women unable to pee during/after labor?? - Page 3

[luckymamato2]

I don't think I pee'd much during labor and then not afterwards for 4 hours. No stress, no worried care providers, etc. They knew it would happen eventually. I was very relieved to go when I finally was able to.

I find it strange that others were cath'd or threatened with catheters. I am so sorry that happened to you ladies.

[2xshy]

I had a epi and was catheter. I could not pee for about 36 hours on my own. it totally sucked. It wasn't fear or pain or anything i just COULD NOT go. after a day and a half of asking to be cath'd when i had to go i was finally able to start to pee on my own. after about a week i was more or less back to normal.

[JennTheMomma]

I had an Epidural with my son. Just a single shot, lasted about 45 minutes or a little less, and wore of before the pushing phase (still felt the urge to push and nothing was numb by that point, and the contractions were a little worse). I only had to have a chathater while I napped during the time my Epi was in affect. Once I started to push they took the cath out. I did have a bowel movment while pushing, and I'm sure I urinated. When I did feel the urge to urinate I was afraid. I tore and it was very sore. My Ob gave me a peri bottle which did work wonders. For the first few days I urinated in the shower and had the shower head with warm water on my peri and vulva. That really helped and made it less painful, it burned for awhile to pee, other than that I had no problem using the bathroom.

[CrunchyMamaToBe]

I couldn't pee at the end or after labor with my son. A drug free home waterbirth but with a very long second stage. I last went to the toilet about two hours before he was born, but could hardly get anything out. After the birth, I still couldn't pee, and the placenta didn't separate. My MW catheterized me once at home, 500ish mLs of urine. Even the warmish bath (we ran out of hot water!) didn't help. Still no placenta, so we ended up transfered to hospital. (This was three hours after the birth.) Another catheter there, 1200mL urine.

The MW guessed that because I was pushing for so long (4.5 hours) with a (unknown) posterior baby, my urethra was bruised/swollen and that's why I couldn't pee, also possibly why I couldn't push the placenta out effectively.

[tessamami]

Hmmmmmmmm. . . .

Originally Posted by layla983

I've never known anyone who had a pain med free delivery & had the urine problem.

I had a birth at an out of hospital birth center. During labor, maybe 20 - 60 minutes before giving birth (without any pain medications) I felt that I "couldn't pee". It wasn't a problem before "active" labor. I think that my baby was just putting a TON of pressure on my bladder, really engaging in my pelvis.

As for pregnancy, pressure on the bladder often means that it can take a few trips to truly "empty" the bladder while pregnant.

[erin_brycesmom]

I shouldn't have read this thread...now I'm totally spooked about my upcoming birth.

[janerose]

Really, the having to have a cath thing is very minor.

I had this happen after DD2's birth. She was born without medications or interventions at a hospital. She ended up being posterior facing, so came out face up rather than face down, which put a lot of extra pressure on the urethra and caused more swelling than is usual.

It is important that your bladder empties because a full bladder keeps the uterus from being able to contract back into it's original position correctly. This is really important for preventing heavy, heavy bleeding. And also of course for your comfort and the prevent hydronephrosis (where urine backs up into the kidneys) from your bladder being over full.

After having her I couldn't pee. Tried the shower thing. Tried waiting. Nothing. And I was bleeding quite heavily. Like multiple pads in an hour heavy. I was really freaked over the cath, but honestly it was no big deal. A slight pinch, they drained out a couple cups, my bleeding slowed down, I took an anti-inflammatory, and by the time I had to go again it was fine.

If you're having a homebirth ask your midwife if she brings cath supplies. My Mom just had surgery & ended up having to self-cath at home for a couple days. Seems like kind of a silly thing to have to transfer to the hospital for if it can be avoided.

Good luck!

Holly