Good luck and dont worry.

I was induced and it wasn't too bad...... I also did it without drugs. I have heard that the hormones that they give you to start contractions can make the contractions stronger than if you went into labor normally but I don't know for sure. Good Luck!

OK, the only thing that hurts about inducing is the IV and the Needle for the epi if that's the direction you choose. They give you a drip of a potosin to make you dialate. You can wait for your water to break or have them do it if it's taking a long time. I waited both times. My feelings is hormones are released at the moment. They'll be monitoring the baby the whole time. If the heart rate goes down they'll make the right call. If the doctor is important to you...I don't think you will regret it.

I was induced with my third child and I hated every second of it the labor was significantly longer and I had to be induced twice they sent me home after 12 hours the first day and made me come back and then i still didn't deliver untill early the next morning, if i could go back i would risk the c-section that caused them to induce me, my daughter was flipping upside down still at 37 weeks and they wanted to catch her head down to avoid a c-section because my doctor didn't want to deliver breech. so good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi Megan,
I was induced with my daughter. I had to be induced because my water broke on a Tuesday and by Thursday I still hadnt delivered. It does increase the pain level, since you are at a faster progession then letting your body take charge. If you have a choice I would let nature lead the way. Induction only enhances the pain level during contractiosn and doesnt last any longer then normal births. I went drug free and I dont know if you did or not but for the second round I wouldnt be totally against a little help ;-) Good luck!

Hi M.
I was induced and it was not bad at all. If I wouldnt have been indcued then I would have had to have a c-section because my daughter would be more then 10 pounds and my dr and I decided it would be best for me to have a natural delivery!! Everything went great during labor. I don't regret it at all. Just be calm and do whatever you think is right!! I was in labor for a total of 22 hours becasue my daughter got stuck under my pelvic bone, but everything was ok!!! Good luck with your new daughter. Take care

i was induced so that my husband could be at the birth of our one and only 20 mth old daughter. we weren't married at the time and lived in different states. i was in labor for 5 1/2 hours. i had an epidural. i did not tear nor did i had any stitches what so ever. i give the credit for that to my midwife. i would have loved to have gone natural but it was more important to me to have my hubby there with me. inducing does make labor pains more intense at least thats what i've been told. everyone is different and everyone wants different things. if its that important to have the doctor you want there for sure then do what you think is best. i can tell you what you already know labor hurts as for the actuall procedure they run the drug through an IV and if your water hasn't broken they break it for you it doesn't hurt but it can be a bit scary good luck and let us know what you decide!

I have been induced for both of my children and had no complications from the induction. My son took 14 hours to come from start of the contractions to delivery and my daughter took 3 hours from start to finish!!! My husband works out of town 5 days a week so with my second pregnancy we scheduled the induction to make sure he could be home. Though, with my first I had to be induced b/c of pregnancy complications. I think it is worth it and makes it much easier knowing when things are going on. If you want more info you can email me, but I would recommend it to anyone just b/c I had a great experience with both labors. Good luck!!!

I would recommend against elective induction if you can. Having elective induction increases your risk of having a c-section. If your baby is going to be especially big, that's one thing, many doctors recommend that, but otherwise, probably not a good idea if you don't want a c-section. If you try to get your body to do things before it's actually ready, you won't progess appropriately, and doctors tend to push a c-section if there is not adequate progression in their timeframes. Pitocin tends to give you long, unending contractions, they gave me pitocin to speed things along - I had a contraction that lasted 10 minutes! Also, I don't know how common this is, but I actually had a reaction to the pitocin, baby was in distress, and had to receive an injection to reverse the pitocin, which caused me to feel like I was having seizures. I was within minutes of a c-section, but my little guy pulled through. It was very scary, and I will not let them give me pitocin again, even to speed things along!
Good luck!

All I can say is that our bodies are very 'intelligent'--they know what to do even if we don't... :)
Google "cascade of intervention" and "fear-tension-pain response" to get some good info on birth.
Personally I would never be induced by choice. The risks of a negative outcome ar too high.
Your baby's body releases hormones that signal to your body that he/she is 'ready' to be born...and labor starts. If you jump the gun there is all kinds of potential for problems...

Trust your body and your baby...then you won't need to put so much faith in one Dr over another...