Anyone had Syntocin drip but managed without epidural?

[wafflesmum]

I am being induced at 38 weeks for underlying medical reasons. Not particularly keen but not prepared to take risks with the baby. Just wondered if anyone has had the Syntocin drip but managed without an epidural? I have heard that contractions can be much more intense with the drip. I really don't want to be stuck on my back and unable to move. Thanks.

So glad this thread wasn't here two weeks ago, for me to agonize over....

I had to have a Syntocin drip to kickstart the contractions again after they stopped 10 hours into established labour - it didn't trouble me too much and I managed fine with just gas and air, which was great. Yes, the pushing hurt but I was in the zone by then, and understood clearly what I had to do for it to be over quicker, thanks to a tremendous midwife who I will never forget (and she was a student too - her supervisor was in the room but just writing the notes and watching).

i had syntocin drip to bring on prem baby of 4 lbs at 34 weeks(so i wasnt even remotely dilated)and it was agonising. They ramp up the drip til it hits the richter scale and the contractions are nothing short of brutal.

That isn't everybody's experience. Honestly. After I had DS I was talking of another within hours (although that may have been the morphine...), but with DD (no induction) I was truly shocked at the pain.

I was induced at 39+5. Had pessary's to start with, unfortunately needed to have the maximum (5) over 3 days until my cervix was finally 1 and a bit cm dilated at which point they started the synto and ARMed me. They asked me before they had started the drip whether I wanted an epidural, I thought I was coping well with the pain at that point so said no, but within a couple of hours was in so much pain and immobile because of constant monitoring I asked for one and was told there wasn't an anaesthetist available so just continued with gas and air. I ended up with ventouse, an episiotomy and a tear. I am pregnant again and if I have to be induced this time I will definitely be going for an epidural as early as possible.

I was on it, and screamed for an epi (just culd not handle iot, and was unable to move) got one, had mini snooze then was unable to push baby and had ventouse/epi

Second time around I am hoping for a faster and more natural labour, but i am NOT ruling out a second epidural. In fact I dont think I can handle hours of screaming agony, fuck it Im having aother one!!!

I was put on the drip with both of my DS's as the MW's obviously felt that my contractions weren't regular enough. With both I coped fine on just Gas and Air.

I did this for DC2, no epidural, no gas or air, just phenergan (sp?) for nausea right before pushing time. I was induced because DC was late, around 40+8. I had to lie on my side as instructed so that the monitors could pick up accurate signals, then on my back for pushing and delivery. DS was monitored with belts tied around me as well as a fetal scalp monitor. He weighed in over 9 pounds. I ended up having ventouse, episiotomy, stitches. I think I wouldn't have needed the ventouse if I had been in more of an upright position, but who knows really. I wanted an epidural but there wasn't an anesthesiologist available (hosp had too many scheduled cs's and inductions first thing Monday morning, then was swamped by an unusual number of walk-ins, and let's face it, maybe they didn't care enough to call someone else in on their day off).

I was emboldened by this experience to go without an epidural for all three subsequent births, so for me it was a positive, eventually (I liked the idea of going 'natural'). But for quite a bit I felt as if I had been treated like a slab of meat with a whole lot of people trying to yank a baby out of me. I hadn't wanted to be induced in the first place, and not having the epidural available when it was too late to take my business elsewhere or go home and come back another day was cruel. So while I liked the going natural idea, it had to be on my terms and under my control.

I was induced with a Syntocin drip at 38+3 as my waters had apparently broken (turns out they hadn't broken as such, it was a tear higher up) but there was not even a hint of a contraction.

I was continually monitored and on a drip for antibiotics (and the synt obviously) but they let me stay on a birthing ball so don't assume you have to be on your back necessarily. The pain was unbelievable (just used a tens because was scared of the other options) - contractions with just a minute's gap for about 15 hours. I've since had a non-induced water birth for ds2 with no pain relief and I'd say the contractions were comparable at their very worst, but for far, far less time so bearable. Eventually I was told I needed a CS because the baby's heartbeat wasn't picking up fast enough and I was only a few cm, so I had an epidural at this point in preparation for the CS. After the epidural, a different doctor looked at the hearbeat trace and said I could carry on a while longer if I wanted before resorting to the CS, which I did. I actually dilated much faster after I had the epidural (which I know isn't usually the case) and eventually had ds1 22 hours after starting on the drip. The worst part about having the epidural was having to be on my back after all my sterling work on the birthing ball, and it took 2 hours of pushing, an episiotomy and a bad tear to get him out. I think my epidural might have been a "mobile" one that didn't spread as far as my fanjo and legs because I could certainly feel to push and was able to walk afterwards.

In summary, I'd say if you go on the drip without any previous signs of labour chances are it will be tough so don't feel any guilt if you go for the epidural.

I had the synt drip and waters artificially broken and only gas and air.
But then again it was only 4 hrs from the drip going up until DD was born, so not sure how I would have felt if it had gone on a long time....