Induction Question?

Question

When you are induced with pitocin can you walk around or do you have to stay in the hospital bed. Also are you allowed to eat and drink or are you limited to ice chips. Any answers would be very much appreciated. Thanks

Answer 1

When on pitocin, at least at my hospital, they need to keep you on continuous monitoring, so you are relatively confined to the space as far as your monitor cords will reach. Some hospitals will allow you to walk the halls if you come back for periodic monitoring once every half hour. You could call your hospital and ask their policy for monitoring on pitocin.

Once in active labor, you are usually restricted to clear liquids. In case you need an emergency c-section, they will not allow you to eat solid food. Not only that, but once you get laboring really hard, most women become very nauseated and will vomit - not fun if you have a stomach full of food.

If you have an epidural, then it is ice chips only, and you are definitely confined to the bed at that point.

Answer 2

You will find many different answers here, as it depends on the doctor and the hospital or birth center's policy. At my hospital (a small, community hospital) all of the OB's (about 8) follow the same routines for pitocin induction. Mom can eat lightly until she is in active labor (3-4cm's and contracting regularly). She must have IV fluid running along with the pitocin. Pitocin is increased by 1-2 milliunits every 15-20 minutes until you are contracting every 2-3 minutes. You can be up and around and walking, but you need to be placed back on the fetal heart monitor every hour for at least 20 minutes to see how the baby is doing, and what your contraction frequency is. The more your labor progresses, the more frequently (or for longer periods) you need to be on the monitor. Good luck.

Answer 3

I was induced with pitocin 14 years ago and I had to stay in the bed. I was also only allowed ice chips. Things may have changed since then, but since I was hooked up to a monitor and and IV I was limited to the bed. With both of my deliveries (in different hospitals) I could only have ice chips and I was only induced once.

Answer 4

I had to be induced because my water broke but then nothing happened. I wasn't allowed to walk around because with the pitocin they leave the monitors on you at all times...which is cool because I got to hear the baby's heartbeat all the time. You are allowed to stand at the bedside, which I did so I could rock and things like that. You are not allowed to eat, but they will give you clear liquids (including ice chips and I even got Italian Ice). This in case you need a c-section for some reason.

Answer 5

When I was induced I was only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom. They told me since they were using Pitocin they had to keep a constant monitor on the baby. I really didn't feel the need to move around too much anyway...

Answer 6

Here, no matter if you've gone into labor on your own or not, you're not allowed to eat or drink anything, minus water or ice chips. Something you'll want to ask your hospital in advance. Walking around is usually fine unless you're given pain medication, but that also depends on the hospital & doctor.

Answer 7

I was limited to ice and water. I stayed in the bed, but did not even ask to get up, so I may have been able to.

Answer 8

usually they dont allow walking after pitocin. mattering on how it was given, intravenously or my patch.. or inserted internally... eating or drinking is usually not allowed after you have progressed into labor incase of emergency C-section due to the possible need to have you put under anestia (sorry about the spelling)

Answer 9

I could walk around til I got my epidural. As for eating, I only had Ice chips.

Answer 10

My contractions started very fast when they started giving me the meds. I was in alot of pain and walking would have been impossible. Eating or drinking anything was the furthest from my mind at the time.