No IV in hospital

BabeDebolt · May 2013

My plan is not to have an IV while giving birth in a hospital. Hoping I don't get a hard time on this from the staff. I am plenty hydrated with water daily and am planning to pack coconut water bottles for the big day of labor. Anyone else not have an IV in a hospital setting? Thx!

sschwege · May 2013

I didn't for either of my babies. My hospital didn't even request a hep-lock, so it's possible. Make sure your support person is reminding you to drink. DH gave me a sip of water after every contraction. Coconut water is a great idea, just make sure you are OK with the taste beforehand, I couldn't stomach it. Good luck!

Anna&Josh520 · May 2013

I am not planning on having if fluids either, but will have a hep lock because they have a hard time starting ivs on me... So it will be there for emergencies. My MW was fine with that.. I would talk to your provider and just make sure they are on board with it... I don't see it as an unusual request.

KatetheGreat79 · May 2013

My hospital general requests heplocks, but I'm going to try to avoid it. I hate needles and feel that it could really mess up my ability to relax. If they insist I'll at least try to let them give me one, but I don't plan on an IV at all!

wren444 · May 2013

My provider said it would be fine so long as it wasn't difficult to place a heplock quickly if there was an emergent situation. The hospital will defer to her judgement. (She asked me if I had any issues with needles and looked at my veins.)

...in her opinion hating needles is a good reason to get a heplock setup early. But the way I look at it, I am already sparing 30 minutes by being in the hospital as opposed to being at home - surely they can setup an IV quickly (in anyone) if they have to.

atcwag · May 2013

I plan to labor at home as long as possible, so maybe by the time I get there, it will be a non-issue.

I would prefer no IV or Hep-lock, but I'm not going to fight a battle if they hassle me about it. I plan to talk to my OB about it in advance.

I don't have a problem with needles, but I have heard of baby getting "bloated" if mom is pumped with fluids and then when baby loses weight initially, Dr. can push for formula supplementation even though extra weight is because of fluids. It will also be harder for me to "cave" and take pain medication if I don't have an IV in.

Nokkouttmomma · May 2013

I don't plan on having an IV either. I'm hoping and praying I don't need to get a lock either but, I'd rather have that than being hooked up to a stupid IV. I'm planning on bringing smart water to stay hydrated mainly because I really like they bottle cap designs lol

opheliainwaders · May 2013

My hospital requires a heplock, but my midwife basically said, "drink as much as you can at home, because 80% of the time we have to do an IV, it's for dehydration. If you stay hydrated, you'll have a much better chance of no IV." So. Hydrate!

luvmyducks · May 2013

My hospital is fine with just the hep lock.

BabeDebolt · May 2013

Haha hey me too! Good call. Thx for all other posts too!

PansyPants · May 2013

My hospital is very natural birth friendly and I didn't have an IV or hep lock with either of my boys. It was a bit of a discussion with my first but a total non issue with my second. The nurse was getting ready to do blood work and place the IV needle and my doula said I didn't want one and that was the end of it.

aylafsu88 · May 2013

I did not have an IV or Hep lock. I refused both when I arrived at the hospital and my nurse did not argue with me. Since I stayed home for most of my labor things went really quickly at the hospital. My OB requires a Hep lock but I was delivering LO shortly after arriving so he only came in to catch the baby. My doula and H made sure I constantly drank water throughout labor so dehydration was not an issue.

AmyRI · May 2013

Hospital policy for me was a hep lock, and despite hating needles I consented because it wasn't a battle I cared to fight. My care providers (an OB the first time, midwife the second) both wanted me to have it as well.

I did not have an IV at all for my first labor, but that is how they administered pitocin post-delivery to help shrink my uterus. Second time, I labored most of the time without an IV, but when we figured out baby was breech, they required a bag of fluids in case I ended up needing anesthesia for a c/s. I was also given pit afterwards.

CRLSMC2011 · May 2013

My husband is mandating a saline lock. I had gotten really sick over New Year's and ended up needing IV fluids and they had a hell of a time getting the IV started because I was so dehydrated. While I am planning on drinking and not needing IV fluids or anything else, it makes more sense for them to set it up while I am calm and hydrated than when I'm stressed and not feeling well.

Also, we just found out I'm GBS+ which means I will need IV antibiotics every 4 hours while in active labor or once the water breaks. So I'll need a lock set up anyway.

I see it as a precaution, like a seatbelt, not something that is going to make me more likely to get meds.

keg · May 2013

I was a VBAC and GBS+ so I had a hep-lock which wasn't a big deal. I didn't even notice it while I was in labor. And while I did have a big hospital jug of water, I don't think I drank any of it..it was all I could do to manage the contractions and I had several episodes of nausea. I didn't need any fluids during labor though. I was glad I had the hep-lock because post-delivery I lost a lot of blood and dropped my pressure. They could quickly give me fluids which was a good thing. They also wound up starting a second IV too. I think it makes sense to not have an IV, but I think having a hep-lock is a good insurance policy.

tokenhoser · May 2013

I had neither a hep lock nor an IV for my hospital birth.

I also arrived 10 cm dilated and ready to go. If your goal is to avoid an IV, stay home as long as you can.

I will also say that you may need to be flexible. Some women are pukers in labour and actually need the fluids (I was not and easily drank 3-4 L while pushing). If you're GBS+, you may need antibiotics.

pink flamingo · May 2013

Im going to get a lock only. I dont mind it just makes it easier for them if a major emergency happens. Ill still be able to walk around and do what I want.

Hyaline · May 2013

I had no issues with declining an IV. If this is a sticking point (heh, sticking), the heplock can be a good compromise. I agreed to a heplock because it was just easier and refusing a heplock wasn't my hill to die on (and when I did end up needing an IV later, it did make things easier).

ssemovsk · May 2013

I also don't want an IV so it's encouraging to read most of you have labored without one! The problem w my hospital is there are 7 docs that can deliver the baby so I don't know what the point is in discussing my birth plan with one of them but I guess I just need to be firm w the nurses when I arrive at the hospital

StefandTodd · May 2013

I declined the IV and heplock for my hospital birth. They didn't love it mostly b/c I was declining GBS abx along with that, but I was 8 cm dilated when I arrived and very well hydrated, so they offered my apple juice and let it go.

redsongbird · May 2013

I am so glad I stumbled across this thread. I had no idea I had an option (with my daughters birth 10 years ago, I literally had bruising over both arms because I have difficult veins to find) and it is the most dreaded aspect of labor for me. Relief!!!! I'll be talking to my MW asap to make sure she's on board. I also didn't even know what a heplock was until now....shudder. Needles freak me out, I REALLY don't want anything stuck in my arm....how funny that I've been dreading all this more than the actual labor.

virginiagirl11 · May 2013

I did not have an IV but I did allow a hep-lock in the event that there was an emergency. It was not a problem. They cut the end off of a rubber glove and covered it so that I could labor in the shower.

Toward the end of my (long) labor, my midwife did comment on my needing to hydrate myself more in order to avoid an IV, so I just chowed down on a few cups of ice and had a few sips of juice and it was fine.

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