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️ I hear you. No help just commiseration, all I had was pitocin contractions and they were horrible, mine never had a break either. Just one vvveerrrrrryyyyy long contraction.

I had pitocin contractions with my first. They were painful but not too bad. They actually didn't help me progress though. Once I went into labor on my own with her, the contractions felt the same until I got the epidural.

With my second I went into labor on my own and I felt like my body was being ripped apart. It was a fast and furious labor though, so I think it was all happening at once. Sounds like how your induction went. Hopefully with your second you have a quick labor. It's much easier when you know it's not going to last a thousand more hours

@simplyfelicity: I definitely think positioning has a lot to do with it too. My daughter was positioned perfectly and it wasn't so bad. My son was sunny side up and I felt like my back was being sawed in two. I was screaming my head off.

I had a really low dose of pitocin to start my labor the second time around. The first time I had them naturally. I actually think my contractions were more painful the first time! Or maybe it was my newness to them.

I got to experience both. I started natural labor Sunday night and hot to 6-7 minutes apart and to the point where we were thinking of going to the hospital. but then they stopped.

I already had an induction planned to stay Monday night so we went in and I got cervadil placed and contractions were AWFUL. The natural contractions were so much easier to deal with.

I ended up with a c section but Dd was face up and she head was crooked in my pelvis so she was never going to descend. She didn't do well with the pitocin either.

@simplyfelicity: I was induced for severe pre e but my blood pressure was rediculois averaging 180/110 I even had a couple of readings at 190/115. I didn't even go away till 6 weeks post partum.

My first labour started naturally, increasing in intensity over 12 hours. It was painful, but managed well without any pain relief or gas. As soon as they put the syntocin on the contractions came on much harder and faster and I felt they were more painful.

With my second labour, I had barely any contractions from the 24hrs that my water broke til being induced. The first 4 hours of the contractions I managed without any pain meds, til I was about 5-6cm. At that point I asked for an epidural, which worked, but then failed - in the meantime baby had turned posterior and the pain was INSANE as I was transitioning at the same time.

I had natural contractions up to 7cm, which were perfectly bearable. There was a break between them and I could move around shower, etc. I got pictocin after that, and they were hell, with no breaks between them. Having said that, I didn't experience natural transition, so maybe that's why they were so bad. Also, being stuck in bed also made them much worse.

@simplyfelicity: @junebugsmama: We have two Mormons (seriously phone? Morkies) and they look like that!

But regarding contractions- honestly they felt about the same. Everyone said they wouldn't, but they did to me. But with pitocin they were instantly one on top of the other (60 seconds long, 90 seconds apart, so only 30 seconds down time). They never entirely settled into a pattern naturally, but I was definitely getting much longer breaks. Actually, the fact that they were a bit erratic was kind of nice, because every time I had the hope it would be a longer break this time. I suppose I could have worried it would be a short one, but apparently I'm an optimist.

ETA- Also, I was super drugged up the first time, because we didn't realize how badly I'd react to demoral, so my memories are hazy. I just know the timing because all I did was stare at the clock. Don't do that! Counting down till another one starts is just awful!

@simplyfelicity: with both my labours my epidurals failed. The first - it never worked past my groin area so I felt every single contraction but no pressure to push or pain there.
The second - my anaesthetist pointed out as he put the epidural in that due to my scoliosis he was putting it slightly to the left and flooding the area with a higher volume of meds. It worked great very quickly, but after an hour or so it wore off completely and I was in agony. It was due to the placement/volume issue, but when he came back and put more meds in, it ended up completely numbing me to my chest. It left me in quite a state - blood pressure dropped quickly, had to be put on oxygen, my body was like a dead weight and had to push posterior baby out while heavily on my back. Ended up pushing and having her pulled out with the kiwi vacuum as she was oddly positioned.

I always wonder about how well epidurals are supposed to work! I was induced with my first (with oxytocin) and the pain was horrible. I could not cope at all. I got an epidural but honestly I don't think it did anything. I felt absolutely everything, could still move my legs, got up and walked to the bathroom within maybe 30 mins of giving birth. When I tell people this they're like "yeah, your epidural was definitely not working"! Pushing for 2 1/2 hours with an epidural that apparently didn't work was torture.

The second time my contractions were "natural" contractions and I coped SO much better. I felt in control the whole time and managed really well (well, until transition, but I think everyone is like that). I did it med free the second time and it was so manageable!!!

Contractions with pitocin were WAY worse, granted I only got to about a 6 before I got pitocin, the second time. My epi also failed, and if I were going to have another baby, I'd skip the epi, even if I had to get pitocin, because the only thing worse than feeling every single pitocin-induced contraction, is being confined to a bed and unable to move through them because of the epi that isn't even working.

@simplyfelicity: I think you just had a bad epidural! With my first DD I didn't have any pitocin, got an epidural, and felt horrible pain the entire time, so much so that I wondered how "natural med free" birth could be ANY worse than what I was feeling.

With my second, I had pitocin, but my epidural was AMAZING. It was the kind where I really was playing cards with my husband / watching tv and just generally feeling like I was on cloud 9 because I couldn't feel a damn thing! I'm not sure what causes some to not work as well as others, but if I have another baby I'm going to be much more vocal if it doesn't seem to work!