Any moms familiar with Cervidil?

[mnc7]

I've done a bit of research on it, and the doctor is giving me the choice Monday of being induced with the Foley balloon, or cervidil.. I've done a post about the Foley balloon, but now i'm interested about the cervidil.. Has anyone had it? Was it effective in helping you dilate?

 

[beth30]

Yes, I had it almost 6 years ago. It worked and it wasn't uncomfortable for me. It just softens and thins the cervix. I had a chat yesterday with my doctor about using it this time. I brought up that the nurses didn't leave it in the full time with my first son, and he said that sometimes the cervidil can do more than soften and thin, it can help put you in labor.... which is a good thing, because that is what we are going for anyway. He said it depends on the person, but he is like 100 years old, and has dealt with it alot. So I trust him.

 

[mnc7]

Yes, I had it almost 6 years ago. It worked and it wasn't uncomfortable for me. It just softens and thins the cervix. I had a chat yesterday with my doctor about using it this time. I brought up that the nurses didn't leave it in the full time with my first son, and he said that sometimes the cervidil can do more than soften and thin, it can help put you in labor.... which is a good thing, because that is what we are going for anyway. He said it depends on the person, but he is like 100 years old, and has dealt with it alot. So I trust him.

Thank you! I think that's what i'm going to try Monday. If you try it this time before me, let me know how it goes!

 

[seaweed eater]

I was induced/augmented with Cervidil. I had actually started labor spontaneously just a few hours before going in, so I don't know how it would have gone otherwise, but I did have a fairly quick first stage -- from absolutely no progress (dilation, effacement, engagement, etc) to pushing in under 10 hours. (The Cervidil was in for 8 of those 10 hours.) I didn't have Pitocin, and I did have an epidural for the last hour or so.

I also had contractions quite close together throughout labor (under 3 minutes apart for almost all of it). Again, I don't know how much that had to do with the Cervidil, and what would have happened otherwise.

Personally I would have preferred the Foley if it had been possible, because it's not medication and therefore feels less intrusive to me. (I couldn't have it because my cervix was so posterior.) But I was ok with the Cervidil relatively speaking. It's prostaglandins, so I figure it's just like EPO or semen, except an order of magnitude stronger.

 

[sandrass]

Unfortunately, it did absolutely nothing for me. They ended up needing to use pictocin

 

[pixxie1232001]

I actually used that with both my pregnancies. With my oldest I was in active labor but for some reason my body was not dilating as it should. So they inserted the cervidil and waiting 2 hours (normal wait time). Sure enough 2 hours labor I started to dilate as I should and I ended up having my baby boy a couple hours later.

With my youngest I was being induced and they thought that since all it took was one dose of cervidil to get my body finally dilating with my oldest that was all it would take. They gave it to me in the morning and I ended up dilating to 3 cm and after that I stopped. I ended up getting pitocin the following day.

 

[mnc7]

I actually used that with both my pregnancies. With my oldest I was in active labor but for some reason my body was not dilating as it should. So they inserted the cervidil and waiting 2 hours (normal wait time). Sure enough 2 hours labor I started to dilate as I should and I ended up having my baby boy a couple hours later.

With my youngest I was being induced and they thought that since all it took was one dose of cervidil to get my body finally dilating with my oldest that was all it would take. They gave it to me in the morning and I ended up dilating to 3 cm and after that I stopped. I ended up getting pitocin the following day.

Did they end up keeping you overnight with the cervidil? I forgot to ask.. i'm new to this lol I'm suppose to go in at 3 pm on Monday,but i kinda thought that was late..normally when they do anything it's early in the morning.. but did they keep you overnight?

 

[pixxie1232001]

My first I had my baby and I was given the option to go home afterwards but I decided to stay in.

With my second they again gave me the option after the 2 hour wait to walk around, bounce on the ball and such. They kept me in the hospital though because of the fact that I was Group B positive and so if labor really picked up quickly they had to make sure I had the medication in a timely manner so for that reason no I could not go home. If I was not group B positive though I probably could have spent the night at home.

 

[mnc7]

Ohhh, so it really just depends? I know i was reading somewhere and that sometimes the cervidil can cause the baby to decrease in movement or something about the heartbeat..im not sure, i should've read it more..but they usually kept you to be monitored. I have no idea.. I should probably have asked. Lol. Thank you very much though. : )

 

[beth30]

I won't be going in until atleast Tuesday, unless my water breaks or something else happens to make me go in. And I forgot to tell ya, the last time, I only pushed for 30 minutes. I did read some on it last night after visiting this thread, and like some ladies posted above, it can make you have more contractions. But I didn't experience any bad ones until after they broke my water. Then I got an epidural (I planned on it anyway).

 

[ashleywalton]

I had that with my 1st cause I had to be induced. I was at 2cm when I got to the hospital and that was placed at 9am and I immediately started cramping. At 12pm I was 4cm and my water broke. I had her at 3:20pm. So it was effective for me. It definitely got things going...Good luck to you!

 

[MandyV]

Had it put in last yr, it wasn't bad felt like a piece of paper being put in and stayed in over night for me brought me from 2cm to 5cm and got my cervix ready then I was wheeled to labor and delivery put on pitocin and was only in active labor for 3 hrs and only pushed for 1hr, my experience was good.

 

[SJDsMommy]

I had it with my son (after prostaglandins gel). I wouldn't hesistate to use it this time around either. Cervadil is what jump started my labor really, it was only in for a couple hours and they took it out as soon as my contractions started to regulate but it didn't take long after that for them to just not stop either. Wasn't painful or anything like that. The only thing I didn't like about it was I was no longer able to get up and walk around. You have to stay laying down when they put it in so that it doesn't fall out.

I'd do it again though! wasn't bad at all for me.

 

[mellyboo]

I was going to write out my labor story with cervidil induce ...I'll write it here or try to on my phone only out of the hosp tomorrow.... Wedensday I had my first dose of cervidil inserted and was sent home hours later after monitoring of baby and me ...went home and had cramps that nite I was a 1cm diliated when whe did the first dose and cervix was some what thining ....went back to hosp for my apt on thursday to see progress and he decided a second dose was needed..cervix still needed some work ....again went home and had the worse contractions all night got no sleep what's so ever ...was again due back at hosp to see progression on Friday ...my dr decided that the cervidil had me where he wanted me at so he broke my waters and admitted me ..they moved me in a labor suite and where I would deliver I had contractions so bad I had fetnyl every hour on the hour...finally I asked for epidurial.... they had started me on pitocin as well I wouldn't dilate more then a 2cm ...I was so frustrated I wanted to scream my contractions hurt sooo soo bad!!.. but i breathed through them....i asked for my epidurial around 5pm and i seriously waited until 12 midnight to get one!! the guy who was giving them was busy all night grr... and my labor and delivery nurse had to lie to get me it LOL... your suppose to be at a 4 .. but my dr and nurse approved and agreed i needed one like NOW for pain!! .... anyhow once i got the epidurial they told me to try and nap they had this huge comfy lazy boy in my suite and the boyfriend passed out on that and all of a sudden i felt a pressure like i needed to poop and the labor nurse sits with you thru your whole labor i turned to her and told her she is like "im going to shit myself if your fully diliated" she checked me and she was like " OMG you are" i took an hour nap on a epidurial and it seriously did it LOL... the boyfriend and i seriously were getting frustrated because first i was in so much pain and no dilitation how in the world can one person have that much pain and no diliation was beyond me!.....i guess all it took was an epidurial for me!

Anyhow, she checked me , dr came in, we did some practice pushs about 5 of them ... dr told me if i wanted to wait a bit to push i could my contractions would prob just do it for me.. saves me an hour of pushing... he came back in the room i started pushing maybe like 10 of them at most and she was out.. my contractions were literally throwing her out ahaha

I couldnt feel anything, the nurse didnt shut the ep off she just told me when i was having the contractions when to push.. I had her at 158am 6lb 1 ounce!

 

[mellyboo]

I meant she came out ! Stupid iPhone!

 

[mnc7]

I ended up having the Foley Catheder put in(which btw worked amazing on me..), my baby girl was born Oct. 8th!

 

[MegnJoe]

I had it 4 months ago, didn't hurt going in or out and I started contracting on my own nicely it was a positive experience for me! Good luck !

 

[MegnJoe]

I just saw ur update! Congrats!

 

[beth30]

I had another cervidil induction Tuesday evening. I was dialated to 3 when I arrived at L&D, but firm, not soft or thinned at all. They put it in at around 2:30pm. I started contracting...then my water broke on its own at about 5:00pm. I got the epidural at about 6, I started pushing around 1:12am-baby came out at 1:20am! I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!