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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

has anyone had syntocinon induction/augmentation and survived without epidural?

19 replies

deaconblue · 31/01/2008 12:56

With ds I was fine to 9 cm on gas and air but then labour stalled and I ended up after 20 hours of contractions with them slowing to every 30 mins. Midwife advised that as I was so tired I wouldn't cope with the pain of the syntocinon without an epidural so I went ahead with it.
I'm certain this is what led to ds' ventouse delivery and subsequent jaundice. I really wish i'd agreed to the syntocinon but had a go without epidural but am I being unrealistic? Am 25 weeks with number 2 and want to know more possibilities in case I end up in same situation

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TheFallenMadonna · 31/01/2008 13:01

I had syntocinon induction (and it took a bit to get it all going) and didn't have an epidural, until I had to have an assisted delivery and had a spinal anaesthetic for that.

junkinmytrunk · 31/01/2008 13:06

I had syntocin with my first baby and was never offered an epidural.
I did end up having a ventouse delivery though after 17hrs of contractions. Although it wasn't a postive story first time round, with my 2nd I had a dream of a labour & delivery, completely unassisted, without gas & air or any intervention at all.
It was all over in 5hrs from beginning to end.

So fingers crossed, you'll be lucky 2nd time round as well!

bozza · 31/01/2008 13:10

i had syntocinon at about 9 cm with DS and just gas and air, although I did have an epiosotomy. He was a big baby and took two hours of pushing to get him out. My second was born in two pushes with gas and air again.

TBH I'm not sure that the syntocinon helped really because it prevented me moving around. DD was born at home with me trailing up and down the stairs during labour, and I am sure that was just as effective at keeping things going IYSWIM.

TotalChaos · 31/01/2008 13:11

I had syntocin augmentation, and managed without epidural - did have another dose of diamorphine, couldn't manage just on gas and air. I ended up with ventouse delivery - but that was partly because DS cord was round his neck.

pampam · 31/01/2008 13:11

i had a syntocinon induction and it hyper stimulated my uterus so that i was having 4 contractions in a 10 minute period with multiple peaks (i wasn't even 2cm dilated either!) needless to say i had the epidural and ended up with a c-section. Am hoping to keep well away from the syntocinon next time, a home vbac would be nice...
If i did end up with an induction next time i would try (as i did last time) without an epidural, every birth is different after all. Hope your next birth is drug free.

crokky · 31/01/2008 13:11

It depends what the syntocinon does to you I think. In my case, my contractions were 'coupling' - ie one has not even finished before the next one is starting. That was at about 6cm so there was no way I could manage without an epidural. I had a episiotomy and forceps delivery, but I don't feel this was due to the epidural as I was pushing fine - it was due to the fact that my DS was stuck and I felt as though I was pushing against a brick wall! It is supposed to be easier 2nd time!

HandbagAddiction · 31/01/2008 13:12

Had syntocinon first time round as contractions weren't frequent enough but had no pain relief - didn't even get the gas and air and dd1 had to be delivered by ventouse. I had been pushing for 3 hours though and she did get stuck so it was actually me that gave up and requested help, the midwife was all for me continuing on my own!

Second time around syntocinon again - fab birth, gas & air as pain relief at the end and labour was 1 hour 45 minutes with 15 mins of pushing.

VanillaPumpkin · 31/01/2008 13:14

I had an induction with dd2 using syntocinon and didn't even want gas and air as it made me feel sick. The labour moved very fast though (2hrs start to finish) and so I had energy. Also because I had had a baby before I knew the signs and that dd2 was coming fast and so the contractions rolling into one another (horrid) were easier to bear as I knew it would soon be over. It is harder with your first so I think your midwife gave you some good advice tbh. However I wasn't there and do think perhaps she could have given you a go without it, but then again the epis take time to work and site don't they?
Anyway, it is very unlikely you will have the same issues next time. My labours were totally different (longer labour but water birth with G&A first time and more medicalised induced fast labour with no G&A second time). They both had their advantages though. HTH a bit. Good Luck. It will be better than last time.

TheFallenMadonna · 31/01/2008 13:15

God yes. Sorry. Didn't mean to sound heroic or anything (I complained a lot), just factual. I had gas and air and pethidine.

However, had I known I was going to have a spinal anaesthetic anyway, I would certainly have requested an epidural hours earlier...

However, I wasn't induced the second time, and actually thought it hurt more than when I was induced.

lizziemun · 31/01/2008 13:19

Yes

I was induced with DD2 in sept.

Just a bit of background

Baby breech had her turned at 38 wks
from 38wks to 41wks had 5 hours of quite strong contraction every afternoon then they would just stop.
At 41wks i went to hospital for induction. My waters were broken at 2.30pm,by 4.30pm i was still only having mild contractions and only 2cm at 5.30pm i was put on the drip and as i was managing i didn't think about having a epidural. They increase the drip every 30 mins until you reach your tolorance and the baby not indress.

By 7.30pm labour had set in and i Alexandra at 8.05pm using just gas and air. Had no tears just a few grazes. Unfortunley she had the cord around her neck and was a blue baby, they got her back very quickly.

It was very painful, but had nothing to compare with as i had silent labour with dd1 and didn't have any contractions with her untill i pushed her out.

lizziemun · 31/01/2008 13:20

Should have added dd2 was 9lb 2oz's

Original poster

deaconblue · 31/01/2008 13:45

so it is achievable? I didn't find contractions too bad to be honest up to the point of the epidural which is what makes me think I could have coped iykwim. Good to hear of lots of second births that progressed better. I seem to be going over ds' birth a lot lately and trying to think what I could have done to make it progress better as I really want an epidural free birth this time.

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mumbleyofdaisy · 31/01/2008 19:40

I had a Syntocin drip after 13hrs of labour when I was 9cm dilated. I had just run out of push apparently! Yes I tried two hours of the stairs before discovering DD1 had hand on head and was trying to come anyway! Once the drip started (the midwife took it to high dose very quickly) I gave birth to 8lb 15oz DD1 very quickly and without pain relief. I did tear though. I'm not saying it was painless (certainly not), but still really pleased I avoided the epidural. Pain was from tearing nothing else.

Lulumama · 31/01/2008 19:42

in case no-one has suggested this, it might well have been that your labour was slowing for a reason, to give you a rest before the second stage.it can happen

also, should this happen again, something as simple as a sugary drink or snack, or change of position or having a wee can move things along again

whomovedmychocolate · 31/01/2008 19:46

I had syntocin for 14 hours with just two paracetamol and G&A. They refused to give me an epi - I wanted one but they said nope

Then they turned it off and gave me one prior to my caesarian because the syntocin didn't work

reikizen · 31/01/2008 19:48

I've only seen one woman have a synto drip and no epidural. TBH if someone had told me that I would be lucky to get away without having one after induction I wouldn't have felt such a failure. Now I know that it is very hard for your body to work with synto contractions I feel better! And after having intervention and drug free home birth second time around!

clouisewood · 31/01/2008 20:00

I had prostoglandin at 42 weeks and I dilated a small amount. They broke my waters and put the syntocin in. Was on it for 19 hours with gas and air...felt ok until I needed to push..this took 2.5 hours with back on back, 8lb 6 baby. I lost it at this point and they offered me an epidural...I knew that it would take ages to set up and refused. My DD was born with the cord around her neck twice and was a bit blue but came unassisted.

imaginewittynamehere · 31/01/2008 20:00

Well I had Syntocin to start labour & throughout got to 10cm dilated with no epidural. However dd was back to back & because of Pre-eclampsia I was only allowed 60 mins of pushing so ended with c-section but midwives were v impressed at so much syntocin with no epidural - so it can be done (sort of..)

Original poster

deaconblue · 31/01/2008 20:38

thanks for all these replies. Lulumama, good point, that didn't occur to me. I really wish someone had suggested I go for a walk when it started slowing and that's one of my things for dh to remember for next time. I thought I was being active because I was standing rather than sitting or laying down but stood very very still for about 10 hours.

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