November 2011 Moms

Question for moms who were induced with Pitocin

I am being induced on Tuesday and I am reading that most times moms are confined to bed when they are induced due to the iv and constant fetal monitoring. Is this true? I plan on no pain meds so it is really important to me to be able to shower, bounce on the ball and walk around. I am afraid I won't be able to do any of this if I am induced? 

I understand that whatever is best for the baby I will do so if that means being induced and in bed then I will do it but I want to be mentally prepared.

TIA. 

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Re: Question for moms who were induced with Pitocin

  • You will be hooked up to a iv but you should be able to take it and walk. No shower though.
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  • How about the fetal monitoring?
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  • Depending on the hospital they will remove it so you can walk and then check you periodically.
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  • I was induced with pitocin (due to pre-e) and I was not allowed to walk around.
  • Most likely they won't let you walk. I was induced and they wanted me off the fetal monitor as little as possible. I was able to use the bathroom and rock in the glider if I wanted but I chose to stay in bed. I got to 5cm on pitocin with no pain meds, once I hit that point I had two contractiOns right on top of each other and was in so much pain I got an epi. I wish you luck on going the whole way without pain meds on pitocin! 
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  • You need to talk to your doctor. The answer will vary from hospital to hospital. I could walk around, bounce on the labor ball, even get in the shower (they just wrapped the IV site really well). I just had to go back to be monitored periodically. Once I got an epidural obviously I was in bed for the rest of the time. 

    If your baby requires constant monitoring or internal monitoring, you will be very limited with how much you can move.  

  • I think this is one of those things that varies by hospital/doctor. I am being induced tomorrow and they said as long as I didn't have an epidural and there were no complications I would be allowed to walk around.
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  • I was induced with pitocin on Wednesday and they only allowed me to bounce on the birthing ball because I had to be hooked up to the fetal monitor at all times.  I'm almost 100% positive you won't be able to use the shower because you can't remove your IV and you will need the pitocin to continue your labor. 

    I wish you the best of luck in going all natural with pitocin.  I thought I would be able to stand going through half of it without pain meds and I got my epidural when I was at 4cm.  Pitocin is a strong, strong drug and when it really starts working, there's no stopping the pain associated with it.  I would go in with an open mind about pain meds...

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  • I was induced with Pitocin and my hospital had wireless monitors that allowed me to get up, walk around, sit on the labor ball, etc. I wasn't on an IV while I was hooked up to Pitocin so that wasn't an issue. My nurse actually encouraged me to get out of bed since once I got the epidural I wouldn't be able to get up. Check with your hospital though.
  • imagestaciemc:
    I was induced with Pitocin and my hospital had wireless monitors that allowed me to get up, walk around, sit on the labor ball, etc. I wasn't on an IV while I was hooked up to Pitocin so that wasn't an issue. My nurse actually encouraged me to get out of bed since once I got the epidural I wouldn't be able to get up. Check with your hospital though.

    Not to hijack the post but how would you have Pitocin without an IV? Don't they have to administer it through an IV? 

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  • They tried to let me bounce on the ball and stand on the side of the bed. The monitor kept coming off and finally they pretty much made me stay in the bed. I wanted to go natural as well. I went natural with my second child and as long as I could move around it was tolerable. Pitocin was no joke. Not going to lie, it hurt pretty darn bad. I got an epidural at 6 cm because I just couldn't take it anymore. Like pp said, go into it with an open mind. In hindsight I would've gotten the epi much earlier and slept! If you can move around, it might be easier. Good luck!!!

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  • I had wireless monitors and was able to get up and move around as I pleased until I got my epi.
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  • I'm getting a little annoyed with all the natural birth nay sayers here. I was induced last time and attempted to go pain med free. I needed an epidural partly to knock out ineffective contractions and only partly for pain. Had my husband and I PRACTICED our hypnobirthing techniques as much as we should have, I honestly don't believe the pain would have been a factor in my decision to get the epidural. The pain became a factor when I lost my ability to relax and focus. 

    Sure, OP, go in with an open mind but also know that if you are well prepared, an epidural isn't a foregone conclusion here.

    I wish you a wonderful birth experience.  

  • imageauthorofdreamz:

    imagestaciemc:
    I was induced with Pitocin and my hospital had wireless monitors that allowed me to get up, walk around, sit on the labor ball, etc. I wasn't on an IV while I was hooked up to Pitocin so that wasn't an issue. My nurse actually encouraged me to get out of bed since once I got the epidural I wouldn't be able to get up. Check with your hospital though.

    Not to hijack the post but how would you have Pitocin without an IV? Don't they have to administer it through an IV? 

    Wondering the same thing. I was under the assumption it was only given thru an IV.

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  • I was not able to get up, except to use the restroom and sit in the rocker. Until the epi of course (which I didn't want either) and the internal monitors. Good luck!
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  • I am sure each hospital is different. When I was induced, pretty much what was acceptable was going to the rest room and talking a periodic walk. The pitocin was tolerable for a while then finally when I was 9cm the severe pains came out of nowhere where I was screaming for the epi. Once you have the epi, no more walking or anything... the focus will be on delivering the baby:)

    Good luck, you will be fine the only advice I have for you is if and when you finally feel the contractions so fight them just do the opposite take big/huge deep breathes and exhale. I promise that helps, I had to figure it out on my own. 

  • I didn't want to walk around after I had pitocin, but I did have to get up and go to the bathroom quite a few times. They unhooked the monitor to let me go and pee. It was a hassle, though. 
  • I was able to get up and walk around until my water was broken-- then I had to stay in bed. Obviously, you won't be able to get up if you have an epidural.

    I don't think that anyone is trying to paint natural birth in a negative light-- I think that people are just trying to give OP a realistic expectation of what a pitocin induced labor is like. Contractions are very intense and very close together, very quickly-- you won't have the gradual build of intensity that most natural births have. I've never met anyone who has had a pitocin induced labor that hasn't gotten an epidural, for whatever reason. (I do know women who have had small doses of pitocin to help their labor progress that remained pain med free.)

    If you can do it, fantastic. And if you can't, that's ok, too.

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  • I was on the iv and monitoring once they started the pitocin - it was hospital policy. But I could take the iv to the bathroom or around the room. Definitely did some time on the ball.
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  • They let me do whatever I wanted... I had wireless telemetry for my heart, baby and contractions, so was able to walk around, and while I didnt use the tub, they had some iv covers etc they put on you for that, and said I could go in the tub if I wanted. The harded part of the IV was not being able to put my bathrobe on as easy, because we had to thread all the bags through, so I just tied it around me.
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  • imageashleylach:

    I was induced with pitocin on Wednesday and they only allowed me to bounce on the birthing ball because I had to be hooked up to the fetal monitor at all times.  I'm almost 100% positive you won't be able to use the shower because you can't remove your IV and you will need the pitocin to continue your labor. 

    I wish you the best of luck in going all natural with pitocin.  I thought I would be able to stand going through half of it without pain meds and I got my epidural when I was at 4cm.  Pitocin is a strong, strong drug and when it really starts working, there's no stopping the pain associated with it.  I would go in with an open mind about pain meds...

     

    I agree with this about pain meds. I tried stadol, said I'd try for an hour and only last for about 30 minutes until I wanted epidural, I was at 5 cm at the point. 

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  • I was allowed to move, but I still had to stay hooked up to the monitors, so I obviously couldn't go too far. No showers, but when it was time to go to the bathroom, DH unhooked everything, dragged the IV rack with me, went, then got hooked back up.
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  • About fetal monitoring...I gues they have a battery pack one at the hospital where I delivered.  However once my water broke and they put in internal monitors I was not allowed to get up.
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  • imageMommaErica:

    You need to talk to your doctor. The answer will vary from hospital to hospital. I could walk around, bounce on the labor ball, even get in the shower (they just wrapped the IV site really well). I just had to go back to be monitored periodically. Once I got an epidural obviously I was in bed for the rest of the time. 

    If your baby requires constant monitoring or internal monitoring, you will be very limited with how much you can move.  

    I've never been induced, but I did have an internal monitor with DS.  I was at the pushing stage, so pretty much in the bed anyways, but I was still able to move around quite a bit confined to the bed.  Keep in mind (OP, not MommaErica) that just because you're in bed doesn't mean you can't move and have to be on your tailbone.  I squatted, I knelt, I was on all 4s.  All while confined to bed.

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