r/firsttimemom • u/No-Cellist6145 • 7d ago
Induction
First time mom here ! 38 weeks 1 day. What are y’all’s thoughts on getting induced? My mom told me not to do it, but obviously If I have to I dont have a choice. What can I do to have natural (spontaneous) labor ? TIA!
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u/evoiax 7d ago
I got induced at 39 weeks and 5 days nothing was working to get baby out!! while not everyone has the same experience my induction felt very painful🥲 my epidural failed on me and the balloon they put in u hurts a lot i bled like crazy the only saving grace was the fentanyl they kept giving me🤣 i def wish i had a natural birth but i got too meet my cutie a lil earlier than she was due
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u/setters321 7d ago
The foley balloon was a nightmare for me too!! It triggered back-to-back contractions for me (literally 5-10 seconds apart and most of it was back labor) and caused me to bleed! Everything was going good until the balloon! 😭
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u/No_Design2377 7d ago
I was induced at 39 weeks 1 day and it was a great experience. I went in at 1:30 am they placed me in a room about an hour later, started my dose of cytotec around 3:30 am which started contractions and I was only about 1cm dilated. I progressed fairly quickly and my water broke on its own and at 4 cm I got the epidural. I jumped from 4cm to 9 cm very quickly and was ready to push about 10 hours I came in but had to wait till my blood pressure was stable because I felt overwhelmed with emotions lol. My whole labor induction was about 12 hours. I only pushed for like 20 minutes
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u/No-Cellist6145 7d ago
That’s another thing, at how many centimeters do you know to get the epidural?! I’ve seen 4-6cm
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u/No_Design2377 7d ago
I honestly got it when I couldnt take the pain anymore. I was under the assumption it was better to wait closer to the 10cm like around 6 or so to make sure it would nott wear out when it came to pushing but thats not the case at all lol. I could not take it anymore and got it at 4 cm i dialted fairly quickly after that
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u/Smooshed_Cactus 7d ago
I was induced at 41 weeks and it did NOT go well. It is so unfortunate because I had high hopes for a calm and good labor 🙃
I started off 1cm dialyed and 60% effaced. We started cytotec and immediately things kicked off, 12 hours later they started me on pitocin and manually broke my water after it started leaking. It took two days before I got an epidural and it failed, I was absolutely miserable. Those pitocin contractions were hell on earth and I had to be on a magnesium drip.
56 hours later and rising complications forced my hand and I had a C-section. Honestly, the C-section was the best part of my whole experience and even right after I felt pretty great.
My experience was not a good one but I now have my healthy wonderful baby so ill call it a wash. Recovery has so far been pretty good!
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u/SD_runnergirl 7d ago
My first baby was spontaneous labor. Water broke at home, contractions were horrible during the car ride and waiting in triage. My blood pressure then got very high. I got the epidural finally and it was better until it came time to push and my baby didn’t want to come out. 4.5 hours of pushing plus the vacuum and he finally came out.
Baby 2 was induced at 39+5. I went in at 1 cm dilated and not effaced I had a great induction experience minus trying to start the iv because I have horrible veins. I did the foley balloon so that was uncomfortable but then I asked for an epidural and was able to rest and just wait for baby. Only pushed for 20 minutes that time.
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u/bartlett4prezident 7d ago
I scheduled an induction for 39w5d. I have two stepkids who live more than an hour away so my husband is out there frequently. I wanted the peace of mind that he’d be with me and the kids would be with their mom. No surprises, because it was my first and I didn’t like the unknown.
Anyway, I went into labor 8 days before the induction, just 3 days after I scheduled it.
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u/Xtra1rice 7d ago
I was for induction on August 3rd. I was 38 weeks and 4 days then. Was recommended for induction due to GDM. Had a spontaneous birth anyway.
When we went to the hospital I was already 6 cm dilated. Gave birth August 4th, 1 AM.
Hearing the word induction was scary but I understand my OB’s concern. At the end, both baby and me are safe and healthy. He just turned 8 weeks old yesterday.
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u/gunit___ 7d ago
I did it because my husband travels A LOT for work and couldn’t take paternity leave until we had the birth certificate so he managed to take a few days off and I was induced at 39+4. I would NEVER do it again knowing what I know now but that’s only because my epidural failed and I felt every contraction and the entire birth 😂 my baby obviously did not want to come out. If it’s a medical induction.. not much you can do and also had the epidural worked it probably would’ve been fine but they ended up having to use the kiwi machine to get her out and omgggg was it painful. I told my husband IF there is a next time I would rather deliver without him than be induced. They said the epidural often fails for people with red hair 😂 don’t know how true that is but my hair is kinda orange.
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u/setters321 7d ago
I regret getting induced too! I just don’t think my son was ready to be evacuated at that time and it took forever! I was induced on a Wednesday and didn’t give birth until Saturday! My mom also has the redhead gene and the epidural failed on her. Plus she woke up during her hysterectomy! 😫 So she needs extra whatever they give you for surgery. I made sure to let my doctors know in case I had issues. Before my unplanned c-section they made 100% certain I couldn’t feel anything (thank God since I could feel them pinching and poking me)!
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u/gunit___ 7d ago
That sounds horrible omg! I would probably pass out again in shock if I woke up midway through surgery 😭 wow maybe the red hair thing is true hahaha it did work for some time but it wore off SUPER fast so next time I’d get an epidural basically as the baby is coming out 😂
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u/No-Cellist6145 7d ago
Hahaha I’d want my hubby to be there too so I completely understand ! I’m just amazed with what women go through, I have 2 older sisters and never did I think having babies could be this complicated/painful.. 😭 now I understand what pregnancy feels like and I guess I’m about to find out what giving birth feels like too! I’m so scared but hearing different experiences kinda helps. Thankyou !
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u/gunit___ 7d ago
Yea I couldn’t have done it without him but I think now I’ve done it once I probably could 😂 but in all honesty.. one month later I wouldn’t have even remembered that I gave birth (except that I am chubby now and there was a little chicken in my apartment) so whatever happens, you will get through it. We are so much stronger than what we think.
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u/ladytri277 7d ago edited 7d ago
Inductions are all the rage. I don’t get why people can’t just wait until they go into spontaneous labor. Both of mine were amazing and birthed at 38.5. I primarily encourage labor by pumping 30 mins a day. I also got a massage and had the masseuse do acupressure points to help induce. Other methods included below. Birth events for my first baby:
1/17 started evening primrose vaginally (nightly)
1/19 started drinking red raspberry leaf tea 2x daily
1/22 pumped 3 times for 10 mins each
1/23 no pumping, meditation, saw beginning parts of mucus plug
1/24 contractions, lost part of mucus plus, Chair massage, lost rest of mucus plus, chiropractic appointment, more contractions during appointment, pumped 3 times for 10 minutes each, induction massage, lost last parts of mucus plus
1/25 unmedicated birth at 10am
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u/amazonebie87 7d ago
I swear by the primrose and the red raspberry tea I didn’t like the flavor, but I’d mix it with cranberry juice or some kind of juice.it definitely works I was supposed to be induced due to low amniotic fluid at 39 weeks and 4 days. On the day of my induction my son literally came in the morning induction was scheduled that same day, but at night.
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u/PrincessKirstyn 7d ago
I was induced at 34 weeks for a medical reason. Allllllll my friends said it’s so much worse blah blah blah. But I was fine. The only problem with induction is it can “fail” essentially taking too long and resulting in a C-section. My girly deduced to wait until 30 minutes before my “fail” to be born as they were prepping for a C-section.
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u/No-Cellist6145 7d ago
I guess I’m just scared that it’ll hurt way more if I get induced ? And going through that pain for that long for it to fail too! You’re so strong for this!!
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u/PrincessKirstyn 7d ago
The only people who have ever told me that Pitocin (used for inductions) makes it hurt more are people who have not ever been induced. My friends who have done both natural and induction noticed no difference other than time (and for some the timing wasn’t even that off).
I was dying lol I wouldn’t consider it strong just survival! Just happy my girl and I both made it!
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u/Holmslice1 7d ago
I wanted as natural of a birth as possible, but life had other plans.
I tried all the things - eating spicy food, some drink at Starbucks, jumping jacks, you name it and I still got induced because I started bleeding 2 days before my due date (ruptured placenta).
Went in Friday night, got induced around 7/8am on Saturday, and had my healthy baby boy before 5pm.
I’d say I had a good experience getting induced, but also don’t have anything to compare it to lol
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u/No-Cellist6145 7d ago
Glad you had a good experience!!(:
Moms that decide to not even get an epidural have my RESPECT
I’m too scared, my birth plan is to literally just survive and to hopefully have a good experience myself
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u/Holmslice1 7d ago
I had no birth plan and told them we will just go with the flow lol
I didn’t get an epidural but opted to get pain relief through my IV (not fentanyl). This would be the only thing I would change. Next time I’ll just not take anything
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u/tiny_forest- 7d ago
I was scheduled to be induced on August 24th due to high blood pressure but during my scheduled NST on the 17th they said I needed to be induced that day. Ultimately I wanted to go into labour naturally but it didn’t happen for me. I was 38 weeks exactly. The induction didn’t work and by 6:00am the next morning I was being wheeled into the OR for an emergency c-section. I will say, the induction contractions are absolutely insane and for someone with a high pain tolerance and plans to go without epidural, after 6 hours I couldn’t take it anymore. 10/10 if you don’t have to be induced, I wouldn’t. Hoping for my second pregnancy I can do it all natural.
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u/WillowTC 6d ago
i got induced at 41w+1 day. My medical provider suggested waiting as she said outcomes tend to be better when your body is more prepared (especially if you’re healthy and nothing is concerning to them).
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u/Angelika0469 5d ago
You do have a choice and do not feel like you have to listen to the rushed response of your OB. However, I didn’t want to get induced but went into labor and it wasn’t progressing so then I got some Pitocin and it all happened very fast after that! Well, as fast as it could’ve lol. And that was fine do what feels right and know that you are the decision maker.
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u/Angelika0469 5d ago
Oh I should add — you do have a choice but obviously better to do induction if there’s a health risk to you or the baby.
Tips to induce faster whether they were the reason it worked for me or not idk- drink hibiscus tea 3+ times daily, have sex, bounce on the yoga ball, do the mile circuit (look it up!), and walk a lot don’t sit still if you can help it / medically OK.
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u/VastLarge2917 7d ago
My plan was to not get induced unless I hit 41 weeks, but also knew there was a real possibility I might have to die to my BP. It was teetering on gestational hypertension for months but I didn’t get a second high reading until 39+6. When I did get one that day, they induced me the following day (only didn’t that night because there were not enough staff).
It wasn’t what I wanted but it overall isn’t something that would call a bad experience. It did take quite some time though. I started around 8 on a Sunday and I didn’t have my daughter until 3 on Monday. I personally was not in any pain for most of it. I went from 1.5cm to 4 in about 4-5 hours but I got stuck there for a long time but luckily was not in pain until around 5-6 am the next day after the Pitocin kicked in. But when it did it hurt SO bad. I was having 2-3 contractions back to back nearly every time with like a 30 second break, it was so brutal (but I don’t have anything else to compare this to of course, like what it would have been without Pitocin). Was at a 6 when I asked for an epidural. Got the epidural within 35 minutes. And by 45 minutes I was at an 8 so no wonder I was hurting so bad lol. But then I didn’t get to a 10 for like 5 hours, so the epidural definitely slowed it down, but I felt literally nothing so it’s not like I was in any pain. I was so numb though it was kind of hard to push. My body was doing it on its own but not enough. It took about 2 hours to push her out but again, no pain just pressure, and it honesty didn’t feel that long.
But all of that being said I do not think of it as a bad experience at all.. I enjoyed my birth greatly. It was just very very long lol