Does the syntocinon drip make contractions a lot more painful?

[sunndydays]

Do most people who have this have an epidural?

horrible stories, so sorry to read them Interesting, if distressing, to read about the fetal distress associated with syntocinol and the risk of uterine rupture - my labour was very very long (started Wed night, gave birth Sat morning) but because I was planning a home birth, I didn't go into hospital until I was 7cm and my community MW recomended breaking my waters and monitoring as a possible failure to progress. Fortunately my labour then established properly and I delivered the baby naturally 5 hours later. I'm fairly confident that had I been in hospital from 4cm I would have ended up being pressurized into having synotocinol as it took 18hours to go from 4cm to 7cm. I really feel very lucky to have escaped this option as it sounds awful.

My mother tells me that there is a growing school of thought that believes giving women syntocinol without prior decent pain relief is actually inhumane and should be stopped as a practice unless the mother insists. She has had 5 children, 2 in hospital, 3 at home, all VB and is very pro 'natural' drug free births if possible. However, she ended up having an induction with her second and says if she had to have another induction she would insist on an epidural first no questions.

I agree with the torture comments. Ds was early and they wanted to ensure my contractions continued. G&a didn't work at all. One dose of pethedine that I kept asking when it would start working even when ds had arrived! Immensely painful not helped by plummating heartrate of ds and mw shouting at me that I was strangling my baby - cord so tight round his neck that when it was eventually released felt like someone flicking a large elastic band up my fanjo. Ds is an only and my labour is one of the reasons why.

yes, and yes

I am trying for a more natural birth second time but if they induce me I will INSIST on an epi

OH BTW I did not have a horror story when I was induced! It hurt, so I got my epi. Then they hoovered him out. It was scary for sure, but first births so often are

yes, it does, and actually they were breaking the law when they denied you access to appropriate pain relief. Obtain your notes and put an official complaint in. Induced labours are MUCH more painful than normal ones.

i was ionduced for Ds1 and I am very grateful that despite my needle phobia, I buckled to the very gentle pressure to consider an epidural. I know that at that point I was in so much pain i was not rational. You don't get the 'breaks' from pain that you get with a normal labour - it just slams you straight into the middle of the pain of transition and leaves you there for hours.

It's not the LEVEL of pain that's the issue, it's the duration you are expected to manage it.

Conversely with ds2 (NOT induced), it all felt very managable until 40 minutes before he was born - at which point they offered me an epidural .... by the time the bloke had got it ready, the head was crowning and ds2 was out 2 minutes later, so I ended up never having it.

Dont be so worried, I had the drip when my contractions slowed down, The most painful bit was the midwife putting the drip in my wrist...But I was desperate to have my baby it wasnt anymore painful until it came to actually pushing.

Yes, I recognise a lot of these experiences.

I was given synto as I had been contracting for 2 days and not progressed past 2cm, and had meconium in my waters.

It made them more painful, longer, changed the smooth curve on the monitor trace into a steep build up then a long plateau at the strongest part of the contraction, and made them come much more frequently. Baby turned back to back with the force of them, and I got an epidural.

My baby was delivered by emcs, because the contractions were coming very fast, and his heart rate was dropping every time.

I had it during 2nd stage as contractions had slowed too much and time was getting on. I would say they were no more painful but more frequent making it far harder to cope with I then seemed to be unable to move about much not sure if that was exhaustion or an effect of the syntocin? I still managed with the gas and air though and so long as I stayed calm on that and took it in time for the contraction peak I could cope with each one in the same way I was before the drip.

One of my midwives (called "Cruella" btw and that was her REAL name)said that synto was like "rocket fuel" and suggested an epi. I embarassed myself by offered to marry the anesthetist when he arrived I was so desperate.

Yep, that old drip is pretty relentless! I think because it is synthetic, the contractions just keep coming and coming at you with ruthless regularity, whereas I imagine that in natural labour your body slows it down a bit and adapts if it needs to.

I was doing really well with labour until I had the drip - at which point it seemed to go from manageable to very full on very quickly.

I had an epi - but it took 2 hours as the anaesthetist had to deal with a neonatal emergency! Every contraction without the epi I just imagined poor little newborn and parrotted to myself "its need is greater than mine, its need is greater than mine". When the doctor finally arrived I was a little short with her when she wanted to give me a 5 minute briefing on the risks etc. Normally I am very polite and agreeable but I did just snap and say "yes yes yes, get on with it will you!"

Then the epi didn't work properly on one side, but that is a whole other story!

That said, the whole experience was fine and I was very happy with it all. Don't worry - if its painful you can have an epi, if you can manage, you can manage! Just keep an open mind.

totally agree with bumps... and colditz - its not the pain so much as there is no break.I managed on g&a only because my labour was so short ( less than 4 hours). They expected at least another 10 hrs to begin with and I would have had to have an epi, no question about it from my point of view.

I've nothing to compare it to but I was induced when my waters broke with a trickle but labour didn't start.

Like Lions my contractions were fast and furious, and gas and air was my new best friend. DD was born in 3hrs 9 minutes It was a fairly intense experience but still more fun than the three day wait I had on the ante-natal ward for a spot to be available on the delivery suite. Waters went at 36+2 and DD was born at 36+6. I had no tears despite the speed of labour, but there was some grazing

I didn't even consider an epi but perhaps if I'd read these stories beforehand I would have done!

My story is different. I was induced on 01/09/09 midday with Prostaglandin.
3pm I started to feel cramps.
9pm contractions 5 min apart.
In pain and sick.
2am 7cm dilated, and we went to labour ward.
6am i was back to 5 cm, and by 8am i had contractions 10min apart.
9am 02/09/09 was put on synotocinol, and Dr came to me and said, that this is not the competition, and I can ask for epidural as the contractions will be strong.

3pm 02/09/09 i had 3-6 contractions in hour. Nothing, Oh, the waters broke. Baby was not even fully engaged, back to back, dilated 2-3cm.

I remember doctors were coming to have a look at me as to their surprise I was not in labour yet. They wanted to give more synotocil, but I have refused, and asked for C-section due the size of baby and just being tyred (and scared, really).

After the c-section doctor told me that i would have ended up in the theatre because of the postion of the baby and his size (4340gr-9.56LB)

Pregnant with second, and I am in the biggest hope to give a birth naturally...

I had to be induced due to waters going and no contractions at 38weeks. They tryed the tablet which didnt work so it was time for the drip with it being my first baby i really didnt no what too expect. They turned the drip on at 12.15pm and said every 15 mins they would turn it up, before i had the drip i asked the midwife what pain relief would be a good option straight away she bought me the epidural card which i was'nt happy about at all as i had imagined my labour to allow me to be mobile around the room i said straight away i woont be having the epidural and that when the pain gets bad i will start on gas and air and go on from there. the midwife then said most woman can not handle the pain but i stuck to my guns and my beautiful baby boy was born 4hours later, dont get me wrong the pain was mindblowing but in a way it was a great pain, during my labour it was also great to discover that gareth gates mum was my midwife and she helped me bring my son in to this world. When i am ready to have another baby wouldnt mind having the drip again...:-)

Erm, I couldn't say if it is more painful, as I've been induced with all 3 of my dc's. I've never had an epidural though. With DD I had pethidine, 2 shots as I was in labour for 24 hrs, plus G&A. I was being induced due to pre-eclampsia at 34+4 though, DD was 6lb12. With DS1 I also had 2 shots of pethidine+G&A was in labour for 72 hrs and it was my most painful labour, but he was B2B with his hand on his head, his hand was 'stuck' there because the cord was wrapped around his arm! With DS2 I just had G&A, 5hrs start to finish.

I think a lot of it depends on why you are being induced, and even more, whether the baby is B2B or not. I think the position of the baby matters much more than if you have the dri or not IME. Am currently 32weeks with DC4, and he's B2B, so am expecting a more painful labour this time regardless of whther I'm induced or not. Still not going to have an epidural though, the thought of anyone sticking a needle into my back gives me the heebie-jeebies.

I think that the only one of mine that was scarily painful was the one that was B2B. My DS2 I had syntocinon drip, he was my largest baby at 8lb12, and believe it or not, with just G&A, I was still doing crossword puzzles with DP until DS2 started crowning. He was in a perfect position for birth, and was born at 40+2. Was a wonderful experience after the hell of having a B2B DS1. So it's not all bad, or torture to have a syntocinon induction without an epidural. Having said that, I feel that a B2B baby being induced with syntocinon will need stronger pain relief than a well-positioned baby, but pethidine seems to do the trick OK-ish even then.

It didn't hurt at all, and I slept through it

My baby was expected to fly out as I'd had a) had a precipitous labour with DC1 and b) incompetent cervix and a stitch (which had been removed) and due to a hindwater leak I was being induced. They put the drip up to full blast and I just sat there and said "eh?" then had a nap. I had some contractions but they weren't very special.

After TEN hours of this, the doctors agreed it was silly and we were risking uterine rupture. It turned out I was unable to dilate from scar tissue from the stitch and had an "emergency" c-section in the end.. fab end to an incompetent cervix tale.

Still don't get it. Okay, I get the not dilating, but why it didn't hurt I have no idea.. the midwives were quite impressed and thought I was seriously hardcore at resisting pain, but no. I didn't even get a go on the gas and air as it wasn't needed. I'd had worse braxton hicks. DC1 was beyond excrutiating natural labour too even though it was over super quick so I'm clearly not immune to childbirth pain!

Perhaps it only hurts if it is doing its job?

Feeling a bit weepy but also a bit relieved after reading some of these. DD was induced at 39 weeks last year after my waters broke but my contractions didn't start. I went straight from no contractions and no pain at all one minute, to the most hideous pain the next with no interval of build up to get used to the idea.

I've always felt really ashamed that I begged the MW for an epidural after only the 2nd contraction - I thought I should have been stronger than that - so I'm interested to hear that some people think it's inhumane not to offer these before the syntocin even starts!!

The MW wouldn't allow an epidural immediately as she said I wasn't dilated enough and it would slow everything right down but that they would check me 'every 4 hours'. I cannot begin to describe the depths of despair I felt that I was going to have to endure 4 hours of this ultra pain before anything could be done about it - and the possibility that there might be another 4 hours after that. Luckily my DH took over (and I think it's the memory of how amazing he was that's making me cry) - he insisted on gas and air and getting me propped up on my front and together we got into a routine of sucks on the G&A interspersed with sips of water. I basically zoned out and put myself into his hands. We managed in this way to get through 2 hours of the hideousness at which point I asked the MW if I could have an epi now. She checked and said no because I had to push!

40 mins later DD was with us. I think I only got through it because my DH is amazing and because it was so quick. I would definitely have had an epi if I hadn't been ready to push at that point.

Glad I found this thread - very cathartic.

No experience myself but my mum had my brother (DC3) with the help of syntocinon drip and they said she was too late to book the epidural after it had gone in. After previously giving birth to me and my other brother (DC1 and DC2) naturally with only gas and air, she said that if DC3 had been her first, she would never have had any more because of the violent pain of the induced contractions!

If they try and put this into me I am DEFINITELY asking for an epidural first!

Lots of people mentioning 'epidurals not working' . If epidurals don't work within 30 minutes then the anaesthetist is supposed to be recalled to resite it. It is in the NICE guideline.

btw.. yes I found it v. painful but not after the epidural worked - didn't feel anything.

Good luck:)

Treats you said 'The MW wouldn't allow an epidural immediately as she said I wasn't dilated enough'

I would complain about her. There are brilliant midwives but I think there are also a minority of sadists. You have ended up really distressed as a result of her wicked unprofessonal behaviour. There is NO reason not to give an epidural even before the synto is given.

GRRR!!!

Hope you are better soon :)

I'm glad I found this thread. I'm now 41+7 and will be admitted to hospital for induction tonight. I've been having regular, very painful contractions(every 8-10 mins) since Wednesday lunch time - 5 days now!!

Went to the labour ward after about 40 hours of agony early Friday morning, just to be told I haven't dilated at all, and was sent home with painkillers.

So now I'm waiting till 8pm when I need to call the ward to check if they even have a bed for me....

Guess they will try with oxytocin first tonight, and if that doesn't do the trick then the prostaglandis. To be honest I'm willing to do anything now to get this baby out!! But I will demand epidural before the drip goes in, judging by your experiences.. I've now managed 5 days with TENS and painkillers and so over this...

Wish they could have induced me when I went to the ward on Friday morning as I was already 41+5, but they apparently didn't have any free beds and refused to admit me.. Would have saved me from further 2 days of agony.

No epidural for me either, fast 5 hour labour, I was first examined 2 hours in and was 9cm dilated, no time left for pain relief, drip went in as everything went from happening to fast to slowing right down, and yes is made things uncomfortable, but probably no more than i can imagine it would have been anyway, considering I had no pain relief x

I had no epidural, but would certainly agree with the above posts.

It is not the level of pain of the (albiet insanely) strong contractions but the fact that the drip is relentlessly turned up and up to ensure that you contract for at least 45 secs every other min, for your whole labor. If you ain't, it's turned up again.

Also, the stuffier, crappier midwives are less likely to help you move around to make it more comfortable. One couldn't even facilitate a trip to the toilet lol. Amazingly the pain completely faded away with the arrival of a fantastic midwife, who made me get up, helped me onto ball, told me to go and sit on toilet for 1/2 an hour every now and again etc.

I lasted 14 hours in active labor after being induced this ghastly way and in that time reached 8cm and was on 96m of syntocyn(ykes!). Sadly the staff then told me that baby got distessed and he was delivered by surgeons knife.

Retrospectively, I wish I'd known that hindwaters re-seal if they go prematurely, cos I really don't think that babba was ready for arrival and that there was any need for this induction at all.