Friend in labor at 36 weeks

[triony]

They went into the hospital at midnight last night. Water broke at 11pm. She has only dilated to 1 cm so far. When she's up and walking she is having contractions every 3 mins. They are putting an 18 hour time limit on her due to infection. They want to put her on Pitocin. My friends are trying to avoid the slippery slope.

Any suggestions or ideas for them? Know how to talk the doctor into waiting a bit longer?

[Lucy&Jude'sMama]

Let her know that she can refuse anything! They can't make her do something she doesn't want to do. 18 hours is all they are giving her??? I thought the 24 hour mark was ridiculous... 18 is just absurd! Ugh... I'm sorry your friend is going through this. It sucks to have to fight through bullcrap when your in labor.

My water broke and I didn't have my daughter until 20 hours later. After 10 hours and little progress they came in to put me on Pitocin. I looked at them like they were crazy and told them until I reached the 24 hour mark don't even mention Pit to me. Thankfully the nurse was one of the good ones and she respected this and took it away.

[lunarlady]

My friend was in a similar situation. Everytime she sat or lay down her labor stopped. So she checked out AMA and went home. They didn't answer the phone (doc calling them) and didn't go back until she was in transition, about 30 hours later. Not ideal, maybe, but she got the natural birth she wanted.

[moonjunio]

My midwife told me that the clock shouldn't even start until someone does an exam on you, because the hand going in is what introduces bacteria. Also, if it was up to her she would not do an exam if labor was not underway, for just that reason, and would instead just watch for maternal fever which would be the indication of infection.

Docs are very conservative about risk, but I agree that no one can make you take pitocin if you don't agree. Monitor temperature, stay up and active if that's making the contractions come! It's great that her labor is already going! If it was me I would stick it out and push the needles away unless I got a fever.

I don't know if they are going to give her a choice about baby going to the NICU since it's 36 weeks, but if she does get the choice, she should be aware that going to the NICU at all will likely involve a week-long stay, because (in my experience) they put baby on antibiotics automatically before any test results can be run, "just in case" of infection. This means that baby can't leave until the course of antibiotics is done. Also, make sure she knows to ask about donor milk to supplement pumped milk, because for me it was so frustrating being told to "rest" and also "your baby is hungry, you need to pump more."

[candycat]

I just wanted to give a bit of ray of hope. My daughter was born at 36+1, at home, and she was absolutely perfect, no health issues whatsoever. I know not all moms of 36 weekers are that lucky but maybe this one just baked quickly as well?? I don't know, I've got my fingers crossed for your friend!

[triony]

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately they did a bunch of exams on her right away. I haven't heard an update from them in a few hours, so I don't know how it's going. I did suggest that they should check out and come back, but I don't think that's something they'd consider. So I guess I'm just thinking positive thoughts now.