Would like to hear stories from ladies who had cyntocinon drip and managed without epidural!

[bunny85]

Just that really! The more I read, the more I get convinced it's nearly impossible. Someone prove me wrong please! Have to be induced, but really would like to give birth naturally and preferably with no epidural.. Thanks!

I was induced with both my DCs. First time round things started happening about 12hrs after the first gel, at 4am. I was getting mild contractions by 8am, they broke my waters at 9am and I got put on the drip at about mid-day. I took pethedine about 5pm and delivered at 6.10pm. It was painful but not dreadful. DS was back to back which didn't help.

DD was also induced but we had no time for a drip with her, I started getting period type pains at around 4am again, but they were very strong contractions by 6am and she shot out at 100mph after three pushes at 7.15am.

Took a lot of gas and air both times too, ahhhhh, i loved gas and air!!

Best of luck!

I had the drip with DS5. Drip went in at 9pm, 2cm dilated. Started on the gas and air at 12:45am. 1am I was 4cm dilated. 1:30am I was 5cm dilated but baby was brow presenting and in distress so had a spinal and C-section.

I was induced twice with the drip and didn't get an epidural either time. And it turned out, the first time, that I had an overstimulated uterus and was essentially having one massive long contraction with no let up.

First labour was 4.5 hours from first contraction to delivery. Second daughter was 2.5 hours from first contraction to baby. I appreciate I was lucky to have quick labours though. Can't guarantee I wouldn't have had an epidural had they lasted longer.

It was bloody painful but entirely manageable.

Sorry just to add I mainly used hypnobirthing techniques and a little gas and air towards the end of both. :)

My ds I was on the drip, couldn't move off my back as they couldn't get a reading on his heartrate if I moved and he was back to back, only turning as he crowned (midwife confirmed this, his head appeared then he did a full turn!) and I had no pain relief at all. I did only have a 1hr labour though.

DS3 was born one week ago. I had to be induced due to PROM. I had prostin at 11am with no real effect. They decided to start syntocinon at 5pm but didn't get on with it until 6:40. After half an hour there was nothing, it was turned up as planned. I started having some pains and then needed the loo. That was DS making his way out. There was no time for an epidural. He was born at 8:52 pm. The midwife kept the light levels low, talked me through it and I just had gas and air, and for the first time no stitches! I won't lie and deny it was painful but it was my easiest and best birth of the three. And DS3 is so calm and chilled, a result of such a relaxed birth?

Wow! All you ladies are an inspiration! Really really hope I'll be able to add to your (mainly) positive induction stories in 6 weeks time! Meanwhile still hoping the baby will make his appearance naturally just before the induction day! ah, sounds almost too good to be true..

Yes. DS was back to back induced so screaming for epidural when it got going but dd was straightforward- lots of moving round and ball and turning the TENs up to 11 and just as it got to the stage where it stopped being doable and I started trumpeting for an epi, out she came. Tell you what tho: it's a lie about third stage/ placenta being painless! Having had epi with DS and heard the tales of how placenta delivery was a breeze as you're lost in birth euphoria, I felt properly conned when it was bloody hard work and hurt like hell!!

Bunny I found that the pain was manageable on its own, this was DC6 the rest having been spontaneous labours and I honestly didn't feel that it was any worse than any other birth however I do usually have short, intense labours.

I've always found that concentrating on breathing through the contractions meant that I kept some control of the pain, and that by screaming/crying I was giving into it and losing control.

Another one who had syntocinon induction with no epidural for DS1. Didn't use any particular coping strategy and intended to have epidural but by the time the pain got bad enough to ask for one I was fully dilated when midwife examined me, so she said too late. Had gas and air for (long!) pushing stage (and for stitching up afterwards) and found it really good. Just gas and air for subsequent three deliveries too (but no syntocinon for those)

I had an induced birth with syntocinon here too. Just gas & air, including for a few stitches afterwards. Absolutely fine - great birth and no real pain. Would do it again in a flash. Good luck & enjoy your little one xxxx

I had a drip with DS to get things moving as I was teetering on the edge of full labour but had been 3cm for a while and waters had gone the day before. Drip put in at about 10am, went into second stage and wanting to push at midday, DS born at 1.34pm. No pain relief as she said I wasn't using the gas and air properly so she took it off me.

DD came so fast she was almost born in the car park! Nothing with her either.

Hope it goes as well for you. Xx

I was induced with DD 8 weeks ago. Put on the drip at 10am and she was born at 4.30pm. To be honest, although it was a quick labour I found it incredibly difficult. The contractions became impossible to cope with after less than an hour and they made me vomit. I had done hypbobirthing too and I found the visualisations helpful but only up to a point - I'd still recommend it though. I asked for pain relief at 11am and was given a heatpack, did nothing, then gas and air but the mw didn't show me how to use it properly so I threw it in the floor in a rage haha. I was begging for an epidural but was held off for a while and by the time they agreed to call the anaesthetist she was in surgery. This was about 11.30 and midwife 1 handed me over to midwife 2 and told her I was 3cm. I then felt the need to go to the toilet and so midwife 2 took me and seemed confused about how beside myself with pain I was - I was screaming in the hall at this point. She examined me again and I was fully dilated. I went from 0-10 in just a couple of hours! So I was too late for pain relief and I had to give birth in my back on monitors because DD was in distress. I found the whole thing quite traumatic but DD was fine.

If I had my time again, I would have requested the epi earlier and would have been clear from the outset that I was likely to request one (i told them I was going to try and do it without drugs). Is also request to be examined at regular intervals because I think the midwives thought ideas just getting started - and making a big fuss - when I was actually in transition. In the plus side though I recovered quickly and at least it was over with in one hard day! Best of luck to you - remember that everyone is different! You could sail through without pain relief or you could find it impossible without. You need to be open minded going into it x

DD was back to back, v slow labour, irregular contractions. The "cascade of interventions" was started with breaking my waters to see if it would get me going. It didn't. Was put on the drip about 4pm, had been in labour for over 24 hours at that point, been stuck at 5cm from 6am. Drip was turned up and up. Was on max dose by about 6pm. Got to 10cm, pushed for 2 hours. DD turned halfway round, got stuck in a transverse position, went nowhere. Ventouse failed. Crash section called, DD out at 11pm.

All done on tens, g&a and a shot of diamorphine (and a spinal for the cs itself). Laboured kneeling over the back of the bed for most of it. Pain was totally manageable, wouldn't have the diamorphine next time, it made me really sleepy.

The drip isn't ideal, but it's not a complete disaster either. Good luck!

I had an induction with DS and natural labour with DD. both felt exactly the same pain wise and I pretty much managed without pain relief for both.

I found a TENS machine really good for the early stages of the induction but my labour moved too quickly with DD for it to be of use. I found gas and air a faff and found it much better to go into my own 'zone' and breathe through each contraction.

Best of luck to you if you have an induction, it's definitely possible not to have an epidural if you really don't want one.

Thank you all, some absolutely amazing and inspiring stories here! Honestly I was sure I might get 4-5 replies if that! Didn't think it was possible at all, now I see that even though it's absolutely unpredictable what will happen on the day and what the pain will be like, sounds like induction is definitely not a guaranteed torture chamber as I imagined it to be.

Also saw my consultants yesterday and they said they might even let me go until my due day, so there's still a chance that maybe it can all happen naturally before that (slim chance though as first birth for me, but fingers and toes and everything tightly crossed!..)

I had a induction with dd1 which lasted three days. It was exhausting and painful but i coped with gas and air and pethedine.
It wasn't the best feeling in the world but i had dd2 a couple of weeks ago and had just gas and air, so it didn't traumatise me too much.
Good luck with your labour, you will do great!

I had cyntocinon at 4cm dilated and managed to get to 7cm on paracetamol and breathing. The breathing was key because I counted how many slow inhales until the contractions stopped. It was always 12 breaths. Around number 8 was the worst pain and I just told myself "4 more to go!" And every time the pain suddenly went completely on breath 12.

I then went onto gas and air and vaguely remember they took it away when I was fully dilated and pushing for a few hours until forceps were needed. At that point I had a spinal block and speedy delivery for distressed baby.

It is doable. But don't feel bad if you need more than you hoped. I was always going to have a water birth and didn't experience it with any of my births.

Another one with a three-day induction here, no epidural. It was totally fine, once I was classified as being in active labour it took 2hr 45 min, 3 pushes and she was out. She was back to back.

Unfortunately as I'd been braced for a lot more pain, I was 10cm dilated and holding her in for an hour before I finally said "I think I need a poo, it's a bit sore" and they had a look and told me it was my baby rather than a poo

I loved my labour. Was able to stay active, no continuous monitoring even on the drip.

I was inducded with DS and had no pain relief at all. It was hugely intense and fairly quick (4hrs).

I would say though that if, when you are in the midst of it, you want pain relief.have it. There are no points for going pain relief free and what you need is healthy you and baby.

I was induced with drip with my eldest, contractions were not registering on monitor, long story short my daughter was crowning before they believed me that things were progressing. I had nothing until then when I was allowed gas and air. Induced the second time with AROM, third was SROM after long latent phases. You CAN do drip without epi, you need to stay calm and I found telling myself 'it will only hurt more if I tense' and looking at each contraction as one closer to holding baby helped.

I managed without, but only because I screamed the place down with each contraction I did request some kind of pain relief after a couple of hours and was going to get a drip (paracetamol?) but then I had the urge to push and never got it.

I am surprised some here say the dose can be adjusted, I had massive contractions every three minutes as soon as I was put on the drip, but no-one seemed to think that was a bit much.

I was on the drip for 17 hours, many of them at the maximum level. The only pain relief I had was paracetamol and gas and air at the end.

I spent the whole of my labour walking around or on the birthing ball. It was painful but as I was induced, I wanted to feel the contractions. Was never unbearable though.

I have been induced and did need the epidural, but it was a great epidural. I could still move my legs (although I didn't try out walking) and I could still feel the contractions, they just didn't hurt as much.. The midwives were very keen to keep me on the birthing ball as long as possible as I wanted, until I needed a scalp monitor on the baby and did need to stay on the bed.

"chances for a c section are greatly increased by being induced"

Just wanted to reassure you that this statement from above is wrong. Induction after 41 weeks is actually associated with a reduced risk of a section.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.12328/abstract;jsessionid=D5555E6C6F54ACE983C5FECFBC786653.d03t03

I've had three labours induced with a drip. With DC1 I had en epidural for last three hours, but turned off before pushing. Honestly, it was great - I had been in labour for over 24 hours and had not slept the 24 hours before that: I was physically at the end of my strength. For the next two, I did it without epidural, but active labour was much shorter and I was well rested. In both cases I had 20 minutes of pure hell - at which point I insisted they turn the drip off (since too late for Epi) which made a massive difference. The remaining 30-45 minutes were fine.

I actually 'liked' all my births, even the first one, where - because of the excellent epidural management - I got to feel and 'do' the pushing. From the second and third births though, I do know that the pain on a drip can be hugely intense. I'm not sure I would have wanted/been able to cope with it for a longer 'first' birth.