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Category: Labour & Delivery

Asked by GypsyTasya

Q: Question for those who have had both an induced labor and unmedicated labor.

I've heard induced labor is much more intense and painful. Also, that it can potentially cause more stress on the baby. I'm looking for some REAL clarification, please.

Here's how the conversation w/my OB went down today, basically, at my 24w appointment:

Dr said, "pitocin labor and regular labor is the same thing ... labor is labor whether it's natural or induced" ... i have heard differently. i have heard the pitocin contractions are WAY more intense (all as i stated above). i said as much and she responded with, "well your uterus only knows one way to contract".

???? Any insight would be helpful. Thank you!!!!

This question was asked Mar. 16, 2012 3:22am
Category: Labour & Delivery

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Answered by GypsyTasya - Mar. 21, 2012 3:33pm
thank you all so much for your input!!! with all the info out there, it's nice to know we can get some REAL answers :). THANK YOU AGAIN! /hugs.

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Answered by asabrina - Mar. 17, 2012 7:18am
I went into labour on my own but my water had broken and there was maconium in it and I wasnt progressing quick enough. I had pitocin to speed things up which is exactly what happened. Although they did start me off gradually and increase the drip every so often I would say I knew immedietly it was working. I dont know if I would have eventually gotten to the level of pain and ferequency of contractions without it but I was in some serious pain right off the bat! Everytime they increased the dose I knew bcs I had less time between contractions to catch my breath. Eventually they were lasting over 3 minutes and less than 30 secs in between!! I know my mom and sister both had natural labours with 6 children between them and my younger sister and I had pitocin and both had horribly difficult labours. Now is this bcs we have poor pain threshhold or was it actually worse?? Its too bad everyone is different or the answer would be so much easier to find :) Hope you have luck with your labour!

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Answered by angelanna - Mar. 16, 2012 4:59pm
i had one natural labor......and 3 induced labors w/ epidurals.......and i plan on doing a natural with this one now, it is true for me that induced was more painful because contractions come on full force and not gradually over time like a natural birth.....i think honestly my natural one was the easiest one....but there was no stress on my kids because of the inducing, some babies do get stressed but that's not always the case....hope this helps.....but yeah either way it will be painful......and if i have to get induced with this one now, i would but still would not get epidural....i had some bad experiences with my last one so staying away from that(( and just getting if needed systemic medicine...))

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Answered by Leniana - Mar. 16, 2012 4:21pm
My mom had seven kids and epidurals didn't work on her, and she had a mix of "regular" births and ones that needed to be helped along with pitocin (I don't think she had any inductions though). She always told me that pitocin contractions came on stronger, quicker, and were harder than normal ones, and she avoided getting it if it was not absolutely necessary.

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Answered by ppamom - Mar. 16, 2012 2:08pm
I had pitocin with my first since labor was not progressing fast enough. To be honest...I never felt any contractions until after they broke my water. And after they broke my water he was born 46 minutes later.
With my second I didn't have any pitocin and I felt every painful contraction, but she was also sunny-side up, making it back labor hurting a lot more. They broke my water and she was born 20 minutes later.
So based on my experience natural was worse for me than pitocin was.

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Answered by a guest - Mar. 16, 2012 1:27pm
I've had both, the induced seemed more painful only because contractions came on quicker so you don't have a chance to "acclimatize" to them. It's true that contractions are contractions and they feel the same regardless, it's just the speed that they go from bareable to very painful that is the difference.

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Answered by blondemama2acutie - Mar. 16, 2012 1:14pm
I was induced with my first labour, I went 10 days overdue & it was extremely painful! As soon as they broke my water my contractions started to come on very very strong. There was some complications as well because of how fast I progressed but luckily just missed having to have an emergency c-section. Hopefully within the next 4 weeks this baby decides to come naturally :) So from my experience it was very painful but I havent experienced going into labour naturally..as of yet :)

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Answered by mjjmbnmm - Mar. 16, 2012 12:44pm
I have had one of each, and I really didn't think they were that differnt, the one the was induced was slightly more painful, but I think that had more do with the fact that the contractions came faster because it was a 3 hour labor compared to 13 hours with my first. I would have no problem if I had to be induced again. Good luck to you.

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Answered by babycarnell - Mar. 16, 2012 11:53am
I have heard the same..that its more painful and intense..I haven't been induced myself but have had two labours without pain relief which is painful anyway lol!

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