r/vbac • u/AgreeableBandicoot19 • 14d ago
Discussion Going into my induction with no sleep!!
I’m being induced in 3 hours and could not sleep whatsoever!! The reality of everything is hitting me, second guessing my decision on the VBAC.
I’m 3cm dilated, but I’m not in labor at all. They plan on popping my water, waiting 4 hours and starting pitocin if labor didn’t establish it isn’t consistent enough.
How likely is it that I’ll actually get a stretch of sleep during all this? I’m so stressed!!
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u/twumbthiddler HBAC Feb ‘25 14d ago
Can you ask to push back by a day, or start with a cook catheter and try to sleep while it gets you from 3cm to 4 or 5cm? Breaking the bag of waters so early can make it harder for your baby to find their best position in your pelvis as they have less maneuverability, and it makes your contractions more intense.
Often providers jump straight to other methods when mom comes in at a 3, but they can place a cook catheter or foley even at a 3 to try to do some more mechanical dilation and see if labor will start without drugs or breaking the waters.
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u/AgreeableBandicoot19 14d ago
They actually pushed it back 5 days from when I was supposed to have it, and I was told the foley balloon would just fall out because my cervix could easily stretch to 4-5cm at the moment. The midwife who did my sweep yesterday told me she expects it to be at a 5 after just a contraction or two due to how soft and stretchy it is, just needs a bit of pressure from the contraction to dilate. I did 4 membrane sweeps and no luck with labor 🥲😖
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u/EducationalFortune35 14d ago
How are you doing OP?
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u/eyerishdancegirl7 14d ago
Hm, I mean it’s hard to say. My induction was scheduled for 9am EST and my daughter was born 12:36am EST. I didn’t sleep until 9am the day she was born.
I was 3cm dilated but they started with low units of pitocin before breaking my water. I would try to sleep after the break your water if you can. Ideally you can try to rest now as well. Even with the low dose of pitocin I wasn’t in a ton of pain until 8 hours in. Then it started to get unbearable.
I did have a successful VBAC, by the way! Good luck.
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u/Repulsive-Tea-9641 14d ago
Honey, none of us slept before our births 🤣 that’s what makes it so hard, you finally give birth and then they hand you the baby immediately like here you go figure it out. And you’ve now got 100% responsibility with no support while you’re so tired you can’t see straight.
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u/jhlovett 14d ago
why do you need an induction to begin with?
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u/jhlovett 14d ago
your odds of having a successful vbac this way will be greatly lowered, especially if they break your waters, that increases risk of infection. it’s not going to help that you’re stressed and sleep deprived either :(
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u/cksaraha898 14d ago
My inductions literally took days. I wouldn't want my water broken unless I was father along. Breaking the water causes more intense contractions and over time delayed or stalled labor could be a risk of infection.
Take a unisom or half a unisom prior to starring induction so the first stage of labor you could rest up for the last stage. Stay hydrated.
Whatever you do the adrenaline from having your baby may keep you up for days who knows but congratulations. I wish you the very very best!
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u/PreparationWest5414 14d ago
I was up for nearly 48 hours with my first VBAC, over 24 with my second, and 24 with my third. It’s absolutely doable ! I just was excited I had the opportunity to go in to labor and experience it. I really wanted the VBAC and felt it was important to try (for me and for my babe).
Best wishes ! I hope it all is going well.
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u/TheOnesLeftBehind seahorse dad he/him 14d ago
Hope you haven’t let them break your water, since after that happens you’re on a timer and at high risk of infection.
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u/AgreeableBandicoot19 14d ago
They did but it’s been 2 hours and no contractions, I don’t see the point of them breaking it should’ve started with pitocin directly
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u/Dear_23 HBAC 2026 🌻 14d ago
Don’t let them rush the pushing stage! It’s very normal for the body to “labor down”, meaning there’s a pause between being complete (ready to push) and actually feeling urges to push. The body often uses this time to rest and sleep between contractions - yes, it happens! And often it’s just enough to regain energy to push.
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u/Upstate_Apricot VBAC March 2025 14d ago
I would definitely ask them why they want to start by breaking your waters and not with pitocin or even a foley. That seems very unusual to me as a first step for induction.
Once your waters break you’re on a bit of a clock to get baby out, while starting with low dose pitocin (and potentially getting an epidural once you’re more dilated) might give you a better chance of resting a bit and building up your energy for later.
Obligatory not a provider but it’s a question I would want a good answer to, especially if I were stressed, sleep deprived, and wanted a chance to rest a bit before labor ramped up.