Tell me about Cervidil

[CityChic]

I am overdue. My midwife will let me go until 42.5 weeks before we talk induction of any kind. That would be this coming Thursday...the one thing she has mentioned in the past is Cervidil. What can you tell me about it? Thanks!

I am really hoping we can get something going before then (ie acupuncture, chiropractics...ANYTHING!)

[beulahgrrl]

I need advice on this, as well. I will be 42 weeks tomorrow and am scheduled for induction by Cervidil on Thursday. My cervix is RIPE, but these contractions never really get organized. I am 80% and a bit more than 2cm. You CitiChic? I thought the Cervidil was more to ripen a cervix....will it actaully kick start real labor? My OB is pretty confident it will. And of course, I am fighting her all the way......I'm just so sure it'll lead to a pitocin drip, et al.
Any thoughts?

~KC

[Jilian]

Cervidil ripens (softens) your cervix and gets it ready to dilate. There are other natural methods you could try that will do the same thing. Semen contains prostaglandins and they will ripen your cervix. Evening primrose oil can also help ripen your cervix, you can buy the capsules and take them orally and insert them as close to your cervix as possible (before bed because they get messy).

Usually in the hospital inductions they will start you with a cervix ripener (if your cervix is not already ripe) the night before. In the morning they usually like to start pitocin and break your water shortly after. In my experience, a woman being induced with an unripe cervix has a long tough labor ahead of her, because her body just isn't ready to give birth yet and it is being forced. It's best to avoid an induction (if you can) when your cervix is not yet ripe - because your chances for a failed induction and then a cesarean are high.

IMHO, refuse the AROM if they offer it, or at least wait until labor is well underway. Once your water is broken you are on a clock to deliver, you are also open to the risk of infection. Don't let them put you on their timeline. If you have a failed induction and your water is still intact you can go home, if you have a failed induction and your water is broken you will have a cesarean birth.

[CityChic]

Originally Posted by beulahgrrl

I am 80% and a bit more than 2cm. You CitiChic? I thought the Cervidil was more to ripen a cervix....will it actaully kick start real labor? My OB is pretty confident it will. And of course, I am fighting her all the way......I'm just so sure it'll lead to a pitocin drip, et al.
Any thoughts?

~KC

I am 40% and about 1.5. History tells me that woman in my family take some time to go into labor on their own. Both by mother and sister were induced for being past their due dates and having no progress. I am the only "crunchy" one that will refuse c-section til the very end!

Originally Posted by Jilian

IMHO, refuse the AROM if they offer it, or at least wait until labor is well underway. Once your water is broken you are on a clock to deliver, you are also open to the risk of infection. Don't let them put you on their timeline. If you have a failed induction and your water is still intact you can go home, if you have a failed induction and your water is broken you will have a cesarean birth.

Thank you! I am taking 1000mg of evening primrose oil and we are dtd daily! If no progress by Monday I am off to the acupuncturist. I just needed to know what I am up against if nothing else works!

[Jenlaana]

There is a lot of research on the net about cervidil, if you do a search on cervidil or cervidil risks you'll find a ton of information. I did a quick search, but did not read through all the info because it was in PDF and I didnt want to retype it I do know though that it is not reccomended for VBACs because of the stress on your utereus, as well as the standard issue w/ interventions leading to more interventions leading to cesareans, etc.

[redpajama]

My first was induced with Cervadil...it was a bad experience. I was induced on my due date (for "LGA") and the Cervadil caused a sort of over-reaction on the part of my uterus, but they went ahead with pit. After 24 hours, despite contractions that didn't let up (actually, *because* of these contractions), I was still about 1 cm and not effaced much at all. Failed induction, so they turned everything off (but kept me) for the night. In the morning (we're on Day 3 now, if you're keeping track) they started pit again, and this time it put me into active labor. Still, I didn't deliver until the next day. It was not a great way to spend my weekend, and with number 2, I was adament that I not be induced unless critically necessary. My daughter was born 14 days past my EDD, 10-and-a-half pounds, and it was a wonderful birth.

If you're effaced and dilated as you are, it would probably go better than mine, but I still would recommend avoiding it if at all possible.

Good luck!

[CityChic]

Originally Posted by redpajama

My first was induced with Cervadil...it was a bad experience. I was induced on my due date (for "LGA") and the Cervadil caused a sort of over-reaction on the part of my uterus, but they went ahead with pit. After 24 hours, despite contractions that didn't let up (actually, *because* of these contractions), I was still about 1 cm and not effaced much at all. Failed induction, so they turned everything off (but kept me) for the night. In the morning (we're on Day 3 now, if you're keeping track) they started pit again, and this time it put me into active labor. Still, I didn't deliver until the next day. It was not a great way to spend my weekend, and with number 2, I was adament that I not be induced unless critically necessary. My daughter was born 14 days past my EDD, 10-and-a-half pounds, and it was a wonderful birth.

If you're effaced and dilated as you are, it would probably go better than mine, but I still would recommend avoiding it if at all possible.

Good luck!

Thanks for sharing your personal experience! I REALLY don't want to do it...

[DoomaYula]

I had it with my twin birth.

I was induced at 34w due to TTTS. I don't think I was at all dialated when I got it. It wasn't supposed to actually start labor, just ripen my cervix, but I sure did go into labor quickly. The nurses didn't believe me because my ctx weren't showing up on the monitor but they were born 8h after they started me on cervidil.

It didn't seem any more or less painful than going into labor spontaneously with my next kid. But I've heard of a lot of women who have said that they went into labor with cervidil, to their surprise. So be prepared for that possibility.

[rach03]

I saw this on the main page and wanted to pop in if that's okay...

I was induced 4 days before my due date due to high blood pressure. I was not dialated at all, so I had Cervadil the night before and my water was broken the next morning. My son was born at around 3:30 that afternoon.

Although I'd much rather have gone into labor on my own, I did not have a bad experience at all with the Cervadil.

Just wanted to share my story

[rmzbm]

Had it with DS2, didn't work.
Ok...dare I say it? No, no, I just can't - not on a public forum, something REALLY embarassing happened to me re: this...if you want a good laugh, PM me!

[tintal]

got labor going

I got cervadil inserted at 10 and I had crazy contractions that started at 3. One after another with no break.... it was extremely painful. I didn't need another dose or pitocin. I started to push at 11:30 and baby was born at 1:48. it was really hard to be "scheduled" to give birth. I was terrified. Good luck...

[SublimeBirthGirl]

If I HAD to induce for some reason (I doubt I would just for postdates, fwiw), and there was no prior cesarean, I'd start with Cervidil regardless of what my cervical stats were. It's mostly my anecdotal experience that makes me say that, more than any real research. I have just noticed that with my students who've induced, those who were past their due dates and making some cervical progress already, the ones that started with Cervidil often don't need anything else (which means no IV, no pit, no crazy intervention city). I think if your cervix is closed up like fort knox, there is no drug that's gonna open it if it's not willing. But Cervidil seems to get things going if you're right on the edge, w/out the need for the hormonal stuff.

[Livviesmom0207]

I was induced 8 days before my due date due to PIH and polyhydramnios.
They inserted the cervidil around 6 pm and removed it at 6 am. They started the pit at 830 and tried an AROM arounnd 10 but they couldn't puncture me. My water broke all by itself at 230 and I was only 2cm, and once my contrax REALLY started going I dilated 2cm every 10 mins. I went from 5-10cm in 40 mins, pushed for an hour and 13 mins and had my DD by 953 that night. Quick and easy and the best induction I could have hoped for.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I was almost 2cm for a good week before I was induced, and I also was only 50% effaced, so the cervidil did exactly what it was supposed to. I also took EPO for a few weeks prior.

Sorry for rambling.

[stacey2061]

i hated cervadil more than anything ~ i burned and sent me straight into really intense contractions right on top of eachother, and gave me the urge to push when i wasn't dilated at all. i thought i was going to die, and after everything, labour stopped and i was not even 3cm dilated. it was miserable and i will never ever do that again.

i should add when we started, 1 week after my EDD (on a friday) i was not dilated/effaced at all. it took another 5 days on pitocin before DS was born late wednesday night. i don't recommend induction when your body isn't starting to show signs of readiness

[CityChic]

Thanks ladies! Your stories and experiences really help me know what to expect on all ends of the spectrum.

[lyttlewon]

Originally Posted by beulahgrrl

I need advice on this, as well. I will be 42 weeks tomorrow and am scheduled for induction by Cervidil on Thursday. My cervix is RIPE, but these contractions never really get organized. I am 80% and a bit more than 2cm. You CitiChic? I thought the Cervidil was more to ripen a cervix....will it actaully kick start real labor? My OB is pretty confident it will. And of course, I am fighting her all the way......I'm just so sure it'll lead to a pitocin drip, et al.
Any thoughts?

~KC

I had Cervidil, it induced me, and labor lasted 7 hours with no pitocin.

ETA I was dialated to 3 and 70% effaced when they gave me the cervadil. My labor was very intense but I have nothing to compare it with to know if that was the ripener or not.

[beulahgrrl]

Thanks for the input ladies!! I'm still sure I'll go on my own, I'm just so close! DD#1 & #2 were late, why should this kid be any different? =)

Above everything, my OB was worried about the SCHEDULING of this induction, not actually doing it. I told her I'd be the patient from hell........
Especially if she brought this on me.

Have Happy Mondays!
~KC

[JSerene]

Cervidil made my lower uterine segment contract non-stop & I got shaky all over. My CNM pulled it out and I was instantly better. IMO that's the really good thing about cervidil - you have a string hanging in your vagina and can pull the medicine out. You can't do that with cytotec. Good luck.

[AuntG]

Pig's Sperm?

The only thing I'd heard about Cervidil before was that is was made from pig's sperm, which seemed more than strange to me -- since human sperm is presumably what got you in this condition in the first place, couldn't ya just borrow some more to get the same effect?

It's prostaglandin, a hormone, which gets its name from the prostate gland, but then somewhere I also read that prostaglandin is present in some degree in every tissue (male or female?). And apparently, it can be synthesized, and Cervidil is apparently a very concentrated form of this hormone. It may be originally synthesized from pig's sperm (who knows?), but now I can get the image out of my head of thousands of little oinker sperm swimming around on the cervix.

[lyttlewon]

Originally Posted by AuntG

The only thing I'd heard about Cervidil before was that is was made from pig's sperm, which seemed more than strange to me -- since human sperm is presumably what got you in this condition in the first place, couldn't ya just borrow some more to get the same effect?

It's prostaglandin, a hormone, which gets its name from the prostate gland, but then somewhere I also read that prostaglandin is present in some degree in every tissue (male or female?). And apparently, it can be synthesized, and Cervidil is apparently a very concentrated form of this hormone. It may be originally synthesized from pig's sperm (who knows?), but now I can get the image out of my head of thousands of little oinker sperm swimming around on the cervix.

I tried multiple doses of human sperm and it didn't help. Although I was talking to a friend a couple weeks ago and her midwife advised that human sperm orally is actually much more effective inducing labor than vaginally.