General questions about labor/delivery

I have a few miscellaneous questions about delivery in a hospital with ob's
(in the u.s....)

1- Does everyone have an IV or is one only given in certain circumstances?

2- Do they hook you up to a catheter, or only in certain circumstances (such
as c-section)..this is a paranoia of mine ever since they made me have one
for a vaginal ultrasound in the ER one time...it was SO miserable, having
the tube up the urethra, ugh...I found out later it was not necessary and
not recommended for no good reason!!

3- At what point do they usually put an epidural in if you are going to have
one? I watched a woman on TLC's Baby STory scream and cry in agony until
they thought it was the right time for the epidural. Yikes. (I have not
decided whether natural or epidural is for me. I venture to say I have had
such bad female pain/cramps before that labor can't be much more painful
although I think it can be more uncomfortable, with pressure etc)

4- When do you need to go to the hospital, when your contractions are how
far apart?

5- After delivery, do they continue to give you pain meds? i really have no
idea...it doesn't seem like a good idea if you are going to try breast
feeding- what is the usual procedure? For most, are pain meds after delivery
even necessary even if someone wanted an epidural for pain relief during?

6- Last question...has anyone had bad experiences with epidurals? Has anyone
thought it to be unpleasant, freaky, etc? I find it hard to believe that
epidurals are soooooo wonderful like people are telling me although I can
understand how some would want one; I might. My sister-in-law in particular
LIKED hers- she said it was warmth washing up over you like a warm bath and
then you couldn't feel your legs. To me, that sounds unpleasant, I like to
be able to feel my limbs!

Just some general wonderings....

"J" wrote in message
. com...
1- Does everyone have an IV or is one only given in certain circumstances?

It is fairly common for an IV line to be run when you arrive in the hospital
even if it is not connected, but you can refuse it. You will need an IV if
you decide to have an epidural, if your labor is induced or augmented with
pitocin, if you need IV antibiotics during labor due to being Group B strep
positive, or if you choose certain types of narcotic pain relief
medications. Otherwise, it's perfectly reasonable to go without. I did not
have an IV in two of my three labors.

2- Do they hook you up to a catheter, or only in certain circumstances
(such
as c-section)..this is a paranoia of mine ever since they made me have one
for a vaginal ultrasound in the ER one time...it was SO miserable, having
the tube up the urethra, ugh...I found out later it was not necessary and
not recommended for no good reason!!

If you have an epidural, you will need a catheter because you will be not be
able to feel the urge to urinate or get up to use the toilet yourself (you
won't be able to walk). Fortunately, if you have an epidural, you're
unlikely to feel any discomfort due to the catheter since it blocks all
sensation in that area fairly effectively.

3- At what point do they usually put an epidural in if you are going to
have
one?

This varies by hospital and practitioner policy. It is, however, generally
acknowledged that it is best to wait until dilation of 3-4 cm is achieved.
Epidurals administered before this point often stall labor significantly. By
the same token, it's generally considered unwise to give an epidural *after*
8 cm dilation is achieved, the theory being that giving it at that point
will cause too much blockage of sensation during the pushing phase. There
are exceptions to both of these rules, but they are rules of thumb that most
practitioners try to follow.

4- When do you need to go to the hospital, when your contractions are how
far apart?

For a first labor, you should wait until contractions are regularly 3-5
minutes apart lasting between 45 and 90 seconds, and you can no longer talk
through the them.

5- After delivery, do they continue to give you pain meds? i really have
no
idea...it doesn't seem like a good idea if you are going to try breast
feeding- what is the usual procedure? For most, are pain meds after
delivery
even necessary even if someone wanted an epidural for pain relief during?

Typically, an epidural will be turned off during the pushing phase and wear
off naturally in the immediate post-partum period. (One of the reasons I
decided never to have another epidural after my first was that mine was much
too strong and it was 2 hours before I could walk with support and 4 before
I could alone. I didn't like that much!) If you tear enough to require
stitches and you have not had an epidural, your pracitioner will probably
administer a local anesthetic before stitching you up. (Actually, I have a
hard time imagining a practitioner who *wouldn't* do this, but I've heard of
it.)

Finally, you are likely to have some perineal discomfort in the immediate
post-partum period whether or not you have any tearing or stitches--after
all that stretching, your sitter is bound to be a bit sore. A number of pain
relief medications may be prescribed for you to take until your pain
eases--common ones are ibuprofen and vicodin. They are considered safe for
breastfeeding mothers.

6- Last question...has anyone had bad experiences with epidurals? Has
anyone
thought it to be unpleasant, freaky, etc? I find it hard to believe that
epidurals are soooooo wonderful like people are telling me although I can
understand how some would want one; I might. My sister-in-law in
particular
LIKED hers- she said it was warmth washing up over you like a warm bath
and
then you couldn't feel your legs. To me, that sounds unpleasant, I like to
be able to feel my limbs!

Well, at the time I got my epidural, I thought it was wonderful. Later, I
realized it had led to a number of interventions that wouldn't have
otherwise been necessary (episiotomy and vacuum extraction due to inability
to push effectively). And, as mentioned, I didn't like not being able to
feel my legs properly for a full four hours. I skipped pain relief
medication altogether for the next two births and was much happier with the
experience.
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [20mo] mom)

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"Rejuvinate your skin." -- Hydroderm ad

Daddy: You're up with the chickens this morning.
Aurora: No, I'm up with my dolls!

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

2- Do they hook you up to a catheter, or only in certain circumstances (such
as c-section)..this is a paranoia of mine ever since they made me have one
for a vaginal ultrasound in the ER one time...it was SO miserable, having
the tube up the urethra, ugh...I found out later it was not necessary and
not recommended for no good reason!!

I didn't have a catheter despite having an epidural, I could feel the urge
though and this meant a struggle 20mins before delivery as I used a
bedpan. Also it would have been better afterwards as I was rather wobbly
and almost blacked out in the toilst at 4 in the morning.


3- At what point do they usually put an epidural in if you are going to have
one? I watched a woman on TLC's Baby STory scream and cry in agony until
they thought it was the right time for the epidural. Yikes. (I have not
decided whether natural or epidural is for me. I venture to say I have had
such bad female pain/cramps before that labor can't be much more painful
although I think it can be more uncomfortable, with pressure etc)

trust me in can hurt more than you could ever imagine (though it wasn't as
bad as in the recovery room after my knee surgery), as I was induced they
were happy for me to have an epidural before the pitocin was started (I
was 2cm dilated), I wanted to try and do it naturally, so it was a couple
of hours later when I requested it, then I had to wait for the anethesist
as she was in theatre, that was another hour, which is about the longest
it was normal to wait in my hospital. It's not supposed to be given in the
2 hours before the birth, a marker point being 8cm, I was about 3, but the
baby came about an hour and a half later, thankfully with no problems.


4- When do you need to go to the hospital, when your contractions are how
far apart?

discuss this with your care providers, usually 5 mins apart, lasting 1 min
each, doesn't alway work though, usually it's a good idea to phone to
check, the midwife should stay on the phone with you through 2 or more
contractions as she should be able to judge then whether you should go
into hospital


5- After delivery, do they continue to give you pain meds? i really have no
idea...it doesn't seem like a good idea if you are going to try breast
feeding- what is the usual procedure? For most, are pain meds after delivery
even necessary even if someone wanted an epidural for pain relief during?

the pain after delivery is tiny compared to the pain of delivery, I took
paracetamol when the drug trolley came round, but more because I had a
headahce as it was so hot

6- Last question...has anyone had bad experiences with epidurals? Has anyone
thought it to be unpleasant, freaky, etc? I find it hard to believe that
epidurals are soooooo wonderful like people are telling me although I can
understand how some would want one; I might. My sister-in-law in particular
LIKED hers- she said it was warmth washing up over you like a warm bath and
then you couldn't feel your legs. To me, that sounds unpleasant, I like to
be able to feel my limbs!

I wouldn't say I liked it, but it was sucessful (my uterus went into
overdrive with a very low dose of pitocin, I was having quadruple peaked
contractions, when that happened the pitocin was stopped, but I don't know
if I'd have made it to delivery without more pitocin after the epidural
was inserted, when I was being asked to decide what I wanted to do in the
back of my mind the fear of a section made be choose the epidural).
Afterwards the insertion site was sore for about a month, that wasn't
nice, I yelled every time my husband hugged me.

I had my son 7 years ago so I don't remember much (blocked it out LOL) but
here are my experiences:

1- Does everyone have an IV or is one only given in certain circumstances?
Don't remember! :{

2- Do they hook you up to a catheter, or only in certain circumstances
(such
as c-section)..this is a paranoia of mine ever since they made me have one
for a vaginal ultrasound in the ER one time...it was SO miserable, having
the tube up the urethra, ugh...I found out later it was not necessary and
not recommended for no good reason!!
I had a catheter after the birth but I'm not sure why, they didn't give me a
reason. I wasn't even sure I had it until I saw 'the bag'. So it must not
have been very uncomforatble for me.

3- At what point do they usually put an epidural in if you are going to
have
one? I watched a woman on TLC's Baby STory scream and cry in agony until
they thought it was the right time for the epidural. Yikes. (I have not
decided whether natural or epidural is for me. I venture to say I have had
such bad female pain/cramps before that labor can't be much more painful
although I think it can be more uncomfortable, with pressure etc)
I'm not sure how many cen. I was when they gave it to me but it seems like
it was very close to the end of the birthing process. I wanted it a lot
sooner but for some reason they wouldn't give it to me. I would DEFINITELY
recommend the epidural. Labor was SO awful and the epidural made it all go
away, it was HEAVEN.

4- When do you need to go to the hospital, when your contractions are how
far apart?
My contractions weren't very noticeable and not very regular but the doc
told me to go ahead and come in. Then they gave me a sleeping pill and when
I woke up the contractions were getting regular and more painful.

5- After delivery, do they continue to give you pain meds? i really have
no
idea...it doesn't seem like a good idea if you are going to try breast
feeding- what is the usual procedure? For most, are pain meds after
delivery
even necessary even if someone wanted an epidural for pain relief during?
I don't remember!

6- Last question...has anyone had bad experiences with epidurals? Has
anyone
thought it to be unpleasant, freaky, etc? I find it hard to believe that
epidurals are soooooo wonderful like people are telling me although I can
understand how some would want one; I might. My sister-in-law in
particular
LIKED hers- she said it was warmth washing up over you like a warm bath
and
then you couldn't feel your legs. To me, that sounds unpleasant, I like to
be able to feel my limbs!
Like I said it was HEAVEN!

LeAnn


Just some general wonderings....

"J" wrote in message .com...
I have a few miscellaneous questions about delivery in a hospital with ob's
(in the u.s....)

Almost all of these vary enormously from hospital to hospital and from
OB to OB....

1- Does everyone have an IV or is one only given in certain circumstances?

Depends on the hospital. Some will try to insist that all women get an
IV when they walk in the door. Others only require them if you have
meds, or an epidural, or need one for some other specific reason.

2- Do they hook you up to a catheter, or only in certain circumstances (such
as c-section)..this is a paranoia of mine ever since they made me have one
for a vaginal ultrasound in the ER one time...it was SO miserable, having
the tube up the urethra, ugh...I found out later it was not necessary and
not recommended for no good reason!!

Usually only if you need one for a specific reason. (Like for a
c-section, or if you have an epidural. [In the latter circumstance,
you usually can't feel the need to urinate, so the cath will prevent
your bladder from overfilling -- and because you are numb, it isn't at
all uncomfortble.)

3- At what point do they usually put an epidural in if you are going to have
one? I watched a woman on TLC's Baby STory scream and cry in agony until
they thought it was the right time for the epidural. Yikes. (I have not
decided whether natural or epidural is for me. I venture to say I have had
such bad female pain/cramps before that labor can't be much more painful
although I think it can be more uncomfortable, with pressure etc)

Depends on the hospital, the doctor and your preference. Usually they
give them when you ask. SOmetimes the staff will pressure you have one
even before you ask. Sometimes, if you ask before it is safe to have
one, you will be encouraged to wait, but if you REALLY want one,
they'd probably oblige you anyway. (Can't say what was going on in TBS
episode. If she was that miserable, I fault the hospital staff for
not helping her cope better without the epidural rather than just
telling her she could't have one and leaving her to suffer!)

4- When do you need to go to the hospital, when your contractions are how
far apart?

Your doctor will tell you what he prefers, and it will also depend
somewhat on how far you live from the hosital, traffic conditions,
etc. Usually it's when the contractions are about 3 minuts apart, but
you also have to judge how strong they are, how comfortable you are,
and other factors. (If you know you want meds, you might want to go
earlier than if you just plan to get there in time for someone to
catch the baby. If you get there real early, and your hospital is one
that puts you 'on a clock' [starts various interventions because you
aren't progressing 'fast enough'] you might want to stay home longer,
but then too, if you have a long trip, you might not want want to
spend a long time in the car in heavy, active labor -- so it's your
decision.) I went when the contractions were 3 minutes apart, and
still spent about 18 hours there!

5- After delivery, do they continue to give you pain meds? i really have no
idea...it doesn't seem like a good idea if you are going to try breast
feeding- what is the usual procedure? For most, are pain meds after delivery
even necessary even if someone wanted an epidural for pain relief during?

You usually don't need anything after a normal vaginal delivery, esp.
with a first baby. (No afterpains with a first baby.) If you are
uncomfortable from a tear or stitches, they may offer you some pain
meds, and it's fine to take them. They won't do the nursing baby any
harm. (Even narcotics don't pass into the milk in any but trace
amounts.)
BTW, I hope you mean that you are going to BF, NOT that you are 'going
to "try" breastfeeding.' You WILL succeed, you know!

6- Last question...has anyone had bad experiences with epidurals? Has anyone
thought it to be unpleasant, freaky, etc? I find it hard to believe that
epidurals are soooooo wonderful like people are telling me although I can
understand how some would want one; I might. My sister-in-law in particular
LIKED hers- she said it was warmth washing up over you like a warm bath and
then you couldn't feel your legs. To me, that sounds unpleasant, I like to
be able to feel my limbs!

Mine was ok. I hadn't really wanted one, but the circumstances of my
labor made me eventually opt for having one. I don't remember the
numbness being particularly freaky or unpleasant -- it wasn't like,
say, having a limb being 'asleep'. But it's been awhile, and I was so
tired that I don't remember a whole lot of that part of my labor!

Just some general wonderings....

Naomi

"J" wrote in message .com...
I have a few miscellaneous questions about delivery in a hospital with ob's
(in the u.s....)

1- Does everyone have an IV or is one only given in certain circumstances?

I think it depends on your hospital and doctor. In my case, I had
no IV until I needed other medications.

2- Do they hook you up to a catheter, or only in certain circumstances (such
as c-section)..this is a paranoia of mine ever since they made me have one
for a vaginal ultrasound in the ER one time...it was SO miserable, having
the tube up the urethra, ugh...I found out later it was not necessary and
not recommended for no good reason!!

I was catheterized when I was given an epidural, but not before that.

3- At what point do they usually put an epidural in if you are going to have
one? I watched a woman on TLC's Baby STory scream and cry in agony until
they thought it was the right time for the epidural. Yikes. (I have not
decided whether natural or epidural is for me. I venture to say I have had
such bad female pain/cramps before that labor can't be much more painful
although I think it can be more uncomfortable, with pressure etc)

I would say that for me, no single instant of labor was unbearably
painful (the most painful single instant I had during the whole
process was when a nurse tried to insert an IV into my wrist and hit
a nerve or something and sent this electric bolt of pain up my arm -
THAT hurt)! It was the pressure, combined with the pain, combined
with the ongoingness of it, combined with the fact that I was making
no progress, that finally made me unhappy enough to get an epidural
(this was after I was receiving Pictocin, about 24 hours into labor).
I think if my labor had been progressing I would have been able to
get through it with no medication.

4- When do you need to go to the hospital, when your contractions are how
far apart?

I don't remember exactly, but I think it was every three minutes. I
probably could have stayed home longer, but things were getting intense
enough that I didn't want it to get worse before the necessary car
ride.

5- After delivery, do they continue to give you pain meds? i really have no
idea...it doesn't seem like a good idea if you are going to try breast
feeding- what is the usual procedure? For most, are pain meds after delivery
even necessary even if someone wanted an epidural for pain relief during?

I had a c-section, so I had pain meds after birth, and it was no
problem with breast feeding. I gave up taking the narcotics pretty
quickly, because I thought they were making me dopey and my baby
sleepier, and the giant Motrin controlled the pain pretty well for
me, but the narcotics would have been OK to keep taking.

6- Last question...has anyone had bad experiences with epidurals? Has anyone
thought it to be unpleasant, freaky, etc? I find it hard to believe that
epidurals are soooooo wonderful like people are telling me although I can
understand how some would want one; I might. My sister-in-law in particular
LIKED hers- she said it was warmth washing up over you like a warm bath and
then you couldn't feel your legs. To me, that sounds unpleasant, I like to
be able to feel my limbs!

I was so tired, demoralized and uncomfortable by the time I had
mine that I experienced mostly as an absence of discomfort. I think
that need for control, though, is what gets some people through labor
without wanting drugs. If you've reached a point where you just can't
handle the pain, you probably won't mind as much about not being
able to feel your legs; if you don't reach that point, you won't
want the epidural.

Beth

You usually don't need anything after a normal vaginal delivery, esp.
with a first baby. (No afterpains with a first baby.) If you are
uncomfortable from a tear or stitches, they may offer you some pain
meds, and it's fine to take them. They won't do the nursing baby any
harm. (Even narcotics don't pass into the milk in any but trace
amounts.)

No afterpains with a first baby!!!! They were excrutiating, nothing
compared to sore nipples. They had the advantage that my uterus contracted
down very quickly, I was in my pre pregnancy jeans 4 days after the birth.

"LeAnn" wrote
I had a catheter after the birth but I'm not sure why, they didn't give me
a
reason. I wasn't even sure I had it until I saw 'the bag'. So it must
not
have been very uncomforatble for me.


I went to the ER once when pelvic pain was severe on a weekend and I could
not wait until Monday. (It turns out I later had laparoscopy and was
diagnosed with endometriosis)...so anyway, I was in pain and the doctors
made me think I HAD to have the catheter or they would not be able to see
anything like a cyst on a vaginal sonogram (this was also my first vaginal
sonogram)...they used local anesthetic and gave me a dose of something they
wouldn't tell me what it was to "relax" me- I am guessing Ativan, because it
did not relax me, and that's what Ativan does-agitates me. I was annoyed
because the drs would not tell me what it was so I could make informed
decisions, they just wanted me to cooperate. So they used local anesthetic
and the catheter hurt like hell anyway, they obviously didn't use enough.
The sonogram technician took forEVER- really, it went on like an hour. The
entire time the catheter was in and I felt so much pressure and soreness. I
have a fear of catheters to this day, and learned my lesson..just WAIT until
Monday and always get an ob to work you in in matters like this. (There was
a cyst on the side that was hurting but they said it was normal looking, as
if I had just ovulated on that side. The next time I had a sonorogram there
was no cyst, that side still hurt pretty badly, there WAS a similar cyst on
the other ovary, which that side did not hurt...we figured out I had
endometriosis on my urinary tract on that side that was hurting).....I got
SO mad when my ob told me the catheter was unnecessary.........

In article ,
Anne Rogers wrote:
You usually don't need anything after a normal vaginal delivery, esp.
with a first baby. (No afterpains with a first baby.) If you are
uncomfortable from a tear or stitches, they may offer you some pain
meds, and it's fine to take them. They won't do the nursing baby any
harm. (Even narcotics don't pass into the milk in any but trace
amounts.)

No afterpains with a first baby!!!! They were excrutiating, nothing
compared to sore nipples. They had the advantage that my uterus contracted
down very quickly, I was in my pre pregnancy jeans 4 days after the birth.

I still had drugs from the section so I don't know if there were immediate
pains, but I sure had them while nursing in the following days. I remember
the LC who came to my home watching me wince and shift my hips, and tell me
that meant we were doing it right

-Liz

(Naomi) wrote:

... (Can't say what was going on in TBS
episode. If she was that miserable, I fault the hospital staff for
not helping her cope better without the epidural rather than just
telling her she could't have one and leaving her to suffer!)

Indeed! There are a lot of non-drug ways to cope with pain. I
personally found a certain kind of moaning helpful during both of my
labors. I used no painkillers during either labor. And since my
daughter was born at home, with a midwife attending, I needed to know
that I could cope without drugs!

... (No afterpains with a first baby.) ...

Wow. Speak for yourself! I'm happy for you, lucky you, and all that,
but this is not true for everyone. I took a few painkillers after my
son was born. I had afterpains, especially during breastfeeding. It
was manageable, but it was real.

--
-- Vicki
Married DH May 21, 1995
Ima shel DS, born 11/16/99; and DD, born 5/19/02.
"Stay-at-home" Ima since October 2002.
An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. -Spanish proverb
I may not currently be pregnant, but I look pregnant, does that count?