Prostin use - why, how and how bad?

[gailforce1]

I have just read TotallyandUtterlyPaninied's thread and wonder if someone can educate me on Prostin. Why and how is it used and why was her husband not allowed to be with her until she was 4cm? Is this standard practice?

prostin is a hormone gel/pessary that is used to help induce labout

it softens/ripens/dilates the cervix and should stimulate contractions

it also dialtes the cervix enough for the waters to be broken if contractions do not start/ labour does not establish

you can have a maximum of 3 doses, the first dose is given, tehn the woman is monitored , then she can move around and do whatever she feels like, she will be reassessed several hours later, i thin it is 6 hours, and it is then a second dose is given , or she is transferred to labour ward for ARM etc etc

the prostin is usually given when the woman is on the ante natal ward, and until she is in established labour - 3 -4 cm dilated, strong, regular contractions etc.. then her partner can only be with her during the AN ward visitng hours

What Lulumama said is pretty much how it was for me except that I was already in the delivery room when the prostin gel was given. Therefore DH was there from the start.

As for how bad, well like all labours it will be different for everyone but I had one application of the gel and began to have contractions almost imediately. They were painless to start with but always only a few mminutes appart. They gradually got stronger and more painfull as the morning went on. When they examined me after the first 6 hours I was 5cm dilated. The doctor broke my waters and DD was delivered 50 minutes later.

This was my second labour and it felt exactly the same as my first interms of pain/intensity of the contractions etc.

I don't know if this help? Have you been told you are going to be induced with prostin?

DD2 was induced with prostin. I was given two doses two hours apart in the evening (no noticeable change to cervix on application of 2nd dose), and labour didn't really get going in earnest till about 6 hours later. It was then a further 8 hours till DD arrived (they thought about a 3rd dose about 1/4 hour before I got to the 2nd stage - I labour quietly ).

I found it a more difficult labour than it was with DD1, but it was a very different situation (DD1 was a spontaneous homebirth, DD2 induced in hospital). Even so, it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared and I got through with a TENS machine.

I had three doses. When I was strapped to the monitor it showed that I was having tightenings. I couldnt feel anything though that said the induction was said to have failed as I didnt dilate and I had to have a cx.

I had three doses. First one at 10pm (DH was kicked out for the night). I was strapped to a monitor and it was pretty painful.

The second dose was 6am the next morning. Again strapped to the monitor so couldn't move. Was supposed to be for 30 minutes but they changed shifts during that time and I was on the machine for 90 mins and I was crying, I was in so much pain, couldn't move, couldn't get anyone's attention, scared stiff.

Third dose 7.30 that evening. More pains, which eased off after about 30 mins. Waters broke out of nowhere at 11pm and DD born 3am.

You've just reminded me how horrible it was. The labour was ok but the gel and that monitor. Ugh.

RockbirdandHerSpord - That sounds awful but I'm not sure it's what the OP wants to hear or what is going to be at all helpful to her at the moment.

OP it isn't always like that. My experience of being induced with prostin was very positive. Good luck to you

Why? The op hasn't mentioned any of this relating to herself, I double checked her op before I posted. I'm not psychic and sorry, I didn't realise it was positive stories only.

I've just had my 4th baby 3rd induction using prostin. Was on antenatal ward from 830am. I was monitored and then had first dose of prostin, monitored again and then I was allowed to leave the ward, walk around etc for 6 hours. Was then examined and 2nd lot of prostin given (also had stretch and sweep as was 2-3cm). Was again monitored and contractions started almost straight afterwards. Labour progressed normally and I was 7cm by the time I was transferred to labour ward. Had waters broken and baby was delivered 30 mins later (Just after midnight). Husband was allowed to stay with me all day.

happymatleave, that is a little unfair, the OP asked 'why, how and how bad' which would indicate wanting to know positives and negatives

no point glossing over the reality of a prostin induction

Yes sorry, it was late last night but re-reading it now I probably was being unfair.

Thank you all for your responses. I aske4d the question because I was distressed by T&UP's description of being seperated from her dh when she was in need of his support.In my ignorance I thought that bp could be with you for the entire time, after all pain is pain whether or not you are conforming to hospital guidelines about being in established labour! We are still TTC and I am wondering if my worries about the birth are affecting this?

ah, sorry to hear you are so worried

basically, when you are induced, and of course many women don't need inducing.. you are induced on the ante natal ward and are subject to the visiting hours, which are usually for many hours, but once it islate evening, visitors are asked to leave

some women are on teh ante natal ward for bed rest , some are in for inductions, some for monitoring etc and having a ward full of women ,all of whom need to rest, is not an apporpriate place for lots of extra people.

if you are on the ante natal ward and in pain, then you should be looked after, offered apporpirate pain relief. such as a bath, codeine/paracetomal, some units offer gas and air on teh AN ward. you can't have stronger pain relief though

as soon as you are in establised labour you will be transferred to the labour ward, where your birth partner can be with you until delviery

try not to worry now about induction and complications, many many women have totally straightforward pregnancies and births.

also, you might want to look into hypnobirthing or having a doula with you for support

i am a birth doula and have been allowed to stay in a side room with a woman being induced so she is not alone

If it's any consolation I am planning dc2 this year despite the slightly stressy ending. It really is only a day out if your life and worth every single second. Thinking about the birth is scary but no one would have more than one child if it was really that awful. Good luck and try not to worry. I'm sorry if what I said has freaked you out more.

re-iterate rockbirds post of 20:21

hated getting the prostin gel thought it was worse than the actual birth tbh, but would go through it all again tomorrow for the joy of having my son.

sorry ment 20:01 darn cider

i had ds 11 weeks ago. i was induced at 2pm with a new type of prostin gel that can stay in for upto 24 hours (or until you start dilating so it drops out).

dh stayed with me from admission at 11am until 10pm when visiting finished. i was on the monitor for only 20mins, then i was encouraged to walk around, eat, do whatever i pleased. i could even have a bath or shower with the gel in (it's a bit like a very tiny tampon with a plastic string that hangs out a bit).

my contractions started properly at 1am. i had a lovely night time midwife who again encouraged me to keep moving. she was great. very hands off, so only examined me when i asked her to. other than that she relied on reading me in other ways, asking how i felt etc. she examined me at 3am and i was 3cms dilated. then again at 4.30am and i was 7cms dilated. this was when we rang dh to come back in as i was then going to the delivery rooms (just down the corridor).

dh arrived at 5am. ds was born at 6.15am.

to be perfectly honest, the midwife was a whole lot more help and support than dh would have been (he was with me through labour with my first baby as that wasn't an induction). my midwife was so lovely she even came back to see me after ds was born.

we were then up on the post natal ward by about 8am. the paed came to see us at 9am and said we were free to go home.

i had been dreading my induction, but it was totally fine. very straight forward. it isn't always bad

gail my ds1 was induced with the prostin, i actually managed 2 keep my dh with me the whole night in the induction area even though it was not "allowed" so its not impossible.
they never explained @ first that he had 2 go so one midwife came in some time after visiting finished and was like "what is he still doing here? he's supposed to have gone ages ago" i said im in pain but she was like "doesn't matter, so is everyone. he can come back when your in labour."
i was a bit confused why they couldnt just let him stay as it wasnt a ward but each in own seperate rooms behind curtains so i was saying "well if im not properly in labour, i dont really need to be here myself either ill just go with my dh and come back when it gets worse?" i think then she ws a bit worried i would just leave, and felt sorry for me cos i was quite young and v upset about them trying to take my dh away so she just said fine ill turn a blind eye to it, dont let him walk around anywhere keep him behind the curtain and dont let people see him. which was fine with me as i wasnt gonna have him walking about without me anyway!
actually them trying to kick out my dh was the most stressful aspect of the labour/birth process out of both my births, especally as they never really explained it before that they will induce and you will be starting to get in pain but not in labour enough to have any pain relief and cant go up to the labour ward.
it would have been horrible 2 be left by myself if they did enforce making him leave. she did say "you dont need him you've got us midwives" but it was like 1 midwife per a LOT of women, i dont think she was even covering only the induction area im not sure, but when pressing call or trying to get them to come they wouldnt really come? so i needed my dh or i would have felt quite scared totally by myself and especially as a 1st baby.
after that for my 2nd i did say if i was induced i would have just let him go when visiting finished and coped by myself, but for the 1st time naturally you do feel a bit scared to just be left in pain and all by yourself, and cos then i visualised like giving birth just by myself in the night if they sent him home (it actually took a couple of days more, but how was i to know at that stage)
anyway if you really feel worried about not having dh there you could just try to see if you can persuade or get around it as i did, but then if you do know in advance that he will have to leave after visiting you may be able to get your head around it from before hand whereas cos i felt it was just sprung on me that he's got 2 leave and ill be by myself i wasnt able to cope with that idea.

I was induced with Prostin last Monday at around 3pm. As I was already contracting by the evening, my partner was not sent home- I would hope that this would be the case with most hospitals. I'm shocked that any hospital would ask a partner to go home if the woman was actually in labour.

I had a lovely first stage in the birth centre, using the birthing pool, with no extra monitoring and lots of support from my midwife. I certainly didn't have a quicker/more painful labour- something I'd been concerned about having read about prostin. In fact the first stage lasted all night and the second stage 2.5 hours. The second stage required some intervention as my contractions slowed down (a hormone drip and monitoring), but I was still able to have a natural birth, move around etc. And I was assured that this had nothing to do with the fact that I was induced.

I was dubious about being induced but on balance I think it was the best thing for me. It's definitely a dilemma and I think a lot depends on the hospital where you are having your baby- ours was brilliant.