Does induction often result in a c-section?

[lilly13]

Could you please briefly share your stories if you were induced? I am 38+ weeks and my doctor believes that my baby's growth has stopped (baby is measuring on the smaller side) and told me to be prepared for an induction soon... I have been quite set on the natural birth for a long time, and am now totally devastated... I am wondering if an induction often results in a c-section, maybe it is best to elect it straight away to avoid putting the baby in a potential distress?

It didnt for me.

I was induced, the gels did nothing so I had to wait to have my waters broken and be put on the drip. DS was born 5 hours after my waters were broken.

I only used G and A, the midwife did say if I had had an epidural I may have needed a c section but that was because he was back to back and didnt turn so got a bit stuck!

It can do, but not necessarily. Rates of cs are increased with induction, especially pre-term. They vary from hospital to hospital but can be around 50%. Can you find out your hospital's statistics?

Just be prepared for anything. I've been induced, and my top tip is to take lots of books and magazines because you could be waiting around with nothing happening for hours.

You may well need an epidural because induced contractions are usually stronger and harder than natural ones, and there is no slow build-up. In repsonse to Sirzy's comment "the midwife did say if I had had an epidural I may have needed a c section...", epidurals do not increase the risk of cs, so don't worry about that.

thank you very much for your comments! will keep an open mind.

2 of my 5 pregnancies ended in me being induced. One was at 37 weeks and the other was on my due date. I didn't need a c section with either of them neither did I have an epidural with either of them.

Hi lilly13
I was induced with ds2 at 39.1wks.
I did have the epidural, but not the full dose. When I asked for it, they told me he'd be here before it had time to kick in. That's what they told me with ds1, but I was still pushing an hour and half after I'd asked forit, so wasn't taking any of that with ds2, but turns out she was right!
I ended up on a drip to get labour going. They had, over the space of 12 hours, inserted 3 gel capsules, and countless attempts at breaking waters.

Goodluck

I have been induced twice with no c section. One was two days before due date and the other was at 38 weeks. Had epidural both times as personally found the pains came on two fast to cope (just had gas and air with first dd who wasn't induced).
Interestingly my nhs trust have reduced the dose on the drip inbetween my two inductions to reduce c sections. Meant that it took quite a bit longer to get ds out this time!
Best of luck whatever happens and important thing is that you are both safe.

i was induced with all 3 dc and didnt have a c section. I was close to it with dc2 but thats because the induction took a while to get going. At that time they could only give you 3 pessaries (was 6 years ago - dont know how it works now) and if i hadnt dilated after the 3rd one then i'd have gone for c section. But i was 2cm so the vaginal labour went ahead. I had an epidural with dc1 but only G&A and TENS with the other 2.

Think you're right to keep an open mind. And the most important result is that you and baby are healthy so if you have a c section then keep this in mind.

Good luck

thank you so much for sharing your stories with me! these are really helpful and reassuring. wishing you all good pregnancies!

Hope all goes well lilly13.

If you can avoid an epidural once induced you're less likely to need a c-section. Try and have a mobile epidural if you do need one, as the reason for 'failure to progress' most of the time is lack of mobility during labour not allowing the baby to get in the correct position for birth.

You can get to 10cm but if the baby is not positioned favourably you'll probably end up in theatre. The problem is once you've had induction drugs there is a time limit in which the baby has to be delivered. As the contractions are much stronger and closer together, the placental blood supply is much more constricted in comparison to natural contractions. This often leads to the baby's blood becoming acidotic (fetal distress) as the baby's blood is not changed between contractions. Then a section becomes necessary.

Try reading any Jean Sutton or Penny Simkin for positions to use in labour? One intervention can lead to a cascade of interventions, but if you try and help keep things as 'natural' after the induction, then you've a great chance of delivering vaginally. Wishing you all the best x

Oh BTW I had a 6 hour labour after being induced, normal straight forward delivery x

Hi TheNewShmoo, thanks very much for your response. This makes sense. Will try my best!

Thenewshmmoo you wrote "If you can avoid an epidural once induced you're less likely to need a c-section"

This actually isn't true - neither the Cochrane Review nor NICE found that epidurals cause an increase in c/s. Induction drugs can make labour traumatisingly painful for SOME women (not all - depends on a variety of factors).

RoyaL College of Obstet & Gyn have a guideline on induction - rather heavy reading but worth it if you want to be fully informed
www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/12012/41255/41255.pdf

Good luck

Sorry - meant to add that the reason women shouldn't be discouraged from epidurals is that induction drugs can make labour more painful - wans't trying to scare anyone!

I was induced, didn't have an epidural for 9 excrutiating hours (but was on antibiotic drip due to Premature Rupture of Membranes and infections), then got an epidural for the next 15 hours which ended in C-section due to malposition (DTA). It was a nightmare.

I cant remember the exact statistic but it is over 50%.

I was induced with DD1, cervix was very high still - I was nowhere near going into labour spontaneously. I had 2 gels and 12 hours after the first gel DD1 was born - no epidural, 20mins pushing. I was only monitored for 20mins after they put each gel in, otherwise it was as though it was a 'normal' labour.

Ushy- epidurals don't make a c-section necessary but can increase it's likelihood- check out your hospital stats to see what is the case for your local. Sorry if it what I said came across this way.

Reduced mobility and birthing against gravity makes contractions less effective- which is the main problem with epidurals. If the baby's head is not pushing down against the cervix helping it to dilate, needless to say you will have be having painful and ineffective contractions. A bit like trying to get out through a wall and missing the door. This coupled with induced contractions, which as Ushy said, are much stronger, may in some cases can lead to the baby's blood becoming acidotic if baby is not making good progress on the journey out (it's a pretty difficult journey out twisting through the pelvic outlet).

I understand the need for an epidural given the intensity of induced contractions, but you need to know what having one entails. Your rhombus moves by about 3cm during the second stage to make more space for the baby to descend. That is a lot more room! With an epidural the rhombus may not be able to move if its nerve supply is unable to function. 'Instead of 16cm outlet, the baby who is probably in a bad position anyway, must try and get out through 13cm' (Jean Sutton).

Hope I'm helping Lilly13! Better to be armed with all the info so you can make informed choices on the day. You'll be fine x

I didn't have one but I was close to them saying I should have one (was pushing for hours and very exhausted).

Inductions often lead to epidurals, and epidurals often make it harder to be mobile and to know when to push effectively.

That said I know lots of people who had inductions and epidurals and had a "natural" birth, although in many cases assisted by forceps/ventouse.

PS definitely no need to elect for a CS without even trying induction ...

PPS if you do need an induction, don't panic. Mine was fine - I know you hear lots of horror stories but it isn't necessarily going to be a terrible experience. Going into it with an open mind will help you through. I had planned to have DD at home and then had to be induced at 40+ 1 because she had lost most of her fluid. It was fine, so much so that I am opting to have DC2 in hospital in october rather than at home (hope for midwife led waterbirth though if I need more intervention I know it won't be the end of the world).

Just wanted to add, I had an induction with dd2, had 2 gels, was mobile the whole time, had g&a, no further interventions, 15 mins of monitoring. Labour began in earnest at 4.15pm, dd2 born at 6.40pm, gave birth kneeling at side of bed. Have had 3dds, the "induction" birth was the one I feel was the easiest, well easy is the wrong word but you know what I mean, good luck.

i was induced at 38 weeks.

I had 2 gels, drips and epidural. After 30 hours, started pushing before been rushed for an ecs as DS was back to back and in distress.

Don't worry, I would have been able to have a normal birth if he would have been positioned properly.

Thank you very much for all of your responses! Wishing you all terrific pregnancies!

I have been induced 3 times for different reasons, 1st was pre eclampsia, 2nd was rising bp and 3rd was concerns over babies size. Epidurals with all 3 of them. First 2 were normal vaginal deliveries, my 3rd did end up in a emergency CS but that was nothing to do with induction, would ahve happened anyway - he was big and got stuck in my pelvis, eventually he was born with forceps during the c section he was so stuck, 9 lbs 13 oz at 38 weeks as well!

I was induced at 38 weeks with DD. I was borderline pre-eclampsia and was leaking fluid. One set of gels did the trick although they did break my waters once the gel had got things going. 9 hours later DD arrived after 40 min of pushing. I think things would have gone quicker had I remembered to pee while labouring - I got to the point where I had been holding it for so long I couldn't go and had to be catheterised but then I went from 6cm to 10cm in 20min and shocked the hell out of the MW! No epidural, no drip and only one dose of diamorphine - I think that I really only needed that cause I needed to pee so badly but couldn't tell that feeling apart from everything else that was going on.

Moral of the story - don't forget to pee!!