My body does not seem to "know" how to go into labor.

[kep]

With DS1 we were induced at 41w5d for low amniotic fluid. We ended up using Cervidil and then Pit. Despite being in extreme pain and avoiding a epidural for a long time, I had almost no dilation until the very end, and then went from 2 to 10 cm in about an hour.

With DS2, my water broke at 40w1d. While I did have light contractions for a couple of hours afterward, they tapered off quickly. I stayed at home for 4-5 hours after, hoping that labor would pick up on it's own. Nothing. :( Eventually we went to the hospital, and had another "augmented" birth. I walked and walked and walked around the hospital that night, all night long, in the hope of stimulating labor. Did only minimal monitoring for about ten minutes every hour. In the morning when my OB came on call, he ran antibiotics (for a pretty high WBC count) and then suggested Pit, since it had been 12+ hours since my water had broken. After hours and hours of Pit labor (again! :32: ) no signs of progress. After 30+ hours of water being broken with no real labor, they were talking about a c-section. Finally, my body went from 2-10 cm in under an hour again.

I'm just so frustrated and scared that I'm going to have to go through Pit again. I have such wonderful dreams of laboring at home for the majority of the birth, baking, tidying up, watching movies... then going in at the end. I do want a hospital birth, despite the challenges I have had. Both of my kids have had good shoulder dystocia, and I'm just too nervous to have them at home.

Has anyone else just -not- gone into labor? Am I the only one who feels like her body has betrayed her? :(

[Puddy73]

Nope, you are not alone. I was induced at 42 weeks with DD and then again with DS. I had Cervadil and Pit with DD and just Pit with DS, but neither was the birth experience that I had hoped for. I had to be monitored constantly because my contractions were so intense and they used internal fetal monitors. I'm really, really hoping that I go into labor on my own with this one!

[JenaW]

My cousin (who just delivered her 5th 3 weeks ago) has had nearly identical situations, all FIVE times!!! She is ALWAYS induced past her due date (either for low fluid or because she is nearing 43 weeks). Her body just will NOT go into labor on its own. She had an epidural for her first two and blamed her long labors on it. However, like you, she rapidly progressed from 2-3cm to 10 soon after the epi, which it VERY common, especially with Pit inductions. It seems like some women (understandably so, after being in so much pain for such a prolonged period) get so tensed that they can not relax and dilate. (NOt suggesting that it is as simple as "just relaxing" OR that everyone needs an epidural - but often the epidural can relax you enough so that you DO progress).

Have you discussed any of this with your OB? Perhaps they can try something in the office to start labor (i.e. strip your membranes) and let you go home and let things progress on their own if they will. I'll think of some more suggestions, but just realized the time and need to run to get DS out the door to preschool!

Best of luck!

J

[SnuggleBuggles]

10% of moms would naturally go into labor between 42 and 44 weeks. Maybe you are just one of them?

Sometimes the amniotic sac ruptures not because baby has signaled the start of labor but because of something like membrane stripping or an infection. You were augmented after only 12 hours after ROM- maybe contx would have started naturally if given more time? Some practices are fine waiting 48+ hours if there is no sign of infection (good way to avoid infection is to avoid internal exams, which the staff isn't always so great about). Sometimes a leak isn't powerful enough to start labor- you need more of a gush. Also, sometimes a posterior baby can cause ROM ahead of time so maybe you could work on baby's positioning as much as possible in the end? Just musing out loud about some ways things might go differently even if you are in the same scenario again.

I don't know when either of my boys would have come if I hadn't had my membranes stripped. I had it done at 41w3d with ds2 and 41w5d with ds1. Both boys were just happy as can be in there. With ds1 I was far more anxious. For ds2 I knewbaby would come when he was ready. It was really relaxing to just hand over control of it an dnot obsess about the calendar. I knew labor would happen. No one has ever not gone into labor. It's just that for some women they will naturally be pregnant longer. Maybe they have longer cycles? How is your family history? I always knew I would be on the late side sinch dh was born at 43 weeks.


Try not to lose faith in your body. You had 2 less than ideal circumstances but there isn't reason to worry already about #3. :)

Beth

[pinkmomagain]

I had pit with all three kids. Labor started for all three, but then didn't progress. For my 3rd it ended up going faster, if that's any comfort for you. I checked in the hospital at 12noon and had her at 4pm. Hopefully, since it's your third, things will progress faster/better.