5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting Induced

Scheduling an induction gives you an end date. You know that if you don't have your baby before, you will at least give birth by that day. That makes it an exciting ++ kind of nerve-wracking time. I thought I had a good idea of what being induced would be like...but there were somethings I was completely wrong on and I wish I would of had a better idea.

       1. Being induced isn't necessarily easier or less painful then your labor starting naturally.

• While it may seem more convenient to be induced because you pick the day and the time, you can  let family and friends know. It seems like it would be easier and less painful because you are controlling when everything starts and when you get what medicine...but this is far from true. The Doctors are administering a medication that helps push your body into labor. This will still make your body act as if it happened on its own. Therefore, you still have contractions, back pain, and any other pain that you can have during labor that is started naturally. The only difference is that you know its coming and maybe you can prepare yourself a little more. 

       2. SLEEP WHILE YOU CAN!!!

• I was induced at midnight on a Friday. I stayed awake the entire time, except maybe 20 minutes after getting some pain medication. I delivered my daughter at 2:55pm. So I was awake most the day Thursday, all Friday night/morning and had her Friday afternoon. After delivery, I went to postpartum care...you don't really get to sleep there either. Then during the nights, the nurses come and check you and the baby e.v.e.r.y. hour...so not much sleep there either! So basically I was awake until we left the hospital Sunday afternoon. I should of opted to sleep beginning around 1am on Friday after the medication had been started but before I was in too much pain to sleep. Sleep whenever you get the chance, even if people are visiting...IT'S NOT RUDE! You are giving life to another human...you deserve it!

       3. Don't expect to have your baby an hour after the induction begins

• This was kind of a big one for me, I just expected it to all go much quicker. (In my defense, it was my first baby) I went in at midnight thinking I would be holding my baby girl by 3am. Boy was I wrong! I was in labor for 15 hours. The first couple hours, I had no pain..just kind of waiting. From about 4am-10am, I was in constant pain. Contractions 1-3 minutes apart, adjusting the levels of Pictocin I was receiving because I was contracting but not dilating. From about 10am-11:30am, I was getting my epidural and medications to make me "comfortable". 11:30-2pm I was pushing and taking breaks for breathing and pain and getting yet another epidural. 2pm-2:55pm I was deciding between having a c-section and using the vacuum and FINALLY at 2:55pm I was holding my baby girl! Approx 15 hours from the start.

      4. Having people there with you, really does make the time go by quicker.

• Although it probably effected my sleeping, I really enjoyed having my family there from the very beginning. My husband, my mom, my sister, and my mother & Father-in-law were all at the hospital from the beginning until after I gave birth. They were in the room for most of the time except for when anything was going to happen. We talked and had alot of laughs and jokes. We played cards & took pictures to document everything. It was really great to have the support there the whole time. They supported not only me, but my husband who was going through all of this for the first time as well. They also were my advocates for anything with the nurses and doctors.

      5. Things may not go exactly how you plan them.

• This one is actually whether you are induced or natural labor. There were a few things that caused bumps in the road to delivery. I was contracting, hard and quick, but not dilating..so I had to have my water broken. My first epidural didn't work, at all. I had to have a second epidural, the stronger one. Then after an hour and a half of pushing, we found my pelvic bone was stopping any progression, therefor we had to make the decision of having a C-Section or using the Vacuum. We opted for the Vacuum, with this decision it brought in the NICU team, NICU Dr and a few extra nurses. Although it didn't go exactly how I was hoping, it all ended the same. We held our beautiful, healthy baby girl at the end. 

Although I didn't know everything and I wish I would of known these few things, I still had a positive experience for the most part & I obviously ended with the best little girl in the world! (In my unbiased opinion right?!)

Until the next Dash,

Momma Spice*