Hospital procedure

blushingbride_08 · March 2012

I'm a FTM. What exactly happens once you arrive at the hospital? Do they take your vitals and immediately give you an IV and monitor contractions? I'm concerned that once I get to the hospital, I won't be able to walk around during labor and all the interventions may lead to a c-section. My friend suggested I wait as long as possible before going to the hospital because once I get there I will be restricted to the bed and labor while in bed takes forever.

stemms8810 · March 2012

I had a c-section and will again but from what I remember from childbirth class, they do say to labor as long as possible at home. You can still walk with an IV. I would take childbirth class or find out from your OB what is standard procedure for your hospital.

gothgrrl · March 2012

It might be a good idea for you to take your hospital's childbirth preparation class - it explains all of the procedures and options available at your hospital (assuming they offer a class). I learned that I can call the shots to an extent - and they encourage being up and around through early labor as long as there are no concerns about the mother's or baby's health. If a class is not offered, maybe talk to your OB or even consider a call to the L&D unit to address these types of questions.

nicole0066 · March 2012

I know at my hospital you are allowed to get out of bed as you wish during labor. In fact, my midwife said she will encourage me to walk around, use the tub, birthing ball, etc. We toured two hospitals and they both allow this, as well as have the capability to do wireless monitoring so that I am not confined to the bed.

I would talk to your doctor and hospital to see what they will and won't allow based on what you want for labor/delivery.

lovelykins · March 2012

Call your hospital and ask if they offer any childbirth classes or maternity ward tours. They let you know exactly what to expect.

My MW saved a copy of my birth plan in my medical file, one of the things she asked was if I planned on laboring at home or if I would be coming into the hospital right away. Speak with your OB and see if you can your wishes saved in your file and see what they think about you laboring at home.

davidswife06 · March 2012

When we first arrived at the hospital (it's been almost 2 years and I'm pregnant... so I'm probably not remembering everything), they took me into triage, checked my cervix, confirmed I was in labor, and checked my records. Because I was GBS+, I actually did have to get an IV right away. Had I not been, I think I would have been able to go to my room without one. They might give you the port (not sure the name) without anything attached to it in case you need it later in labor, I'm not sure. I would think you'd still be able to walk around, though. I was able to move relatively freely until they started the epidural.

I had pre-registered, but someone came in and asked for our insurance card, what pedi we were going to use, etc. Those questions were hard to answer during contractions so make sure your SO or your labor partner knows the answers to all those questions.

shunt1983 · March 2012

depends on your hospital, dr, ettc. ask for a saline lock that way if you need fluids due to dehydration etc once your done. mine does this triage where they monitor you for about 30 then check you unless you ask earlier ask some questions ftm if ypu are 1 or 2 not 90% effaced probably send you home unless conrractions are coming fast 2-3 min or highrisk ptl, vbac, high bp etc. they usually want you monitored 20 min of every hour depending on your dr, talk to yourdr make a birth plan have him/her sign it.

bethios · March 2012

It entirely depends on the hospital and your provider. I go to a midwife practice at a hospital, they don't give you an IV at all and encourage you to walk around, eat, etc. Most places aren't like this. Talk to your provider, take a tour of the hospital and ask a lot of questions. When it comes down to it, you can say no to just about any of the standard practices they have in place like the IV, pitocin, etc.

sbost0118 · March 2012

You can ask for the HUB instead of a regular IV. That's where they just put the port in so its already in place if they need to hook up the IV later. They usually make you walk around the halls until they have a room ready for you unless your labor has already progressed too far for that. Once you get a room, you get the IV or hub, they check your cervix and monitor the baby's vitals for at least 20 minutes (and yours). They'll take a blood sample to check your type unless they already have it on file. After that, if there's a problem or if you are really far along, you just go with the flow and what happens happens. If it's still early, you have options. You can turn down interventions for awhile at least, move around. Do whatever. They will just come back and monitor you for 20 minutes every hour or so. If you get the epi, or pitocin, you'll be stuck in bed on the monitors. After your water breaks, or they break it, you'll be watched more closely. When labor picks up after 5-6 cm, they'll check vitals more frequently.

WildcatPrincess · March 2012

On immediate arrival I was hooked up to the monitor in triage and checked (internal). Shortly after they told me to walk to hall awhile, so I did that about an hour before it got too uncomfortable. They checked me again and then I was admitted. Once I was admitted they started the IV antibiotics because my water broke, but after that I was free to do whatever I wanted. Most units do tours for free, that's where we learned the process and their policies prior to birth.

SWBs Wifey · March 2012

Depends on the hospital. The one I had DS1 at hooked me up to a monitor andIV immediately and wouldn't let me out of bed to pee. It was 100% miserable. Had my midwife not known how much I wanted to labor naturally and done her best to attend my delivery, I feel very strongly that the on call Dr.would have come up with a reason for metro get a Csec.

This time, I've chosen a birth center attached to a hospital. The midwives don't want me to go in until I'm in active labor or twelve hours after my water has broken. I can call if I'm concerned before that. I will be monitored for twenty minutes upon check in and after that, it will only be intermittent. I will not have an IV unless I'm showing signs of dehydration, and I can request a heplock instead if I choose to.

bingham101 · March 2012

You should find out more about your specific hosp by taking their classes. But I had a false alarm the other day. We went in, they took us up to L&D but they have a triage room up there. They check my cervix and hooked me up to the contraction and baby monitor. No IV. I had to show change so they knew I was in labor. I didnt change so I was sent home. If your water breaks they will most likely take you straight to a delivery room. At my hosp. you can do what ever you want walk, shower use a birthing ball. You do have to get an IV once you are admitted but they unhook you so you can move freely.

Angelfish82 · March 2012

I agree with the pps that you should DEFINITELY look into child birthing classes. If your hospital offers them, the instructor should know what that hospital's normal procedures are, and all these nagging questions will be answered. I'm a FTM as well, and I was amazed by what I didn't know before going to Lamaze.

As others have already said, every hospital is different. Today more hospitals give you the option of having intermittent monitoring so you can walk around without being attached to a monitor. It's also likely that you will not be required to have an IV, but even if you are, you should still be able to move around. Of course, all this changes if you opt for an epidural. Once you get the epidural, you're in the bed (I'm not advocating for or against epidurals, I'm just sayin'!)

As for your friend who suggested you wait as long as possible, I would take that suggestion to a professional. You don't want to wait too long, and you should know what "as long as possible" really means. Because it shouldn't mean that the baby is about to pop out and land on the floor or that you're in excruciating pain. Hospitals also have different policies about when you can be admitted (usually this depends upon the timing of your contractions and/or whether your water broke) and doctors, midwives, etc. have excellent advice about when you need to get your butt to the hospital regardless of what you're experiencing, so definitely consult with them!

hoping4sticky · March 2012

Call and ask your hospital, they all have different policies. Ours is that you must be on the monitor for 20 minutes of every hour, so at that point you are stuck on a very short teether. You can also ask for a heplock instead of an IV.

If natural is important to you though, check out a few birthing centers.

Angelfish82 · March 2012

I wanted to chime in again and say that if they put you in bed and hook you up to an IV right away, don't be afraid to speak up and ask for a hepblock and/or intermittent monitoring. I was in L&D at 32 weeks because I was having regular contractions and while it may have been different since they weren't even sure I was in actual labor, they immediately put me on my back and hooked me up to an IV and a monitor. Again, if they knew for sure I was in labor it would quite possibly have been a different situation, but it did make me think that this could happen when I really am in active labor and that if I didn't know an IV, etc. wasn't required, I would have probably just gone with whatever they chose to do.

I would also suggest having a written birth plan with you (the printable template on The Bump is very good, IMO) so you can just hand them a paper stating what you want. When I was in L&D I was in pain and was too stressed to answer the flood of questions they were asking me--that's when I knew I needed a birth plan so I didn't have to worry about communicating my needs once I got there and could instead just concentrate on having the baby.

Annie234567 · March 2012

As PPs said, it differs from hospital to hospital. I think most places will at least let you walk around, as long as you haven't had an epidural yet. One thing to ask when you contact your hospital for more info is whether they allow laboring mothers to have any food. I learned that mine does not (just ice chips and IVs), so DH will have to sneak me calories as necessary, and that was good to know in advance. Yet another reason to labor at home for as long as possible.

skibunny59 · March 2012

Go on a hospital tour and ask them about their procedures. Also talk to you OB/midwife about it. All hospitals are different and not every hospital makes you stay in bed. In my hospital, they do attach you to the monitors when you first get there for like 20 minutes. As long as the baby looks good, you are free to labor off the monitors and you can labor in the shower or tub, or walk around as much as you want. For the rest of labor, my midwife checks the baby's heartbeat with a doppler instead of the monitor. An IV is not standard practice at my hospital. Instead they give you a heplock.

LadyEmmaD · March 2012

When my sister was in labor and arrived to the hospital they put her in a triage room and took her information, checked cervix, and hooked baby to NST and contraction monitor for 20 minutes. If baby looked fine she was unhooked from monitors and allowed to walk around and move as she pleased. They checked her again for progress after an hour and when it was found that she had dilated more she was admitted. Once admitted, she was free to move and labor as she wished. She requested infrequent monitoring in her birth plan, so every hour or so the nurse would come in and put a monitor on her belly while she remained in whatever position she was in at the time just to listen to baby's heartbeat and stuff. She was never made to get back in bed to do this. Baby continued to look great so she was allowed to continue doing what she wanted.

I highly suggest preparing a birth plan with your preferences in it.

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