Women planning a natural birth

flutiefrostie

Do you consider a saline IV medical intervention and will you refuse it? I never thought of it that way, but I read in this week's featured birth story that they refused the IV. It seemed strange to me that salt water would be considered medicine, but I guess the method by which it's administered might be considered in intervention. Thoughts?

RichInLove

For me, natural birth isn't solely about intervention but that when you are hooked up to an IV and fetal monitoring the entire time you don't have the ability to move around during labor. I want to be free to find the position that works best for me and not be chained to the bed. In my opinion, lying down on a bed while birthing is unnatural and not as effective as other methods.

 (disclaimer, I have never given birth, but from my research and gut feeling, this is what I believe to be true).
 

IselaCid

The problem with the IV is that it keeps you tied down and unable to get up and move as you need to to get and keep labor going and pain down.  If possible ask for a hep lock.  It keeps you ready for an IV if needed, but you don't have to be tied to anything.   Here is an interesting article...

https://birthing-options.suite101.com/article.cfm/ivs_during_labor

flutiefrostie

Okay, thanks for clearing that up for me. But what if they let you or DH carry the IV so you aren't tied down? (I don't know if they let you do that, it's completely a what-if). Would that change things or would you still want to avoid the pain and inability to get in the shower?

iris427

IVs are interventions.  They make it harder to move around, they hurt and yes, they have a risk of infection.

Also the fluids will make you pee like crazy and if you're attempting a drug free birth, trust me, that sucks.

You can refuse a routine IV or ask for a heplock.

IselaCid

flutiefrostie:

Okay, thanks for clearing that up for me. But what if they let you or DH carry the IV so you aren't tied down? (I don't know if they let you do that, it's completely a what-if). Would that change things or would you still want to avoid the pain and inability to get in the shower?

Trying to concentrate and get through a labor naturally with one of those things will seriously mess with your mojo.  If absolutely necessary it can be done I'm sure.  But it's a PIA enough to be worth avoiding.

mollymurphy

I guess I'm confused: are saline IVs unnecessary? I'm curious why they would be so routinely recommended given the drawbacks that the pp's have mentioned...anyone care to enlighten me about the reasons why you would consent to having a saline IV or why doctors would recommend them?

RichInLove

Thanks, I learned about a heplock today. I really just don't want anything to interfere with my body doing what it is made to do- give birth.

Deegirl322

The hospital I am delivering at will put something in you in case they need to administer emergency meds later, but it doesn't prevent you from walking around or anything. If it does, I might refuse it.

IselaCid

mollymurphy:

I guess I'm confused: are saline IVs unnecessary? I'm curious why they would be so routinely recommended given the drawbacks that the pp's have mentioned...anyone care to enlighten me about the reasons why you would consent to having a saline IV or why doctors would recommend them?

 They are routine because women routinely get epis, pitocin etc.  They are not necessary if you avoid all other interventions.  

DaisyAdair

My hospital doesn't do it.  With my 1st, I had an IV because I couldn't stop throwing up.  They were giving me fluids and Zofran.

Magically, with my 2nd, that didn't happen, so I didn't get an IV at all. 

ETA:  With my 1st, I was able to walk around.  I just took the pole with me.  But, I have a pole while pregnant because of the HG, so it's 2nd nature to me to have the pole!  It didn't hinder my movement at all. 

 

flutiefrostie

Thanks everyone. I'm not planning a drug-free birth so I haven't looked at all the things women choose to do/ not do. I still like to hear both sides, though, and see why people make the choices they do.

Funny side note: In the article Isela linked, I clicked to go to their forum to read about women's thoughts about IVs during delivery and I stumbled across this gem:

"My age is 31 yrs. 6 months. I married last year (May 4th 2007) but I am not gettin pregnancy. my menstrual period is normal (28 days) please help me. I want to be conceived"

I really want to join the site so I can tell her she's already been conceived. 

cnchavez69

I don't plan on anything if i can help it.  I'd rather not have an IV in me if its not needed, especially as i want to do this natural with no interference. We shall see how it goes though. 

hawindrem

I consider an IV an unnecessary intervention.  The saline water dilutes your blood and can reduce the amount of oxygen going to your baby, leading to signs of distress.  These are usually false positives, but can land you in the OR. Then when they deliver a perfectly healthy and non-distressed baby by c-section, they pat themselves on the back for "saving" it. 

Also ditto the responses about mobility and comfort.

 

icyblueeyez19

okay, coming from a medical opinion, sodium chloride is not considered a medication, it is an isotonic fluid...meaning it has the same osmolality as your bloos plasma. you may lose up to 1000 ml of blood during labor which could send you into hypovolemic shock. now 1000 ml is the high range so you would have to receive blood, but your chances of going into shock are a lot less likely if you have fluids infusing. i am planning on a natural birth but i will have an iv hooked up. mind you, that if you are dehydrated, you will have a really hard time delievering. also, if you decide to have an epidural, they have to give you a 500 ml bolus of fluids prior to receiving an iv...that means you will have to have an iv inserted on top of being in labor.

iris427

mollymurphy:

I guess I'm confused: are saline IVs unnecessary? I'm curious why they would be so routinely recommended given the drawbacks that the pp's have mentioned...anyone care to enlighten me about the reasons why you would consent to having a saline IV or why doctors would recommend them?

Welcome to Cover Your Ass Medicine 101.

dmogmo

I've never found it that big of a deal to move around with an IV pole - they can roll. But that's JMO.  I would rather have fluids if I need them regardless of whether or not I want an epidural.  Like pp said - being dehydrated makes things much more difficult.

iris427

FWIW, my OB was fine with me forgoing the fluids.  I only got them when I decided to get an epidural--they are necessary then because the epi can cause your blood pressure to crash and IV fluids help prevent that.

dmogmo

Another thought - if you forego the hep lock in the beginning and then need an epi or fluids and are dehydrated its way harder to get that IV in. So at least getting that at the beginning is not a bad idea.

icyblueeyez19

diana82:

Another thought - if you forego the hep lock in the beginning and then need an epi or fluids and are dehydrated its way harder to get that IV in. So at least getting that at the beginning is not a bad idea.

Good point. If you are dehydrated they will not be able to get an iv and then both you and your baby are at risk

LovesGreenBay

I think "natural birth" means no medical interventions. 

MaybeaGIRL???

With my first son I was given an IV right away, because I was only 35 wks and hadn't been tested for group b strep so I had to have antibiotics every couple of hours. I was still able to walk around and get up and such. The nurses would just pull the one end out of the iv until it was time for another dose. I also had to have cytotec, as my cervix was not ready (my water broke) and was not doing a thing after 12 hours. I don't recommend cytotec unless really needed, it was just terrible. They pain it caused was just unmanageable and I got a spinal.

With my second son I went in for an induction and had my water broken in the morning (I was already 4 cm a few days before induction). I did not have to have an iv and was free to do what I wanted, basically. I had breakfast and then before lunch contractions weren't really doing to much (getting a little stronger but it could have been like that for a very long time) so the got me ready for an IV but didn't hook it up until after I had lunch and then started pitocin (SOOO much better than cytotec...which they tried using again until I refused). I had already said I wanted a spinal again, but not until it was really strong contractions. Well jsut like that they got very strong and I was ready for the spinal, but was still managing pain just fine. They forgot to run my blood at the lab and couldn't do the spinal until that was done. By the time the bw was run and my spinal was administered it was only 20 minutes later that my son was born.

Because of this I have decide to try it without the spinal this time. I get incredible itchy from the spinals. Not just a little annoying itch here and there, but a constant itchiness that makes my skin raw (both times around my mouth/nose/chin) and keeps me from being able to sleep. I continued to be that itchy with both for a good 3 days straight. You all are probably thinking that a little itching can't be that bad, but OMG I wanted to just rip my face off!

icyblueeyez19

having no pain medications will not put your baby at risk...being dehydrated will

hula_lula

I'm going to talk to them about waiting on putting the IV in because it restricts movement so much

I'm requesting they put the thing in my hand where it'll connect right away but not actually hook up the IV until needed

dmogmo

hula_lula:

I'm going to talk to them about waiting on putting the IV in because it restricts movement so much

I'm requesting they put the thing in my hand where it'll connect right away but not actually hook up the IV until needed

That's the heparin lock. Definitely a good idea.

Sxia

When I was 7 weeks along with DD, they put a hep lock in my arm when I'd gone into the ER for something. The way the woman did it was so painful, every time I moved my arm killed. When I was in labor, I really didn't want an IV (and, I kept drinking my water and gatorade, so I was plenty hydrated.) They did want to put in a hep lock and this time they did it in my hand. I ended up not needing anything and they took out the hep lock when they were washing DD. I was like, "Um, can I get this thing out of my hand, please? I don't need it."

 It's kind of like when they say, "Don't eat anything, you'll just puke it up." I'm sorry, how else are you supposed to get energy? I snuck in my own food and ate while the nurses weren't in the room. (Mostly granola bars and juice, but still.)

The only reason I"m not having DD at home is because I don't want to worry about cleaning up the house to hospital standards and basically in case of "What if". (And I don't think my insurance covers midwives, only docs.) My doula said I was such a pro at birthing that I could have had DD, and gone to Disneyland later that day. (Of course I wouldn't, but I did take my dog and baby on a walk two days later.)