positive stories/accounts of induction?

[Anonymous]

I am now 5 days past my due date, and while I am hoping that I have the patience to keep waiting for the baby to do its thing on its own time, I wanted to gather more information about being induced. First and foremost, baby appears to be healthy and happy in there for now, and as I said, I know that the best thing is to calm down and wait. The two relatively recent threads that I could find on here were mostly pretty anti-induction -- either moms who did not get induced who felt strongly about it or moms who did get induced who had negative experiences (either painful ones or eventual c-sections or both, etc.). I wanted to see if anyone has a story about being induced, it being the right decision, everything going fine, etc. Anyone?

[Anonymous]

I think I posted on the other thread, but I will tell you my positive story. I never went into labor with my second son and I was induced at 4 weeks. All went fine. I got the pitocin around 8 am and was in active labor a few hours later. I got an epidural around noon and my son was born with only 5 pushes at 3 pm, weighing 9 lbs. 4 oz! I hadf no tearing. He was healthy and I was fine. All in all it was an OK delivery - I had no problems with being induced. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Ooops, I meant 42 weeks (not 4!).

[Anonymous]

I was induced both times. The first time I was in labor but progressing slowly so they gave me pitocin. I ended up pushing for 3 hours and almost had a c-section but ended up with the vacuum. This was more due to the size and position of my daughter than the induction.

The second time, I scheduled the induction only 2 days past my dd. I was desperate to get that baby out and my doctor had no problem with inducing. The second labor was as easy as can be. Three pushes and she fell out.

Neither time did I have any complications.

[Anonymous]

Induced a week ahead of due date due to high bp. Went in the night before for that cream stuff, started contractions and was admitted to the hospital. Comfortably slept until 6 a.m., started the pitocin. Epidural in there somewhere. Mellow all day, contractions mild until about 5 p.m. Pushed a little over an hour, most of that being OH MY GOSH where's the epidural! type pushing and had a wonderful healthy baby around 7 p.m. He got stuck coming out and broke his clavical but frankly I don't even really remember that and I'm sure that wasn't because of the induction but because of his very wide chest!
Relax, good luck and if you have to induce, so be it. NOT a big deal! It may not be the way you hoped to deliver, (I secretly wanted to have that 1 a.m. rush to the hospital ) but the result of a healthy and safe baby is the focus.

[Anonymous]

I was induced and ended up with a c-section. What is positive about my story, is that my placenta was degraded and my son was swimming in mecononium and was in severe fetal distress, which could have been fatal if I hadn't been induced.

[Anonymous]

I was induced about 12 days early with #2. The doc who delivered my #1 hadn't see me all pregnancy and when he did I asked about induction as I had a big baby 1st time (8 pounds 8 oz.) and didn't want a 10 pounder 2nd time around. He agreed to the induction. I got to the hospital at 7:30 AM, but didn't get into L&D until 12:15, Doc broke my water around 12:45, started me on pitocin with an epidural following close behind and I delivered my #2 around 10:00 that evening after about 3 pushes. The best part was what the doc said when the head was out, "wow, looks like a 9 pounder." But when #2 measured 8 pounds 1 ounce and 20 inches, just a big head I guess. Anyway, I had a bit of tearing both times, but everything heals back up, no worries. I think the tearing for me is b/c of big headed kids, not b/c of the induction. With the induction, planning was easier so someone could be with #1 while DH and I were at the hospital welcoming #2 to our family.

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 37 wks b/c of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. They started my pitocin at 8 am, got an epi around noon, I took a nap till 3 pm and baby was born at 3:49, after 20 mins of pushing. 6 lbs 12 oz. DD, healthy and hearty. I looked at my DH and said, "that was easy! I want to do it again!"

Was it the right decision? I think it was, but that probably had much to do with MY complications, and the likelihood that they would only get worse if we waited longer. I wonder if I would have been more likely to end up with a c-section if I'd waited -- bigger baby, weaker from being on bed rest longer, etc. I don't know.

In retrospect, I was happy not to have the whole "water breaking at home/rush to the hospital" experience. I had episodes of PT labor (hence the bed rest mentioned above) and was trying hard to keep my anxiety about "unknowns" under control; having a planned, set time to deliver worked well for me, because it was a goal that I could focus on.

With the next one, I'll definitely consider induction if my (or the baby's) medical circumstances warrant it.

[Anonymous]

I was induced for low amniotic fluid. Very scared - not of the induction, but of becoming a mom (first time mom). I hardly slept a wink the night before knowing the our (DH's too) whole life would change in a few hours.

The "nice" thing about induction is that I was able to "plan" to have the baby. I tied up loose ends at work (although I kept it a secret), got the house cleaned one last time, brought the dog over to the inlaws' house, etc.

The induction went smoothily except that the nurse was inexperienced and couldn't place the needle in correctly. Ouch, but other than that the birth went relatively quickly - I declined pain medication so I kept the L&D as drug-free as possible.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I elected for an induction at 40 5/7 because of worries about size/ meconium. I went in the night before for the cervix ripening - turned out I didn't need it. I started pit around 7am, amniotic fluid ruptured at 8ish, epidural at 8:30ish, fully dilated at 1 and delivered at 3:05. It was a very pleasant experience to be honest. I enjoyed a nice meal before heading to the hospital and had my parents in town waiting for the delivery the next day. Not a big deal at all.

[Anonymous]

I told my doctor at 30 weeks that I was not going to go one day past my due date. Luckily, he was very open to induction. Now, truth be told, I was "probably" already in labor when I arrived at the hospital on my due date for induction. I was 100% effaced and 2-3 cm dilated. 6 1/2 hours later, my beautiful daughter was born! I did push for 2 1/2 hours, but she was stuck, and, yet, I didn't tear at all. The doctor said it was one of his easiest deliveries that week. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I, too, was induced. Like an earlier poster, it wasn't your storybook labor (lots of drama including fetal distress). However, the induction didn't cause the drama or the c-section.

We both emerged healthy. The good outcome probably would not have happened if I had been in a less "high tech" environment.

[Anonymous]

I was induced but had an eventual C-Section; however, this was not a negative experience for me. It was not my preferred way of giving birth, but nothing was botched and the baby was healthy.. so that rates as positive in my book. I guess I'm trying to say that if you end up with a C-Section, you don't have to look at it as a negative outcome.

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 41 weeks. My first was 9 days late so I guess I should have known this one would be too. I probably would have been in labor the next two days because I was 4 cent. dilated and having regular contractions when I went in although I didn't know it. They started Pitocin at around 8am then slowed it down around 12 because of other craziness (7 other babies on the way including two sets of twins). They broke my water at 3 and baby boy was born at 3:52 after 5 pushes weighing 8 pounds 2 ounces. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. I was one really not wanting to be induced but I also think the second come soooo much faster than the first.

[Anonymous]

induced twice. Both labors were 5.5 hours, 3 pushes to get baby out. no tearing. My 1st child was not healthy but that likely had nothing to do with the induction. I was 2cm dialated both times at the start of the induction.