How fast will pitocin work

There is no set timeframe, just like how it is for spontaneous labor. If you're induced in the hospital, doctors usually keep the mother inpatient the entire day to see if labor begins. If the hormone does not work and labor still does not begin, the mother may be sent home to try another day. This is wildly frustrating for any woman. If you know your labor is going to be induced, it's a good idea to bring things that will keep your mind occupied.

Waiting around for labor to begin can make you feel anxious and nervous, so try to have something to keep you entertained. Pitocin stimulates the uterine muscles to contract and the force of the contractions will gradually help to dilate the cervix. However, the cervix needs to be at a certain stage of readiness before Pitocin induced contractions can help accelerate dilation. Cervical ripening or preparedness for labor is evaluated based on something called a "Bishop score.

If the Bishop score is under 6 doctors will usually administer a cervical ripening agent such as Cervidil or Cytotec to help soften and ripen the cervix.

Once the cervix is sufficiently ripe a Bishop score of 6 or higher regular contractions of the uterus will gradually help push the cervix open to full dilation. Pitocin will help stimulate uterine contractions which can speed up dilation. The rate at which Pitocin helps accelerate dilation depends on the dose. Higher doses of Pitocin will generally stimulate the uterine muscles more, causing more frequent and intense contractions.

The goal is to achieve a pattern of 3 contractions every 10 minutes that last around seconds. The cervix should be dilating at a rate of 1 cm per hour, and the dose should be reduced once the cervix has dilated to cm. Pitocin is usually stopped once dilation reaches cm. Amniotomy breaking the bag of water is sometimes recommended by clinicians to induce labor. This procedure is done during a vaginal exam in the hospital. Your baby must be low in the pelvis and the cervix must be open some for a provider to break the water.

This method is not always effective, and works best on women who are at least a few centimeters dilated and have had a baby before. Like all medical inductions of labor, there are risks and benefits from inducing labor this way. Your OB providers will discus these with you prior to breaking the bag of water. Pitocin is a synthetic hormone, identical to the hormone oxytocin, which is made by your body and causes contractions.

Pitocin is added to IV fluids and given through your IV in slowly increasing doses to cause contractions and hopefully make your labor start. Response time varies — some women start having mild contractions within a few hours of Pitocin being started. A quick response is more likely if you have had a baby before. Many women need hours or more of Pitocin to enter active labor when the cervix dilates at least a centimeter an hour.

Often it is necessary to use a combination of methods such as Cytotec to ripen the cervix, followed by Pitocin and breaking of the bag of water to induce labor. No one can accurately predict how long it will take to induce your labor, or how long the labor will take once it starts. Just like natural labor, induction takes longer for women when it is their first baby.

If labor does not occur on the first day, you may be sent home. You and your clinician will decide if you need to return another day for another attempt, or wait for natural labor. You will be sent home only if your water has not broken, and you and your baby are doing well. Be patient, bring things to do to stay entertained, and make sure you have adequate child-care arrangements for several days for your other children. Waiting for induced labor to start can be tedious and nerve-wracking — just like waiting for spontaneous labor to start.

Induction of labor usually — but not always — works. Sometimes, the best plan if you and your baby are medically stable is to send you home, follow you closely through the office, and try again in a few days or a week. Labor is hard work and usually painful whether it starts on its own or is induced. When labor is induced with Pitocin, you need an IV and continuous fetal monitoring of your baby. The objective of a Pitocin induction is to mimic the natural labor process. Just like oxytocin would during a natural labor, Pitocin works to signal to your uterus that it needs to contract.

The goal is to use the drug to encourage strong, consistent contractions at regular intervals that will work to dilate your cervix and move you to the pushing stage of labor. Pitocin is administered by a pump via an IV. Once your line is in, your healthcare provider will begin administering the drug in small doses. Depending on how you progress, your doctor will slowly up the dose about every minutes or so until your contractions begin to form a regular pattern, about two to three minutes apart.

Long labors can be exhausting and can pose a danger to mom and baby risks like blood clots and infection and odds of a cesarean delivery all rise with longer labors , so Pitocin inductions are often used to as a means to move things along.

If this is the case, the process of administering the drug is exactly the same as if it were being used to start labor: Pitocin is given through an IV in small doses until contractions once again pick up.

Simply put: Inductions are medically necessary in cases when the risk of the baby staying in utero exceeds the risk of the induction. As with many medical procedures and interventions, there are risks with a Pitocin induction. These include:. Starting an induction is usually the start of a long process, so your doctor will likely proceed with caution and with your input.

After that, Pitocin could be the next step. Once you are on Pitocin, you must be strictly monitored and remain in bed. Contractions typically start about 30 minutes after starting Pitocin. This is because of the risk of aspiration in the event that you need an emergency cesarean delivery. Pitocin-induced contractions might interfere with rest, too, so both you and the baby can get tired out.

Mental and emotional frustration can have an impact on labor, too. We know an induction can sound scary, and understanding exactly what it involves is key. Ready to deliver and welcome your little one?