The induction experience

Author Suzanne Barston explains how to tell when inducing labor may be necessary and why it is very beneficial to get an epidural when being induced
Inducing Labor: When to Wait and When to be Induced
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The induction experience

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The first time I was induced, it was an emergency induction. We had to get the baby out that day. I was really petrified because my birth classes had made me feel like getting induced was the worst thing that could happen. It would lead to a c-section and all these interventions. Because of that I was determined to avoid the epidural, thinking it was going to be even worse. The problem is, the drug they give you for induction is a drug called Pitocin, which gives you very intense contractions. Ten hours into it, I wasn't progressing, and I had ten hours of contractions so bad, I could not tolerate the pain. At that point, I had a nurse explain to me that the reason not to get the epidural was to avoid interventions; but I was already being intervened with. I was on drugs. I was hooked up to an IV. I had every medical intervention that you could possibly have. Once I realized that, I realized I was just trying to be a martyr for no reason. After that, I got the epidural. Things went smoothly, and I gave birth vaginally. It really ended up being the birth that I probably wanted in the long run. It really wasn't that bad.

Author Suzanne Barston explains how to tell when inducing labor may be necessary and why it is very beneficial to get an epidural when being induced

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Suzanne Barston, CLC

Blogger & Author of Bottled Up

Suzanne Barston, CLC is the former Editor-in-Chief of Los Angeles Family Magazine, a Certified Lactation Counselor, and a freelance writer specializing in parenting, women’s interest, and science/health topics. She is the author of Bottled Up: How the Way We Feed Babies Has Come to Define Motherhood, and Why It Shouldn’t and blogs as her alter ego, the "Fearless Formula Feeder". "FFF", as it’s known to an international fan base representing over 40 countries, supports parents dealing with issues of guilt, fear, conflict and uncertainty regarding infant feeding difficulties and choices through critical assessments of research, pithy commentary, practical advice, and a weekly series allowing parents to share stories in a cathartic way. She is also the co-creator of the #ISupportYou movement. 

Barston was raised outside of Boston and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University in 2000. After living and working in Chicago and London, she now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, the photographer Steven Barston, and their two obnoxiously cute children. She and her husband were featured on two award-winning online reality series for Pampers.com, A Parent is Born and Welcome to Parenthood, about their pregnancy and first years as parents. Suzanne's writing and her work with FFF and Bottled Up have been featured in the New York Times, the Huffington Post, SheKnows.com, Babble.com, Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, Parenting, Babytalk, OhBaby!, Fit Pregnancy, The Observer, Yahoo Shine!, Australia's Good Weekend magazine, and on a variety of radio programs including KPCC's "Take Two", numerous NPR affiliates, "Parenting Unplugged", "Positive Parenting", "Mom Enough", "For Crying Out Loud", "Voice of Russia", and more. Suzanne was honored to be one of the keynote Voices of the Year in 2012 for the annual BlogHer conference.

She currently works both as a writer and as an Infant Feeding Counselor. 

 

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