Can you walk around/actively labor if you get induced?

tiffanymyers

Just curious if anyone knows or has experience with this.  I will likely be getting induced for medical reasons and I'd like to help progress labor by moving around rather being confined to a bed if I can.  Is that an option?

hellopartyof5

I think it depends on the hospital? Not sure tho - I would def ask your dr

NELSMD

nauticallife said:

I think it depends on the hospital? Not sure tho - I would def ask your dr

Agreed and if you have an epidural or not.

CandEChicago

tiffanymyers said:

Just curious if anyone knows or has experience with this.  I will likely be getting induced for medical reasons and I'd like to help progress labor by moving around rather being confined to a bed if I can.  Is that an option?

Talk to your doctor. Even if others have this expense and it is feasible they might have a preference.

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hellopartyof5

Slaps said:

When I was induced with N I didn't get up except to go to the loo, but I am lazy!

Hahahah so honest, gotta love it.

emsrdh03

I'm sure every hospital/doctor/induction is different but I will share my experience since I've been induced twice.

Both of my inductions were with pitocin so I was on a constant IV drip.  In both cases, being on pitocin meant they needed to constantly monitor the baby, my contractions and my BP which meant in addition to the IV I had on two belly monitors and a BP cuff.  So in my case?  Walking around was out of the question.  Just going to the bathroom was a pain because I had to unhook both monitors and the BP cuff and then wheel the IV with me.  Not to mention in both cases they broke my water which after the initial gush, fluid continued to come out and every time I'd move or get up to potty more would come out leaving a little trail behind me.  With my son I was able to at least sit on a birthing ball because I was close enough to the bed to keep all my wires in tact. This go around when the contractions got really bad I was able to sit up and dangle my feet over the side.  Sitting up for me was far more comfortable than just laying there.  It goes without saying that once I got an epidural I was definitely bed bound.

Eora3

I had a similar experience to @emsrdh03‌. I was hooked up to all the monitors immediately when they placed the cervidil. I had to get unhooked by a nurse to use the bathroom.

Once they broke my water, they gave me a catheter so I didn't have to get up to use the bathroom.

kwikwi8181

I was induced last week and was admitted the night before to start cytotec pills to soften my cervix and they immediately put me on a BP cuff and fetal minitors and could only get up to pee-which was often-and it sucked. The next morning they moved me to L&D and started pitocin. I asked if I could walk and they said no because they had to monitor the baby constantly The baby was never is distress and all my numbers were fine and I still couldn't walk around. I was so bummed because I would have been much more content walking until I finally asked for a epidural.

Cheekers2010

At my hospital you absolutely can.  It really does depend on the type of induction and how much you're hooked up to, though.  Even on a pit drip you should be able to walk around.  They just like to monitor you continuously (on pit).  Many hospitals have mobile telemetry units for continuous monitoring while you walk around.  If you've had cervidil or some type of prostaglandin they usually monitor for a certain amount of time every hour.  In between you should be able to walk.  Again, this all depends on how your hospital is set up and what type of induction you're talking about.

Cheekers2010

katehgee said:

Yeah, at my hospital you are done walking around as soon as you're admitted. Everyone gets an IV in case of a c-section, so you're stuck in bed unless you're getting up to pee.

__________________________________________________________________

That's too bad because you can still walk around with an IV.  They have those rolling IV units with poles that you just have to take with you.  It's not a big deal.

bowlwoman

My hospital will let you walk around until you get the epidural for a little while. You get the IV for the drip on a mobile pole and you can be off the heart and contraction monitors for up to 10 minutes every hour. I only got up once to pee with Q, but once I got the epidural it was catheter time and no getting up. Not that I could have walked at that point anyway.

Once we broke my water I got an internal monitor on Q's head, so I don't know if the internal monitor would have changed the walking around option or not. I had already gotten the epidural at that point, so it was moot.

BabyByTim

Thank you for this post. I too will be getting induced next week for medical reasons (I'll be 39+4). I have my appointment tomorrow so I now know what questions to ask. I really hope I'll be allowed to walk around. I've been to L&D a few times already and I hate being stuck on the monitors it is so uncomfortable.

BabyByTim

Hufflepuff42 said:

BabyByTim said:

Thank you for this post. I too will be getting induced next week for medical reasons (I'll be 39+4). I have my appointment tomorrow so I now know what questions to ask. I really hope I'll be allowed to walk around. I've been to L&D a few times already and I hate being stuck on the monitors it is so uncomfortable.

Looks like we'll be induction buddies. Good luck good luck!

Thanks, you too!!!

beaniousmaximus

I was induced with my first and was encouraged to walk around to bring on the labor. But once I had my epidural they kept me in bed. 

designchica

Yes, you can walk around as long as you don't have an epidural. 

amieeyoung

Depends on what method is used for induction- I could not get up and move with my son after pitocin. They like to monitor you and baby. Also depends on hospital policy and such.