Disclosure:  This post is for informational purposes only and I have shared a general list of items that most dad’s take to the hospital.

In fact, dad you should begin packing a bag around 30 to 32 weeks of your spouse’s or significant other’s pregnancy so that you are prepared in case she goes into labor and you need to race her to the hospital, especially during the middle of the night.  The last thing you want to be doing while she is in labor is running around the house collecting items to put into your hospital bag.  You are also more likely to forget something when you are rushed and are focused on the baby’s impending birth.

Here is a suggested list of items that you need to take with you to the hospital:

• Toiletries (conditioner, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste)
• Pajamas
• Change of clothes for two days
• Change for vending machines (some hospitals now have machines that accept credit cards) 
• Camera (check with hospital for their video/photo policy)
• Have numbers programmed into cell phone for everyone who needs an update on the baby’s status.
• Gum or Hard Candy (to help keep your mouth from getting dry)
• Snacks
• Cell Phone and Charger
• Laptop, MP3 Player, or E-Reader (if wanted for entertainment)
• Cash for parking or for meals in the cafeteria
• Pillow and Blanket (some hospitals will provide a blanket)
• Insurance Cards
• Medication
• If you have other children at the house, make sure that you have lined up someone to care for them during your stay at the hospital or during the labor and delivery process.

I hope that this makes packing your hospital bag easier.  Take the time and make sure that you have the car seat installed in the car so that you don’t have to worry about installing it when you are in a hurry.  Once it is installed, you want to make sure the car seat is properly installed.  If you are unsure, you can take the car seat by most police or fire stations and they will confirm that it is installed properly for free.

Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your new baby boy or girl.

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Dads please share what item that you enjoyed having at the hospital that is or isn’t on my list of items to pack in the hospital bag?

Disclosure:  This post is for informational purposes only.  If you have any underlying health issues, you should seek professional help from a doctor or health care provider.

Why Are Men Cranky and Anxious While Expecting?

Having a baby is a life changing event and it can be a scary experience for the expectant father, especially first time dads.  He might be happy one minute and worried the next, these feelings are normal.  It is possible that he may be worrying about providing for and raising the baby financially, physically, and mentally.  Some men even get worried and start wondering how the baby is going to change their relationship.  It is important to allow your man to feel these feelings, they are normal and part of the emotional changes that come with having a baby.  It is very important to keep the lines of communication open and be patient with your spouse or significant other.  Remind him that there is no such thing as being a perfect parent and that he doesn’t have to be a perfect father.  In fact, give him words of encouragement or explain that you only expect him to show the baby love, affection, and provide for him or her, both emotionally and physically the best that he can.

Weight Gain is the Most Common Pregnancy Symptom

Most men don’t want to admit that they have put on a few extra pounds since finding out he is expecting to be a father soon.  Some men will run and get cravings for their pregnant spouse and often times they are also indulging her cravings with her.  If they aren’t indulging in extra snacks, they can put on weight gain due to the added stress that pregnancy creates.  When your body is stressed, it produces more cortisol.  Cortisol is responsible for regulating blood sugar and insulin.  When the cortisol increases in the body, it tends to make you feel hungry even if you aren’t.  If you find yourself snacking more than usual, try to keep healthy snacks such as fruit or vegetables to snack on easily accessible instead of junk food or empty calories.  Another way to combat weight gain is to add exercise to your daily routine.

Some Men Experience Morning Sickness or Feel Nauseous

If your husband or significant other, is reaching for the crackers or is running to the toilet because they are feeling nauseated.  Don’t be alarmed, if your man is feeling sick to his stomach it is more than likely due to anxiety and nerves.  It is even possible that your other half is a stress eater and is turning to food to help relieve their stress, nerves, and anxiety.  Again, try to encourage him and tell him that he will make a great father.  Try to get him to open up and discuss what is bothering or worrying him.

Experiencing the Same Aches and Pains As You Do

If your husband has the same aches and pains that you seem to be experiencing, don’t discount his pain levels he probably is really feeling the aches and pains.  While his pain isn’t  brought on from physically carrying the child, his body is just responding to the psychological and subconscious feelings about becoming a parent in the upcoming weeks.  His aches and pains are more likely related to feeling tensed or stressed out.  If he is having sympathy pains, be sure to discuss with him so that you can try to determine what is bothering or worrying him.

Changes in Sexual Behaviors

During the course of the pregnancy, men typically notice this change in behavior the most, that the amount of sex in the relationship has taken a nose dive or has increased.  Often times pregnant mom’s are too tired, don’t feel well, or don’t have the urge to have sex during pregnancy, while other mom’s can’t get enough.  It is important that you remain intimate and connect with your spouse during pregnancy, even if its in a nonsexual manner.  Some men are turned on or find their wife even more attractive while pregnant.  While others find pregnancy to be a complete turn off and remind them of the upcoming responsibilities.  There are some men who refuse to have sex because they fear that they are going to harm the baby; however, dad’s your baby is fully protected in the womb and it is perfectly normal to have an active sex life while pregnant.  The only time when sexual intercourse should be avoided is if the doctor put your wife or girlfriend on pelvic rest.
Pregnancy not only affects women but men too can experience changes and pregnancy symptoms as well.  A man’s symptoms are mostly psychological and stress related rather than hormonal.  If you see any of these changes in your husband or boyfriend, men can experience real pregnancy symptoms and they shouldn’t be discounted.  It is important to discuss any underlying issues that could be contributing to these five common pregnancy symptoms in men.

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Dads did you experience any of these five pregnancy related symptoms?

Disclosure:  This post reflects my own opinions based upon my recent experience.  My opinions may differ from yours.

As soon as we found out that we were expecting, I called and scheduled an appointment to confirm the pregnancy.  My husband went with me to the OB/GYN, since it was the first time using this clinic and I didn’t know what to expect.  I didn’t want him to miss anything exciting.  Of course, the first appointment wasn’t very exciting, the doctor just did the typical pregnancy lab work ups to confirm that I was in fact pregnant.

About two weeks later, we went back to the doctor together for our first sonogram.  Seeing our tiny, growing baby on the ultrasound screen was an amazing feeling.  According to the sonogram, I was 10 weeks along and the baby was growing beautifully.  I remember my husband grinning ear to ear with excitement and he couldn’t wait to share the news with everyone that we were expecting. We wanted to wait until we heard the heartbeat to share the news that we were expecting with everyone.

Try to involve your husband or significant other throughout your pregnancy so that he feels special and knows how the baby is doing.  I used to share weekly posts about the baby’s growth progress and had him come to my appointments when he was able to go.  If he wasn’t able to go to my doctor’s appointments, I always shared the information that the doctor told me with him.  In fact, I used to send him a text message to let him know what the heart rate was and how far along I was measuring.  I wanted to make sure that I kept him up to date on the babies growth and development so that he felt connected to the baby as well.

I remember having a dream about finding out that my baby was a boy a few days before my 20th week sonogram.  I told my husband about the dream and the day of the sonogram we found out that we were expecting a little boy.  I remember my husband taking a photo of the sonogram machine that revealed the baby’s gender.  We had fun sharing the news with our family and friend’s that we were expecting a baby boy.

Things were going smoothly until I hit 35 weeks and I began having painful Braxton Hicks contractions.  They were fairly strong and were 3 to 5 minutes apart.  Of course, this happened during the middle of the night and we got to make our first hospital trail run only to find out it was  just a false labor run.  This continued until my due date, with all of the Braxton Hicks contractions I never thought I would even make it to my due date.  On the day of my official due date, I went off to the doctor by myself because my husband was unable to attend.  I was devastated when I had an ultrasound and it revealed that my son decided to turn breech.

I knew that the news meant that I was going to have to have a C-Section.  The doctor schedule my c-section and I was off to go get pre-op lab work done before going home.

When I got home my husband comforted me and assured me that everything would be okay.  I am thankful that he remained calm and comforted my fears.  He told me that he would make sure that I was in good hands and that everything was done properly.

We set off for the hospital on delivery day, he remained with me while they prepped me for delivery.  As they wheeled me into the OR, I was in there for alone for a few minutes while they gave me the anesthesia and prepped me for surgery.  It seemed like it took forever before my husband could join me.  As soon as he got into the room, he held my hand and I knew everything was going to be okay.

After the baby was born, he immediately went over to the warmer to see our new baby boy.  I remember looking over at the warmer and watching my husband peer at his new son.  It was love at first site.

Summary:

It is important to involve dad as much as possible during the course of your pregnancy, so that he can feel the special too.  Try these tips to help involve dad as much as possible:

• Have dad attend appointments.
• Discuss how you feel and share information about the baby’s development.
• Take dad shopping for baby gear.
• Allow dad to help register for baby items.
• Attend child birth classes together.
• Let dad feel the baby’s movements.

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How did you involve your spouse or significant other during your pregnancy?

It was about 10:30PM now on January 14. A whole 24 hours after arriving to the hospital. It was then that they placed me in a stretcher and started to wheel me down the hallway. That ride felt like a dream. My pain was so bad by then that I just wanted to see my baby girl and it didn’t matter how. I was quickly placed on the operating room table and prepared for surgery. The medication in the epidural was finally increased and I felt so relief. I didn’t feel the initial incision on my belly but getting her out seemed a little difficult. It was really painful for me because I felt pressure and pulling on my chest. Finally after was seemed like an eternity, I heard those first beautiful cries. She had such a strong and loud cry. It was one of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard. They quickly showed her to me and placed her on the pediatric warmer. I sent my husband over to her and asked, “how does she look? Is she ok?” He was speechless and after a few seconds, he said she was beautiful and perfect.

Next thing I know I am hearing words that I knew the meaning of but I couldn’t believe they were being directed towards me. Words like “losing blood”, “keep massaging” and give her “methergine”. I was hemorrhaging and they acted fast to stop it but it felt like forever. Was I going to lose my uterus? Was I going to be ok? I started panicking. I don’t know what happened after that but according to my husband, I started asking too many questions and I felt like no one was answering me. I started to ask more aggressively so they increased the anesthesia and my husband said the next thing he knew he heard a light snore. It was me. Fast asleep while they got things under control, thankfully saving my uterus.. I slowly started to wake up when they transferred me back to the stretcher. They put her on my chest as they wheeled me to the recovery room.

When I first really looked at my beautiful baby girl, all the hard work of the past 24 hours seemed like nothing. My healthy baby was looking at me with her gorgeous almond shaped eyes, her beautiful dark hair and her little tongue sticking out occasionally. She looked perfect. She was 7lbs, 10 oz and 21 inches. I could hardly believe she was mine and that she had spent the last 9 months growing inside me.

The rest of the hospital course went okay. I was pretty anemic but did not require a blood transfusion and I needed antibiotics because I developed fever after the C-Section. 4 days later we were ready to go home. My postpartum period was surreal and spending my days bonding with my little girl were days I will treasure forever. My beautiful girl is 2 now and she is the light of my life.

MY BIO:

My name is Linda and I am a wife, mother, stepmother and healthcare professional. I spend my most my days working full time as a physician assistant and my evenings with my loves, my husband, daughter and step daughters. I enjoying writing for my website and blog: www.babyinbloom.net and www.lindascornerblog.blogspot.com.

Disclosure:  This post is for informational purposes only.  The opinions in this post are my own and may differ from your own.  This post shouldn’t replace following up with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns with leg cramps.

Why Didn’t Anyone Warn Me About the Severe Leg Cramps During Pregnancy?

Leg cramps are considered normal during pregnancy.  As your belly starts to grow and put pressure on the uterus, you may begin experiencing leg cramps as early as your second trimester and as your belly grows you may notice that the leg cramps become more frequent.  During pregnancy, your legs have to adjust to carrying more weight due to pregnancy weight gain.  Also, the added weight and pressure from pregnancy makes your more prone to muscle fatigue easier.  Your growing belly is also putting more weight on the uterus which can decrease blood flow back to the heart.  If your blood flow is restricted it can cause inadequate blood flow to the muscles in your extremities  especially your legs, leaving the muscles at risk for muscle fatigue.

How Can I Prevent Severe Leg Cramps During Pregnancy?

If you have experienced these painful leg cramps, you are probably wanting to know what you can do to prevent it from happening again. It is important to take care of yourself during pregnancy and if you are experiencing frequent leg cramps make sure you mention it to your doctor.  Try these tips and tricks to help reduce leg cramps:

• Stay hydrated throughout the day.
• Wiggle your toes and rotate your ankles when you are sitting down to eat, rest, or watch tv.
• Lie down on your left side to allow maximum blood flow to your lower extremities.  laying on your left side also improves circulation.
• Do take a warm bath before bed.  This may help you relax your muscles.
• Don’t cross your legs for long periods of time.
• Take frequent breaks, if possible.
• Do wear comfortable shoes.  Make sure that they aren’t too tight and allow your feet to expand.  Avoid tying your shoes laces too tight.
• If you are on your feet all day, try to walk around to avoid standing in one position for too long.  Also, if ask your boss for a reasonable accommodation.  See if they can get a chair or a stool to sit down for a few minutes during your shift.
• Prop your feet up as much as possible throughout the day to help improve blood circulation.
• Avoid fatigue by getting plenty of rest.
• Do take a walk if your doctor or midwife hasn’t put you on bed rest or given you specific restrictions.
• Stretch your calf muscles several times throughout the day.
• Make sure that you are getting enough calcium.
• Try eating foods that contain potassium and magnesium, such as bananas.

If these tips and tricks don’t help reduce the frequency of leg cramps that you are experiencing, inform your doctor to rule out other possible causes.  Contact your doctor or labor and delivery immediately if you are unable to get your muscle to relax.  Also, talk to your doctor before adding any supplements in addition to your prenatal vitamins.

How Can I Get Rid of Painful Leg Cramps?

If your experience a painful leg cramps, make sure that you immediately stretch your calf muscle.  This might be painful to do while your leg is cramping but it is important to release the tension on the muscles.  I used to stand up and I would straighten my leg putting my heel on the floor first.  As I straightened my leg, I would flex my toes towards my shin.  (See photo on Pinterest for technique if needed) Once you get your muscle to relax, make sure to stretch out your half muscles with additional calf stretches.

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Did you experience painful leg cramps during pregnancy?

I don’t like seeing my baby sick, especially, when I don’t know what is wrong with him.  He has been drooling some and has a low grade fever.  It makes me think that he might be trying to get his two year old molars in.  In fact, when I felt his gums I thought that I could feel a tooth coming in just beneath the gum surface.  Teething is never fun and often times makes for a very cranky toddler.  As a mom, I wish I could just wave a magic wand and make the teething pain go away.

Disclosure: I am not a doctor, nurse, or health care provider.  This post is for informational purposes only and never should replace getting your child medical treatment.

Two Year Molar Teething Symptoms

Most toddlers begin cutting their two year molars just shy of their second birthday and can last well into their third year depending on how quickly your child’s teeth come in.  Molars are bigger so they tend to be more painful when they are breaking through the gums.  What are some symptoms that could indicate that your toddler is beginning to get their two year old molars?  The symptoms include:

• Mild or low grade fever
• Chewing on their hands, toys, or anything that they can get into their mouth
• Drooling
• Night waking, especially, if your toddler is normally a good sleeper
• Excessively cranky
• Swollen gums
• Ear pulling
• Rubbing on their cheek

Most of these symptoms should subside in two or three days; however, if the symptoms last longer then you should have your child seen by a health care provider or  their doctor to rule out other illnesses that have similar symptoms to teething.

What Can I Do To Make My Toddler More Comfortable While They Are Teething?

If your toddler will allow you to reach into their mouth to feel their gums, you can attempt to see if you can feel the teeth coming in just beneath the gums.  Do use caution, your toddler may bite you while attempting to feel his or her gums.  You can attempt to make them more comfortable using these tips and techniques:

• Use pain reliever for pain and fever symptoms as directed by your child’s doctor (Note: get proper dosage from your child’s doctor).
• Break out your child’s old teething toys.  Do offer them cold teething toys, if possible, to chew on to help relieve their pain.
• If your toddler is constantly drooling, keep a towel or soft cloth handy to pat their chin dry to avoid excessive irritation.
• Do call your doctor or dentist if your child’s gums are excessively swollen or appear to be infected.
• Offer your child extra cuddles and tender loving care to help soothe their pain.
• Avoid offering your child teething gels that numb their mouth.  Doing so can cause your child to bite their tongue or possibly choke.
• Do call your child’s doctor if they continue to pull on their ears or run a fever for more than a few days.  Teething pain can be felt in the ears.
• Offer your child soft foods if they don’t seem to have their normal appetite.

Teething can be a nightmare for both you and your toddler.  Your toddler will likely be fussier than usual and may not be their usual self; however, your toddler should be back to their normal self in a few days.  Find some activities to help distract your child during the day and keep your toddler as comfortable as possible.  If your toddler wakes up in the middle of the night, try self soothing techniques before going in to check on your toddler. After all you wouldn’t want to start a new habit of nighttime cuddles or attention.

Teething Products That I Recommend for Teething Toddlers

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What did you do to help soothe your teething toddler?

On Saturday, I spent most of the day relaxing and taking it easy so that my body could rest.  After church on Sunday, my husband told me to take some medicine and take a nap so that I could get some rest, in hopes that it would make me feel better.  When I woke up my kids, already had the table set for dinner and surprised me with several homemade Mother’s Day cards.

My daughter made a butterfly and placed it into the Gerber Daisy’s arrangement that sits in the middle of the kitchen table.

Next she grabs Rhino, the chi, and takes him into her bedroom.  He comes around the corner from my daughter’s room with a funny look on his face.  She had tied a pink bow around him, he wanted nothing to do with that bow tied around his neck.  In fact, she was hoping that he would immediately run and jump up in my lap.  Instead, she had to pick him up and bring him to me then I noticed there was a piece of paper tucked into the pink ribbon.  She made a card for him to give to me.

While my daughter and I was working on getting dinner on the table, my youngest son was busy working on a card.  Just before dinner, I walked over to the kitchen table and found a card that my youngest son helped color sitting on the place mat on the kitchen table.

I am thankful for the simple things this Mother’s Day, it was perfect and I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s not always the big things that count but it’s the little things that can leave a lasting impression.  I was shocked that my kids made me several surprises on Mother’s Day.  I am very blessed to be their mom and I am thankful for all three of my wonderful children.  Life can’t get any better than that.

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What did your child/children do for you on Mother’s Day?

I wanted to take the time and share with you a few things that I love about being a mom to my 3 amazing and wonderful children:

• They give me a reason to smile each and every day.
• A hug or a kiss from them can instantly change my outlook on life.
• My kids are willing to help around the house and take care of me when I am sick.
• That they bring me home beautiful artwork through out the year and not just on Mother’s day.
• I loved them while they were still in the womb, making their presence known with their tiny jabs, punches, kicks, and doing summersaults all hours of the day.
• There is never a dull moment in our household but I wouldn’t change it for the World.
• I am thankful that they each have their own personality.
• They know how to make me laugh.
• I love when they were toddlers and followed me around the house, one day every mom will understand it.  As a toddler they always want to be around you but when they turn into teenagers, they are often times shooing you away.
• As a mom, my best piece of advice is to “Cherish Each and Every Moment They Grow Up Fast.”

I wanted to thank each one of you mom’s who take the time out of your day to read my blog posts. I am thankful for each and everyone of you, and without your love and support my blog wouldn’t be successful.  I hope that each MOM out there has a Happy Mother’s Day and that it is filled with love and happiness.

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Please share why you love being a mom?

Disclosure:  I am not a doctor, nurse, or health care provider.  This post is for informational purposes only and never should replace getting medical treatment for you and your unborn baby.

Stripping Your Membranes

This procedure is usually done during a cervical check, during one of your last few appointments, if your doctor feels that your body is almost ready for labor.  In fact, some doctors will strip your membranes without discussing it with you.  Sweeping your membranes is a way to attempt to start labor without the use of harmful medications.  Your doctor will use a latex glove (or non-latex glove) and a water based lubrication, then he or she will insert their hand into your vagina while you have your legs propped up in the stirrups   Then your doctor will insert his or her finger into your cervix.  Once your doctor is inside of your cervix, he or she will gently try to separate the bag of water from the side of the uterus, near your cervix.  Stripping the membranes is somewhat painful when the doctor is doing the procedure and you may feel slight cramping afterwards.  However, if your body is ready for labor, separating your membranes should cause your body to begin producing prostaglandlilns.  Prostaglandlilins are responsible for softening and thinning out your cervix.  This hormone also prepares your uterus for contractions.

Once your doctor strips your membranes, you may or may not go into labor immediately.  There is a chance that this procedure will not start labor, give you contractions or mild cramping which may prevent you from resting, and it may cause your water to break on it’s own.  If your water breaks, you should contact your doctor or head to labor and delivery as soon as possible.  Talk to your doctor to determine if he or she feels that you can have your membranes stripped.

Breaking the Bag of Waters

Most doctors are hesitant to break your water unless they know that your body is favorable for induction because once your water breaks you have to deliver your baby in 24 hours.  In fact, you doctor will likely break your water if you are receiving pitocin, if you are already in labor, or your labor has stalled or labor is no longer progressing.  If you think that your bag of waters has broken (even a trickle) go to your doctors office or to labor and delivery immediately.  Once your water breaks, the more susceptible you and your baby are to infections.  They have a simple test that can confirm if your water has broken or not.

Foley Bulb Catheter Induction

Some women are totally against using medications to help induce labor and the use of a foley bulb catheter is an option that may be used to help get your labor started naturally.  This procedure uses a a catheter that is usually inserted into the bladder when you are in surgery or can’t get out of bed to use the restroom.  This method isn’t as popular and isn’t used very often since there are medications available to induce labor.  If your doctor is willing to try the foley bulb catheter to attempt to jump start your labor, he or she will insert the catheter into your cervix.  Then your doctor will slowly fill the balloon up with saline solution in attempt to put pressure on your uterus and bag of waters.  Once the balloon is filled with the saline solution, your doctor will leave the bulb in place to see if your body reacts and begins labor.  If the bulb insertion alone doesn’t help, then some doctors will move the bulb around, use counter pressure techniques, or even pull out the expanded foley bulb out several times an hour.  If this method doesn’t work, often times the doctors will use pitocin to induce labor.

Try not to get discouraged if you haven’t gone into labor on your own.  Your doctor will not let you go more than two weeks past your due date.  Also, most doctors will begin increased monitoring once you hit 40 weeks.  They will monitor to determine if your baby is showing any signs or symptoms of fetal distress.  Your doctor may also order an ultrasound to check amniotic fluid levels.  If the amniotic fluid is too low you will need to deliver your baby soon.

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Did your doctor try any of these induction techniques to induce your labor? 

Disclosure:  I am not a doctor, nurse, or health care provider.  This post is for informational purposes only and never should replace getting medical treatment for you and your unborn baby. 

Once you are past your due date, your doctor should begin discussing with you about being inducted.  Induction uses medications or other proven techniques to help jump start labor if your body hasn’t started labor on its own.  There are several methods that your doctor could use to help your body prepare itself for labor.  Never use self inducing techniques, without proper supervision they can be harmful to you and your baby.

Cytotek

Cytotek is a medication that is placed near cervix or it can be taken orally.  If the tablet is inserted into the vagina it is painless and doesn’t hurt.  The pill can take a few hours to work; however, it is possible that it can cause your body to go into labor immediately.  Every woman responds to medications differently.  If your doctor gives you this pill to take at home, make sure that your follow your doctors instructions, especially, if you start having regular contractions.  Some doctors might go ahead and admit you into the hospital so that they can monitor your progress and contractions after the Cytotek is inserted.  Cytotek is designed to help make your cervix more favorable for labor.  If your cervix is unfavorable your labor will likely not progress or even have a failed induction.

Prostaglandlin Gels or Suppositories

Prostaglandlilns are designed to help soften the cervix and make it more favorable for an induction.  The gel or suppository is inserted into your vaginal and is placed as close to your cervix as possible.  The gel or suppository is painless and doesn’t hurt but it could be messy.  In fact, if you are given prostaglandlins most likely your doctor will want you to lay down so that the medicine stays as close to the cervix as possible.  Once it is inserted, you may begin to feel mild contractions or it may feel as if it is doing anything.  If your doctor inserts a gel or suppository while in the doctors office, make sure that you follow their orders and don’t wait too long to go to the hospital if you begin having regular contractions.  Some doctors will go ahead and admit you into the hospital so that they can monitor your progress and contractions.

Pitocin

Pitocin is a liquid, IV drug that mimics your body’s natural hormone oxytocin.  This synthetic hormone simulates the same hormone that your body produces when you go into labor on your own.  Once pitocin is started you generally are stuck in bed and are monitored continuously to ensure that your baby is not getting stressed out from labor.   Continuous monitoring is necessary once Pitocin is started to ensure that your body is tolerating the contractions.  Sometimes it causes you to have contractions that are too close together or last too long.  Most doctors will start you off with a slow drip and slowly increase the amount of medicine that you are receiving through the IV every 15 to 30 minutes until your body has started contracting in a natural, regular pattern.  Pitocin generally works fairly well at inducing labor; however, if your body isn’t ready for labor it may not work.  Your doctor will explain all of the risks involved with inducing with Pitocin before they begin inducing your labor.

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Were you induced?  If so, why did your doctor induce you?