Induction....Experiences.....

Unfortunately, her chances of having a c-section are pretty high, given what you described. Induce labors have a higher c-section rate anyway, but putting a "deadline" on labor really ups her chances.

From the reading I've done (and I'm not a medical expert, just done a lot of reading, after my own experiences) The "safest" inductions are those are that are low dose pitocin and with a Foley catheter. Cervical ripeners (which is what she was given) are sometimes used, but no usually alone.

Frankly, the concern is that the baby will end up with an infection, and they can put her on antibiotics to prevent it.

The biggest thing to have her focus on, though, regardless whether she is feeling pushed into choices she didn't want, etc., is to remind her that the goal of childbirth is a healthy mother and a healthy baby at the end of it. Even if that means a c-section.

picotin was given to me after my water broke and it took 20 hrs to have him. I was less than 30 min for a mandatory c section when he come out. :) happy aunting :)

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I have a 'happy ending horror story' so I won't share it.

That said: pitocin causes the uterus to contract from ALL directions ((it's a naturally occurring chem in the body that is released after birth to start constricting the uterus. Meaning instead of a top-down squeeze (which is what happens naturally) it's all over.)) It is a LOT more painful than a top-down squeeze, takes a LOT more energy on the mum's part (because the muscle is fighting itself... like tug o'war... part of the uterus is pushing the baby UP and left, and right, and forward, and back, while only a SMALL part is pushing down and that 1 part is fighting against 6 other direction... and is almost *never* done without an epidural or major pain drugs. Because it takes sooooo much more energy to give birth this way women are encouraged to sleep through as much of their labor as possible (walking and movement encouraged with a natural birth, or early stages of an epidural birth, can wear a mother out and mean c-sect is unavoidable). Also, using pitocin greatly increases the chances of needing a c-sect (because it's not an efficient way of squeezing downward, some babies do NOT get squeezed downward at all, and many are squeezed so hard that the blood supply from the umbilicl cord -with oxygen- gets cut off, creating 'distress'. Babies naturally go into a *little* distress with labor, nurses and doctors expect it and are non-plussed. If the baby -under pitocin- goes into distress they do an emergency c-sect to keep the baby from dying or getting brain damage).

What pitocin is GREAT for is in cases like your sister's ... it's the "let's try it" option that can be done before a c-sect... so instead of having to head straight for a c-sect, it's possible to try for a vaginal birth.

Pitocin is admin'd in different ways. In many cases (planned inductions) it's just given at the beginning to try and "kick start" natural labor. In other cases it's given continuously. When done intentionally the most common protocols (protocols vary from hospital to hospital) is to try and kick start labor first, and if that fails to try a constant admin. If that fails, then it's time for a c-sect.

The biggest way one can help is by tossing all the "no problem" birth stories OUT the window. There is no 'skipping pain meds', no 'waiting to see if the distress calms down', no getting up and walking about when told to lay still. The moment an induction happens it is a MED PROCEDURE that I really wish people who had no idea what that entails would stop contradicting doctors who are trying to keep both their patients alive. No one has done it on here (yet), but your sis will get a LOT of grief from ignorant people about her birth.

As much as we plan our weddings and births... those aren't the important parts. The marriage is important, and the baby is important... the rest is just details.

Tell her she is going to be a GREAT mum.

I had an induction of a different sort: acupuncture. Although I'd done all the other stuff before (membranes stripped, low-stess tests, evening primrose oil, walking, sex, etc.) I was 10 days past, yet after the treatment, everything progressed very quickly and we had a sweet home birth.

I know your sister didn't have the same induction, but I mention it because it's an option many women do not know about.

Here's to your sister having a healthy baby, no matter which way it comes out!

Hi - I was induced but never progressed and ended up having a c-section. Just want you to know that if it ends up that way, mine was great. I was very worried beforehand about recovering from a c-section. I had it in my mind that it would be hard to recover and take care of baby so I wanted a natural birth. However, I ended up with the c-section and it was fine. Good luck and please let us know how it turned out!

I am a former NICU Respiratory Therapist and now a midwife. If she does not consent to a c-section they can't give her one no matter what their stupid policy says. There is no reason to section her just because her water has been broken for a certain period of time unless she is showing signs of infection such as having a fever. And the reason infection happens is by one means only- fingers in the vagina. If people would leave her alone and keep their fingers out of her she won't get an infection. She does not have to consent to anything.

My sister went through that. Her water broke and nothing else happened. They tried giving her pitocin, and again nothing. They inserted something in her that was supposed to start contractions. Eventually, they got to the point where she was going to have a C section if nothing happened. She was in the hospital for four days, two days in labor before she had her baby, and she was very very close to having a C-section.
I would tell your sister than no matter what happens, vaginal or C section, she is going to have a baby. It is hard to hear that they have to resort with a C section, but at least she is going to have a healthy baby, even if that is the best way to get that thing out of her!

I was induced 9 days early. everything went smoothly until my son who had a large head (15 in) got stuck. yes fully dilated , etc.
He was in distress and had to be pulled emergency c section.
I healed MUCH faster with the induction and c section than I did with my first "natural" more traumatic delivery.

The thing many people don't realize is that with inductions it isn't like take a pill or get an iv-drip and then boom! you have a baby 3 hours later.

I was induced (for perfectly legitimate medical reasons) with both of my children and in the midst of getting the meds necessary for induction I also had to have my water broken. Fortunately my contractions and dilation got going but with baby #1 it was about 8 hours from water breaking to delivery and with baby #2 it was about 6 hours. With my younger child, on three separate occasions my OB called for an emergency c-section and literally as I was about to be rolled out of the room, the baby's condition stabilized and he called off the emergency. He didn't want to have to do one if it wasn't medically necessary but was absolutely willing if it was the right thing to do. I delivered vaginally and all was well.

There may be a lot about her medical history and pregnancy history that we do not know which could justify a 12 hour window, so before we all jump on the doctor for his/her reasons we should all keep that in mind.

I wish for her to have a healthy delivery and baby - good luck to her!

I elected to induce with my first, for a host of reasons, and it wasn't as bad as everyone kept making it out to be. Then again, I don't have anything else to compare it to. I do not handle pain well and I didn't think being induced was all that uncomfortable or unnatural feeling. I should mention that I was 39 weeks; 2 cm dialated; 75% effaced when I arrived at the hospital. Baby girl was 7 lbs 5 oz; 19 inches.

Unfortunately, I did end up with a c-section after 12 hours of labor but it wasn't because of our choice to induce... baby girl was sunny side up and wedged the back of her head in the birth canal; there was absolutely no way she was coming out on her own! (No surprise really, I was sunny side up and so was my mom!)

Just like Beth said, she's going to have a healthy baby no matter how he/she enters the world. Congrats to Mom!

I was induced for both of my kids. No dialation. For both I had to lay still for like an hour for the gel to work.

For the first one I started having contractions as I left the hospital and they were very strong from the onset. Total labor time from induction to delivery ____@____.com the second, they started a few hours later in the night, and I never really felt them until my water broke. Then they were pretty strong. Total labor time from induction to delivery was @ 22 hours, but only felt contractions for @ 5 hours.

My second labor was pretty similar to your sister's situation. My water broke at midnight and no contractions started. I slept and went to the hospital the next morning. I had a choice of an immediate c-section or pitocin. I wasn't thrilled with the pitocin since it hadn't worked in my first labor (failure to progress c-section after 18 hours but I was sick and had been up 36 hours by then). With the second labor the contractions started in about an hour and I had about 6 hours of active labor. I was just about ready to push and then had an emergency c-section because the baby was in distress (cord was around the baby's neck so I'm glad we did the section). I think they started with a smaller amount of pitocin the second time and it worked fine. I had a doula coaching me on breathing and an electrical stimulation device for pain relief so it wasn't too bad except in transition. The first labor I had an epidural and could still feel strong contractions so I think they used more than was needed (and I still never fully dilated). Induction can work out fine but every labor is different so you just don't know how it will go (and neither does the doctor). Best wishes to your sister.

She probably has already had her baby by the time you get this, but I had 2 inductions. One was kind of like your sister. My water broke and when I went to the hospital I wasn't having any contractions (I was 3 cm dilated and had been for a week). I don't know the exact reasoning behind starting the pitocin right away vs letting me just wait it out for a while, but I guess being a first time mom they thought it would take forever and they do have that timeline with the water breaking. I think I shocked all of them, because as soon as I got my epidural I went from 3 to 10 cm and was pushing, only a few hours after I got the hospital and the pitocin was started. My second was a planned induction, I was 4 cm for 4 weeks and tired of it. I think they could have just broken my water at that point and it would have happened, but they went the pitocin route again, and again, after I got my epidural I immediately went to 10 cm and was pushing. Very short labors. Good luck to her!

I was induced with pitocin both times and it went fine. Of course everyone is different. Praying for that fast delivery! Keep us posted!

My third and fourth my water broke. I had no desire to have scars so I was asking for pitocin before I even asked for pain meds. Both were born in under two hours.

When I had my kids it was 24 hours from when your water broke that you had to give birth. Otherwise there is a very good chance you can get an infection that can seriously hurt the baby it may have even been life threatening. I don't think the time limits are unreasonable.

I went in the day after my due date to be induced... but after 10 hours on the pit. drip, and no dilation or thinning, (they did NOT break my water though...) they sent me home. I was sooo dissapointed! The shriners brought me this little basket of flowers... I was sitting there like 'what, is this my consolation prize or something since I don't get my baby today?' lol. A couple days later I went into labor on my own, but my blood pressure went all wonky so they put me on a pit. drip again to speed it along. I developed preeclampsia anyway... even then that labor lasted 21 hours. I had to push for about 3 hours, and got my 9lb 12oz beautiful baby girl. :)

water broke, wasn't dialated enough
gave me patosin (SP?) and after a nap (and an epidural) boom. mbaby was comin gout on its own. i asked if i could just lay there and let him come out on his own w/o pushing LOL
they say its more painful but i did it twice fine.

You didn't say how far along your sister is/was, but that might make a difference. My water broke at 33 weeks and I was admitted to the hospital. They gave me antibiotics to ward off infection and steriods to help my baby's lungs mature as much as possible, let me get up once a day to shower, and told me they would give me two weeks before talking about induction/C-section. My son decided to come on his own a week later (much to my doctor's surprise who told me that labor usually starts within 72 hours of water breaking or not at all). He was a healthy baby who weighed 5 lbs. 10 oz. and came home from the hospital two days later.

I don't think I would have had an issue with induction -- it's just that at 33 weeks, we wanted to give my baby a little longer to "grow" before joining us.

I had inductions with both of my kids and they were both pretty positive experiences. My first induction was at 40 weeks 3 days...I had been scheduled for the induction. I woke up during the night before the induction with mild contractions starting. I went in as scheduled...we had to be there by about 6 a.m. and they told me that I was in the early stages of labor anyway. My son was born by 5 p.m. that day. My daughter was at 39 weeks and 4 days. I woke up with contractions and called my doctor. Since I had been 3 cm at my previous appointment, the doctor told me to go ahead and go to the hospital. Again, they found that I was in the very early stages of labor. They told me that I could either go home and wait it out knowing that I would be back that afternoon or the next morning or I could go upstairs and be induced. My daughter was born before 2 p.m. that day.

I had the Pit Drip with all 3 of my deliveries.

1st was epidural, vaginal.
2nd was epidural, c-section.
3rd was all natural!

Delivery was anywhere from 3-6 hours after beginning the Pit Drip. The c-section was because I was not progressing at all & the baby was in stress.

Good Luck!

I was induced with both of my kids. My choice, no medical reasons. My first I was 39 weeks. I was not dialated at all. From start to finish it was 22 hours. I did have an epidural, and I remember being very naucious and throwing up a lot. But, as soon as she was born I felt great! With my son, he took 10 hours. I was 38 weeks and already dialated to 3. My epidural failed and only numbed my right leg from my knee down. My nurse had to help me breath through the contractions and I seriously thought I was going to die of pain! Much worse than actually planning on going with out an epidural. I was actually passing out between contractions. So with being induced twice, I had no major problems. Both babies were very healthy and no C sections. Your sister will be fine, and she will forget all about it once the baby is born. Congrats to her!!

I was induced with Pitocin and had my baby roughly 4 hours after. I went into the doctor's office with no signs of labor for my weekly appointment 1 day after my due date and he said "go to the hospital, lets get that baby out" (in a silly way, not a serious "something wrong" way) I had my water broken by the doctor after I was already started with the Pitocin, and things progressed FAST. Good Luck to your Sister and Congratulations!

Took me about 13 hours from the time they started pitocin until I was pushing and then only 35 minutes to push. I had pitocin started for similar reason - failure to progress after they broke my water. I was contracting on my own for 10 hours first at 2 minutes apart with no dilation. Good luck and best wishes to your sister!

i was induced with my daughter at 41 weeks. i was ready (3 cm and 75% effaced) just wouldnt go into labor lol.
i labored for 17 hours and pushed for 1 hour before my angel arrived.
if she has a slow leak they may need to fully break her water bag this may get things going.
hope she has an easy labor and delivery.

I induced a week before my due date, my water did not break. I was in labor for almost 7 hours and did not dilate, etc but again, my water did not break, this was just us wanting to have the baby early for personal reasons. Obviously my son wasn't ready b/c with pitocin I did dilate most of the way and I did start having contractions but the cord was wrapped around this neck and his heartbeat was stopping each time I had a contraction. We ended up having to do a C section b/c of this. I was given the choice to stop the pitocin and see if I could deliver in 12 hours but I wanted to go ahead and get him out, we had already been there all day and I was ready. All was well and thank goodness we did the c section b/c we were able to find out the cord was wrapped around his neck. ;o) I have heard that inducing often causes c sections.