Sa1s3.patientpop.com



4318038100October 2, 2020Induction of LaborWe look forward to participating in this special time with you. Your provider has planned an induction. Your provider will be happy to answer any questions you may have.What is Induction of Labor?An induction of labor means that your provider will plan to bring on labor before it starts on its own.When Do Doctors Recommend Induction?Your doctor may recommend induction for various reasons, especially when there is concern for the health of you or your baby. For example:When you have high blood pressure because of your pregnancyWhen you are expecting twinsWhen your due date has passed by one or two weeksWhen your water has brokenIf there is an infection in the amniotic sac, the bag of waters in which the baby developsIf there is too much or too little water in the amniotic sacIf there are concerns about your baby's growth (the baby may be too big or too small)If you have an illness, for example diabetes or high blood pressureIf the baby is not developing normally and it would be better to have a planned date of birthIf you need to choose a date that is convenient to you, we call this an elective induction. You will have to discuss it with your provider. This cannot be done before 39 weeks of pregnancyHow Do Doctors do Induction of Labor?There are different ways to bring on labor, including medication and medical procedures, alone or in combination.Pitocin: Your nurse will give you medication called Pitocin through an IV (intravenous) drip, directly into the blood. This medication is the most common method of induction. Your nurse will increase the dose until your contractions are regular. Pitocin is a mand-made form of the hormone Oxytocin. Oxytocin is a natural hormone in the women's body that causes the uterus to contract.Amniotomy, or breaking your water: Your provider will insert though your cervix a thin plastic instrument that looks like a crochet hook. This will make a small tear in the bag of waters (the amniotic sac). Usually the uterine contractions will begin within a few hours. Scheduling Your InductionUp to one week in advance: Your provider will schedule a date and time for your induction.On the day of your appointment: please call the Labor and Delivery Unit at 617-732-4805 just before leaving your home. We can never predict how many patients will be on the labor unit at any given time. If the labor unit is full at that time, we may need to delay or reschedule your appointment. We do this for your safety and for all our patients' safety. If we need to reschedule, we will plan the next steps with you.Before You Come to the HospitalIt is very helpful to get a good night's sleep.You may eat and drink as usual. You may take your prescribed medications, if any. Your provider will let you know if you should do anything different.Pack your personal belongings (clothes, toiletries, anything you will need during your hospital stay). Bring to your induction any personal items you would like during your labor. During your labor you may want to have cellular phones, chargers, cameras, laptop computers, comfortable clothes/socks, pillows, photos from home, snacks etc.Day of Your InductionArriving at the hospitalAfter calling ahead and confirming your appointment time, plan to arrive at the hospital between 15 and 30 minutes before your scheduled time. Please got to the hospitals Main Entrance, 75 Francis St. Check into the Obstetrical Admitting office, located under the escalator in the hospital’s main lobby. If you plan to drive to the hospital, valet parking is available. There is also a self-parking garage. (Valet is less expensive Monday through Friday, the garage is less expensive on weekends and holidays.) The admitting clerk will go with you to the Center for Labor and Birth, located in the CWN building CWN-5 lobby. The CWN-5 receptionist will check you in. A nurse will take you into a private area, to talk with you in private. Your significant other/support person will remain in the lobby at this time. This checking-in should only take 5 to 10 minutes. Then a nurse will take you to your birthing room.Your Birthing RoomAt this time, your significant other/support people may stay with you. A nurse will take your vital signs (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, etc.) when you arrive. A nurse will do this again several other times during your induction/birth. Your nurse will let your doctor/midwife know that you have arrived and are ready to start the induction process.Your birthing room will have a private bathroom, your birthing bed, a monitor to check the baby's heartbeat, seating and a cot for your support person and a television. There will be also some other equipment to care for you throughout your labor and birth. There is a small kitchenette located on the unit, with beverages and light snacks for you. There is also a microwave for your use.Your InductionIf you take Pitocin, your nurse will connect you to a monitor that will track the baby's heartbeat. To do this, you may lie in bed or sit in a chair. Your providers will monitor the baby's heartbeat for at least 20 minutes before starting Pitocin. This monitoring will continue during your induction. Then your nurse will insert your intravenous (IV) to give you Pitocin. Pitocin will start at the lowest dose. Your nurse will increase it every 15 to 30 minutes until your contractions are regular or until you have reached the maximum dose. Your nurse will also take blood samples for any needed tests.If the doctor plans to do an amniotomy (breaking your water), your nurse will connect you to a monitor that will track the baby's heartbeat during labor. They will monitor the baby's heartbeat for at least 20 minutes before the procedure. You will need to be in bed during this intervention since it requires a pelvic exam by your provider. Once the amniotic sac (bag of waters) breaks, you will feel a gush of warm fluid. You will get absorbent pads for your comfort.After Giving BirthAfter giving birth, you can expect to remain on the labor unit for approximately 2 hours. Then you will go to a post- partum room (post-partum means "after delivery"). Visiting hours on the post-partum room starts at 1 pm and end at 9 pm. Please refer to current policies regarding visitors.Your privacy: To protect your privacy, hospital staff cannot give out any information to callers asking how you are doing. You will have a telephone in your birthing room so that you may make calls out if you wish. You may also bring cell phones, tablets and laptops in with you to communicate with family and friends. BWH has free Wi-Fi available for the use of patients and visitors.Visitors and Support PeopleThe Center for Labor and Birth is a unit with restricted entrance.All support persons must check in with a security officer to protect the privacy of our patients as well as to ensure that our newborns are safe at all times. Your support person will receive a special bracelet that will allow access to the labor unit and provide identification to the hospital staff.Additional instructions from your Doctor: ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download