What is the issue/concern with being given a drip?

KateLouise

For my first birth I was given a drip of saline.

The midwife put it in when I was in the tub, not long before I began pushing.

On here I've seen it mentioned a few times that people don't want a drip. Why is that?

Is it because it can restrict movement to some degree?

I didn't personally find this an issue, it just got wheeled around for me as needed.

Or is there some other concern?

Thanks 

flyer23

I had one with DD. It wasn't really an option; my water broke and I was GBS+ so they started my IV for antibiotics, and then the nurse was like, "And we'll run in some saline while we're at it." I did not have one with DS (homebirth).

Reasons why I didn't like having it with DD:

- The spot where the IV went in hurt! In my case, it didn't matter because I needed it for my antibiotics and, later, for Pitocin, but if I were only getting it for saline, that would be pain for no reason.

- Because they were pumping me so full of fluids, I had to pee CONSTANTLY during labor. (I didn't experience that during DS's labor.)

- I had awful night sweats for weeks after DD's birth, and I think a lot of it was just getting rid of all that fluid! (I didn't have night sweats after DS's birth.)

- Having an IV did limit my mobility slightly. Yeah, it gets wheeled around as needed, but if you don't need it, why even deal with the hassle of wheeling it around?

- If you're trying to avoid pain meds, having an IV makes it so easy to slip just "a little something" into that IV. Versus if you don't have an IV and you'd have to get one just to get pain meds. Once again, I would have had an IV either way, but I did have a nurse offer IV pain meds twice... I turned them down, no big deal, but other women might not want to be tempted like that.

Some more general reasons why women might not want a saline drip:

- Some hospitals use it instead of allowing women to drink freely during labor. Which isn't cool. Based on my two experiences, if a woman is able to stay sufficiently hydrated orally, that is preferable, by far.

- IVs are for sick people. Pregnant women aren't sick.

KateLouise

Cool, thanks for your response.

I didn't have any of the issues you experienced in terms of night sweats, or peeing, but I guess I was given it quite late in labour.

I tried to stay hydrated during labour, but just was not interested in drinking. perhaps that's something I should be more vigilant with this time round.

My mdiwife's take on it was, "I use a drip if i can see a woman is getting exhausted and could use an extra boost of energy." So I guess she saw me getting tired, and felt a drip was a good option for me. She never once offered me pain meds with it.

It certainly did work for me, and if this next labour played out in the same ways, I would have a drip without hesitation. But it's good to have that other info in the back of my mind.

iris427

Why would I want an IV if I don't need one?  

Another issue with IV fluids is that they can inflate your baby's birth weight and cause them to lose "too much" weight after birth--when really they are just peeing out the excess fluid that they didn't need in the first place.  Some doctors may then tell you that you need to supplement with formula.

iris427

KateLouise:

Cool, thanks for your response.

I didn't have any of the issues you experienced in terms of night sweats, or peeing, but I guess I was given it quite late in labour.

I tried to stay hydrated during labour, but just was not interested in drinking. perhaps that's something I should be more vigilant with this time round.

My mdiwife's take on it was, "I use a drip if i can see a woman is getting exhausted and could use an extra boost of energy." So I guess she saw me getting tired, and felt a drip was a good option for me. She never once offered me pain meds with it.

It certainly did work for me, and if this next labour played out in the same ways, I would have a drip without hesitation. But it's good to have that other info in the back of my mind.

I think it's different to be given an IV because of a specific situation vs the way every laboring woman is routinely given one in many US hospitals. 

ILoveRunning

iris427:

Why would I want an IV if I don't need one?  

Another issue with IV fluids is that they can inflate your baby's birth weight and cause them to lose "too much" weight after birth--when really they are just peeing out the excess fluid that they didn't need in the first place.  Some doctors may then tell you that you need to supplement with formula.

I definitely think that this was an issue with my DS after delivery.  He lost 13% of his body weight in <36 hours, and had 5 wet diapers in the first 24 hours of life (average is more like 1-2).  That being said, the fluids were required because I ended up with an epi, but I imagine that the problem is similar.   

ETA: I had the epi for ~10 hours and the before/after pictures of me are ridiculous.  I gained a TON of water weight during that time.  I wish I had the pictures to post, but I am on my work computer.    

Mrs.Greeko

I had an IV put in against my wishes and despite my doctor telling me when we went over my birth plan that it wasn't necessary and I could just have a HepLock. 

My problems with it were, first of all I was 9cm when I showed up so I didn't really need IV fluids, but they threw done the "Your baby needs fluids" line.  BS since I was 9 cm and had just eaten an entire can of chicken noodle soup and was drinking at home.  Second, they gave IV fluids instead of allowing me to drink fluids.  Third, I ended up having awful night sweats after DD1 was born.  Didn't have that at all with DD2 (no IV).  Fourth, DD1 "lost too much weight" initially.  I have now read that IV fluids can increase baby's fluid content at birth making them weigh more and then when they get rid of that excess fluid the mother is pushed to formula feed because they lose too much weight.  I don't think that was the only factor with DD1, but it may have been a slight factor in our problems with BFing early on.  And I hated having the IV in my hand, I found it uncomfortable and annoying.  I feel like had I been there longer it would have restricted my movement because moving my arms would have resulted in getting tangled in tubing and if I wanted to get out of bed it would have been a production. 

sschwege

KateLouise:

Cool, thanks for your response.

I didn't have any of the issues you experienced in terms of night sweats, or peeing, but I guess I was given it quite late in labour.

I tried to stay hydrated during labour, but just was not interested in drinking. perhaps that's something I should be more vigilant with this time round.

My mdiwife's take on it was, "I use a drip if i can see a woman is getting exhausted and could use an extra boost of energy." So I guess she saw me getting tired, and felt a drip was a good option for me. She never once offered me pain meds with it.

It certainly did work for me, and if this next labour played out in the same ways, I would have a drip without hesitation. But it's good to have that other info in the back of my mind.

What worked well for me was after every contraction my DH would put the straw up to my mouth and I would take a sip of water.  I went about 24 hours with having very little to eat and still was able to stay hydrated by just taking little sips every few minutes.

I have nothing to compare it to as I have only had one baby and I didn't need an IV.  But I remember hearing other women complaining about water retention after having their babies and having to pee all the time.  I didn't have that problem and I think this is probably the reason.    

cottonlily84

I don't want one because I don't need one.  If I need it, then so be it.  I think it's just one of those preemptive things they do for "just in case" or because it's standard/routine.  If they didn't treat laboring moms all like pre-surgery patients and let us eat/drink we wouldn't get dehydrated thus wouldn't need the drip to begin with!  Some people argue it's best to have it in place for that emergency situation but if the whole staff of nurses can't get an IV in if necessary then I'm probably not in the best place to deliver!  I feel like the fewer things you have stuck in you the better off you are and the lower your chance of infection.  I know an IV pole can be wheeled around but who needs one more thing in the way when you're giving birth?

I don't even want the port (hep-lock) because it's just a psychological thing for me.  Like the first step to something being wrong, having meds given, or being prepped for surgery.  Once the line's in I feel you're one step further down a road I don't want to go.   Besides I don't want a sore, later bruised hand to hold my baby with or - call me superficial - ugly medical devices sticking out of me on those first sweet photos. 

SageBeginnings

These are some of the reasons for not getting IVs..

• pain - I have very painful vein issues... so a long-term port or IV causes extensive burning/bruising for me...  not everyone.
• mobility - mostly, this is a hospital issue, the stupid pole is difficult to drag around/maneuver around.. less so if you have a continuous support person who can fen-angle with it for you, but still the pole and the wires can be cumbersome.
  
• infection - having an IV or hep lock increases your chances of getting an infection... just as any time you break the skin, and moreso when you are in places such as hospitals.
  
• swelling - many women swell a ton with IV hydration, restricting blood flow, causing 'sleeping limbs' in some positions, and making it more difficult to get in and out of positions/relax... this is usually from long-term IV hydration during labor.
• coping - IV hydration has been shown to increase the perception of pain during labor and decrease coping in many instances.
• necessity - this was the biggest one for me... If I didn't need it, I didn't want it.. it's kind of like, why get a filling if I don't need it? Why get an IV if I don't need it.
  

flyer23

KateLouise:

Cool, thanks for your response.

I didn't have any of the issues you experienced in terms of night sweats, or peeing, but I guess I was given it quite late in labour.

I tried to stay hydrated during labour, but just was not interested in drinking. perhaps that's something I should be more vigilant with this time round.

My mdiwife's take on it was, "I use a drip if i can see a woman is getting exhausted and could use an extra boost of energy." So I guess she saw me getting tired, and felt a drip was a good option for me. She never once offered me pain meds with it.

It certainly did work for me, and if this next labour played out in the same ways, I would have a drip without hesitation. But it's good to have that other info in the back of my mind.

Mine was started at midnight (when my water broke and they elected to put in my hep lock so that I could get my first round of antibiotics) and DD wasn't born until 9:30 PM. I'm pretty sure I had a drip running that entire time. So, yes, you might have had a different experience if you didn't get it until late in labor.

I never felt like drinking during labor, either -- or eating, for that matter. I think that's pretty common. But I knew I had to, and so I forced myself to. (Actually, during my labor with DS, my midwife forced me to!) If, say, you are vomiting so much that keeping down food/drink simply isn't possible, a drip can be a lifesaver, but I think that "real" nourishment/hydration is always preferable.

Having a drip is hardly the most awful thing that could possibly happen during labor Hence why I didn't fight it during my labor with DD. But it's definitely not my preference, and it's not necessary in most labors.