Cervidil Induction and a breastfeeding question.

[mindgames77]

Hi Ladies,

So I just got home from another doctor's appointment and an NST as well. Everything looks good and I have been scheduled for my induction on January 16th for 11am. They'll start with cervidil.
I'm looking for your experiences with a cervidil induction. If it was enough or if you needed multiple treatments/pitocin on top.

Also worried about breastfeeding. I am 41+1 today and to this very moment have not had any issues with leaking/lactating. My boobs have only increased in size by half a cup or maybe a full cup, and they otherwise look the same.

I'm just getting nervous that my body won't get the chance to produce the hormones that will ensure I have a good supply. Any body have no lactation while pregnant followed by an induced labour and still had no issues with breast feeding?

Thanks!

 

[Luvspnk31]

I've been induced 5 times. 4 x with pitocin, and 1x with cervadil. My experience with cervadil was different than any of the times with pitocin. With pitocin, they start the drip slow, then work up to full strength. It's a lengthier process. Each of those times, took on average 10 hrs. With the cervadil, my mw placed it at around 1030 in the evening, I started contracting at around 1 am, had contractions all night ( I slept through most of them) . At 5 am I got up to use the restroom, nurse checked me and I was 2 and 75% effaced ( I had started at 0 cm and 0 effacement) by 545-550 I was 7 cm, mw broke my water, and she was born right at 6. It was very intense, and very fast. No time for an epi. My mw said she doesn't use cervadil a lot, but when she does she will either get "nothing" or " kaboom".
I know sometimes they have to augment with pitocin, so the cervadil might just soften ur cervix and they still have to use pitocin.
As far as bf'ing, the hormones that produce milk are triggered by delivery. Anything leaking before is colostrum. Milk doesn't usually come in until dat 2-4. My breasts never get bigger before baby comes. I've never had supply issues.

 

[Julesillini8]

I was induced with both of mine after 41 wkS..... Both of them I nursed for a yr. I NEVER had any leaking, drops, anything during pregnancy. It doesn't mean anything. When baby is born and nurses, that stimulates the supply to come in. So don't stress about the nursing. If anything effected my supply, it was stress!
Both ofmy inductions I didn't have cervadil. My dr just gave me pitocin,and that worked for me ( I never had any dialation, contractions, anything when my inductions started....) so not sure about cervadil, but I had two vaginal deliveries, not the easiest, but in the end baby was here and all was well. Best wishes!

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I was also a "kaboom" with Cervidil. They told me when they put it in that it usually doesn't start labor, but just helps prepare your body. Well it kicked me straight into active labor on its own, and the contractions were pretty intense and fast. Cervidil went in around 6 PM, contractions started an hour after that, and I finally got an epidural at 2 AM. Slept through until the morning (briefly woke up at 6 AM to have the string thing from the Cervidil removed), and then at 10 AM they finally started the Pitocin/broke my water since I was at 8 CM and we were all ready for her to come out. She arrived around 3 PM after two hours of pushing. Only had to have one dose of the Cervidil and Pitocin only for the last two CM.

 

[Feronia]

Your breasts have already started to produce colostrum even though you're not leaking. It usually happens in the mid-point of pregnancy, but not everyone leaks. After birth, the drop in progesterone caused by the birth of the placenta triggers a surge in prolactin and for your breasts to produce milk instead of colostrum, and the mechanical stimulation of the baby sucking is what affects how much milk is produced.

They are essentially two different systems in place. Colostrum is produced hormonally, and everyone produces it. Breast milk is produced based on supply and demand and the baby sucking affects it -- so nurse as soon as you can and nurse often and you'll make a lot of milk!

 

[staralfur]

I was induced with Cervidil and started contracting immediately after the first dose. From beginning to end I never had more than a minute and a half between contractions, so it was definitely intense. It was 18 hours total from first contraction to birth.

 

[ambertwogood]

I haven't been induced yet, so I'm stalking this thread, as my OB has already voiced that is the direction she's planning on going. I'm not sure if I'm on board yet. I kind of wanted to experience going into labour on my own and having a " true" labour and delivery story unique to my life. I like the idea of it being a set date for delivery and being able to plan around it, if she doesn't come sooner, but I've already started to dilate and efface at 35 weeks so I guess its possible for her to get sooner than my possible induction date. Who knows? As for the breastfeeding, I haven't done that either, and I'm not leaking but my boobs are still pretty small too. But, I'd be willing to bet your already producing colostrum. If you read up on how to manually "milk" yourself, lol, that sounds insane, I'd bet you would have some colostrum come out when you tried. I know a lot came out of mine. It was shocking to say the least BC I hadn't had any signs or leaking to let me know anything was in there.....

 

[Betheney]

During my sons pregnancy i was advised that i was tp be induced at 33weeks gestation. I was told my cervix was 2cm long thick and closed. They said they'll give me cervidil at 7pm then it'll help prepare my cervix to hopefully have my waters broken at 7am the following morning. But i was warned having such an unfavorable cervix and being 33 weeks there's a great chance the cervidil and the pit won't do anything and it'll be a failed induction. Well cervidil went in at 7pm and i buzzed a midwife at 1:30am to tell her that i was told if i had more than 4 contractions in 10 minutes let them know because it can be uterine hyper stimulation. She came in and monitored me for an hour then called the doctor at 2:30am doctor arrived at 2:35am announced i was 9cm and my son was born on the maternity ward with no birthing equipment or special care nursery equipment at 2:45am. Still 4 hours from when i was suppose to hopefully have my waters ruptured if my cervix had opened enough. Lol. They have my official labour as 1 hour and pushing as 1 minute.

As for breastfeeding. My daughters pregnancy i had so much colostrum throughout the pregnancy and breastfed successfully for 22 months. With my second pregnancy (my prem sons) i had NONE! I was so stressed that it would affect BF especially when it was so different to my daughters pregnancy. But even though i had no colostrum, was induced AND it was with a.prem baby!!! I mean bodies aren't ready to birth at 33 weeks so the odds were really against me. I still managed to exclusively breastfeed my son for 23 months after his birth. (The first 3 weeks i exclusively pumped with him fed via the nasal gastric tube).

 

[JPARR01]

With my first, I was given cirvidil and had it in for 12 hours. They then remove and start pitocin. Nothing happened. Had cirvidil again and waited 12 hours then started pitocin. I was getting crazy contractions, etc.. But never dilated. This was over a 2.5 days. Ended up needing a c section.

 

[petitpas]

I wasn't induced with my son but I had a planned section at 38w without having gone into labour beforehand. I fed my son within the first hour of being born and then as often as he wanted. My milk came in after a couple of days.
Your body will figure it out. Just put your baby on the breast as often as you can and things will happen by themselves. If you have any trouble latching baby on don't hesitate to ask for help. It can make such a big difference.

 

[mindgames77]

Thanks everyone for all the responses! Especially the breast feeding ones! Makes me feel more confident!

I get induced tomorrow! SOOO nervous/scared/excited! I hope cervidil treats me well!

 

[petitpas]

Good luck!

 

[Genevevex]

Probably a little late here, but I had a cervadil induction with my son. They gave me the cervadil around 7pm at night. It made me have what they call a "fussy uterus"--I was contracting, but not anything regular. I think the contractions made my back hurt more than anything else. Man did my back HURT, all night long. In the morning they broke my water and gave me pictocin. I don't know if they did it small and had it work up or not, but the contractions were IMMEDIATE and strong. I was fully dilated by about 5:30 that evening, and had my son around 6:24pm.

I never had any issues with milk supply from being induced. Your body knows what to do and when to do it.

Good luck!

 

[counting]

I was induced via cervadil at 37 weeks. Labour contractions began very close together and lasting a good duration within hours, and continued for several days. My doctors opted for a new application every 24 hours rather than every 12. I had my first cervadil inserted on June 30th, and had reached 3cm with good effacement by the 5th of July. I was brought to the labour and delivery floor early in the AM on that day (4ish am?) and I was given oxytocin and had my membranes ruptured to get me into active labour. My son was born just after supper on the 5th of July. My experience was very long and uncomfortable, however most who are already overdue or at due date have a much shorter induction, and many go into labour with cervadil alone. I also know several women who have had cervadil inductions and did not require oxytocin for augmentation who were not overdue. Good luck!

I breastfed within basically minutes of giving birth, had lots of colostrum and my milk came in fully on day #4.