Is Cervidil and Pitocin still necessary for induction if I'm now 2cm dilated and 75% effaced?

Let’s say you want to make peach cobblers, and you need to go to the store and get all of your ingredients, and of course, you need peaches, and so in order to find the best, most ripe, succulent, sweet, juicy ones, you’re going to squish them all to find the best ones. And a cervix is actually quite a bit like a fruit. It can be ripe or not ripe, and that’s the actual medical term we use is “ripe” or “not ripe”. So a cervix that’s not ripe is way far back in your pelvis, and hard to find, it’s thick, and it’s hard in consistency. And then in the days to weeks leading up to delivery when you go into labor spontaneously, your body begins to release hormones called prostaglandins that act on the cervix and ripen it. So as it ripens, it moves forward in your pelvis, it’s easier to find, it’s softer in consistency, and it begins to thin out. Then if you go into labor on your own, your brain starts to release a hormone called oxytocin, which acts on the uterus and tells it to contract, and once the cervix has been ripened, it will respond to regular and intense contractions by dilating. And that’s the true definition of labor is cervical dilation from hour to hour. So it’s actively changing.
So in your case, the doctor has said that you need to be induced for a medical reason at 39 weeks, they plan on bringing you in and giving you cervidil, and then starting pitocin in the morning. And again, this is just mimicking what your body would have done if it was to go into labor naturally. The cervix needs to ripen, and then once it’s ripened, then the pitocin is what’s going to make you have regular and intense contractions so your cervix will start changing. Now you also said that at your last appointment, you were 2 centimeters and 75% effaced, and that means that you’ve done some work on your own up to this point. So because of that, the nurse at the hospital will likely check your cervix first as soon as you get there, and then if you change from that, they’ll call the doctor and see if the doctor wants to change the plan. If you’ve dilated more, or the cervix is thinned out, it’s soft, it’s moved forward, there may not be a need for the cervical ripening agent and maybe they can just start pitocin, but again, it depends on what your cervix is at that time.
And then beyond that, there’s no way to tell how your body is going to respond to the ripening agent or the pitocin. Some women go quickly, some women take a long time, and I always say it’s best to plan for the worst and hope for the best. So plan on it taking a while, and if it goes faster for you, then you’ll just be pleasantly surprised. Congratulations ahead of time on the birth of your baby, and if you have any more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Intermountain Moms Facebook and Instagram pages, and recommend us to your friends and family too.

[@mailboxxy]

I'm 39 weeks almost 40 weeks, 6 days from now I'll be induced. I was last 2cm dilated I forgot to ask my effacement. I believe I contracted another cm 2 days ago. I am trying my best to get this baby and body going to do it natural~ before the need for pitocin! Wish me luck n_n

[@ebonyeverly5289]

I'm 4 and a half cm dilated and 75 percent effaced at 36 weeks 4 days. I get my scheduled induction at 37 weeks 3 days due to high blood pressure. Do you think I will need a ripening agent?

[@sandybayes2252]

Still no response 😆

[@catizhie]

Wow!! At my 39 week checkup I wasn't even dilated even a LITTLE BIT.

[@bmc5075]

I was put into labour At 1cm the doc was called and she said to me what iv just done to you well done your labour will be better than this you are braver than you think I’m still trying to understand what the doc ment
Thank god we had our amazing little girl the next day as they induced me the same day I gave birth and lost enda