Getting induced with pitocin drip - are they supposed to do this?

[SarahScot]

Seeing my consultant next Monday to go over my last labour (next one only a few weeks away - eek!)

I was induced with the pitocin drip, no pessary or anything beforehand - apparently I didn't need it? Also, waters weren't broken as they tried and tried and couldn't do it.

When I was on the drip the midwive turned it up once every 30 to 40 minutes. During this time she didn't check me even once to see how I was dilating etc. I kept telling her it was going too fast, I wanted an epidural, couldn't handle it etc. Each time she looked at the monitor and told me that my contractions were weak and barely registering so she could tell I wasn't progressing quickly. After 3 hours of this she finally (grudgingly) agreed to check me to shut me up to see how dilated I was. Surprisingly - not - I was 10cm and told to push.

Surely when someone is progressing SO quickly the drip should be turned down or turned off? My entire labour took 3.5 hrs from first contraction to DS being born. I tore badly and it took a long time to heal properly.

What still makes me angry is that she didn't listen to me at all when I said it was going fast. She went entirely by what the monitor said. I've since been told that the monitors aren't a good indicator of contraction strength. Mine certainly can't have been as accoridng to the MW I was barely even in labour!

Does anyone know any more about this? I don't want to go and say all this to the consultant just to be told that I have misunderstood the entire process and the MW was doing everything by the book.

Poor you, that sounds really traumatic. We really need to feel listened to when in such a vulnerable position.
Sorry I don't know much about induction (might know more after Friday , but I do know that those monitor things can be adjusted, and different midwives like to see different settings on them. Someone explained it to me on Thursday when I was in having a trace. She liked to used 'certain lines' on the trace printout thing, so it sounds like it would be possible for contractions not to measure as strong as they are, if a certain bit is turned down.

I hope you get some answers.

I was induced with Synto drip, no pessary or anything, at 36 weeks and I know it was turned up every 30 minutes until I was on the maximum dose. I assumed they did this when it was more of a rush job and they didn't want to wait over night for the pessary to work. I wasn't allowed an epidural but most people, including hcp, I have spoken to seem to think an epidural is often a must with the evil drip! Good luck with your next labour

That sounds terrible. I was induced, but went through all of the methods. I wish I had stuck to my guns and had an epidural before the drip was put up - my consultant agreed to this but the MW persuaded me not to. Once I had the drip the MW stayed the whole time. I think the monitor depends on where it is positioned and how it is calibrated - so you can turn it up to be more sensitive. I had the drip increased but slower than normal apparently as the MW said I wasn't tolerating it well - I don't know what that means. My labour took about 7 hours from the drip being put up. DD was born at 6pm and the consultant popped her head in the next morning and was a bit surprised that DD had arrived, so perhaps 3.5 hours is really fast. I tore badly and took months to heal so I will be having a CS for any future babies.

I was induced (no pessary, but I was already dilated) and there were veritable mountains on the printout and the drip was cranked up to full. As for me, I was sitting bored as anything on the ball, and later slept. Barely felt a thing from the contractions although I could feel them. They did nothing at all, because I couldn't dilate due to scar tissue. 10 hours of this and they called it a day and I had a c-section.

Which does rather prove how little that chart machine thingy means. I should have been squealing on the floor with what it was registering but they weren't much up on Braxton Hicks.

I'm sorry you had such an awful experience :(

Judging by the comments here I wonder if there is a link between induction and bad tearing?

Cant comment on your OP, but generally syntocinon is increased every 30minutes until you are getting approx 4 contractions every 10 mins.
This may take a bit of juggling to get there - turning it up or down a few times.
You need to monitor both mum and baby to ensure - firstly that baby is coping with the contractions and secondly that mum isnt over contracting. (and also that you are contracting enough)
The toco - that is used to monitor contractions is only a button - it varies depending on where it is placed on the stomach.
The midwife can palpate contractions more accurately using her hand placed at the top of the uterus, feeling where the contraction is felt most intensly and then putting the toco in that spot.

Thanks Alimat1.

My contractions were 1 minute apart almost from the very beginning so the drip probably didn't warrant being turned up.

I'm starting to think that my MW just wanted it all over and done with quickly for her own benefit.

I didn't have a pessary. My waters were broken but apparently it was easy as my cervix was ripe (a phrase I hate).

My contractions were fairly regular right from the beginning and progressed quickly. TBH it did then stall as ds was back to back so it took ages to get from 3-10cm.

However, my tear was fairly minor and I didn't have an epidural. Not because I didn't ask though!

sarahscot your labour sounds immensely painful and quite traumatic. Could you ask to speak to the supervisor of midwives?

I had an induction with synto drip but only after pessary and ARM. It was so painful and I remember being told that the drip was on quite high and I really wished it would be turned down as like you it felt far too quick. I think it was about 6 hours from insertion of drip to my DD being born.