Did I actually need to be induced?

[pookiesossige]

I'm really not sure...

It's a long time ago now but I'm still interested in what people think.

My membranes ruptured spontaneously at 38 weeks, at 3am. The maternity ward at our regional hospital asked me to come in at 8am. After some monitoring, and walking, walking, walking until midday, there was no sign of labour.

So at 1pm I was put on the syntocin drip. I was 1cm dilated when they did this.

Ronan was born at 7pm after 2 hours of pushing and a shocking labour, without any pain relief. I didn't want an epidural and the gas made me loose my mind.

Do you think I 'had' to be induced?
What other options could there have been?


Keep in mind, this is a regional city with one hospital to birth in and no independent midwives available.. that kind of thing. It's the kind of region with one anesthetist for 3 hospitals, and if you end up in Emergency after a car accident or need an emergency c-section in the middle of the night, chances are that anesthetist will be home in bed (on-call).
It's not a particularly progressive health service up here, but I wish I avoided that induction somehow..

What do you think? :detective:

[ShadyCharacter]

I think no you probably didn't :no:.

I am guessing that the official reason you were induced was 'failure to progress?' - unless Mum or bubs is distressed, this is never a good reason for anything other than letting nature take its course IMO.

As far as what other options there could have been, just waiting would have been my option.

Am sure some of the other girls will have better info.

Hope this doesn't sound awful, I was just trying to answer your questions :hugs:

[pookiesossige]

Oh that doesn't sound awful at all. I'm not upset or traumatised by this birth experience... just curious is all. It didn't have any lasting effect on me, it was just awful in itself.

I did wonder if it was just failure to progress- except my waters had fully broken and I was talked to about the risk of infection and something about the difficulty of a 'dry birth'. What's the go with that? I mean, the amniotic fluid is continuously being replaced, it's not as it the baby is going to 'run out' of fluid in there.. isn't it??

[stellarella]

No IMO you didnt need to be induced.

At the birth centre I gave birth in the policy was 48 hours after SROM before induction was even discussed. And if I was giving birth at home for example there would be no talk of induction until there were signs of infection or the baby was not doing well.

Sometimes it a takes a while for labour to start...however you were 1cm dilated and therefore well on your way. If they had let you go you may have gone into labour spontaneously after a day or two.

The reason they induce is due to infection however taking your temp, looking for signs of discharge and avoiding baths and sex and avoiding generally disturbing the 'area' like with VEs will help avoid infection.

[stellarella]

the difficulty of a 'dry birth'. What's the go with that? I mean, the amniotic fluid is continuously being replaced, it's not as it the baby is going to 'run out' of fluid in there.. isn't it??

There is no such thing as a 'dry' birth. It annoys me the CPs perpetuate this myth.

Amniotic fluid is replaced constantly.

Yes if the membranes are ruptured artificially and before they are ready then the baby could get stuck in a bad position however if the membranes rupture spontaneously then the baby is in a good position with the head pressing on the cervix well and there really isnt any danger of getting stuck.

Oodles of women give birth well after the membranes rupture with absolutely no problems.

[pookiesossige]

Interesting, Stella! I wonder what they would have thought had I asked to go home and come back when I was in labour?! Of course that's what I would have done next time around had I needed to. Had frequent check-ups etc if that kept them happy, but that's about it.

Ah well, it was my first birth, I knew no different etc. The thing is though that Ronan was so very jaundiced and had a hole between the ventricles of his heart that may have benefited from more time in there. He was 7lb14oz, but still not quite ready in some ways, I believe. Well, of course he wasn't ready, he was induced!

[Mummy2Noah]

This thread is really interesting to me because I was in the exact same position my Waters Broke at 35 weeks on Tuesday night at 10pm by 1pm the next day I was told I had to have the drip because my contractions were irregular and I was only 3cm I told them I didnt wont the drip but they insisted I HAD to have it!!!:(

[shed]

When my waters broke by themselves (38 weeks) I rang my doula and she said we had 24 hours to see if anything happened.

It all started half an hour later anyway, but 24 hours is what she said, and then it was more of a "and then we will see" type 24 hours, not a "and then we will do something" 24 hours.

So in answer to your question, no, you probably needed nothing. They like to get things moving once you are in the system.

[ShadyCharacter]

Some interesting info from JB:


Prelabor (meaning no uterine contractions present) rupture of membranes occurs in about 6-19% of all term pregnancies. Epidemiological data shows that about 86% of all women with prelabor rupture of membranes go into spontaneous (not induced) labor within 24 hours of their water breaking. Only 6% of the remaining go longer than 96 hours without any sign of labor starting.

[floggadog]

Apparently after 12 hours post waters breaking the chances of infection increase.
However the drip can be put at a really low rate so things happen slowly. Sounds like yours was a high rate.
This info will be on your medical records. Ask to see it & if it happens again you can tell them to turn it down.

[Myztik]

Interesting.. I was induced after 'failure to progress' with ds1.. Our stories are very very similar actually..

[ShadyCharacter]

Apparently after 12 hours post waters breaking the chances of infection increase.
If nothing is inserted into the vagina (i.e no internals, etc), the risk of infection is still negligible at 12 hours. There is only a 'real' infection concern at about 96 hours, and nearly all women will go into spontaneous labour well before this time :)

[Areca]

Well with DD2 my waters broke and I went in, got monitored, was sent home and told they'd see me for monitoring every day as it could take 3-4 days before anything actually happened. They just wanted to make sure that she wasn't getting distressed...there was no talk of induction at all. They sent me home with a pamphlet but it just said what I wasn't allowed to do (no bath and no sex as they increase the risk of infection) and to call if I had any symptoms mentioned.
As it turns out I went back in not long after with meconium in my waters but I was put on the monitor and left to labour naturally. Contractions had started by that stage though.
ETA - I was 7cm dilated when I got my one and only internal and the midwife asked me if it was okay to before she did.

[bambi79]

This is interesting! I too had my 'waters break' 1 week past my due date. 3rd baby, 1st and 2nd I was induced, 2 weeks over.
Rang the hospital to tell them and they told me to go in straight away. I waited for hubby for around 30 mins, then made it there, meanwhile waters gushing the whole time.
*Nothing happened*
I was in hospital for 2 days without signs of Labour! On the 3rd day I woke up feeling ill, and that was only reason they induced me, with the drip. This is Liverpool Hospital in Sydney. They left me there for that long cause of labour room shortages!
Once your membranes come away, I know theres high risk of infection so thats why they bring you on but then theres Dr's, nurses, midwives...they all have their different ways of doing things.
I would have prefered to to be induced straight away rather than sit in that uncomfy hospital for those 2 days.

[lillyflower04]

Hindsight is great isn't it? I do think the mw's and drs should have given you more time, but it's hard to protest when you're deep in la-la labourland. We live regionally too, so I totally understand your lack of viable birthing options. I know of women that took a day of active labour to get to 2cms, then got to 10 in the next hour or two! Unfortunately staff don't want to spend a couple of days with a labouring woman, they want her out and the next one in. Geez I realised how cynical I am about 'mainstream' birth :rolleyes:


There is no such thing as a 'dry' birth. It annoys me the CPs perpetuate this myth.

Amniotic fluid is replaced constantly.

Yes if the membranes are ruptured artificially and before they are ready then the baby could get stuck in a bad position however if the membranes rupture spontaneously then the baby is in a good position with the head pressing on the cervix well and there really isnt any danger of getting stuck.

Oodles of women give birth well after the membranes rupture with absolutely no problems.

:yes: Yep, what I was going to say.


Once your membranes come away, I know theres high risk of infection so thats why they bring you on

Hmmm, I'm not sure I really agree with that. Some risk, yes, high risk, no. I believe the risk of infection comes from med pros doing too many VE's and stuffing around with the process. Each to our own opinions though :)