induction experience - 38 weeks

[Anonymous]

I am being induced for medical reasons between 38-39 weeks. I am a little nervous about that, because it seems a little on the earlier side, but dr feels baby will be safer on the outside. I am wondering if anyone who had an earlier induction can offer (ideally!) any reassurance (or if not, at least share their experience)?

[Anonymous]

I have been induced twice at 38 weeks. My first labor was long because I went in at a 0. Lots of pitocin but after 40+ hours it ended in a vaginal birth. I did have to push for 3 hours but was never forced to just end it with a c section. Second labor was super easy and until I pushed I had no pain. It was less than 24 hours. I liked having a plan and not waiting at home for labor to begin and second guessing myself.

[Anonymous]

Is it your first? Pitocin? My only advice is To get the epidural before your water breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it your first? Pitocin? My only advice is To get the epidural before your water breaks.

+1000 to this advice.

[Anonymous]

yes, this is my first! i don't know whether there will be pitocin or not i don't know anything at all.

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 38 weeks and it was fine! DEFINITELY get the epidural before your water breaks. Pitocin contractions are no joke.

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 37.5 with twins. See if you can get wireless monitoring (not sure if this is a thing or widely available) - I felt tethered to my bed with all of the monitors the night they started the cervical medication and it was so uncomfortable. Once things get going, I recommend getting the epidural before or early on with the pitocin - I didn't get mine until later and it was hard to hold still for them to do it when the contractions got rolling. All in all, it was fine. One thing about 38 weekers is that sometimes they're not great at feeding yet - it took until my due date for one of them to figure out how to latch and overall they just weren't good nursers (there were a lot of complicating factors there, though).

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 39 weeks for some vague medical reasons and 37 for preeclampsia. The former, first baby, didn’t work. They sent me home and I had the baby vaginally ten days later. Totally fine. The second required a lot of intervention but was less than 24 hours and the baby was fine. Small and sleepy for a few weeks, but healthy . He walked super early (10 months) and is doing great. Good luck!!!

[Anonymous]

Induced at 38 weeks 5 days with my first. They were worried about growth restrictions and placental fail (both of which turned out not to be true once baby was out). Started pictocin at about 10am. They broke my water at 4pm. Labored until 7pm and the got an epidural. Baby was born at 11:30pm. So 12 hours-ish from start to finish with my first.

Agree with another poster - you will feel very medical - I had a blood pressure cuff, fetal monitor, IV, O2 monitor, and because of a clotting disorder, cuffs on my legs. It was not the walk around and labor in many positions experience other people have, but I laid in bed, watched lots of TV and talked to my DH. Things were fine. Baby is almost mostly cooked by then. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 37+4 with my second due to concerns about growth restrictions and placenta function (these were right) after a full term stillbirth with my first. It took hours - they started the drip around 10am and I gave birth at 6am the next day - after my waters were broken things went VERY fast. I was not continuously monitored so was able to move around - you should definitely ask about wireless monitoring.

Baby was born healthy but small. She was not the best at feeding for awhile but with a nipple shield and supplementing with pumped milk, she got the hang of it after a few weeks. At 38-39 weeks, your baby should be fine. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 38 weeks because my water had broken, but labor did not start. Because my water was broken and we didn't know for how long, they went straight to Pitocin (rather than starting with cervidil or cytotec). I think I got lucky, but it was a pretty smooth experience and my baby was born 8 hours after the induction started.

[Anonymous]

Induced at 36 weeks with first for growth concerns. Worked really well. The best part was we could plan a special dinner the night before and have everything in place. Baby born 12 hours after pitocin was administered.

Induced at 39 weeks with second. Again 12 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was induced at 38 weeks and it was fine! DEFINITELY get the epidural before your water breaks. Pitocin contractions are no joke.

I won't go into details about my inductions because I don't want to scare you (everyone was fine!), but this is true. I threw up all over my doula from the pain of the pitocin contractions post water-breaking. After a few hours of misery, both my doula and midwife were like... get the epidural, for heavens sake.

For the second baby, I got the epidural well before I felt any pain. I still had some breakthrough pain, but it was NOTHING like unmedicated pitocin contractions.

[Anonymous]

Hi, I'm the PP from 09:19. Seeing a lot of recommendations about being sure to get an epidural before the Pitocin. I just wanted to chime in (to reflect a diversity of experience, not to discredit the experiences of others) and say that my contractions on Pitocin were manageable without an epidural. Every body is different, and definitely get the epidural if you want/need it. I just didn't want you to go in dreading an induction becauseit might involve Pitocin.

[Anonymous]

Induced three times at 38 weeks due to blood pressure issues. Each time I was already a little dilated, so they started pitocin in the morning (if you are not at all dilated, sometimes they have you come in the night before for a cervical ripening agent). First baby was born in 12 hours, second in 4 and third in 3! I got the epidural the second I felt pain and would highly recommend that.