Anyone tried syntocin induced birth without epi? Is it worth a go or just go straight for pain relief?

[fanjobiscuits]

Induction looming and thinking ahead to choices if I get to that stage. Any experiences very much appreciated!

[CarpeVinum]

Oh I think I know where !

I don't live there now. I found a massive cascina for sale for less than the value of pur teeny flat in the next region down, now immersed in Parco Ticino..... and mosquitoes the size of helicopters. We have our very own "delito di X place" and "Fake Holy Magic Healing Water One Summer Madness" just to make the place sound even more attractive.

Won't be having any babies here either. Not from the horror stories I have heard at the neatest service point to my house.

Mind you, at 45 it's a bit academic now. And we couldn't afford a second anyway. Not if things went a bit bent. All nonni dead or ... not here. It's just us, whatever happens.

I should have stayed in Mangiagalli, they had pain relief, but the primario felt "forrin" types weren't worth talking to and "visited" me in front of a swathe of students without so much as a by your leave ....let alone any hint he was about to do a non consensual James Herroit impression. So I winced and waddled my way out about ten seconds after I located my knickers. Talk about frying pan to fire.

I'll have more children when a) I win the lottery and b) they sell them pre cooked in the supermarket. I am a bugger for getting all emotional over (other people's) newborns though. They are just so tiny and special smelling.

[SignoraStronza]

CarpeVinum You lived quite near me then. I was in the town beginning L with a Castle, an annual Palio and a scrubby, mozzie-infested Parco Sempione. Ex refused point blank to go anywhere near the tangienzale di Milano so had to go to the the local hospital. Chief mw was a bitch and the bright orange head gynae's first words were 'Ciao belle donne con pancione' during the familiarisation visit. All the staff used to wet their knickers with excitement when he swanned down to the ward. twat.

[TarkaTheOtter]

Just wanted to add that I had an epidural, had no catheter and was up walking within an hour of giving birth. Modern epidurals can be very light touch.

[chestnut100]

I had the epi just before they hooked me up to the drip on the advice of the consultant. She was a really fantastic lady who told me that it would be brutal without the epi, and that she had seen many women traumatised, scared, and the whole birth experience ruined by going without. Once I had it, I was about 4 hours to delivery, during which time I slept/chatted etc. I could still feel to push. Was wonderful

My second labour was 0-100 in under an hour with no pain relief. I would chose the epi any day!

[Twinklestarstwinklestars]

I've also had 2 pessary deliveries and 1 Syntocin and I didn't think they were that different pain wise but I labour fast

[Twinklestarstwinklestars]

Me 2 weeks ago! I started with no pain relief then verged on epidural but tried gas and air which worked fine but I was only in labour 25 mins, so glad I didn't have an epidural though. They must have expected me to have one as they said have the anaesthetist on standby!

[BeaWheesht]

I've had 2 induced births - I had a failed epi with ds (dc1) and didn't try for one with dd. I was in labour for 6 hours each time. Ds labour was fine, dd's was very painful but she was over 9lb and back to back so that was the reason more than anything else.

I wouldn't recommend just getting an epi as a matter of course.

[vix206]

I went 15 days over with no sign of baby wanting to be born so they induced me. Just gas and air, nothing else. I begged for something else but they wouldn't give me anything. It took 16 hours and it was sheer torture. Barbarism.

Obviously every birth is different but I definitely would not recommend it.

It's taken almost 4 years for me to have the courage to have another baby and I'm still terrified of giving birth!

[lozster]

Useful thread for me. I'm booked in for induction on 24th when I'll be 39 weeks. This is on account of me being ancient and the baby being already on the edge in terms of size of what can be delivered. Feel this is all just a bit of a charade to avoid a planned section as have been assured I won't be left 'too long'. Not feeling to positive about all this but my take out from this thread is get an epi!

[louisianablue2000]

I've been induced twice for DC1 and DC3, DC2 was a natural birth. I can't say I found the drip made much of a difference to the pain levels, I used a TENS machine and G&A for all three, although admittedly DC3 came so quickly I only used the G&A for about 3 contractions and it completely killed the pain. I love G&A so much!

I would say see how you go and use a TENS machine and G&A and pethidine first rather than going straight for an epidural. I was able to get up and use the toilet an hour or so after having DC3, if I'd had an epidural I'd have been bedbound with a catheter in. I know which I'd rather if there was a choice.

[Sleepwhenidie]

I had first two DC's naturally (ie not induced) without any pain relief. DS2 was induced at 37 weeks, pessaries did not work so they broke my waters and put me on the drip. Told me to give it a go, that my body should know what to do once labour kicked off because of previous labours...then they would be able to turn the drip off. Except no one told the midwife this and she kept turning it up even when I was well into established labour.

Like earlier poster, the feeling of loss of any kind of control was terrible, the contractions were fast, strong and unrelenting, very different to the ebb and flow of my natural labours. By then I was begging for an epidural but was in such a state I couldn't keep still enough, DS2 was born shortly after and I remember thinking that at least I got through it without the epidural - except I then had to have a spinal block anyway because my placenta didn't detach .

So I also say to get the epidural, especially for first baby...

Good luck!

[munchkinmaster]

I was put on syntocin but actually my waters had not broken properly. This meant I felt no pain (but neither was it working). It was only the absence of pain which made them investigate my waters more so if I had had the epidural at the same time we'd never have known anything was wrong. Also meant that I was on a stupid high dose by the time my waters broke and so went straight into crazy labour from nothing.

I have to say this thread has helped as I have always felt a bit of a wimp re taking the epidural later.

[Twunk]

I was induced (waters broken, put on drip) with syntocin. I had no pain relief at all - none. No G&A available in Dutch hospitals. Plus they kept turning the drip up! I asked for the only pain relief offered which was pethidine but unfortunately I was 8cm by that time and it couldn't be done.

It was a very intense and very fast labour. DS had the cord round his neck so pushing took a while (eventually had an episiotomy).

All I all, I recommend an epidural.

On the plus side, I recovered quickly

[taten]

I have been induced with both my children and never felt out of control. I had the same experience as Tarkatheotter I'm so glad I had the epi. Once they put it in I fell asleep for two hours, woke up when I felt dd1 moving down. They had the drip turned up pretty high and I found it quite painful and I vomited on gas and air!
With ds I had no drip, and only two codeine tablets for pain relief, he was delivered in two pushes..

[CarpeVinum]

SignoraStronza

Oh yes.

Expect I was in a major city, well, almost, just a few hundred meters from the edge of Milan proper. Curse you Sesto S.G. and your bastard "natural suffering is good for the soul baby" philosophy.

[Thinkingof4]

I was induced with drip for ds1 and didn't have epidural. I had tens, and morphine injection. I became hypertonic on lowest possible dose, at this point mw had just gone for tea break so I was having continual contractions without a break for about 30 minutes. They switched drip off when she came back and ds arrived a while later ( not sure how long exactly, but entire labour was only 8 hours so pretty quick)
I'm about to be induced for dc4 tomorrow and really hoping they can just break my waters and that I'll labour after that.
I was also induced with ds2, with him I just needed pessary which worked really quickly and he was born in about 7 hours.
Ds3 was spontaneous labour, 3 hours or so and so I was hoping to avoid another induction!
However I'm term plus 13 tomorrow, and I'm not taking the risk of something happening to baby which is why I'm accepting induction

Good luck op

[SignoraStronza]

CarpeVinum I think we gave birth in the same country. Would an epidural have meant travel to a major city, a prebooked anaesthetist and minimum €600 cash in a brown envelope? Is entonox unheard of? Must woman suffer for the sins of Eve? Will your husband leave you if you so much as keep an extra 1 kilo post partum? Does your breastmilk go 'bad' after six months?

No wonder most families consist of one child.

OP, you'd be bonkers to consider the drip without pain relief - childbirth ceases to be 'natural' after one of those things is stuck in you, whatever the healthcare professionals may say.

[PigeonPie]

I did with DS1. It was brutal but worked; epi wasn't an option for me - it was either that or GA and c-section so I got on with it using just gas& air.

I would say my position helped, I was on my knees propping myself up on the back of the bed and with DH's support. I could hardly move afterwards but that's because of my physical condition rather than anything else.

DS2's delivery was much better and extremely quick.

[CoolaSchmoola]

I had syntocin with my first after pessaries did nothing. Pain relief was two paracetamol and gas and air, I was far too quick to have an epidural.

Drip started at 9am, nothing, increased hourly, still nothing. 12pm increased again and I didn't get any lunch as I went from 2cm with just mild twinges at 12.20pm to delivery at 1.01pm.

Syntocin doesn't automatically mean long labour. I was in active labour (the point where you can actually have an epidural) for 41 minutes.

[tobiasfunke]

I did- because no-one suggested otherwise although in hindsight they kept asking me before it was put in what I wanted for pain relief.
It was 3 hours of one long contraction that never stopped. I was in so much pain I couldn't speak so midwife basically told me to have an epi.
Got the epi which was bliss and then 10 minutes later they had to get ds out by emergency forceps as his heartbeat disappeared. So I think the pain was partially syntocin and partially that I went from 2cm to 10cm in 3 hours. They gave me the epi so late because they didn't bother to check how far dilated I was as it was my first. (and their stupid machine told then my contractions were rubbish.).
Afterwards the senior midwife told me she wondered how long it would be before I got one as nearly everyone on the drip ends up with one as it's so painful. I wish someone had told me that before hand.

[ZingWidge]

syntocin induced labour without an epidural is unfair.

your body is supposed to cope with contractions brought on naturally, but there's no way it can cope efficiently with the effects of artificial drugs!

I would strongly advise you to have an epidural if induced.

I had 6 kids. I know pain

[bico]

I had it without an epidural. Unbelievably painful. It was one of the reasons that ds is an only child. I was on it for 10 hours and they increased the dose so the midwife could deliver ds before her shift finished.

[kittencuddles]

I had the drip with no epi, just gas and air when they got really intense. BUT I was already 10cm when they put me on it I just wasn't having strong contractions naturally.

I did use my DH though for lots of back rubs etc which helped a lot. Also, make sure you drink plenty as it can make you dehydrated.

[marzipananimal]

You could ask for expectant management instead of being induced at 42 weeks. Personally I wouldn't go on the drip without an epidural but you might cope fine so could take a wait and see approach. Bear in mind that you need an anaesthetist available so if it's quite busy make sure you ask sooner rather than later

[CarpeVinum]

I didn't have a drip. I actually have no idea what was used, but it was a pessary.

The hospital had a "no pain relief" policy.

I have one child.