Help! Induction tomorrow- worried about very limited options for birth positions if wired to a machine

[AbsandJ]

Hi there! this is my first posting. I've been reading the lists for a couple of weeks since a friend told me how fab Mumsnet is and it's been SO helpful.

Now I have an urgent question - I'm due to go into hospital tomorrow for an induction and among my many fears I''m really anxious about what positions I can use if I'm wired up to a machine especially if I'm on a drip and monitors.

Does anyone have any advice? I'd be very, very glad of any tips

Thank you!

Hi there
Welcome to mumsnet!
Sorry, I don't really have an answer for you. I had an epidural, so I laid flat on my back! I also had an induction, the contractions come fast and hard, sorry don't wanna scare you.
But I'm sure you can be in any position you want to. Good luck!

When I was induced (also on drip and monitors) I found that laying on my left side was most comfortable. I had a walking monitor, but I preferred to lay down pretty much in the fetal position. It is also the position that I did most of my pushing in.

Good Luck!!

hi

you can ask for telemetry , if hospital have it, so you can walk around, although the leads on the monitor should be long enough to allow you to stand, walk a little, sit on a birth ball

you do not have to have a drip, you can ask for pessaries to ripen the cervix, and take it from there, hopefully, that will stimulate contractions, and things will go from there

or if you are dilated enough you could have your waters broken ,but if your contractions are not enough from that, you will be given a drip to get things going

you can ask that you be as mobile as possible, walk around after the gel has been administered, make sure you do not stay on the bed the whole time

why are you being induced?

You make sure you get into any position you want to!
For my first induction, by the time I gave birth, I wasn't hooked up to anything. The midwife encouraged me to lie on my back. I felt the need to turn over but she said she'd got all her stuff laid out so I did as I was told.
For my second I did have a foetal moniter on and a drip (drip for antibiotics rather than because of induction) and I knelt up holding onto head of bed and delivered that way. There was a bit of fuss about wires and tubes but that is for others to worry about...you won't care about that stuff just being as comfortable as you can but make sure you stick up for yourself like I didn't the first time. Follow your instincts about where you want to be.
Good luck. I really enjoyed giving birth the second time even though it was induced, I hope you enjoy it too and have a lovely time with your gorgeous new baby!

I was hooked up to monitors etc with my first. It was a bit of a nuisance - totally at odds with my water-birthing plans, but not the end of the world. I was actually able to move around a fair amount...not far from the bed, but enough to get up, kneel down etc. Had an epidural in the end, and obviously wasn't able to move then (they had to give me a double dose of the stuff for various reasons), but they 'turned it down' at the pushing stage, so I was able to feel the pushing. I was adamant at that point that they helped me get into a more upright positions, so they maneuvered my (totally numb!) legs and I held on to the head of the bed. It was OK.

The point of that long-winded blurb is that you shouldn;t be too badly restricted in your movements

Good luck by the way

Hi AbsandJ,
I wasn't induced but had a syntocinon (sp?) drip to speed up contractions with both of my ds' and was also wired up to a monitor both times. With DS1, I was told to lie flat on my back so the drip & monitor pads stayed in place. The pain was horrible, I didn't progress, and ended up with an emergency C-section. With DS2, I was determined not to go down the same route, so when they told me I had to have both the drip and continual monitoring again I was on the verge of asking for a C-section, despite having really wanted a vaginal delivery. But this time my fantastic midwife told me she would make sure I did ANYTHING BUT lie flat on my back, so with her help I managed to rock on a rocking chair, bounce on a birthing ball, lean over the bed, kneel, squat etc etc, all with the drip in my arm and the monitor attached. Basically she just kept moving the trailing wires around and re-positioning the pads for the monitor each time I changed position; oh, and she taped the canula (part of the drip that went into my hand) really firmly down on my wrist so it didn't move around too much. The pain from contractions (although still VERY painful!) was sooooo much more bearable than with my previous labour, and I progressed much more quickly - primarily I think because I could get into whatever position felt right at the time.

Sorry, I'm rambling , but I just wanted to let you know that there are definitely options - but you really need to insist to the midwives involved that you want an active labour and birth, and not just to be lying flat on your back because that is the 'easiest' position for them.

Good luck

hello absandj. ask more questions here, get as much info as you can so that you are confident in what are 'normal' restrictions. i was stuck on a bed for hours and not allowed up at all because i was too ignorant (and daunted) to assert otherwise. as you can see from the other posts that was not neccessary and i do regret not finding out more in advance.

lots of people have very positive induction stories so do try not to worry too much about it.

Hi AbsandJ
I was induced with both of mine, and they were both totally different - and neither awful, despite the horror stories people insist on telling you.
Good luck - hope you've got a little bundle soon.

Echo what others said. I was induced and felt like I was stuck on a bed for hours sucking on the g & a until dh INSISTED that the midwife let me move around (I was out of my face on the gas, so couldn't string a sentence togther!) Mobility was still limited, but hey presto! out of nowhere appeared a birthing ball and bean bag which I was able to turn around and lean over. I actually spent the entire second half of the labour like that, and a fair amount of the pushing stage.

Make sure your birth partner can get stroppy for you if you are not up to it!

Hello...i was induced...drip and monitors attached but midwife happy for me to move around as much as i wanted...sometimes the monitor belt would move so she would reposition it but was no problem.

Like MKG I actually found that laying on my left side but with the head of the bed up so that i wasnt lying flat was most comfortable, as contractions came thick and fast and i didnt actually want to walk around but everyone different. I was quite surprised by this not wanting to move around as i had been all for an active birth.

i did end up with an emergency c/s due to foetal distress but i still look back on ds birth as a positive experience despite induction and c/s so try not to worry too much.

Defo dont lie still if you dont want to though...maybe brief your DH to stand up for you too if thats what you feel like at teh time.

AbsandJ - you know the induction thing is a choice right - there is no forcing you to do anything. They will probably start with the gels and then encourage you to walk around a lot.

Bear in mind you have to get up to pee a lot and they will encourage you. I had a 14 hour (failed) induction and I didn't stay on the bed for more than ten minutes (and that was the length of time it took for them to find a vein and hook me up).

I bounced on a birth ball and did sudoku for about five hours which was quite comfy.

Good luck

BTW I did all this on two paracetamols, it's not as painful as you might think - at least for me - having said I ended up with a CS because nothing happened.

I had a ARM last time and so was hooked to monitor too. I asked to move around but everytime i did the monitor went ff so they insisted I lay on bed, and was terrible. I ended in C section
This time they have told me i will need to be hooked to baby monitor again but also monitoring my heart, so more wires. I too am worried how i will manage but will agree with what the others said, get stroppy, ask for what you want and get your partner to stand by you. Birthing ball works well for most and they can do that while on monitor.
Good luck

Lisa

Thanks so much everyone for all the advice and encouragement. I'm still scared but feeling much better!

Lulumama, forgot to say why I'm being induced - I'm 12 days past my due date and my waters broke 48 hours ago, but nothing has happened yet in the way of contractions.
So really, I don't have much choice - they can't leave it too long after your waters go, I think the limit is 4 days (Wed night) but it might take that long all told starting from tomorrow morning.

I'm really hoping I get a sympathetic midwife, it sounds from others experiences that that can make a huge difference to the experience.

Thanks again!! DH has read all your messages too so he can be stroppy if I@m not up to it. I'll let you know how I get on...hb

all the best, you never know, you could go into labour tonight ! fingers crossed for you for a positive labour experience, hope all goes well, and remember, it is your labour and your body, and you can be as stroppy as you like !

HI,
Exciting! I was induced after my water's broke, TBH I wish I had held out a bit longer for natural contractions, but I was a week early. In your case it might be better to help it along. I reacted very strongly to the drugs so went into full blown labour really quickly, which was shocking for everyone and difficult for me BUT I kept asking if I could get off the machine and walk around, and finally they let me (on gas and air), and I even got to have the water birth I wanted which was FANTASTIC! Just keep focused on what youwant, but be prepared it might not go that way. I wish I had posted a thread like this when it happened to me, you are obviously thinking clearly!!
GOOD LUCK, SO SO SO EXCITING :D

You might want to ask for your Bishop's Score before going ahead.

Lying on your left side will be best if you can't stay off the bed, but if you can get the HCPs to support you in staying off it and using a birth ball instead, that should be much better.

Are you planning on using a TENS? Get it on ASAP if so!

Best of luck!

sorry Lulu my head's in the bin atm.... busy doing DIY in flat to be sold, and worrying about client who has not got phone or internet in new house yet. BT apparently are being an arse difficult.... it's hard to send her info when I can't just send her links so that she can research herself and follow the thread wherever it takes her... She had Sugar+++ in urine so is being sent for GTT test, had low iron levels but seems to be at 'normal' levels for late pg, but fortunately her GBS test came back neg. I sent Radmid links for all these to her dh so that he could print off and let her read.... i guess she could ask him to follow links further if need be....

Also am getting 50+ spam a day ever since i opened up Facebook settings... so spend FOREVER deleting them.... Have tried to close down my privacy settings to get rid of it but that may take time

Looking forward to hearing your news AbsandJ. Hoping you have a brilliant experience. In the thros of labour, you don't have much reasoning power so, as I said before, trust your instincts and ask to do what feels right. I was induced twice and the pessaries did the trick each time. Maternity units can be busy places, your dh may have to be determined to make sure you get the attention you need, it's easy to be overwhelmed and to do what you are told. It was only afterwards that we saw how shocking it was that we were left alone feeling so frightened the first time. Enjoy.I feel a bit jealous as it is an amazing experience, will be thinking of you!

This will be a long post.

From a midwife's viewpoint regarding monitoring and being left alone in labour. whether it is a induction or a spontaeous onset.

Once labour is established, it is incumbent upon the midwife to monitor

a)the fetal heart at 15 minute intervals, this means listening to the heart before, during and after a contraction and documenting her findings ie rate, regularity,accelerations/decelerations.

b)contractions at 15 minute intervals, rate, frequency,strength and documenting her findings

c)maternal pulse at 15 minute intervals and documenting.......

d)maternal response to contractions ned for pain relief and documenting.....

e)If syntocinon infusion in progress, adjusting rate, monitoring response, documenting........

d)ensuring mum is keeping bladder emptied, assisting to toilet, removing and replacing ctg straps for purpose, measuring and testing testing urine. documenting result

This is only a part of what the midwife is required to do in order to meet the requirements of the 'establishment' and maintain her registration.

Any complications requiring other medications/IV fluids/IV antibiotics etc.need to be prepared, checked by another qualified member of staff and then administered.

These I have mentioned are just some of the duties involved when caring for just one lady in labour, there are times a when a midwife can have 3 ladies allocated

To care for a woman and her baby is always a privilege, sometimes exhausting, frightening, frustrating and sadly sometimes the outcome is less than the perfect one we all would wish for, parent's expectations are high and results don't always equal them.

Please remember when demanding your 'rights'
that what you are demanding may not necessarily be what is in you and your baby's best interests.

I don't have a particularly 'smiley' face in real life, it doesn't mean that I'm unsympathetic, miserable, unkind or unfeeling, and yes, I also cry!

Sorry AbsandJ

I didn't mean to hijack your thread and my post was not dircted at you, it was my way of explaing why sometimes a midwife can not be with a labouring mum all the time.

NoName, I don't think anyone assumes that the midwives are all chatting at reception instead of being with mothers. Most people know that you are hugely overstretched. I think most people on this thread were trying to make sure that the Op and her husband knew that they should be confidnet enough to make sure she can get into the positions she feels she needs to and to speak up if there is something they need or need to know. Many of us have had experineces and heard stories after all, where staff are so busy things are forgotton and missed. They 'forgt' to give me my intravenous antibiotics in time despite Dh trying to get someone to do it. They then 'forgot' to make sure the baby got them instead and she got an infection and had to stay in and have intravenous antibiotics for more than a week. I'm not bitter at all and I realise why you might sound defensive. I was never cross, I understood that the unit was very very busy that night. My first time was also busy. It was terrifying having my first baby with no-one to tell us what was happening or to even give me any pain relief as there was no-one free. (hope op has left by now)We felt quite angry about that experience but we never thought it was because the midwife was inept.
I think people just wanted to empower Op and Dh not to feel too intimidated.

Thank you Berrie, but as I said I was not directing my post to the OP, I was merely trying to illustrate why it is sometimes difficult, indeed sometimes impossible for a midwife to give the one to one care that every mother deserves and all midwives would like to.

I don't feel defensive because I know I give the best I can, however it does't stop be being saddened that these situations arise.

Sometimes hearing the other side of a story can help put things in perspective.

I fully uphold the right of every woman to demand the very best care for her and her baby, unfortunately, the best that can be given at the time is sometimes deemed to be not enough!

That is the point I was trying to illustrate, not asking for sympathy for midwives/doctors, just trying to be informative from the other side.