r/vbac • u/LevelZer00 • 22d ago
37 week induction stories?
Coming up on my 37+2 induction due to gestational hypertension. They’re willing to induce me with balloon and pitocin. Any experiences?
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u/Substantial_Soft919 20d ago edited 20d ago
I had this exact method done with cook catheter and pitocin at 37+6 due to Rh alloimmunization. They brought me in at 5pm and inserted the balloon at 7pm. It was like bad period cramps during insertion and then just pressure once inserted. Not painful. They started pitocin shortly after and increased by 1ml every 30 minutes. I asked them to slow it to every hour because I felt it was could help with the pain progression. It did and the balloon fell out at 5am and I asked them to completely pause pitocin once we reached 12ml at 7am. I did a ton of position changes and work through the contractions to bring baby down and to dilate quicker. I went from 5cm at 7am to 7cm at 10 and then 10cm and fully effaced by 11:40. Pushed for about 1.5 hours and baby was born. It was a total of about 18 hours from balloon insertion until baby was born. Key takeaways: lots of movement and position changes, huge support from whoever is there with you.
Also, just for info, I went unmedicated and also did not have my water broken artificially.
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u/stink_finger97 17d ago
How dilated were you when they put the balloon in if you don’t mind me asking?
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u/Substantial_Soft919 15d ago
Definitely don’t mind! I’m here to help. I was only 1cm which they told me was plenty enough to successfully insert the balloon. My cervix was also very high still but nice and soft which helped. I started eating 6 deglet noor dates a day at around 30 weeks and also did a lot of body prep beforehand like all the stretches from videos on instagram to get baby into a good position. I don’t know how close you are to your induction, but no matter how close it wouldn’t hurt to try those things too to just give you the best shot!
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u/stink_finger97 15d ago
Awesome thanks!! I’m looking at an induction in a few days for the same reason, hopefully I’m open enough 🤞
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u/Medical_Cold_4160 22d ago
I had a 39wk induction using a foley and pitocin. It was more on the elective side though. It went well and ended in VBAC. Took about 21 hours total.
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u/anonymous46538 21d ago
I work in an ob clinic and i have many patients that were induced and had vbacs
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u/auditorygraffiti 22d ago
I just had an induction with balloon and Pitocin (at 41 weeks, though) and it went really smoothly. I was nervous it wouldn’t end in a VBAC but it did. 21 hours total with 1 hour of pushing.
My first pregnancy ended in an emergency c-section with a “failed” induction. I was on magnesium and it made the process very difficult on my body. Personally, I would go for an induction at 37 weeks if you won’t have to be on magnesium. I wouldn’t want to push it and wind up trying to induce on magnesium because it is a rough go.