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Iv fluids in labour - water birth - pain relief?

5 replies

BeautyAndTheBump1 · 30/04/2020 15:46

Soooo I have HG and spent lots of time in hospital on IV fluids because my body refuses anything and everything.

Just been discussing my birth plan with the midwife.

Water birth is currently my preference if available on the day.

However, my MW said to me:
I'll more than likely end up on IV fluids as I'm sick so much in a normal day, and when I'm in pain (even not pregnant) I'm sick. Pain relief (even paracetamol) I'm sick.
My body just really loves to be sick apparently.

SO the question is can you have an IV in and be hooked up and have a water birth at the same time? It didnt cross my mind at the time and I've just thought about it now.

She also mentioned pain relief and said how fab gas & air is but she thinks it'll probably make me sick and I wont be able to take it, can you have the diamorphine / pethidine and a water birth? Am I gonna be able to survive with just that and no gas & air?

Or am I best just to give up & not waste my energy even thinking of a water birth? I am 99% sure I will have my head in a bowl vomiting continuously throughout the entire thing.

Tried the positive birth company course, wasnt really for me.

OP posts:

Thanks

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AllTheWhoresOfMalta · 30/04/2020 15:52

I don’t think you can, although don’t quote me on that.

But I came here to say that I had severe hyperemesis with both pregnancies- marginally worse with DD1- and I wasn’t sick at all in labour. Expected to be and made a plan like I would, but I wasn’t. And I loved gas and air. Lots of friends say it made them sick, but it didn’t have that effect on me at all.

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Teacaketotty · 30/04/2020 16:05

I had IV antibiotics and couldn’t get in the water, also you can only have gas and air in the pool - anything else you would have to get out, apparently due to the risk of getting you out in a hurry if your drowsy etc. Pretty much any additional monitoring or medication the pool is usually out of the question.

To be honest gas and air was amazing for me but eventually it wore off and I needed something stronger. Didn’t make me feel sick though!

Thanks

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Rosie399 · 30/04/2020 18:21

You can ask for an anti sickness medication (by injection if you’re being sick!) when your in labour and this will definitely help and mean you’re less likely to need fluids and more likely to tolerate gas and air :) . Diamorphine tends to have a side effect of sickness, so it is always given with an anti sickness

Thanks

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Darkstar4855 · 30/04/2020 18:36

You can’t go in the pool with an IV, sorry. The risk of getting an infection at the IV site is too high.

You could try an injection of anti sickness medication followed by sips of water regularly to see if you could keep it down.

Thanks

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wwwwwwwwwwwwww · 30/04/2020 22:54

Poor you. I had horrific hg in my pregnancy and it is miserable. . I was on iv fluids during my labour. I don't know about water births but I had gas and air while waiting for an epidural and it made me vomit even more.