Is induced labour always more painful?

by Kristin Darguzas (Subscribe to Kristin Darguzas's posts) Aug 16th 2007 12:27PM

My best friend was due to give birth to her first baby sometime last week. She's at that awful, bloated, oh-dear-god-please-get-this-baby-out-of-me stage that I suspect all pregnant women get in their very final days of gestation. Particularly when it's a blazing summer day. Particularly when your toes resemble large pink hot dogs. Particularly when you have no energy to do anything but lay splayed like an earthbound-seal, panting over a popsicle in front of a large green fan. Oh, those were the days.

Anyway, she's been diligent with her research and education during her pregnancy, she's taken Bradley method courses and is determined that, if at all possible, she'll have a drug free birth. And since she is perhaps the most determined, wickedly strong woman I have ever met in my entire life, I have no doubt that she'll do it. If, that is, she can do it on her own.

Since she's now overdue, Carrie's been subject to multiple ultrasounds (6 altogether), two this week alone. They are to determine if her placenta is deteriorating, whether all is OK in there. There is talk of induction, which she doesn't want. At all. She believes that medical induction leads to an increasingly painful labour and unnecessary risks to the baby. I probably helped freak her out on that -- my own labour was induced and my contractions were excruciating and less than a minute apart, almost from the beginning. In fact, so many women I spoke with had the same story -- they were a couple days overdue, their doctors ordered an induction, syntocinon was administered, labour failed to progress, and cesarians were ordered. It's exactly what happened to me, and if I could do it over again, I would have asked to not be induced. I believe, if my body could have done it on its own, I probably wouldn't have ended up frozen solid on a metal operating table during my labour.

But, I do know that there are several stories of women out there who have been induced and had good, normal labours -- possibly without pain medicine. Are you out there? I'd love to hear your stories, so I can reassure my friend that even if she is induced, it could turn out A-OK for the natural birth she craves.

Comments (22)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Lauren 8-16-2007 @ 1:13PM

Here I am!!

I think the type of induction is key - I was given cervadil, which is a pill they insert on your cervix that will make the cervix soften and ripen. This was painless, and I basically walked around for four hours while the med worked.

After the cervadil, my Dr was able to break my water, and then I labored on my own, with my body doing everything right. I did not have a drop of pitocin until after Margot was born, which I think makes many inductions awful.

The labor was long, and I pushed for three hours, but it happened all by itself once started and turned out wonderful.

Tell Carrie good luck!! And have fun holding your newest little friend!

http://prettybabies.blogspot.com 8-16-2007 @ 1:12PM

I delivered my first child naturally. I was scared half to death of using drugs (especially an epidural - dear God, I was more afraid of that than of labor!), or having to have a c-section. Being induced absolutely terrified me.

With my second pregnancy, I had intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (which can cause stillbirth if you don't deliver by like 37 weeks), and then at 36 weeks I developed pregnancy induced hypertension (which I also had with my first). My doctor said it was time to induce.

I was absolutely petrified. I honestly can't convey, in words, the fear I felt. I was absolutely sure that I was going to die.

I went straight home to get my stuff and my husband, then to the hospital. They put in the cytotec at 6 pm. I was dialated to 3 cm already at that point. The cytotec got me to 4 cm. Then they broke my water and the baby was born (healthy and perfect, thank God) an hour and nine minutes later.

I actually spent more time crying about being induced than I spent in labor!!

I wouldn't induce just because I was overdue, but there comes a time when you have to do what you have to do for your safety and the baby's. When she gets to that point, tell her not to worry. It wasn't any harder than the first. It was faster (my first labor was 3 hours, 45 mins.), but not harder. I still did it drug free (well, I had a tylenol because I had a headache, but that's like throwing a teacup of water at a forest fire, as far as labor pain is concerned!!).

It will be fine. Have your friend e-mail me if she wants greater detail. Both of my birth stories are also on my blog.

Anisa 8-16-2007 @ 1:25PM

Hi! With both of my children, I asked for and received a pitocin-induced labor at 39 weeks purely because of my own impatience. Both labors were extremely similar, and, strangely, even lasted exactly the same amount of time almost to the minute. I used narcotic pain relief only with both, and with my second I was able to wait a lot longer before asking for medication. I was scared to death of the side effects of epidurals, not to mention the gigantic needle, and never considered getting one. I was able to feel everything, because the narcotics took the edge off for awhile but didn't even dull the worst contractions during transition. The baby coming out, especially, was an incredibly satisfying feeling; it didn't hurt NEARLY as much as transition contractions! Overall labor was definitely intense, but only for the relatively brief period at the end. For 3 weeks after the baby was born, I would look at her and think, 'Thank freaking God I'm not still pregnant!', knowing I would have been allowed to go 2-3 weeks past date. For me, getting to finsih pregnancy and see my baby as soon as I felt ready was the best choice. I loved my pitocin and would definitely use it again.

Amanda 8-16-2007 @ 1:22PM

I was induced with my second child and it was a picture perfect delivery. I had cervadil, as did Lauren, It was completely painless, I walked around during contractions and then I mildly labored for about 4 or 5 hours and then all of a sudden I told my husband, 'i'm ready to push' and he went to get the nurse and she said, wow, you are, lets go! and boom, there was my sweet baby.
It was a picture perfect delivery.
Tell your friend to just stick to what she thinks is right for her and her baby. and if she can concentrate on her breathing alone during those bad contractions then she can get through it. plus, once you get to 8 or 9 cm the pain doesn't get any worse so if you can stick it out to then, its almost over and totally worth it! :)

Kerrie 8-16-2007 @ 1:23PM

I'm another!

From blood platelet counts my midwife discovered at 37 weeks that I had developed HELLP syndrome, and we needed to get my baby out. My cervix was already somewhat dilated already, and the OB/GYN put me on Pitocin. Honestly, I did NOT feel ANY contractions for almost three hours... until she broke my water. Then I could feel them, but without a previous labor for comparison, I figured that pain-wise they were just par for the course. I endured them, pain-med free, for about two hours, after which my cervix went from 5 to 10 cm within five minutes, and my son came practically flying out. All while we were waiting for a platelet transfusion so they could do a C-section under general anesthesia (no epidural with HELLP).

While emotionally draining, physically I don't think the pain was particularly terrible. Best of luck to your friend!

Niki P. 8-16-2007 @ 3:42PM

I was not induced in either labor because apparently I was built to breed. I had very fast labors- the first was 2 hours from first pain until I was able to push (3 grunting/cursing hours of pushing then ensued) and the second was about 45 minutes until I could push (3 pushes later my second son was peeing on me!!) I never had sweet, soft, gentle- getting you ready for the big show contractions- they were all WHAM HERE COMES A BABY contractions that had me writhing in pain in an instant. I think that must be what being induced is like- going from 0-60 in one contraction. That's my opinion. I did it all drug free too, like I said, I am apparently a breeder.

Ethel 8-16-2007 @ 1:46PM

A couple days overdue and there are talks about induction? Come on! The last weeks of pregnancy are miserable but far better to labor when your body is ready then when you have to fight it. With my first I was overdue one week when I had a leaker, and they used pitocin to start labor - bad choice. Not only painful (lack of pain control) but ended in c-section. Second baby, ultrasounds, stress tests, he was overdue almost 2 weeks when I stared to labor on my own - my doctor augmented with pitocin to ensure that I dilated and it worked just fine. Not as painful as my 1st, there was a break between contractions, and while he was LARGE and LONG he was perfect and I came out without another scar (just not on my belly this time) and staples.

Remind your friend about sex (prostoglandins and oxytocin), primrose oil (break the caps or allow them to dissolve in place - I recommend doing this before a nap or bedtime and use a pad) and snug them up near the cervix to help thin it. For myself I'd wait as long as possible to add pitocin, I don't know about cervadil but I bet it would be a good thing.

jpark 8-16-2007 @ 1:53PM

I was induced after going a week past my due date partly because my fluid was already low (according to them). I had been 3 cm dilated for like two weeks, and the doctor decided my cervix was ripe enough, so they started with the pitocin. It wasn't that bad, although I think I could have gone without the dose of IV drugs I took if I had been able to move around and everything. I had to stay hooked up to the pointless monitor and had an internal catheter putting fluids back (which I still don't understand the point of). So every time I would get up and try to change position or something the nurses would come in and try to fix it, but it really only worked if I was in bed. That was irritating, but everything else was perfect. I was terrified of getting an epidural as well, so when my doctor wanted me to be induced I thought I would have to get one because I also heard that pitocin made your labor harder. Luckily, that was not my experience (but I don't have anything to compare it to of course).

Courtney 8-16-2007 @ 1:52PM

I had one all natural labor and one pitocin induced labor. My first child was from pitocin so I didn't know any better and thought it's labor it's supposed to hurt. I had no drugs and did deliver vaginally, but along came number 2. If I would have known what labor was supposed to be like I wouldn't have made it through number 1. Thank God she was my first and I knew no different. I'm like prettybabies.blogspot.com, more afraid of the epidural than labor. I feel ya there sista. Good Luck if she has to have pitocin.

www.taylorandcallee.blogspot.com

aprilkelm 8-16-2007 @ 1:57PM

My best friend (also named Carrie) had an induction after she was a week late. She was given an IV with pitocin around 7 in the morning. Around noon, she got an epidural, and by 3:30, she was holding her baby. She is due in 4 weeks with #2 and wants the exact same thing to happen again.

I refused an induction even though I was 9 days past due and spent 31 excruciating hours in labor. And ended up in the hospital on weekend night shift, finally delivering on Saturday morning.

Induction has it's benefits, especially if your name is Carrie!

Sandyone 8-16-2007 @ 2:32PM

First was natural. With my second, my water "broke" (I suspect it was a high leak, as the doctor had to break my already-broken water a few hours later) but I had no contractions. They started the pitocin drip and the contractions started to worry me. I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to be able to do that all night long, but hadn't considered pain relief because I wasn't going to need it.

Lucky for me, the pitocin worked it's magic...the intense contractions were because my cervix was dilating quite rapidly. My 2nd child was born approximately 3 hours after the pitocin drip started.

I think length of labor and expectations are more important than intensity. Once the nurse checked me the first time and I was already 6 cm, I smiled and said to my husband, "Oh, I can do this for a few hours...I didn't think I could do it all night long, but a few hours will be fine."

Even with my excellent experience, I would still run away from induction. I go with midwives now and know that I won't be induced unless it's really necessary. If it's truly necessary, I'll take the induction and I might even take some pain relief if things don't go as well as the first one. I won't go looking for it, but I do know that not every induction story is a nightmare.

Colleen 8-16-2007 @ 2:34PM

I was induced at 41 1/2 weeks. I'd also practiced hypnobirthing techniques for 8 weeks prior to that and planned to use it for a natural childbirth. The doctor administered pitocin for 8 hours and I successfully used my hypnobirthing techniques for 8 hours and didn't require or request any pain meds. Unfortunately, I couldn't progress beyond 6 cm so after that 8 hours of labor my doctor decided to do a C-section. But, as it turns out, I was glad to have had one. My daughter was born weighing 10 lbs, 6 oz!

The upside to my story for your friend is that I didn't need pain meds to get through 8 hours of induction. The downside is that I ended up with a C-section which is not what I wanted but in the end it was the best option for me and my baby.

Good luck to your friend for a safe, healthy and natural childbirth!

Stephanie 8-16-2007 @ 3:30PM

She's just a few days overdue? They let me go 9 days over, and no extra ultrasounds! Then they had me come into the hospital, where I proved to be in light labor. It was kind of frustrating to call in at 5 just to be told to call again at 7, but that's what I was told to do.

After sitting there for 7 hours in that light, nonprogressive labor, they induced me with pitocin. I'd been handling things fine, no problems at all, but the pitocin changed that fast for me. Lots of pain, unmanageable, and it took an hour (or was it a month? Pain sure made it feel longer.) before they got the anesthesiologist in to do the epidural. My poor nurse was just frantic trying to find him because I needed the help so much.

My second an urgent C-section. I'll take labor, even induced, over that any day, just because the recovery was so much harder.

Heidi 8-16-2007 @ 3:47PM

Me, me! Long stories short, I've had 2 pain med-free births, both were induced... one with pitocen, one with cervadil. I wouldn't say they were any more painful that the time I went into labor "naturally" with my water breaking on it's own. (Or any less painful, ha!)

Hope this helps :)

caitlin 8-16-2007 @ 5:51PM

I was 2 weeks overdue, so I had a natural induction. Everything I'd read seemed to agree if you start labor without pitocin, and have to use it later, it's less painful. I did have to have pitocin after my water broke and my labor stalled, but it wasn't noticeably more painful. Natural inductions are not guaranteed to work, but they usually do within 72 hours if they're going to work.

The only thing that stopped me from having a natural birth was having a baby with a 16" head. I only used pain meds after they discovered meconium when my water broke and had me strapped down to 4 machines, and I couldn't get off the bed or comfortable. If she's on a pitocin drip, it may restrict her ability to get in a more comfortable position.

india 8-16-2007 @ 6:45PM

with my first baby i developed preelampsia at exactly 37weeks and began induction that day i got my first dose of gel along with mag. sulfate(its horrible) at 11pm then 3 doses later they fianlly started pitocin(midwife only likes natural labors) i had outside monitors and was screaming from contractions that were only showing 30 with an internal they were topping 100 and less than a min apart!!mty water fianlly naturally broke and after 40 hours of natural labor and exhaustion i asked for an epidural when they finally decided i was in enough pain they gave it to me in 40 hrs i dialted to 4 after epidural they came in to prep me for a csection n just made 1 final check..she was crowning and i was sleeping through it!! 28min later my 5ib5oz 20 inch babygirl was born!
ive never had natural labor..with my son they induced at 40 wks and 4 days i got my first gel at 11 am broke my water at 2pm i dialted to 4 cm when they started pitocin at about 4 and after 4 min of pushing delivered my baby boy at 10:02 pm wieghing in at 8ibs 6oz 21 in..it was all natural!!no painkillers..besides i tore and she numbed me with lidocane to stitch me up which didnt work too well bc i woke up and almost kicked her in the face lol.i would take natural over medicated ne day

Amanda 8-16-2007 @ 7:29PM

I was induced with my 1st on my due date due to high blood pressure. My doctor did the gel & pitocin overnight, which wasn't too bad. He came in at 9 in the morning and broke my water....I was 1 cm at the time. By 2:30 that afternoon I had delivered naturally with no epidural ( those things scare the crap outta me!) and had no tearing or anything.I only had to push 4 times. It was great! I'm due to be induced with my 2nd a week from today. I'm actually more nervous about going into labor spontaneously, believe it or not! Everyone I know who has had the epidural has had complications, so I will be staying far away from that as possible...Labor hurt, but it wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. I really just think it depends on how you perceive the pain. Everyone's different...

Keri 8-16-2007 @ 10:23PM

Carrie can actually try to induce herself like my friend and I did (although mine was by accident since my son was born a week early). My husband made a really spicy Indian dish and accidentally made it REALLY spicy. We both were in tears but we had to eat! The next day I went into labor. My best friend decided to follow suit but being that she was so used to eating habanero sauce on a regular basis, she had to consume more than she was used to. The next day she went into labor. My husband made the spicy Indian dish again for another friend who was pregnant and overdue. While it was not as spicy as the dish he made for me, he still added a lot of cumin which is listed as one of the natural ingredients one can use to induce labor. She went into labor the next day as well. Coincidence? I like to think not. ;) For other natural induction methods, have Carrie check this site out:
http://www.lifepassages.net/NaturalInduction.html

Keep us posted about Carrie's baby! =D

Mary 8-17-2007 @ 11:13AM

I would also advise the natural inductions. I was scheduled for a medical induction for a Friday morning, but was determined to go into labor on my own. So Wednesday, I started drinking cumin tea, eating spicy foods, and eating lots of tropical fruits. Finally on Thursday (and doctors don't advise this, though some midwives do) I took a couple of doses of castor oil. It was gross, but worked like a charm. By midnight, I was in labor.

I was augmented with IV pitocin to speed up labor. It was painful (really, more like extremely uncomfortable), but I don't think it was any worse than before they gave me the drip--the contractions were just a lot more frequent. I didn't use any pain meds or get an epidural.

DeAnna 8-17-2007 @ 1:10PM

I just had my first child 6 weeks ago and she was pitocin-induced two weeks early..it was an elective induction. My husband and I lived over an hour away from the hospital and we are both teachers. We really wanted to have her so that we could both be home for a while before going back to teaching. The contractions were fast, I was already induced to a 3 when I went in and had been for a few weeks. The contractions were 3 minutes apart almost as soon as they started the drip and broke my water. I loved my labor the contractions were very strong and I did have an epidural (which was not bad at all---I too had been more afraid of the epidural then labor) but the doctors and nurses convinced me that I would dialate faster if I wasn't as tense. I had the epidural and within an hour went to a 9 and then 2 hours later my beautiful girl was born.

I plan to have the next baby induced as well, it was so calm to go in and know I was leaving with my baby...but then I am a planner. I like to have things ready to go and no what is going to happen.

But as I said at the beginning this was my first so even though it may have been worse then the natural way I still would do it all again.

Tell your friend good luck, I am sure it will all be okay!

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