Induction with Cervidil?

[BabyCleo]

So after seeing my doc today we have booked my induction date for 41+1 (1 weeks and a day from now) and she told me I will have Cervidil put in me. I'm 1cm dilated and about 50% effaced.

She told me I'd go in and have it placed then leave the hospital after 1-2 hours. Can someone give me stories of this and how it all went? I'm trying to avoid the IV and have a natural birth as much as I can. Thanks

 

[Kristalebear1]

I'm going through this right now but they require me to stay in the hospital, and strapped to fetal monitors as the medication can hyperstimulate contractions. It's not bad so far minus the not being able to walk around bit, but it seems you won't have to worry about that.

I am 9 hrs in and was 4 cm almost last they checked 3hrs ago, they put it in again then and I will be checked in an hour (praying I'm a 5 or 6 cm so they can break my waters) really I was terrified of induction today and really it's just a lot of waiting so far.

Hopefully your baby isn't as stubborn as mine and decides to show on her own haha. I wanted to avoid it all to but I am just glad there's an end in site now. I wish my hospital would have allowed me to leave for awhile haha.

 

[staralfur]

I had the Cervidil insertion at 1cm dilated a week after my due date and was allowed to leave an hour after it was in. I had to go back 6 hours later to see how much progress I had made. I only dilated another .5cm but they said progress was progress (and I was having regular contractions almost the second the Cervidil was put in!) so they didn't need to put the 2nd dose in. I got sent home again and told to come back the next day if I didn't go into full-blown labour by then.

The contractions picked up and about 13 hours after the insertion I was back in the hospital and 5cm dilated. It was another 5 hours until my LO was born. I used the shower (at home and at the hospital) as my main form of pain relief. At 7cm they kicked me out of the shower because I was turning purple from the heat and I used gas & air until pushing time.

I feel like I got pretty close to my 'ideal' labour as I still got to do most of it at home and only had G&A for pain relief. I have nothing but good things to say about my induction process.

 

[BabyCleo]

Kristalebear1 - omgsh congrats! Its exciting to hear from someone who is going through it!

staralfur - thank you! That makes me feel better. I am so nervous about having to be strapped down, and im very much hoping to avoid Pitocin if I can

 

[lusterleaf]

I was induced with cervadil because my water broke, but I was not dilated at all. I got to the hospital at 9pm and they put it in. Maybe an hour or two later my contractions started and they were painful. They wouldn't give me an epidural until I was at least 4 cm and I was able to get it around 4am. Then I was actually able to sleep for a few hours. At 9am they checked me and I was fully dilated and ready to push. I pushed for about 45 min and my son was born right before 10am.

Also wanted to add that I did not need pitocin- the cervadil was enough to get my contractions started

 

[BabyCleo]

Thank you! I'm very afraid of having the Pitocin, that's the last thing I want. Im a bit nervous about coming home/going back/coming home.

Should I be bringing in my hospital bags when I first go in?

 

[designermama]

Sounds like these ladies have great advice! I have been reading birth stories in the baby sections here and lots of those involve cervadil if you want to take a look! I have read some where it started causing contractions within an hour or so!

 

[ceejie]

With my daughter I was induced (over 3 weeks early, mind you) with cervadil. I was already 1.5cm dialated, at first they tried several doses of prostaglandin, having me go back every 3 hours. I didn't progress much after a day of that so they tried the cervadil. I believe I had to go back every 6 hours for monitoring then. After 24 I was still only 3 cm and they had to switch to pitocen drip. 5 hours after being hooked up to the IV I was holding my baby girl.

It was kind of irritating, in my opinion, as we lived over an hour from the hospital and after a week of going back and forth for NSTs everyday, then having to go back every 3-6 hours for 48 hours was just completely exhausting, I don't think I slept for 3 days before giving birth.

I really hope you have a better experience, it may have not worked as well as I was inducted early for cholestasis. Best of luck!

 

[BabyCleo]

Thank you! I will go check those stores out!

Wow ceejie... that sounds awful that you had to go back and fourth!!! I don't live to far from my hospital so im lucky that way, but im nervous about going back and fourth either way if I have too!!

 

[Sker]

I had cervidil for the start of my induction to get my cervix at a more favorable state before they put my on pitocin the morning after. Nothing bad came of it and it did its job in the sense of progressing me to a 4 from a 1.5.

ETA, the pitocin wasn't bad for me either, so maybe i'm just a little more oblivious to pain than most.

 

[ceejie]

Thank you! I'm very afraid of having the Pitocin, that's the last thing I want. Im a bit nervous about coming home/going back/coming home.

Should I be bringing in my hospital bags when I first go in?

The pitocin really wasn't bad for me personally. I know I've heard stories from others that weren't as lucky but for me it was quick and easy once I was hooked up to the pitocin drip.

As for the bags, my hospital specifically said leave your bags in the car and they would tell your partner when it was okay to go get them. So I would suggest just bringing a purse with your essentials (phone, tablet, chap stick, whatever you think you can't go without) and then get your bags from the car later!

 

[mlm115]

Cervidil put me into labor after about an hour or less after they put it in. I went from 1 to 4cm in a couple of hours. I was a week past my due date, so I think baby was ready to come out!

 

[lusterleaf]

To answer your question about the hospital bag- I brought mine with me. I knew after my water broke they were going to have to get him out soon, so chances are i'd be delivering within the next few days whether by successful induction or if it came down to it a c section.

 

[redneckhippy]

I was induced with cirvidil and had a natural birth in the hospital with my MW. The plan was 12 hours of cirvidil, another 12 hours of cirvidil, then pitocin, but I ended up going into labor from just the first cirvidil. My MW also did a membrane sweep before putting the cirvidil in. My labor was 10 hours and it was my first child. I think going with cirvidil first before pitocin is a great approach and if I had to be induced with a future pregnancy I wouldn't hesitate to use cirvidil agian.

Oh and I was 40 +5.

 

[BabyCleo]

Wow thank you everyone! I feel so much better about all this, I have an appointment the day before to discuss it all with my doctor, but its so nice to hear positive things.

My husband and I don't drive, so we cant leave a bag in a car. Ill just bring it, its not a big bag lol. I would hate to not have my stuff with me! lol.