“In that case, you’ll have to hold it in place, since clearly I’m incapable of leaving this exact spot lest my child suddenly slither out on his own accord. Better call the OB to catch after you wipe me up, too.”

Why do nurses insist on “pet names” when saying something that’s gonna degrade or belittle you?

So I’m going to insist that you pee here, right in front of everyone. *snort* You’re already exposed to the world anyway, right?

But really, what mom can pee in labor when all they’re allowed is ice chips? *extreme sarcasm*

We don’t know the background here. Maybe the mother had dilated from zero to 5cm in 40 seconds and might deliver during her one-minute trip to the bathroom.

Or maybe the hospital was in a water ban zone and they were not allowed to use any water at all after three o’clock in the afternoon, so it was literally too late to use the toilets.

:-b Or maybe the nurse was on a power trip.

(Deranged Housewife, they may only give laboring moms ice chips, but they pump us full of IV fluids, and those have to go somewhere.)

That’s really ODD nurse…

With my youngest baby, I walked into the hospital, used the bathroom (I’d been in a car for a good hour or so), declined the offer of a wheelchair ride up to the birthing rooms, and walked up there too.

The baby made her appearance 15 minutes later, so I was certainly at least a good 8cm by that point. I guess it’s a miracle I didn’t explode by attempting to use a regular toilet.

Perhaps she had an epidural in place? Or she dilated very quickly to 5cm? We don’t know all of the info here.

Although, I prefer the toilet for laboring mommas. Babies do seem to maneuver in the pelvis better on the toilet.

Too late at 5cm? Considering *my* second child was born on the toilet, I think not…lol

I didn’t realize how lucky I was. I was induced (and had my water broken) and was allowed to use the toilet whenever I wanted-I was allowed to unplug the monitors myself even and just had to drag the IV pole with me. I was even allowed to walk over there after the nurse verified that I was just about complete and ready to go, but not quite. Well, after sitting down and emptying my bladder, my little girl slipped right into the perfect position. I feel so lucky to have been given all that freedom-and am so glad I’ve never had an epidural.

remember caring for a woman who had her first in a Virginia hospital and from the time, they hit the door, were not allowed up out of bed! She was so thrilled to be walking, showering in labor!

Odd. I was at 6 or 7 with a pitocin drip and they let me go into a private bathroom. Other than that I was confined because of the pitocin IV. It bit the big one.

Yeahhhhh…I was at 4-5 cm for a few weeks before I even went into active labor, so was my sister, so I guess it’s a miracle all those times we used the bathroom the babies didn’t just fall out!! -_-…..

PSA to this nurse: The baby is not going to fall out because the mom pees. If that’s how it worked, we L&D nurses would be out of a job.

Now if the mom had an epidural or some sort of issue going on where it was not safe for her to be walking, that’s different and the nurse was right. But if she’s just a normal laboring mom who needs to pee – let her pee in the toilet like the normal healthy woman she is.

That happened to me, too! I went into the hospital dilated 5 cm with my water broken. Next thing I know I am being told that I can not move because of the risk of cord prolapse. This is from the same doctor who approved my birth plan, which specifically stated that I planned to move throughout labor. He said my plan was fine “as long as everything was normal.” Umm, isn’t it normal to have your water to break sometime during labor?

When I found out I couldn’t even go to the restroom, I suddenly felt like the “powerless, sick patient”. I really, really had to pee, but could not do it in the bedpan. For some reason my bladder refused to empty itself while I was lying down in bed. Maybe because I learned a long time ago not to pee in bed?!? I tried 3 different times.

When they insisted on giving me Pitocin since I was “on the clock,” I decided to go ahead with an epidural. I was concerned about handling the contractions without being able to move, and since they wouldn’t let me move anyways, why not, right?

Well, when they finally got the catheter in, everyone commented on how obvious it was I really needed to pee.

Of course, this was not at all according to my birth plan. I later regretted the epidural and not fighting more about the “right” to walk around. I ended up as a “failure to progress” and a c-section. Classic.

The only time my midwife commented about me going to the bathroom was, once when I said I had to go, she asked if I wanted her to check me first.
I looked at her funny, and then realized she thought I needed to push!
I told her, “Not that kind!” And we all laughed.
And then I went to pee in my own bathroom like a normal person.

Really sad and so clearly said to keep the mom in bed and easily “managed”. Those monitors are such a pain to re-adjust all the time. At least she offered a bedpan! I’ve had clients who were told to just pee on the bed. *fumes*

This was me. I arrived at the hospital at 5cm. My membranes had ruptured at home before labor began. I was moving from Triage to my room and wanted to use the bathroom (just pee) before I got hooked back up to the monitors and started the “mandatory” IV.