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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

anyone ever chosen c-sec over serratonin drip induction?

45 replies

widgetsmummy · 23/01/2008 11:23

sorry if my spelling is off!

am wondering if anyone ever done this/been allowed to do this?

drip induction sounds horrible - ups liklihood of epidural and c-sec anyway so why go through the extra pain and exhaustion?

any thoughts?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 23/01/2008 11:24

no one can force you to be induced.

i've not faced this myself, but am bumping in case someone has.

carmenelectra · 23/01/2008 11:30

Think you would be mad widget!Ok you are at increased risk of Cs but doesnt mean you will have one.

may not necessarily need drip. I dont know your particular situation or if you have had a baby before, but you wouldnt be 'started off' with the drip.

You would be assessed internally and given a prostin pessary, unless they were able to break your waters, in which case they would probably do that to get you going. If the prostin works(you may be given more than one pessary) then you may go into labour or they may then find it easier to break your waters. That might be all you need. The syntocinon drip would come much later, if you are not having regular contractions.

Im sure it wont be as bad as you think!

ScarlettOHairy · 23/01/2008 11:31

I was drip-induced and yes, it was a horrible experience. However, this was in Portugal and with no pain relief available. I would try to avoid being induced again, BUT wouldn't choose a c-section over it, because the recovery time is so much shorter than a c-sec.

fishie · 23/01/2008 11:35

i had a drip induction without an epidural which ended in a cs (my waters broke, i had no contractions and the pessaries didn't work). don't know why i never went into labour, perhaps i never would have done but i was very far from visualising opening like a flower! i think if i'd had proper pain relief it might ahve been different. was a bit cross to have gone through all that for nothing, but mainly relief to get it over with.

witchandchips · 23/01/2008 11:38

i started off with prostin and then had the whole caboodle (breaking waters, drip etc. etc) before consultant would admit that lo was not going to come out through my lady bottom. 24 hours of no progress at 5 cm is not pleasent!
So you might want to talk through various scenarios to avoid something like this.

Original poster
widgetsmummy · 23/01/2008 11:48

was thinking of attempting prostin first but then if nothing starts skipping to c-sec rather than going for the drip.

don't know how much persuading the med staff will need though...

OP posts:
Squiffy · 23/01/2008 12:02

I had the drip because I had been labouring for 48 hours after waters broke

Was a truly horrible experience - you have to decide on an epidural before the drip goes in otherwise it all happens too fast and you end up too late for any pain relief, my experience was that I had no pain relief, no breaks between contractions at all (not even a single second), I ended up in stirrups having a slanging match with the midwife because after 48 hours labouring and then 2 and a half hours of solid contractions, my muscles refused to respond and my body basically gave up. My DS was born naturally, but the strian of labour meant that my pelvic floor partially collapsed, I was double-incontinent for 6 months, and had to have electric therapy where the sun don't shine. Had to have an elective CS the second time I gave birth because of the damage done first time round.

So anyway, I see where you're coming from widgetsmummy

I would thoroughly recommend that you demand a CS if you are in this position but I have no idea if anyone will let you. I suspect not....

Karen999 · 23/01/2008 12:13

I was induced with dd1 - taken in on Saturday evening, had two lots of gel and then the drip. They broke my waters on Monday night....had to have emergency C section on Tuesday morning.

When I got pregnant with dd2 I told my MW that under no circs did I want to be induced...ever!

I told her that I wanted to either go into labour myself or if not have elective. As it turns out I opted for elective as baby was lying across the way at 38 weeks!

You can refuse to be induced...I did and in the end ended up with the most fantastic experience.

Original poster
widgetsmummy · 23/01/2008 12:13

gosh squiffy - sometimes I wonder why we ask these questions!

glad you and both LOs are ok now

OP posts:
yogimum · 23/01/2008 12:19

Yes I did. I was showing signs of an infection and my waters broke four days earlier. Because of my fibroids I didn't want to end up with an emergency c-section in case they were accidently cut.

carmenelectra · 23/01/2008 12:33

Widget is it your first and why are you being induced?

Original poster
widgetsmummy · 23/01/2008 12:45

first baby and at the moment only 37 not overdue but am thinking about it incase I do go over.

at the mo no other medical reasons would be involved - just overde-ness

OP posts:
ruddynorah · 23/01/2008 12:50

just to counteract that horrific birth story..yikes.. i had the drip to speed things up after labouring 26 hours after waters had gone. i refused an epidural and got through it fine, with gas and air, very peaceful. only maybe 5 pushes. dd was born bright and alert, straight on the breast etc. all very nice. so it isn't always horrific

carmenelectra · 23/01/2008 13:07

Widget,

Stop worrying! You havent even gone over yet so it might not even happen! Keep as active as you can to encourage decent of the babys head and hope that you dont go overdue.

If you do, i would again, encourage you to reamain as upright as you can during labour to get effective contractons and hopefully not need the drip!

And remember ther are many postive induction stories like ruddynorah!

I understand how you feel. I really would not like an induction either, more for the fear of having a CS though.
I was meant to be induced with ds2 but thankfully a 'sweep' was enough to get me into labour.

Also remember, that it doesnt have to agonty either. Dont be afraid to ask for pain relief, whether you are induced or not! it doesnt have to be the ordeal you are imagining. I work in maternity and i do see many successful inductions.

CayKon · 23/01/2008 13:07

I was induced with my 1st due to being overdue and pre eclampsia, 2 lots of gel and waters broke, contractions were slow so used a drip. I didnt get a choice they just did an epidural as well. After that didnt feel anything had natural birth and went home next day.
I would have been in hospital for days with a c section probably still in pain for a while after. I wouldnt opt for major surgery over a drip and edpidural unless there was a really good medical reason.

NatalieJane · 23/01/2008 13:23

I have been induced twice and wouldn't mind being induced again if needs must.

I would run for the hills, whilst in active labour, before I let anyone near me with even a thought of a c/s, unless it was 1000000% neccessary for the health of the baby or me.

I think the thought of either labour or being induced is far worse than the actual act, most of the time.

Labouring is the most natural thing in the world, and no matter how much we tell ourselves we can't cope or we can't do it, the fact is we do cope and we can do it.

Major surgery should be kept as a back up if something goes wrong, not as an alternitive to pain, IMO.

carmenelectra · 23/01/2008 13:25

Absolutely natalie!

The thought of an operation you dont need widget is far worse.

NatalieJane · 23/01/2008 13:25

So sorry have just read that through and realised how blardy bosy it sounds, of course not everyone thinks the same, but that is my opinion.

I am poorly so am v. grumpy at the moment.

You will find that things will work out, they always do

sagitta · 23/01/2008 13:26

I had more or less same as CayKon - nothing happened naturally for me, but I def would go for induction/epidural again instead of CS. Also, if its your first, you may want more dcs and you may want VB next time, which I think gets harder with each CS you have...

redadmiral · 23/01/2008 13:34

I think it might be worth considering if the baby's head is still high/not engaged and you are overdue. Then there is only 20% chance of a vaginal delivery, I believe.

carmenelectra · 23/01/2008 13:38

Think if head not engaged at full term and its your first baby then you need to look at why and can anything be done to encourage head to descent, because induction would have more chance of failing then

Hulababy · 23/01/2008 13:46

Thing is you have no idea how your labour will be if you are induced or not, and there will be good and bad stories for all situations.

My own is not a good experience. Failed induction, so 50 hours later a c section. I will never agree to induction again as it was, for me, horrndous and didn't help me at all. My c section was a very positive experience, lovely it was - so I did have a very happy ending.

However others have good experiences.

Talk your worries through with your MW.

margoandjerry · 23/01/2008 13:52

My waters broke but no labour one month before term. I refused to be induced as I was certain it's what caused my sister's fourth degree tear and one month before term seemed like a real standing start iykwim. I was 90% certain I wanted an EC anyway. Had what was effectively an EC. Absolutely totally lovely. Up and about very soon. Almost no pain.

Original poster
widgetsmummy · 23/01/2008 21:12

thanks all for your thoughts.

really am not overly worrying about it but just thinking through the options in case in comes up later.

I guess if I get to that point I don't want to be making a snap decision or be pressured into something I am not sure about because thats what most women do.

its all a waiting game from here!

OP posts:
Original poster
widgetsmummy · 23/01/2008 21:14

ps - totally agree labouring is the most natural thing in the world, but serratonin is not and thats where my internal debate comes from

OP posts:
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