Your pregnant body is a workhorse, but sometimes it can need a lift at delivery time. Enter Cervidil, a drug that works to ripen and open the cervix. This medication can jumpstart labor, or it might be used with another to nudge the process. Either way, you and your baby will be watched closely when laboring with it.
As your body preps itself for labor, your cervix starts to thin out and dilate. But in some cases, this entry point to the uterus doesn’t soften or open up enough to allow contractions to effectively work.
In other scenarios, the cervix may simply need a little boost to get the process started, also called “cervical ripening.”
One particular drug in your doctor’s tool kit is Cervidil, a medication that’s designed to soften a closed cervix so that contractions can follow. Read on for more about Cervidil, including when it might be used and how it compares to other drugs used during labor induction.
What is Cervidil?
Cervidil is the brand name of the drug dinoprostone. Dinoprostone may come in gel or jelly form, or the way Cervidil does — as a vaginal insert containing synthetic prostaglandin, a hormone-like substance that your body produces naturally.[1]
Cervidil is used during labor when the cervix isn’t showing signs of dilating (or opening) and effacing, which means thinning. The medication works to ripen the cervix and start labor contractions so your baby can exit your uterus and descend into the birth canal.
Is your labor looming? Download the What to Expect app, your go-to guide for all things related to labor and delivery, along with tips from mamas who’ve been through it too.
Can Cervidil alone start labor?
The short answer is: sometimes. Generally, Cervidil is given to prep the cervix by softening it, not to induce labor directly. Some women may experience cramping or mild contractions as it works though.
If after being administered a dose of Cervidil, stronger, more regular contractions don’t follow, you may be given Pitocin (a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin) to jumpstart the process.
What to Expect Community parent csrob222 is traveling this journey: “I’m 39 weeks, got checked yesterday and I’m 1.5 cm, 50-60% effaced. I’m being induced later this week — I’ll go in Thursday night and my doctor said they’ll start me on Cervidil overnight. Depending on what happens, they’ll break my water the next morning and start me on Pitocin.”
What can you expect with Cervidil?
If your provider plans to use Cervidil, they may ask about your medical history as well as any prescriptions you’re taking or allergies you may have. You’ll then lie down while the vaginal insert is placed by your cervix — and you should remain on your back or reclined for the first two hours.
Cervidil is designed to release medication over a 12-hour period. If you received a different type of dinoprostone (a gel or jelly), you may need a second dose after six hours if the first one didn’t work well enough.
Continuous monitoring of both you and your baby is important throughout this process. Your practitioner will remove the insert when active labor starts, if your water breaks, your contractions become too strong, or there’s a significant change in the fetal heart rate.
What are the signs that Cervidil is working?
After getting a dose of the medication, you’ll likely notice the following signs that Cervidil is working:
- Backache
- Some pinkish vaginal discharge
- Mild cramping
- Contractions
Are there side effects with Cervidil?
If you’re worried about pain or side effects due to Cervidil, know that while some can occur, they’re uncommon and usually don’t require treatment.
In fact, your side effects may actually subside as your body becomes accustomed to the medication. Here’s what to watch for:
- Stomach cramps
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Flushed skin
Your provider will monitor for a side effect called uterine tachysystole, which happens when there are fewer than five contractions in a 10-minute period. This side effect occurs in 1% to 5% of women and is resolved by removing the medication, which is housed in a mesh sac attached to a string.
What’s the difference between Cervidil and Cytotec?
There’s another drug called Cytotec (or misoprostol) that’s also widely used to soften the cervix and induce contractions like Cervidil.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) considers misoprostol to be safe and effective when used appropriately.[2]
If your doctor brings up Cytotec, let them know if you're taking any nonprescription medicines such as antacids, aspirin, arthritis medications, and vitamins.
What’s the difference between Cervidil and Pitocin?
Cervidil may cause mild contractions, but its main purpose is to help the cervix to soften and open. Your doctor may also break your water to speed labor, a process called an artificial rupture of the membranes. This releases prostaglandins in the body to dilate the cervix.
But if both Cervidil and membrane rupturing don’t produce contractions that are strong enough to move your labor forward, you may be given Pitocin through an IV drip.
Pitocin is a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin. This hormone has two main functions: to help with breastfeeding after delivery and to stimulate the uterus and trigger contractions during labor.
So think of Pitocin as an ace in the hole, drug-wise, for inducing labor — in particular for some women who may need this added boost after a course of Cervidil.
Every woman’s needs during pregnancy, labor, and delivery are different. If you have any concerns, speak with your doctor about Cervidil in case your own cervix needs a little help come delivery day.
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