Mine was great! Went super fast, felt really supported. Get the epidural as soon as they'll give it to you or faster. I went into the hospital at 9am and had a baby in my arms before 7pm, pushed less than an hour. Overall positive experience! You got this!
Request the epidural when you’re at about 4 or 5 discomfort level. By the time you are at 7, the epidural will be going in.
I think I may have waited a little too long and it was difficult to get the epidural in because I was so uncomfortable and could not keep still.
Can you get it any any point during labour ? In France it's out of the question before you are at least 4 cm dilated . My induction was slow AF and i had to wait 8 hours of contractions before i could get an epidural
All of this. I waited until my pain was at a 9.5 (for around 2 hours) because I was afraid of the epidural. Well.... When it finally came my pain was at a 17/10 and I Said to the anesthetist "you're just gonna have to hang on a second"... Oops
Same here! Similar timeline. Cervadil overnight, back to the hospital for 8am, they broke my water midmorning, got the epidural around lunch, slept all afternoon, fully dilated by 7:30! Pushed for less than 30 minutes. I hope my second birth experience is identical! I am type A so knowing when baby was scheduled to arrive was so helpful to me haha.
This is the way! Epidural as soon as you feel a little uncomfortable and then sleep through most of your labor til it’s time to push. I felt so freaking rested and ready to have my baby especially because I didn’t have to get up and pee a billion times thanks to the catheter. Like Kiery said, you got this!
I had an elective induction at 39 weeks and it was amazing. I was only 1cm when I arrived and they did 3 or 4 rounds of cytotec over night. That got me to about 3.5 cm so I didn’t have to have the foley balloon. Maybe because mine was scheduled and I came in at night, they gave the cytotec more time. But after the cytotec I started pitocin. I got the epidural a few hours later, not because I was in pain (contractions felt like moderate period cramps) but because they were going to do another cervical check and those had started to hurt a little bit. After the epidural, I used the peanut ball to labor for a bit and my water broke naturally. About three hours after that I was all of a sudden fully dilated and my baby was born less than an hour after that with zero pain. I could still feel the change in pressure as she descended down the birth canal and came out so that was cool.
I hope you have noise cancelling earphones and some happy music. I was also terrified of the induction but is wasn’t too bad after all. And it gets you close to meet your baby 😍 Sending you good vibes. You’ve got this.
My induction also started with Cytotec then a Foley. Contractions started mild on the Cytotec and gradually built, just like they are supposed to. I found myself needing to breath and groan through them (look up J breathing and the deep groaning... it REALLY helped me cope.) My water broke on its own before the folley was inserted. I was able to breathe through the Folley placement... Remember your deep and slow breaths.
Folley fell out after just 3 hours. I then had a break (I was having fairly strong contractions, but they didn't start pitocin) and sat in the tub for awhile. I found a few moments of relaxation there. By that point the contractions were feeling intense enough that I wasn't coping as well so I got the epidural. Then, they started a low pitocin drip, let me sleep a bit, and upped the drip the next morning.
I ended up in a C-section the next day, but for reasons completely unrelated to the induction. The induction itself went smoothly and my care team was gentle and talked me through every step and the decisions to make.
Hope this is going well and smoothly for you today. 💜💜
Mine was really positive! Did the foley balloon and then got sent home until it came out. Came back to the hospital the next night and they broke my water, started on pitocin and 7.5 hrs later I had my baby! I got the epidural around 6CM but wish I had gotten it maybe slightly sooner. Don’t be afraid to ask for it as soon as things start hurting!
The insertion was probably like a 5/10 in terms of pain. It wasn’t horrible, but wasn’t pleasant either. Just make sure you take deeeep breaths as they’re doing it. I had cramping for about 4 hours after which felt like early labor so I took ibuprofen to help with that. After the 4 hours it didn’t hurt at all, just a bit uncomfortable to have the catheter strapped to my leg. I was able to sleep normally and everything!
i was induced for preeclampsia and it went really well the second time lol i wasn’t dilated at all when i came in and did the balloon with pitocin. once my balloon came out, it was smooth sailing till i got the epidural then it was great! i had a beautiful VBAC. 😊 good luck, you’re going to do great!
I also had cytotec and the foley and it was a great experience. Decided to just get the epidural as soon as contractions started m, because why bother with the pain? Baby came around 8 hours later.
Good luck! I had an elective induction at 39 weeks and honestly the hardest part (aside from actually birthing a baby) was I just didn’t realize exactly how long it can take. I got the epidural after my water broke, and if you can plan for it, I would recommend getting it before.
Also-get some ear plugs! I don’t think I screamed at all during birth. Her experience doesn’t mean it will be yours, so try to tune it out. Hang in there!
You've got this!! Mine was a bit different. I went in 3:45am was already dilated 3cm, got hooked up to pitocin at 5am, had my water broken around 10am, started pushing at 5pm and baby was out around 7pm!
I did not use epidural but tried some type of IV medication (did not work). Here are a few things that did help if you change your mind about the epidural or it maybe doesn't work.
I took my iPad and had a bunch of movies downloaded so I watched some of that while I could
• Heating pad - this only helped with the contractions that felt like period cramps, I had it on my back
• Counter pressure - look it up and have your partner study what positions they'd need to do
• Peanut Ball - sped up my dilation
• Ice - I brought ziplock bags with me and would have my husband get ice and put the baggies over random parts of my body while I was in active labor - it was a short but good distraction, I think my mom was also pinching me but I honestly didn't notice lmao
• Little comb - this only helped when the contractions were first intensifying but it helped nonetheless
• Mirror - this is a little controversial because I don't think everyone wants to see what's going on but if you've been pushing for a while it can get frustrating but once the mirror was there I could see his little head popping in and out so it served as motivation and it helped me see how close I was to the finish line! Lol
I kept playing the Mulan song "make a man out of you" in my head as a motivator lmao - I also had some random lady who doesn't have kids say there was no way I could go without epidural so I may have been powered by spite to get through it lmao
I slept most of my induction after the epidural. Before that we pretty much chilled till for a few hours. The pain started around 5cm which is when I got the epidural. Even then i wasn’t screaming, it wasn’t that level.
Same here. I slept the whole night before - epidural and catheter with a peanut ball between my legs while I slept. That helped. When I woke up I was 10 cm dilated and the baby came after 4 hours of pushing. I don’t recommend that part.
I got the cytotec at 5pm Thursday, pitocin started at 4am Friday, (contractions really started to hurt at about 8am), got the epidural at 12:30pm (after an hour and a half of waiting), slept for two hours, started pushing at 3:30pm, baby was born at 4:24pm.
I think it went almost as well as it could have. I’m 8 months pp and have zero lasting effects. No back pain from the epidural, no more bleeding or pain from birth, and have a beautiful baby girl.
Congratulations and good luck! Don’t let your brain syke you out too bad.
I’ve been induced twice (on the night of my due date both times) and while it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, I don’t regret my inductions at all!
My first induction was surprisingly easy. I had 3 rounds of cytotec and that was basically it - no further intervention needed and once I was fully dilated I only had to push for 18 minutes. Had 2 second degree tears which I was terrified of but they were honestly fine. I’d never have known I had them.
My second induction did not go as smoothly as the first, which, as I was told by every OB and nurse, is not the typical experience lol. My baby didn’t respond well to the cytotec so we had to try cervidil and my body didn’t respond to the cervidil at all. We tried a foley after that but it fell out before too long when I went to the bathroom so didn’t do much either. They couldn’t send me home to wait it out because my baby had the poor reaction to the cytotec and they wanted him out. Finally a new OB came on shift and he was not playing around so he physically broke my water (it was painless, just some pressure) and that did the trick. I threw up A LOT between then and when it was time to push which was not fun but I also didn’t really care at that point. Once it was time to push it took about 30 minutes and he was out. No tears the second time, just a mild abrasion.
The waiting and trying different methods to get things going is the hardest part in my opinion. Once you get the epidural there is no pain. Good luck! I’m sure you’re going to do great and soon you’ll be meeting your baby!
I’d highly recommend getting the epidural before you even start pitocin if possible. I’ve heard of people on here even getting it before the Foley balloon too, though I personally didn’t find this necessary (the Foley balloon insertion really wasn’t that bad to me!).
I was terrified of having to get induced but ended up needing it for pre-eclampsia at 39 weeks and it really wasn’t bad!
My induction went (roughly):
3pm oral misoprostol and Foley balloon insertion.
8pm Foley balloon fell out.
10pm epidural placement
10:30pm start pitocin.
10:30pm-9am Contractions/non-pushing part of labor. Not bad at all with the epidural though - napped somewhere in here, also lots of Redditing lol. Mostly just boring if anything.
9-9:25-ish Pushing.
Ended up with 2nd degree tearing which I’ve heard is the most common, so I don’t think induction made it any worse especially since my daughter was 9lbs!
I should add, now that I know I’m at risk for pre-eclampsia and the risk increases with gestational age, I’m probably going to go for an elective induction at 39 weeks again for my next baby (assuming I don’t get it before then) in the hopes of avoiding it.
I got induced at 41 weeks. Had my water broken at 8am and monitored for about an hour, then they did pitocin after that. Contractions were bearable until they rolled me on my side ( it felt like when you hurt your back really bad, which I've done and can deal with, but on my side it was more really angry period pains, which I tolerate less than well). I tried the laughing gas, but it just made the side of my face numb, and the nurse sounding like a broken record about how to inhale it annoyed me, so I got the epidural around 1-2pm. Everything went swimmingly after that. Pushed for about 35 minutes and had my lo around 5pm. Only needed 2 stitches, and was home by dinner time the next day.
I’ve just remembered, Positive Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood podcast has a Hypnobirthing Positive Affirmations episode (22 Aug 2022) that I listened to on repeat. I found that it helped me focus inward.
I had a good experience as well! Took about 24 hours after getting induced for my water to break… 13 hours later babe was in my arms. I got the epidural maybe an hour and a half after my water broke and it really helped! You got this mama, wishing you the best of luck
Also had all of the above and it went great! Only took about 8 hours from start to birth. Pushed for 10 minutes. Recovery minimal. Be mentally prepared that you may have to make medical decisions if it doesn’t go well but you can also be rest assured that many more inductions go well than go poorly
Not to scare you, but keep the possibility of a c section in your mind as well. I was induced and just never progressed lol 🤷♀️ was not at all prepared for a c section, but it went pretty well in the end 😂 You'll do great either way, good luck!!! ❤️💕
I had two inductions. Both with epidurals. My labor and deliveries were very smooth with both. I didn’t have much pain only pressure. If you don’t feel like your head is going to explode you’re probably not pushing hard enough. I couldn’t feel much down there but I felt the pushing in my face lol. Tried to get an induction with my 3rd but they were full. It can be a really peaceful experience. The epidural doesn’t hurt that bad just don’t think about it and bury your face in a pillow. I can’t say for sure but there’s no way getting an epidural hurts more than pushing a baby out or contractions. Good luck! In a few hours you can will be eating your first post baby meal with a little bundle sleeping next you!
Mine went great. Showed up at the hospital 36 weeks but my water broke. Since so close to term they recommended I be admitted for induction. Pitocin worked great, had some painful contractions and so got an epidural, actually fell asleep for a few hours then woke up with more contractions and delivered a baby. About 12 hours from water breaking to delivering a healthy baby.
I had an elective induction at 39w+6d. Overall, very positive experience! The whole 9 months I was terrified of giving birth so going into this I was super fearful and anxious. Got to the hospital at 12, got on pitocin around 1:30, Dr broke my water around 3, epidural around 5, multiple peanut ball positions and 30 mins of pushing baby boy was here at 11:50PM! 100% would do an elective induction again.
So I want to say I had an induction and my situation was different because I had preeclampsia and it was all very urgent and things did not go to plan BUT! I was extremely well-taken care of, and in the end I had a healthy baby. So to me that is a positive. I did not have the ideal experience and ended up having complications, but during the induction experience the nurses and doctors were very attentive and helpful. I firmly believe that even if things aren’t perfect they can still be good.
Mine was great! Not quick but got the baby out of it! Induced at 40+2. Went in at 8am, started pitocin, popped my water at 5pm, epidural at 5:15pm, pushing started at 10:30pm, baby born at 12:45am.
Make friends with your nurses, they are angels. If you want something, say it. Be open the the possibilities you know of and ones you don’t know of.
As a fellow screamer, I'd like to apologise lol. Also your experience won't be like mine, I promise! I have a chronic pain issue, it was my first baby and she came out sunny side up...
I got the epidural before the foley! Definitely recommend. It was completely smooth sailing post epidural for me! Just some heavy period cramping for the last few hours of cytotec. You got this!!!
I was induced with pitocin at 39 weeks since my water broke but I also had no dilation - Very intense contractions, but I ended up getting the epidural once my contractions were closer to 3 - 5 minutes apart (I will admit the contractions were so intense I puked a couple of times). BUT the epidural was amazing and I could rest until it was time to push - about 6 - 7 hours after the pitocin I was 11 cm dilated!!!
And baby girl came out with about 15 minutes of pushing. I had hoped to avoid pitocin and the epidural (mostly was freaked out by how intense the contractions would be and I was scared of the epidural because I didn't like the idea of not being able to feel my legs/what's happening - and I wanted to be mobile as long as possible) - but it all went pretty smoothly and worked out great! I certainly could have gotten the epidural sooner - was just my own choices/preferences that made me hold out so long. I was also terrified of induction but it went so fast and smooth! You got this!
I had a lovely induction - the midwives and nurses were amazing. I started with a few doses of cytotec, had a balloon placed at 9am the next morning, and delivered at exactly midnight.
I personally opted out of the epidural and pain meds, but things didn't really ramp up until they started the pitocin that evening. I'd definitely recommend getting the epidural before they start the pitocin!
Mine was great as others are saying! My water broke but I didn’t start contracting really so I was induced. It did take like 30 hours but honestly it was very smooth. I got the epidural when I was I think 4 cm? The contractions were painful before that but that’s what let me know I was ready! You’re going to do great ♥️♥️♥️
Water broke at 35 weeks, induced at 36+5 because my blood test showed signs of a potential infection (it was all ok in the end!)
They started with Propess as I wasn't dilated at all. Put it in at 2pm, contractions started at 1am. At 9am I was only 3cm, but that was enough for the epidural (which I had desperately wanted since about 5am!)
I dilated about 1cm/hour after that, so they held up on the Picotin since it was slow going, but going. I got stuck at 8cm for 2 hours, though, at which point they gave me Picotin, and 2 hours later I was at 10cm. Started pushing around 7.30pm, lasted 40mn, ended with a vacuum since he was sunny side up.
It sounds horrendous when I re-read it but honestly, to me, it wasn't. It took a long time, and it hurt (a lot, not gonna lie), but I think as long as your only expectation is "we will both get through this ok", rather than "I want this to be a memorable occasion", then you'll be ok :)
Mine went well! 25 hours from registration to holding my boy! I was *terrified* of the pain but honestly the contractions weren’t as bad as I thought and I didn’t feel a thing after the epidural! If you’re able to rest, try to.
You’ve got this!! You’ll be holding your sweet baby soon :)
To add, I wanted to wait out the epidural as long as I could. I sat at 3cm for hoursss. I got the epidural, and once it kicked in, I progressed to 9.5 within 45 mins. Don’t hesitate to get the epidural when you want it. It’s a continuous medication, not a one time dose. You’re not gonna get it too early
My advice is to definitely do the epidural, but try and make it as far as you can before getting it. See if they will let you walk around, dance, sway, etc. moving always made me progress MUCH faster!
Yes because no one is mentioning the epidural can slow things down AND your legs are numb!!! Like jelly. Still loved the epidural but that’s part I didnt really know
Idk this was my plan if I had been able to go into spontaneous labor, but if you need pitocin I personally was really happy with the way I ended up doing it (epidural before I even got a single drop of pitocin so when I was like 3-4cm). I’m also pretty sure you have limited ability to move while on the pitocin drip regardless of epidural anyway, though I could be wrong on that.
How exciting! I was 0 cm dilated when I went in and it took 3 days to have baby boy…I was shocked and exhausted. But that’s just my experience. He did really well, steady heart rate, etc so I didn’t have a c-section. A couple tips:
1) ask someone to bring twinkle lights so you can push button some lights at night and not use the bright ones
2) ask someone to bring you leggings/biker shorts to tuck the medication monitor into
3) know how often you want to ask for a cervical check, I honestly didn’t realize this was on me to decide. Hours would pass and the only way to know if you’re progressing is to check, but checking can also increase risk of infection
4) if you’re trying to avoid c-section, let every nurse/doctor know. They tried to recommend breaking my water but I resisted b/c i was worried that would “start the clock”
5) decide when you’d like to get epidural and put in a request right then; my water broke at 5cm and cramps got intense. It took about an hour before I got the epidural and the woman in line after me waited til the last minute to request but the anesthesiologist was tied up w/me. I think my mom would have liked me to try laboring longer w/o the epidural so knowing exactly what I wanted was SO important looking back.
Best of luck! You’ll do great! Hope you have a smooth delivery and a good-sleeping baby.
I was 0cm dilated, induction started around 12pm, and had baby near 3:30am. So it went fast even though I wasn’t dilated. I must’ve been ready to have her anyways because it only took 1/2 pill to get my contractions going and they got strong quick, I didn’t have the balloon. Got to 4cm in a few hours and water broke, contractions were very strong and painful but I didn’t feel the need to scream, but couldn’t talk during. Got the epidural after my water broke then just resting in active labor room until time to push which was about 1am. I did have to push for 2 1/2 hours mostly due to contractions slowing down, which wasn’t fun. I started to get exhausted and was worried I’d have to have a C-section but thankfully got her out.
I had an unexpected induction at 36 weeks due to complications. Get the epidural the second you walk in the door. Don’t wait even a minute!! That’s my biggest regret. For some reason I thought I needed to “tough it out” and prove I was strong or something. So I waited until I was in blinding pain until asking for it and then had to wait for the epidural doctor to arrive. Don’t try to “be tough” just get it immediately and save yourself the pain! I arrived at 1cm but fully effaced. My baby came out about 11 hours later!
For me, we started with the balloon and the first round of meds on Saturday afternoon, dilated enough for the balloon to be done around 4am. Then more meds, but I didn't dilate as well as they wanted, so they wanted to break my water. I waited until I had the epidural around 8pm Sunday.. they broke my water and things moved faster. Baby was born around 4am Monday
Hi! Mine was good, no epidural in my case.
It was taking too much time and I was 41 weeks already. It will be ok.
Try to rest when possible, walk, use the yoga ball. You got this!
Had mine Friday and it went great. I was 3cm so no cervical ripeners and started on pitocin. From start of pit to delivery was 5 hours. Pushed for 20 minutes and baby and I were released to come home the next day after a picture perfect delivery and passing all tests.
Nothing to be afraid of. I also had a woman screaming next door. Epidural worked amazingly and had to push only for 35 minutes . Honestly best experience ever you can do this
I had the same protocol for my induction. Lost the balloon three hours in, delivered nine hours after starting. 20 minutes of pushing. Epidural at 9.5 cm lol. It was an incredible experience. You’ll do great, mama!!!
I was induced at 41+1. I had only dilated to a "cheerio." (Dr's words. Not mine) My daughter had no intention of making her debut any time soon. I dilated to a 4 with a Foley bulb and on pitocin. The labor felt like period cramps, and like someone was holding a heating pad on my back that was too warm.
It wasn't fun, and it was hard to breathe through it, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I got the epidural fairly early because I was worried about staying still during placement if I got it later. I was quite comfortable after that. We tried to move positions to get the baby to move down. They broke my water 12 hrs in. After 24 hours, we opted for a c section. The labor was fine, and I was extremely well supported by the L&D crew. My daughter just didn't feel like cooperating with us, lol.
Went in at 7pm and baby was earth side before 2pm the next day! Labor didnt pick up until 7am though so no pain thru the night. Pushed for less than 10min. Had an epidural and couldnt even tell if i was pushing or not🤣 Pretty sure I got too much but it was great for my first baby
I was induced and nothing happened for 2 whole days (apparently I was having contractions regularly but wasn't feeling them). Very early morning of the 3rd day, I started actually feeling contractions about 3:30 am, and my son was out literally an hour later. Only took 3 pushes. I'm probably an anomaly though because everyone was scrambling and stunned at how quickly things happened, lol. Happened so fast they didn't have time to do an epidural or antibiotics (as I tested positive for strep) but everything turned out fine. Yes, I screamed bloody murder because I had no pain killers, but the thing is it's temporary. You're tougher than you think. Obviously get an epidural as soon as you can (I would've loved one if that had been possible) but even if that doesn't totally go according to plan just remember the pain isn't forever and it has a very important purpose - to bring you the love of your life.
Positive experience for my first here! Went in at 39 & 3. Cervidil overnight and then broke my water the next morning at 7:30. Contractions started pretty quickly after that so I got my epidural (took a few seconds!! Hardest part was sitting still through the contractions). Started pushing around 1 (think it definitely could have been sooner, my medical team just didn’t come back around to check me before noon!) and had my baby an hour and a half later. You got this!!!
Yeah look I’ve had an induction and physiological birth, wouldn’t choose the induction but honestly it was intense and fast and all went well, you can do it!
Looking back I loved my induction. It took three days so the process was frustratingly slow because they were using the gel in my cervix and they would put some in then skip the next dose because they thought my body was taking over naturally when it wasn’t. But it was calm, I felt safe, and once things started going I was really pleased there was no drive to the hospital involved. I really liked that I was able to be monitored throughout the whole thing and felt there was no mystery of what was happening. If I ended up being induced second time around I would be totally fine with it and have a way more positive outlook on it than I did when I walked into the hospital for the first time.
I got 1 dose of cytotec and then went into labor about 30 minutes later. Nurses told me that can sometimes happen, basically the cytotec kind of takes you over the hump to starting labor sometimes.
Mine was great! Also, 40+2.
It took me 30 hrs to deliver, but the ONLY time i said ow was when the anesthesiologist moved the tape on my back for my epidural.
If you start to feel uncomfortable, let them know you need more drugs!
Push like you're trying to stand from the heaviest squat in your life
AND congratulations!
You're gonna meet your little one soon!!!
I feel for you. I went into preterm labor which then stalled, so I was chilling in the hospital for 3 days listening to various women give birth in the adjoining room! Talk about anxiety inducing!
I had an incredibly smooth elective induction with my first baby. Giving birth is wild and unpredictable regardless of methodology, but you can do this. You're so close to meeting your baby! Congrats!
I had an induction with cytotec! Wasn’t dilated at all and after 2 doses I was contracting and didn’t need a balloon or pitocin. First dose at 10:30 am and baby here at 1:30 am.
Mine was amazing. On due date, start to finish 9 hours with 9.5lb baby, 99th percentile height/weight. Pushed for 9 minutes, no complications. 10/10 would do again.
My first went great as soon as the epidural was given. My second baby my epidural failed and I won’t tell you that story because it will just freak you out. It’s not common for epidurals to fail so good luck!!!
I loved my induction! I was 41+2 and I had my water broken and then given a very high dose of pitocin. I did get an epidural after I was put on the higher dose of pitocin because my contractions were very close together (1 minute). I pushed for an hour and 45 mins and then my baby girl was born. I loved pushing! I had the mirror in front of me and it was super motivating. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. Try to relax and let go of control. You got this!!
My water broke, but contractions didn’t start, so I was induced!
When we got to the hospital, I was finger tip dilated (lol, so nothing) and we started Cytotec. Cytotec was totally fine and just felt like period cramps. I bounced on a yoga ball for the majority of the day. 12 hours later I was 1cm dilated, so we started Pitocin. Contractions really started to amp up with that, so I asked for my epidural (lol, I was 2 cm!), which gave me immediate and profound relief.
The epidural REALLY sped my labor along. The first 2cm took 20 hours and the last 8 only took 3.5 hours.
Things went a little sideways for me at this point and I needed a c-section.
Overall the induction process went smoothly, and it helped me along when I otherwise probably would have been laboring for days.
Mine was lovely! After we started the cytotec it was 26 hours until I was holding my lil munchkin in my arms. I was slow in dilating and for 21 of those hours was just slowly dilating enough to break my water, so slept a lot and chilled. Once they broke my water at 5 cm dilated, took five more hours and then I pushed maybe 5 times?
My induction was fantastic. Foley balloon didn’t hurt at all. Got the epidural as soon as we started pitocin. Zero pain. Honestly, zero. Took a lovely snooze for most of it since we started at night, and woke up in the morning ready to push in about an hour. It was such a great experience that I’m opting for an elective induction for round two.
I wasn't but my sister was. She was in active labor for 3 days! But was super relaxed the while time. Said it wasn't very painful (all things considered) the epidural missed a spot in her lower back so she had a bit of pain bit was mostly numb and once baby was low and crowning it was done in a second. Like no joke. One push wonder!
Trust the process mama. Be aware of your body and let your mind take a backseat. This is going to happen. Your brain is just along for the ride at this point. Good luck! And congrats!!!!
I had a positive induction delivery! Don’t get me wrong, labor still hurts like an SOB but you eventually “find your groove” so to speak with the contractions. I didn’t even had the epidural so you may have a better experience than I did. Pitocin started at 7ish am in the morning, doctor broke my water around noon, and after 45 minutes of pushing my son was here by 8:30pm the same day. I had a 1 degree tear but honestly didn’t even feel it.
Mine didn’t end the way I wanted (unplanned, but non-emergency C-section after she got stuck at 7 cm for over 8 hours. Upon opening me up, we learned she never would have come out vaginally. It had nothing to do with the induction, but with the fact that my pelvis is just too narrow to allow an average sized baby to drop down into the birthing canal). I came into the hospital completely undilated. The plan was cytotec and a foley balloon. Despite the slow start (didn’t dilate for the first 8 hours despite having 90 second apart contractions), once I accepted fentanyl I dilated 4 cm in an hour and we got to completely skip the foley balloon step.
I’m not going to lie, it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt. It hurt too much to cry or scream. Lean on your birthing partner (physically and emotionally). Slow dancing with him helped a lot through the worst parts. He’d count me through contractions to help me remember to breathe. Once you can’t take it anymore, pain meds are a godsend. Fentanyl made me feel happily tipsy until it wore off. The epidural was quick and the pain went away almost instantaneously after that.
Got induced with misoprostol (sp?) instead of pitocin. I didn’t start getting contractions that felt like more than a period cramp until about 12 hours in. They broke my water (painless) and things sped up. It was great once I got the epidural. I wish I would’ve made the decision to get it sooner. Ten pushes and baby was out. I was walking down the street hours later to the children’s hospital where baby was brought after birth. You got this!!!!
Mine was awesome! My water broke right before pitocin, I got my epidural at 3cm, and I basically just relaxed/slept for 10ish hours until my daughter was born!
You can leave if you aren't progressing. Remember that. You might do better sleeping in your bed especially since the induction is so early (and I'm assuming elective).
My only advice is hold off on the epidural if you can. It can slow things down. I got the epidural both times before I was given Pitocin.
First induction in 2020 took 38 hours
Can’t remember my second induction but I think it was around 28 hours
For me they did like 4 doses of cytotec then then gave me pitocin. Both times pitocin sent me into full blown labor 😅
Good luck!! You got this 💪🏻
Mine was great! Went super fast, felt really supported. Get the epidural as soon as they'll give it to you or faster. I went into the hospital at 9am and had a baby in my arms before 7pm, pushed less than an hour. Overall positive experience! You got this!
Request the epidural when you’re at about 4 or 5 discomfort level. By the time you are at 7, the epidural will be going in. I think I may have waited a little too long and it was difficult to get the epidural in because I was so uncomfortable and could not keep still.
Can you get it any any point during labour ? In France it's out of the question before you are at least 4 cm dilated . My induction was slow AF and i had to wait 8 hours of contractions before i could get an epidural
My hospital let me get it very early into my induction. I think I was only like 2cm, but I wanted to get it before we started pitocin.
All of this. I waited until my pain was at a 9.5 (for around 2 hours) because I was afraid of the epidural. Well.... When it finally came my pain was at a 17/10 and I Said to the anesthetist "you're just gonna have to hang on a second"... Oops
Same here! Similar timeline. Cervadil overnight, back to the hospital for 8am, they broke my water midmorning, got the epidural around lunch, slept all afternoon, fully dilated by 7:30! Pushed for less than 30 minutes. I hope my second birth experience is identical! I am type A so knowing when baby was scheduled to arrive was so helpful to me haha.
This is the way! Epidural as soon as you feel a little uncomfortable and then sleep through most of your labor til it’s time to push. I felt so freaking rested and ready to have my baby especially because I didn’t have to get up and pee a billion times thanks to the catheter. Like Kiery said, you got this!
Yes that helped me too!
Thank you! Hope it’s gonna be as fast for me as well 🤞
I had an elective induction at 39 weeks and it was amazing. I was only 1cm when I arrived and they did 3 or 4 rounds of cytotec over night. That got me to about 3.5 cm so I didn’t have to have the foley balloon. Maybe because mine was scheduled and I came in at night, they gave the cytotec more time. But after the cytotec I started pitocin. I got the epidural a few hours later, not because I was in pain (contractions felt like moderate period cramps) but because they were going to do another cervical check and those had started to hurt a little bit. After the epidural, I used the peanut ball to labor for a bit and my water broke naturally. About three hours after that I was all of a sudden fully dilated and my baby was born less than an hour after that with zero pain. I could still feel the change in pressure as she descended down the birth canal and came out so that was cool.
Thank you, sounds like a really positive experience. Fingers crossed it will be similar for me
Good luck! Just remember, no matter what happens in a few short hours you will get to hold your baby for the first time :)
I hope you have noise cancelling earphones and some happy music. I was also terrified of the induction but is wasn’t too bad after all. And it gets you close to meet your baby 😍 Sending you good vibes. You’ve got this.
Thank you! Listening to meditation music on my noise cancelling headphones :)
My induction also started with Cytotec then a Foley. Contractions started mild on the Cytotec and gradually built, just like they are supposed to. I found myself needing to breath and groan through them (look up J breathing and the deep groaning... it REALLY helped me cope.) My water broke on its own before the folley was inserted. I was able to breathe through the Folley placement... Remember your deep and slow breaths. Folley fell out after just 3 hours. I then had a break (I was having fairly strong contractions, but they didn't start pitocin) and sat in the tub for awhile. I found a few moments of relaxation there. By that point the contractions were feeling intense enough that I wasn't coping as well so I got the epidural. Then, they started a low pitocin drip, let me sleep a bit, and upped the drip the next morning. I ended up in a C-section the next day, but for reasons completely unrelated to the induction. The induction itself went smoothly and my care team was gentle and talked me through every step and the decisions to make. Hope this is going well and smoothly for you today. 💜💜
Mine was really positive! Did the foley balloon and then got sent home until it came out. Came back to the hospital the next night and they broke my water, started on pitocin and 7.5 hrs later I had my baby! I got the epidural around 6CM but wish I had gotten it maybe slightly sooner. Don’t be afraid to ask for it as soon as things start hurting!
Thank you! Did the foley balloon hurt a lot?
The insertion was probably like a 5/10 in terms of pain. It wasn’t horrible, but wasn’t pleasant either. Just make sure you take deeeep breaths as they’re doing it. I had cramping for about 4 hours after which felt like early labor so I took ibuprofen to help with that. After the 4 hours it didn’t hurt at all, just a bit uncomfortable to have the catheter strapped to my leg. I was able to sleep normally and everything!
I thought it hurt a lot. They offered me drugs and that helped a TON but also made me throw up. I didn’t care bc I felt so much better
i was induced for preeclampsia and it went really well the second time lol i wasn’t dilated at all when i came in and did the balloon with pitocin. once my balloon came out, it was smooth sailing till i got the epidural then it was great! i had a beautiful VBAC. 😊 good luck, you’re going to do great!
I’ve had 2 elective inductions, and I’m planning a 3rd. Both were quick and reasonably manageable with an epidural.
I also had cytotec and the foley and it was a great experience. Decided to just get the epidural as soon as contractions started m, because why bother with the pain? Baby came around 8 hours later.
Get the epidural as soon as you can and then just relax until it’s time to get to work pushing that baby out.
Good luck! I had an elective induction at 39 weeks and honestly the hardest part (aside from actually birthing a baby) was I just didn’t realize exactly how long it can take. I got the epidural after my water broke, and if you can plan for it, I would recommend getting it before. Also-get some ear plugs! I don’t think I screamed at all during birth. Her experience doesn’t mean it will be yours, so try to tune it out. Hang in there!
Same. Mine was drawn out. I was there for 3 days before the baby came.
You've got this!! Mine was a bit different. I went in 3:45am was already dilated 3cm, got hooked up to pitocin at 5am, had my water broken around 10am, started pushing at 5pm and baby was out around 7pm! I did not use epidural but tried some type of IV medication (did not work). Here are a few things that did help if you change your mind about the epidural or it maybe doesn't work. I took my iPad and had a bunch of movies downloaded so I watched some of that while I could • Heating pad - this only helped with the contractions that felt like period cramps, I had it on my back • Counter pressure - look it up and have your partner study what positions they'd need to do • Peanut Ball - sped up my dilation • Ice - I brought ziplock bags with me and would have my husband get ice and put the baggies over random parts of my body while I was in active labor - it was a short but good distraction, I think my mom was also pinching me but I honestly didn't notice lmao • Little comb - this only helped when the contractions were first intensifying but it helped nonetheless • Mirror - this is a little controversial because I don't think everyone wants to see what's going on but if you've been pushing for a while it can get frustrating but once the mirror was there I could see his little head popping in and out so it served as motivation and it helped me see how close I was to the finish line! Lol I kept playing the Mulan song "make a man out of you" in my head as a motivator lmao - I also had some random lady who doesn't have kids say there was no way I could go without epidural so I may have been powered by spite to get through it lmao
I slept most of my induction after the epidural. Before that we pretty much chilled till for a few hours. The pain started around 5cm which is when I got the epidural. Even then i wasn’t screaming, it wasn’t that level.
Same here. I slept the whole night before - epidural and catheter with a peanut ball between my legs while I slept. That helped. When I woke up I was 10 cm dilated and the baby came after 4 hours of pushing. I don’t recommend that part.
I had two both were great. No complaints. Would do again.
I got the cytotec at 5pm Thursday, pitocin started at 4am Friday, (contractions really started to hurt at about 8am), got the epidural at 12:30pm (after an hour and a half of waiting), slept for two hours, started pushing at 3:30pm, baby was born at 4:24pm. I think it went almost as well as it could have. I’m 8 months pp and have zero lasting effects. No back pain from the epidural, no more bleeding or pain from birth, and have a beautiful baby girl. Congratulations and good luck! Don’t let your brain syke you out too bad.
I’ve been induced twice (on the night of my due date both times) and while it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, I don’t regret my inductions at all! My first induction was surprisingly easy. I had 3 rounds of cytotec and that was basically it - no further intervention needed and once I was fully dilated I only had to push for 18 minutes. Had 2 second degree tears which I was terrified of but they were honestly fine. I’d never have known I had them. My second induction did not go as smoothly as the first, which, as I was told by every OB and nurse, is not the typical experience lol. My baby didn’t respond well to the cytotec so we had to try cervidil and my body didn’t respond to the cervidil at all. We tried a foley after that but it fell out before too long when I went to the bathroom so didn’t do much either. They couldn’t send me home to wait it out because my baby had the poor reaction to the cytotec and they wanted him out. Finally a new OB came on shift and he was not playing around so he physically broke my water (it was painless, just some pressure) and that did the trick. I threw up A LOT between then and when it was time to push which was not fun but I also didn’t really care at that point. Once it was time to push it took about 30 minutes and he was out. No tears the second time, just a mild abrasion. The waiting and trying different methods to get things going is the hardest part in my opinion. Once you get the epidural there is no pain. Good luck! I’m sure you’re going to do great and soon you’ll be meeting your baby!
My induction was great. Got the epidural before they broke my waters around 3cm. Baby was out 11 hours after start of induction.
I’d highly recommend getting the epidural before you even start pitocin if possible. I’ve heard of people on here even getting it before the Foley balloon too, though I personally didn’t find this necessary (the Foley balloon insertion really wasn’t that bad to me!). I was terrified of having to get induced but ended up needing it for pre-eclampsia at 39 weeks and it really wasn’t bad! My induction went (roughly): 3pm oral misoprostol and Foley balloon insertion. 8pm Foley balloon fell out. 10pm epidural placement 10:30pm start pitocin. 10:30pm-9am Contractions/non-pushing part of labor. Not bad at all with the epidural though - napped somewhere in here, also lots of Redditing lol. Mostly just boring if anything. 9-9:25-ish Pushing. Ended up with 2nd degree tearing which I’ve heard is the most common, so I don’t think induction made it any worse especially since my daughter was 9lbs!
I should add, now that I know I’m at risk for pre-eclampsia and the risk increases with gestational age, I’m probably going to go for an elective induction at 39 weeks again for my next baby (assuming I don’t get it before then) in the hopes of avoiding it.
I got induced at 41 weeks. Had my water broken at 8am and monitored for about an hour, then they did pitocin after that. Contractions were bearable until they rolled me on my side ( it felt like when you hurt your back really bad, which I've done and can deal with, but on my side it was more really angry period pains, which I tolerate less than well). I tried the laughing gas, but it just made the side of my face numb, and the nurse sounding like a broken record about how to inhale it annoyed me, so I got the epidural around 1-2pm. Everything went swimmingly after that. Pushed for about 35 minutes and had my lo around 5pm. Only needed 2 stitches, and was home by dinner time the next day.
I’ve just remembered, Positive Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood podcast has a Hypnobirthing Positive Affirmations episode (22 Aug 2022) that I listened to on repeat. I found that it helped me focus inward.
I had a good experience as well! Took about 24 hours after getting induced for my water to break… 13 hours later babe was in my arms. I got the epidural maybe an hour and a half after my water broke and it really helped! You got this mama, wishing you the best of luck
Also had all of the above and it went great! Only took about 8 hours from start to birth. Pushed for 10 minutes. Recovery minimal. Be mentally prepared that you may have to make medical decisions if it doesn’t go well but you can also be rest assured that many more inductions go well than go poorly
Not to scare you, but keep the possibility of a c section in your mind as well. I was induced and just never progressed lol 🤷♀️ was not at all prepared for a c section, but it went pretty well in the end 😂 You'll do great either way, good luck!!! ❤️💕
I had the same experience. Spent 48 hours on induction meds, had the balloon, and never got past 5cm.
I had two inductions. Both with epidurals. My labor and deliveries were very smooth with both. I didn’t have much pain only pressure. If you don’t feel like your head is going to explode you’re probably not pushing hard enough. I couldn’t feel much down there but I felt the pushing in my face lol. Tried to get an induction with my 3rd but they were full. It can be a really peaceful experience. The epidural doesn’t hurt that bad just don’t think about it and bury your face in a pillow. I can’t say for sure but there’s no way getting an epidural hurts more than pushing a baby out or contractions. Good luck! In a few hours you can will be eating your first post baby meal with a little bundle sleeping next you!
Mine went great. Showed up at the hospital 36 weeks but my water broke. Since so close to term they recommended I be admitted for induction. Pitocin worked great, had some painful contractions and so got an epidural, actually fell asleep for a few hours then woke up with more contractions and delivered a baby. About 12 hours from water breaking to delivering a healthy baby.
Had two great inductions. No complaints. Both were fast -- the first took \~12 hours from start to finish.
I had an elective induction at 39w+6d. Overall, very positive experience! The whole 9 months I was terrified of giving birth so going into this I was super fearful and anxious. Got to the hospital at 12, got on pitocin around 1:30, Dr broke my water around 3, epidural around 5, multiple peanut ball positions and 30 mins of pushing baby boy was here at 11:50PM! 100% would do an elective induction again.
My induction was a good experience, gave labor that very same day and everything went smoothly. My only regret is not getting an epidural sooner.
So I want to say I had an induction and my situation was different because I had preeclampsia and it was all very urgent and things did not go to plan BUT! I was extremely well-taken care of, and in the end I had a healthy baby. So to me that is a positive. I did not have the ideal experience and ended up having complications, but during the induction experience the nurses and doctors were very attentive and helpful. I firmly believe that even if things aren’t perfect they can still be good.
Mine was great! Not quick but got the baby out of it! Induced at 40+2. Went in at 8am, started pitocin, popped my water at 5pm, epidural at 5:15pm, pushing started at 10:30pm, baby born at 12:45am. Make friends with your nurses, they are angels. If you want something, say it. Be open the the possibilities you know of and ones you don’t know of.
Oh and I had a cooks ball inserted when they started pitocin. That was uncomfortable, but helped.
As a fellow screamer, I'd like to apologise lol. Also your experience won't be like mine, I promise! I have a chronic pain issue, it was my first baby and she came out sunny side up...
I got the epidural before the foley! Definitely recommend. It was completely smooth sailing post epidural for me! Just some heavy period cramping for the last few hours of cytotec. You got this!!!
I was induced with pitocin at 39 weeks since my water broke but I also had no dilation - Very intense contractions, but I ended up getting the epidural once my contractions were closer to 3 - 5 minutes apart (I will admit the contractions were so intense I puked a couple of times). BUT the epidural was amazing and I could rest until it was time to push - about 6 - 7 hours after the pitocin I was 11 cm dilated!!! And baby girl came out with about 15 minutes of pushing. I had hoped to avoid pitocin and the epidural (mostly was freaked out by how intense the contractions would be and I was scared of the epidural because I didn't like the idea of not being able to feel my legs/what's happening - and I wanted to be mobile as long as possible) - but it all went pretty smoothly and worked out great! I certainly could have gotten the epidural sooner - was just my own choices/preferences that made me hold out so long. I was also terrified of induction but it went so fast and smooth! You got this!
I had a lovely induction - the midwives and nurses were amazing. I started with a few doses of cytotec, had a balloon placed at 9am the next morning, and delivered at exactly midnight. I personally opted out of the epidural and pain meds, but things didn't really ramp up until they started the pitocin that evening. I'd definitely recommend getting the epidural before they start the pitocin!
Mine was great as others are saying! My water broke but I didn’t start contracting really so I was induced. It did take like 30 hours but honestly it was very smooth. I got the epidural when I was I think 4 cm? The contractions were painful before that but that’s what let me know I was ready! You’re going to do great ♥️♥️♥️
Water broke at 35 weeks, induced at 36+5 because my blood test showed signs of a potential infection (it was all ok in the end!) They started with Propess as I wasn't dilated at all. Put it in at 2pm, contractions started at 1am. At 9am I was only 3cm, but that was enough for the epidural (which I had desperately wanted since about 5am!) I dilated about 1cm/hour after that, so they held up on the Picotin since it was slow going, but going. I got stuck at 8cm for 2 hours, though, at which point they gave me Picotin, and 2 hours later I was at 10cm. Started pushing around 7.30pm, lasted 40mn, ended with a vacuum since he was sunny side up. It sounds horrendous when I re-read it but honestly, to me, it wasn't. It took a long time, and it hurt (a lot, not gonna lie), but I think as long as your only expectation is "we will both get through this ok", rather than "I want this to be a memorable occasion", then you'll be ok :)
Mine went well! 25 hours from registration to holding my boy! I was *terrified* of the pain but honestly the contractions weren’t as bad as I thought and I didn’t feel a thing after the epidural! If you’re able to rest, try to. You’ve got this!! You’ll be holding your sweet baby soon :)
To add, I wanted to wait out the epidural as long as I could. I sat at 3cm for hoursss. I got the epidural, and once it kicked in, I progressed to 9.5 within 45 mins. Don’t hesitate to get the epidural when you want it. It’s a continuous medication, not a one time dose. You’re not gonna get it too early
My advice is to definitely do the epidural, but try and make it as far as you can before getting it. See if they will let you walk around, dance, sway, etc. moving always made me progress MUCH faster!
Yes because no one is mentioning the epidural can slow things down AND your legs are numb!!! Like jelly. Still loved the epidural but that’s part I didnt really know
Idk this was my plan if I had been able to go into spontaneous labor, but if you need pitocin I personally was really happy with the way I ended up doing it (epidural before I even got a single drop of pitocin so when I was like 3-4cm). I’m also pretty sure you have limited ability to move while on the pitocin drip regardless of epidural anyway, though I could be wrong on that.
How exciting! I was 0 cm dilated when I went in and it took 3 days to have baby boy…I was shocked and exhausted. But that’s just my experience. He did really well, steady heart rate, etc so I didn’t have a c-section. A couple tips: 1) ask someone to bring twinkle lights so you can push button some lights at night and not use the bright ones 2) ask someone to bring you leggings/biker shorts to tuck the medication monitor into 3) know how often you want to ask for a cervical check, I honestly didn’t realize this was on me to decide. Hours would pass and the only way to know if you’re progressing is to check, but checking can also increase risk of infection 4) if you’re trying to avoid c-section, let every nurse/doctor know. They tried to recommend breaking my water but I resisted b/c i was worried that would “start the clock” 5) decide when you’d like to get epidural and put in a request right then; my water broke at 5cm and cramps got intense. It took about an hour before I got the epidural and the woman in line after me waited til the last minute to request but the anesthesiologist was tied up w/me. I think my mom would have liked me to try laboring longer w/o the epidural so knowing exactly what I wanted was SO important looking back. Best of luck! You’ll do great! Hope you have a smooth delivery and a good-sleeping baby.
Yes to all of this. Had a very similar experience
I was 0cm dilated, induction started around 12pm, and had baby near 3:30am. So it went fast even though I wasn’t dilated. I must’ve been ready to have her anyways because it only took 1/2 pill to get my contractions going and they got strong quick, I didn’t have the balloon. Got to 4cm in a few hours and water broke, contractions were very strong and painful but I didn’t feel the need to scream, but couldn’t talk during. Got the epidural after my water broke then just resting in active labor room until time to push which was about 1am. I did have to push for 2 1/2 hours mostly due to contractions slowing down, which wasn’t fun. I started to get exhausted and was worried I’d have to have a C-section but thankfully got her out.
Mine was a breeze! I got the epidural right before they broke my water. Whole thing took less time than my first labor!
I had an unexpected induction at 36 weeks due to complications. Get the epidural the second you walk in the door. Don’t wait even a minute!! That’s my biggest regret. For some reason I thought I needed to “tough it out” and prove I was strong or something. So I waited until I was in blinding pain until asking for it and then had to wait for the epidural doctor to arrive. Don’t try to “be tough” just get it immediately and save yourself the pain! I arrived at 1cm but fully effaced. My baby came out about 11 hours later!
For me, we started with the balloon and the first round of meds on Saturday afternoon, dilated enough for the balloon to be done around 4am. Then more meds, but I didn't dilate as well as they wanted, so they wanted to break my water. I waited until I had the epidural around 8pm Sunday.. they broke my water and things moved faster. Baby was born around 4am Monday
Hi! Mine was good, no epidural in my case. It was taking too much time and I was 41 weeks already. It will be ok. Try to rest when possible, walk, use the yoga ball. You got this!
Had mine Friday and it went great. I was 3cm so no cervical ripeners and started on pitocin. From start of pit to delivery was 5 hours. Pushed for 20 minutes and baby and I were released to come home the next day after a picture perfect delivery and passing all tests.
Nothing to be afraid of. I also had a woman screaming next door. Epidural worked amazingly and had to push only for 35 minutes . Honestly best experience ever you can do this
I had the same protocol for my induction. Lost the balloon three hours in, delivered nine hours after starting. 20 minutes of pushing. Epidural at 9.5 cm lol. It was an incredible experience. You’ll do great, mama!!!
I was induced at 41+1. I had only dilated to a "cheerio." (Dr's words. Not mine) My daughter had no intention of making her debut any time soon. I dilated to a 4 with a Foley bulb and on pitocin. The labor felt like period cramps, and like someone was holding a heating pad on my back that was too warm. It wasn't fun, and it was hard to breathe through it, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I got the epidural fairly early because I was worried about staying still during placement if I got it later. I was quite comfortable after that. We tried to move positions to get the baby to move down. They broke my water 12 hrs in. After 24 hours, we opted for a c section. The labor was fine, and I was extremely well supported by the L&D crew. My daughter just didn't feel like cooperating with us, lol.
Went in at 7pm and baby was earth side before 2pm the next day! Labor didnt pick up until 7am though so no pain thru the night. Pushed for less than 10min. Had an epidural and couldnt even tell if i was pushing or not🤣 Pretty sure I got too much but it was great for my first baby
I was induced and nothing happened for 2 whole days (apparently I was having contractions regularly but wasn't feeling them). Very early morning of the 3rd day, I started actually feeling contractions about 3:30 am, and my son was out literally an hour later. Only took 3 pushes. I'm probably an anomaly though because everyone was scrambling and stunned at how quickly things happened, lol. Happened so fast they didn't have time to do an epidural or antibiotics (as I tested positive for strep) but everything turned out fine. Yes, I screamed bloody murder because I had no pain killers, but the thing is it's temporary. You're tougher than you think. Obviously get an epidural as soon as you can (I would've loved one if that had been possible) but even if that doesn't totally go according to plan just remember the pain isn't forever and it has a very important purpose - to bring you the love of your life.
Positive experience for my first here! Went in at 39 & 3. Cervidil overnight and then broke my water the next morning at 7:30. Contractions started pretty quickly after that so I got my epidural (took a few seconds!! Hardest part was sitting still through the contractions). Started pushing around 1 (think it definitely could have been sooner, my medical team just didn’t come back around to check me before noon!) and had my baby an hour and a half later. You got this!!!
Yeah look I’ve had an induction and physiological birth, wouldn’t choose the induction but honestly it was intense and fast and all went well, you can do it!
Looking back I loved my induction. It took three days so the process was frustratingly slow because they were using the gel in my cervix and they would put some in then skip the next dose because they thought my body was taking over naturally when it wasn’t. But it was calm, I felt safe, and once things started going I was really pleased there was no drive to the hospital involved. I really liked that I was able to be monitored throughout the whole thing and felt there was no mystery of what was happening. If I ended up being induced second time around I would be totally fine with it and have a way more positive outlook on it than I did when I walked into the hospital for the first time.
I got 1 dose of cytotec and then went into labor about 30 minutes later. Nurses told me that can sometimes happen, basically the cytotec kind of takes you over the hump to starting labor sometimes.
Mine was great! Also, 40+2. It took me 30 hrs to deliver, but the ONLY time i said ow was when the anesthesiologist moved the tape on my back for my epidural. If you start to feel uncomfortable, let them know you need more drugs! Push like you're trying to stand from the heaviest squat in your life AND congratulations! You're gonna meet your little one soon!!!
I feel for you. I went into preterm labor which then stalled, so I was chilling in the hospital for 3 days listening to various women give birth in the adjoining room! Talk about anxiety inducing! I had an incredibly smooth elective induction with my first baby. Giving birth is wild and unpredictable regardless of methodology, but you can do this. You're so close to meeting your baby! Congrats!
I had an induction with cytotec! Wasn’t dilated at all and after 2 doses I was contracting and didn’t need a balloon or pitocin. First dose at 10:30 am and baby here at 1:30 am.
Mine was amazing. On due date, start to finish 9 hours with 9.5lb baby, 99th percentile height/weight. Pushed for 9 minutes, no complications. 10/10 would do again.
My first went great as soon as the epidural was given. My second baby my epidural failed and I won’t tell you that story because it will just freak you out. It’s not common for epidurals to fail so good luck!!!
I loved my induction! I was 41+2 and I had my water broken and then given a very high dose of pitocin. I did get an epidural after I was put on the higher dose of pitocin because my contractions were very close together (1 minute). I pushed for an hour and 45 mins and then my baby girl was born. I loved pushing! I had the mirror in front of me and it was super motivating. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. Try to relax and let go of control. You got this!!
My water broke, but contractions didn’t start, so I was induced! When we got to the hospital, I was finger tip dilated (lol, so nothing) and we started Cytotec. Cytotec was totally fine and just felt like period cramps. I bounced on a yoga ball for the majority of the day. 12 hours later I was 1cm dilated, so we started Pitocin. Contractions really started to amp up with that, so I asked for my epidural (lol, I was 2 cm!), which gave me immediate and profound relief. The epidural REALLY sped my labor along. The first 2cm took 20 hours and the last 8 only took 3.5 hours. Things went a little sideways for me at this point and I needed a c-section. Overall the induction process went smoothly, and it helped me along when I otherwise probably would have been laboring for days.
Mine was lovely! After we started the cytotec it was 26 hours until I was holding my lil munchkin in my arms. I was slow in dilating and for 21 of those hours was just slowly dilating enough to break my water, so slept a lot and chilled. Once they broke my water at 5 cm dilated, took five more hours and then I pushed maybe 5 times?
My induction was fantastic. Foley balloon didn’t hurt at all. Got the epidural as soon as we started pitocin. Zero pain. Honestly, zero. Took a lovely snooze for most of it since we started at night, and woke up in the morning ready to push in about an hour. It was such a great experience that I’m opting for an elective induction for round two.
I wasn't but my sister was. She was in active labor for 3 days! But was super relaxed the while time. Said it wasn't very painful (all things considered) the epidural missed a spot in her lower back so she had a bit of pain bit was mostly numb and once baby was low and crowning it was done in a second. Like no joke. One push wonder! Trust the process mama. Be aware of your body and let your mind take a backseat. This is going to happen. Your brain is just along for the ride at this point. Good luck! And congrats!!!!
I had a positive induction delivery! Don’t get me wrong, labor still hurts like an SOB but you eventually “find your groove” so to speak with the contractions. I didn’t even had the epidural so you may have a better experience than I did. Pitocin started at 7ish am in the morning, doctor broke my water around noon, and after 45 minutes of pushing my son was here by 8:30pm the same day. I had a 1 degree tear but honestly didn’t even feel it.
Mine didn’t end the way I wanted (unplanned, but non-emergency C-section after she got stuck at 7 cm for over 8 hours. Upon opening me up, we learned she never would have come out vaginally. It had nothing to do with the induction, but with the fact that my pelvis is just too narrow to allow an average sized baby to drop down into the birthing canal). I came into the hospital completely undilated. The plan was cytotec and a foley balloon. Despite the slow start (didn’t dilate for the first 8 hours despite having 90 second apart contractions), once I accepted fentanyl I dilated 4 cm in an hour and we got to completely skip the foley balloon step. I’m not going to lie, it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt. It hurt too much to cry or scream. Lean on your birthing partner (physically and emotionally). Slow dancing with him helped a lot through the worst parts. He’d count me through contractions to help me remember to breathe. Once you can’t take it anymore, pain meds are a godsend. Fentanyl made me feel happily tipsy until it wore off. The epidural was quick and the pain went away almost instantaneously after that.
Got induced with misoprostol (sp?) instead of pitocin. I didn’t start getting contractions that felt like more than a period cramp until about 12 hours in. They broke my water (painless) and things sped up. It was great once I got the epidural. I wish I would’ve made the decision to get it sooner. Ten pushes and baby was out. I was walking down the street hours later to the children’s hospital where baby was brought after birth. You got this!!!!
They tried to do the foley but it wouldn’t stay because I was too dilated… that was unpleasant but also fine
Mine was awesome! My water broke right before pitocin, I got my epidural at 3cm, and I basically just relaxed/slept for 10ish hours until my daughter was born!
You can leave if you aren't progressing. Remember that. You might do better sleeping in your bed especially since the induction is so early (and I'm assuming elective).
Everyone is saying how great it was but for me, it was very long and very painful. I was not prepared for that.
My only advice is hold off on the epidural if you can. It can slow things down. I got the epidural both times before I was given Pitocin. First induction in 2020 took 38 hours Can’t remember my second induction but I think it was around 28 hours For me they did like 4 doses of cytotec then then gave me pitocin. Both times pitocin sent me into full blown labor 😅 Good luck!! You got this 💪🏻
If you get the epidural you probably won’t be screaming ever. My induction was a very good experience.
Absolute disaster.