Curious

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I have a silly question. I have had 4 children now and this is the first time I am not sure how long I was in labor.

Background: I'm 40 and there is 16 years between my new son and my daughter. I'm type 2 diabetic and was on insulin for the entire pregnancy. My sugars were so well controlled that my endo doc wants permission for my course of treatment to be used as an example to other diabetic moms so they will know that it CAN be done.

My perinatalogist and I decided on an induction at 39.5 weeks as the ultrasound that I had at 35 weeks measured my son at about 7 lbs 11 oz. OK, I come in on Sunday night for (and I am not sure of the order) cervadil/cytotec insertion. Measuring a fingertip of dilation. The next morning I am allowed to shower, etc. and then they inserted cytotec/cervadil and waiting for 4 hours. They then started the pit. Not much change all day long in terms of dilation. They decided to stop the pit, insert cytotec/cervadil x2 overnight and let me rest. Restarted the pit the next morning and then things started moving right along.

After admmission to the L&D at 8PM on Sunday night, my son was born at 9PM on Tuesday night.

So, was I considered to be in labor the entire time or what?

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I don't know, but I'm supposed to be induced next week (39 wks) and I sure hope it doesn't take that long.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

I am sorry the users on all nurses cannot give you any medical advice as it is against TOS. You need to talk to your health care provider about your concerns.

Swtooth

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Uhhh..it's not medical advice. In a nutshell the OP want so know if they are contracting on and off for X amount of time prior to delivery, would they be considered, "in labor " the whole time. I think it's an interesting question.

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Specializes in Nurse Manager, Labor and Delivery.

No, you weren't considered "in labor" that whole time. What you were was being "induced". Once your cervix started dilating, then you were considered to be in labor. I am imagining sometime on tuesday you started responding to the meds and then delivered. I am hoping all went well, and you delivered a happy and healthy baby boy.

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Specializes in L&D.

The definition of labor is "progressive cervical change". So when you started moving along on the second day of Pit was when your labor started.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Well, in "active labor " you are actually experiencing progress in the form of cervical change. (and those contractions progress in frequency and pain level, usually, as well).

---"Prodromal labor" can occur in the hours, days, weeks prior to active labor, whereby you contract yet are not making progress---often these fizzle out if you are not being induced, on their own.

Now, it's just me, but, I hate the term "false labor" myself. There is NOTHING "false" about any contractions you experience!!!! And some people don't come in when they are in preterm labor, when they should, due to it being "false labor" in their minds.

ANYhow, I did digress.

Congratulations on the birth of your new baby. So happy for you!!!!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

PS: we count "labor" hours from the time the active induction with AROM, pitocin (or cytotec) begins. Usually our inductions are started at 0600.

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PS: we count "labor" hours from the time the active induction with AROM, pitocin (or cytotec) begins. Usually our inductions are started at 0600.

But if there are no cervical changes you don't count them?

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At our hospital, we consider the time that induction was started as the beginning of latent labor, but do not consider the pt to be in "active" labor until progressive cervical dilation starts. We often have our cytotec inductions come in at 2000. This usually puts their "active" labor hours during the day, with delivery often happening in the afternoon or evening the day after they arrived, and then they can sleep that night.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thank you for the replies. I was just asking for my own curiousity and for my man, he wasn't sure either. My progression was in fits and starts. I would dilate 0.5-1 cms, then it would stop which is why they gave me the break from the pit overnight and just used the cytotec ( I think that was the one they used more than once). I didn't have a steady progress until Tuesday morning.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.
Thank you for the replies. I was just asking for my own curiousity and for my man, he wasn't sure either. My progression was in fits and starts. I would dilate 0.5-1 cms, then it would stop which is why they gave me the break from the pit overnight and just used the cytotec ( I think that was the one they used more than once). I didn't have a steady progress until Tuesday morning.

Sometimes it isn't cut & dry, but for you I'd probably say Tuesday, when you really starting progressing & were "past the point of no return". :)

Congrats!

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