No IV = Less Edema?

[CookAMH]

I'm curious about the experience of others regarding IVs and edema after birth. Have you found that if you didn't have an IV, you did not have much or any edema? Those that did have an IV, did you have edema?

[dancindoula]

No first hand experience with receiving IV fluids, but to answer your question: yes, there is a direct correlation between IV fluids and edema. Think about it, your body is meant to take in fluids orally and then send to your various organs the amount of fluid you actually need. Injecting fluid directly into your blood stream WILL work to hydrate you, but not as effectively as the normal way because your veins can't regulate how much fluid they receive so it's common to become over-hydrated. Most of the time it's not a big deal (just means you pee out a LOT of water-weight shortly after birth), but sometimes the swelling will effect the elasticity of the vaginal tissues making pushing more difficult and tearing more likely.

It's one of those cost-benefit things that need to be weighed on an individual basis: is the risk of swelling and possible pushing difficulty greater than the risk of missing out on whatever the fluids are in place for with this individual woman? Depends on what the fluids are there for, which can be anything from keeping blood pressure up when an epidural is placed, to keeping blood sugar up when food is denied, to IV meds, to just "because". In other words, sometimes it's better to risk the swelling and other times maybe not so much.

Hope that helps.

[meganmarie]

I always refused IVs but my sis the RN told me the patients in her old hospital were routinely given two full IV bags of pitocin *after* the birth regardless of whatever they got during labor - this was supposedly to prevent excessive bleeding - and she absolutely connected it with edema in many patients. She even did a little project for the hospital looking at research studies and standard practice and evidence and presented an argument to management that they should eliminate or at least reduce the usage as it was too much fluid without enough benefit. Last I heard management was "considering" making a change.

[Sasharna]

I had an IV.

All I know is that I was shocked to see that the morning after I delivered an 8 pound baby plus placenta 'n' all... I weighed only 3 pounds less than before giving birth.

[Mommal]

No IV here, and no edema.

[lotus.blossom]

I had a LOT of IV fluids. Due to being GBS+ and I swelled up like porky the pig. I have pictures that I don't even care to look at!! I look forward to NOT having a massive face in my pictures this time around!

[MoonStarFalling]

Hospital labor/birth with pit/IV, baby and I were both swelled up like balloons.

Laboring at home/no IV, no edema in I or baby.

[alegna]

No IV with either baby/birth (homebirth) No edema at all.

-Angela

[allisonrose]

I was in the same position as lotus.blossom: GBS+. Tons of IV fluid and ended up on pit. My feet were huge! I had barely any swelling during my pg. I ran into a mom this week who also has plenty of edema after a birth with IV fluids and pit.

I remember hearing somewhere that the amount of fluid they tend to give is a large amount in a short time so it makes sense that your body just can't take care of it all.

[Belle]

No IV with either birth. No edema whatsoever.

[Devaskyla]

IV/pit with ds1, massive edema. Took weeks to go away. No iv with ds2, no edema.

Ds1 also had too much fluid from the IV & lost a lot of weight right after birth. They really tried to push formula on me. I figure the IV fluids pushed his weight up at least a couple of ounces.

[AlexisT]

IV put in when I went in for surgery, significant edema BUT I was preeclamptic so it's impossible to say what caused it. i don't think they even had time to pump me full of fluid aside from what was necessary for the epidural.

[3daughters]

I had 2 births with IVs for epidural and I had severe swelling after those births. I was shocked that I was more swollen after the pregnancy than during the pregnancy. I also had intense sweating post-partum to help rid my body of the fluids.

I then had 2 births without an IV and I had no post-partum swelling and no sweating.

What does that tell you?

[pazerific]

i had an iv when we transfered to the hosp with dd1. no edema.

HB with dd2. no iv, but did have edema that cleared up in a week or less.

lots of night sweats after both births for a week or so.