Induction via ARM and immediate EPIDURAL, any experience???

[Cajadaem]

Hi

So, i a little over 2 weeks, i am going in to be induced.

The plan is that i will have my water broken, then they will immediately give me an epidural. I will have a catheter and be monitored, and after 2 hours i will be started on the drip if contractions haven't established.

So, is there anyone out there that has had the same kind of induction, that can offer advise from experience? I am really worried about not being able to feel anything, and relying on them telling me what to do and when, especially considering in previous labors it has been me that's had to tell them what is going on, and them not listening for them most part.

I would really like to hear from someone with an experience of this. As i will be having the epidural before established labor

 

[Genevevex]

Is there a reason they are giving you an epidural so soon? I've never heard of that before.

I got my epidural very shortly after pictocin--I only felt like 5 contractions before they gave it to me. Couldn't feel anything after for pushing or anything. Once the staff realized I couldn't feel and started directing me correctly, everything was very smooth. Had my baby boy after an hour of pushing.

 

[Cajadaem]

they have suggested this method, as an alternative to c section, and i would only agree to the induction with the epidural, due to 2 previous traumatic experiences, and inductions. as i am not allowed to go into labour naturally, c section seemed like the only option, however, as they can not do this before 39 weeks, it would not be advisable for me as i have never carried past the 38th week.

 

[Perplexed]

I was curious about this too. Why are they giving you epidural straight after breaking your waters?

I had my waters broken... But I didn't get epidural till maybe 5 hrs later.

 

[Cajadaem]

i am being given an epidural straight after my waters are broken, due to previous issues.

 

[Perplexed]

Oops it seems we posted at around the same time.

A friend actually had epidural soon after her waters were broken and she delivered her baby maybe 7-8 hrs later. I don't know if she had pitocin or how her delivery went, but the time it took from ARM to delivering baby seems quite good imo!

 

[Cajadaem]

my concern is not feeling the urge to push, the no knowing, its the relying on the midwives to tell me what is happening, and what to do, that scares me. Although i have never had an epidural, i am not really fearful of getting that, just having to rely on other people to tell me what is happening....................

Having baby within 8hrs of starting would be great, i do worry it will drag out much longer

 

[AmeliePoulain]

My waters went after I was somewhat hyperstimulated by the pessary used for induction. They took out the pessary and nothing hapenned for 24+ hours.

I started on the drip and asked for an epi straight away as I was very very tired and scared to be honest as that was my first baby.

Labour took a while to start and I had to have a forceps delivery - but I could feel the urge to push. I imagine I had to have an assisted delivery more because it was my first.

 

[Ready42]

The key to the epidural is not getting too much medicine. With my 2nd my epidural was the perfect balance, took the pain away but I could still feel the urge to push. With my 3rd they were trying to get me relief quickly and gave me to much medicine which caused my whole right side to go numb including my arm. Needless to say I had to rely on the nurse to tell me when to push and I still only pushed for 6 minutes. Hopefully since this isn't your first even if you can't feel you will still be able to push effectively. Good luck!!

 

[AmeliePoulain]

What might be more reassuring to you is with DD2 my labour started immediately with ARM when I was only 1cm dilated.

If it all kicks of quickly like that and you have reason to want an epi I can understand why they would do it straight away.

 

[Perplexed]

My friend says she felt pressure with each contraction so she wasn't completely numb.

I didn't feel pressure from contractions but I knew when baby was crowning as I started to feel pressure from that. I think I did have an urge to push, I'm pretty sure I told my dh who just said go for it. I'm pretty sure that what slowed me down wasn't the epidural but me fighting what my body was naturally trying to do. I got very nervous at that point. Once the nerves went away and I wasn't fighting with my body (it sounds funny now) it didn't take long for baby to be born.

I'm sorry if it threw you off my asking why you're getting epidural at the start of labor. I was just genuinely curious.

 

[londonangel]

I had this with first daughter. Membranes artificially ruptured but there was meconium in the waters so they immediately wanted to put me on the syntocinon drip and therefore recommended epidural because they said the drip would make the contractions so strong they would be excruciating.

I had to be told when to push as could not feel the contractions but I could still feel quite a lot of pain as was a top up epidural.

I was desperate for an epidural with my second but by time I was begging for one it turned out I was fully dilated and she arrived ten minutes later!

As you have experienced labour before I would say ask them to hold off on the epidural unless you request it or unless you definitely need the drip. I found the pushing and recovery easier without epidural. Good luck!

 

[Scout]

With daughter, my waters broke on their own, but I was only 1cm dilated so my doctor put me on pitocin drip. I got an epidural 11 hours later when I was 5cm, my body relaxed and I was 10cm within an hour. I felt pressure to push. GL

 

[chelsealynnb]

That happened to me with DS1. I was induced with pitocin, had my water broken and got my epirural almost all at the same time. Apparently there were 4 sets of twins plus other singletons being born that morning so that was the only time the anesthesiologist was available.

I couldn't feel anything at all but I knew when a contraction was happening because I could still feel a tightening in my stomach. A couple times I thought I was contracting though, I wasn't. The doctor had to guide me a little but for the most part I knew what my body was doing. Was in labor for 17 hours.

 

[Wriggley]

slightly different for me my waters had broken naturally and after 24 hours nothing had happened by they did do my epidural before they induced me and waited for it to kick in mainly because i was having major panic attacks.

my epidural worked a treat! very pain free labour but trust me you still KNOW when to push! no pain just lots of pressure doing each contraction and you still feel the erge to push just with no pain

 

[prgirl_cesca]

I was induced via the drip and they suggested an epidural to me and didn't examine me past 3cm at first so I could have been still 3cm. It's because the drip is so intense and painful.

However I never needed it as my labour progressed too quickly! So if you don't want it don't have it!

 

[MeaganMackenz]

I had an epidural about an hour to an hour and a half after my water broke naturally. Contractions had started at that point but weren't terribly painful. I didn't feel the contractions but I could feel the pressure when I was fully dilated. I also felt like I had to pee, which is why they were down there attempting a catheter only to find out I was ready to go.

I don't think you feel contractions but the epidural can't do much against the pressure of needing to push, that's a force to be reckoned with.