Advice Please

[Jessiejuju]

OK so was hoping to be able to move around during the early stages of labour but now the docs have said they want to induce me and I will be monitored through out the process also they want to give me an epidural. I'm not good at being bed bound at the best of times and am affraid that being confound to the bed for who knows how many hours could lead to me getting extremely stressed. Any advice please on things I could do to help me cope as I really wanna follow the Dr's orders but don't want to cause stress related problems.

Probably too late but you can refuse the epidural, or at least delay it (personally I wouldn't though, take all.the drugs!) And ask if they have a mobile monitor you can use.

I was induced too, but it wasn't until things got serious and they broke my waters that I had my epidural and the monitoring began.

Until then I wandered around the hospital, had a loooong bath with my favourite book, and used my TENS machine.

It was probably half and half. It's not like you're strapped down from the minute you enter the hospital, it's a gradual ramping up.

You can ask to come off the monitor briefly to walk or can still move on the bed it's just more of a pain with the wires. With the epidural I was still able to turn and kneel on the bed but not leave the bed, again you have to watch the wires and the catheter, but it's not impossible to move a bit. Don't regret the epidural though, it was worth staying in the bed to be pain free.

You don't have to have the epidural immediately (or at all if you find you are coping OK). I was induced and didn't need one, well until I decided I did, but was ready to push by that point. The monitors and drip make being active a bit of a PITA. Some hospitals have wireless monitors, mine did but they weren't working, of course. I refused to just stay on the bed and was able to bounce on my birthing ball throughout active labour - midwives should be accommodating of your needs during labour, within reason. I was not as active as I wanted to be, but it better than nothing under less than ideal circumstances.