no IV?

Ctweito

Is it possible for someone who wants natural birth to labor in the hospital with no IV? I will be laboring at home for a while, but once I get to the hospital, i don't necessarily want to be stuck with an IV.

Any Advice?

pepomntpat

Just ask. Sometimes they can do a an access (heplock) without the pole attached.  I did not find the IV to be all that annoying though.  The monitor was a pita.

Manderlin923

I plan on having a heplock. My veins are really tiny and hard to find (sometimes they have to take blood out of my hand) so just in case I don't want them scrambling to find a vein in an emergency.

AmyRI

Ask what your options are. Hospital and MW/OB policies can vary.

My hospital's standard policy is a hep lock (so the line for an IV is in your hand, but no IV drip is attached). This is fine by me - if they need quick access for an emergency, it's there, but I don't have to be pumped full of fluids unnecessarily and risk swelling because of it.

aylafsu88

AmyRI:

Ask what your options are. The hospital and MW/OB policies can vary.

This.  My OBs policy was to have a hep lock.  However, when I arrived at the hospital I was in transition.  I refused the hep lock and my nurse did not push the issue.  Since everything went so fast the OB on call did not have time to come in a pressure me to get one. 

tokenhoser

I arrived fully dilated and they did not place an IV or heplock. I did have a shot of pitocin in my thigh after the birth.

I needed antibiotics, so they placed a hep lock an hour or two after the birth.

Talk to your doctor; it's up to her/him.

luvmyducks

Depends on the hospital.  My hospital required that I have the hep lock placed so if I needed an IV it was be ready.

angelacez

Most will push the heplock.  I had a dr who made me randomly hook up to the iv for a bit.  It was really annoying.  Monitors and staying still is worse though.

runrinserepeat

I had a hospital birth with no IV, no hep lock. I did get the shot of pit in the thigh after she was born. Just depends on your hospital's policies.

BLPL101

I am giving birth at a very natural birth friendly hospital with a huge midwifery group and they do not require an IV or hep lock.

sschwege

BLPL101:

I am giving birth at a very natural birth friendly hospital with a huge midwifery group and they do not require an IV or hep lock.

Same here.  

If my hospital pushed for a running IV I would do a hep lock as a compromise because I don't think it's that big of a deal.  But I would refuse a regular IV if I didn't need it.

PansyPants

I had a hospital birth with no IV or Hep lock

footnotegirl

I was induced, had to be on IV whenever I was on medications (cytotec/cervidil and then Pitocin) so that they could quickly counteract any reactions to the meds. HOWEVER when I was not on any meds (the 24 hours after they removed the cervidil until they started the pitocin) I did not have to be on the IV, though they kept the hep lock in. Had I not already had the iv in, they would not have required me to get one at that time until the pitocin. So it is possible depending on the hospital and the procedures you are under.

zonagirlie

I have to have a heplock because I'm Strep B positive and will be getting antibiotics. My hospital is also completely wireless so the fetal monitor is wireless too so I won't be tied down. Modern medicine technology is kinda cool

abell77

It depends on the hospital.  I was fortunate enough to be at a hospital that does not routinely administer iv's.  Ask, even a hep lock would be better than automatically getting an iv.

reason00

They asked me if I needed an IV. I said no, but to just put the tube in just in case, to have it ready. It can be difficult to find a vein if you're dehydrated.

Then again, I'm in Canada. They ask you if you want things before they do them.

ReichleyMama

I had a hospital birth with a CNM and did not get an IV, not even a port put in.  This baby will be born in the hospital with an OB who is insisting i get an IV port put in.  I called the hospital and asked about hospital policy and they said I have the right to refuse an IV port.  So that is my plan, we'll see how it goes.  When I told my OB I was doing this he cursed 3 times in 2 sentences. 

NoeliaV

Keep in mind that your GBS status may influence this, too. 

Like most of the others, our compromise was the hep lock. I felt okay making this concession in order to have the other preferences in my birth plan.

vsackett1

I labored and birthed in the hospital and did not receive an IV. They just never put one in and it was never even brought up.

Nechie122

ReichleyMama:

I had a hospital birth with a CNM and did not get an IV, not even a port put in.nbsp; This baby will be born in the hospital with an OB who is insisting i get an IV port put in.nbsp; I called the hospital and asked about hospital policy and they said I have the right to refuse an IV port.nbsp; So that is my plan, we'll see how it goes.nbsp; When I told my OB I was doing this he cursed 3 times in 2 sentences.nbsp;

Have you thought about a new OB? His reaction seems pretty disgusting and childish.

meganiobe

I had DD with no IV, they checked my blood work when I got there and I was hydrated and my doctor knew that I wanted a natural birth so we didn't even mess with the IV.

sthomas1222

They'll at least want to do a hep(saline) lock just in case something should happen. They don't want to be trying to get an IV in you when they're rushing you back for an emergency c/s or whatever. And if you should get dehydrated it will make getting IV access a horrible experience for all...

sarahjulypsu

I delivered in a hospital with a well respected midwife. I also work there on another floor so I think they kinda were a little bit more easy going with me. Anyway I didnt' have a heplock for a while. After my labor failed to progress and they were worried about infection/dehydration I ended up with iv fluids and antibiotics.  After delivery the heplock came out pretty quickly. I think it all depends on hospital policy, the dr and the nursing staff.

 As a patient you always have the right to refuse something. I didn't want a hep lock unless I needed it. While it is only a small chance it does increase the chance of infection. However I understand the rational of wanting one placed incase something happens. Some people are very difficult to start an IV on so it is good to have one placed, just in case.