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lots of birthplans I read say something like 'if i need to go on a drip please put the cannula in my arm not my hand'
I'm getting conflicting information on this and I was wondering what the difference is?
For example I've been told in the arm is a lot more painful and you cant move your arm a lot while its in?
Ohhh, I would love to know!!!
They tried to put a canula in for my last two births, but they were so fast, they were putting them in while I was pushing!!!
They were trying to get it in my hand, and just had blood everywhere... :rolleyes:
Is it standard to have one in??? I want them to leave me alone this time....
its not standard, i didnt have one last time. But I want to know what I'm including if i put it in my birth plan.
If it is in your arm instead of your hand it won't get knocked around so much if you are using your hand, and squeezing DH's hand etc. Either way they get a bit sore but I've had both and in the hand definitely gets sorer, especially if it's in for a few days and you are picking up and feeding bub etc. Each time you move your fingers for anything you can feel it in your hand.
I had to have one in each hand during my stay in hossy, one for sytocin drip and one for blood transfusion and antibiotics etc, they were painful and made holding DS a nightmare especially whilst trying to bf. In a previous surgery i had one it my arm and TBH i dont remember it hurting as much or getting in the way as much, but i wasnt holding a baby then so not sure if it would be easier or not.
Hopefully someone else can answer that for you but i remember that in my hand it was very painful and real pain in the a#rse. Good luck
Good point KF...
Nursing a bub would be painful and difficult if it was in your elbow....:think:
Oops, I realised you said hand.....
I wish I could help - I think they both get owwies after a while. But I think the arm one gets in the way slightly less than the hand one.
It is a good idea to include it - I never thought I was going to need one but I ended up with one.
Yep, definately ask for it in your arm (usually about 2inches above the wrist) because every time you flex or move your hand it will pull on the cannula and it can make it really sore. Whereas if it is in your arm, then it is somewhat protected because there is less movement and they can pop a bandage over it to stop it getting caught on stuff. There is also less chance of having it pull out or the vein collapse this way too.
I got one in the side of my wrist... so is that arm or hand? It hurt going in and was uncomfy and annoying but didn't hurt after they'd put it in.
Leash - with Izzy mine was sort of to the side of my wrist too - not really arm but it was much better than in the top of the hand where they put it with James.
I much prefer the hand to the arm - the main thing for me is to make sure that it is really strongly taped!
I had one in the top of my hand while labouring with DS. The damn thing fell while i was in the shower at one point luckily they didn't need to put it back in cause i had DS within the 6hrs and didn't need anymore antibiotics.
I had one in each arm as my veins collapsed due to PPH and that was the only place they could get one in. It's painful to move your arm and it's very easily knocked. Imagine trying to hold bub with one in your forearm!
Have had one in my hand before and I think it's a much better spot to be in.
Generally they try to put the cannula in the lowest point in your arm so that if the vein gets swollen/blocked etc they have further up your arm to get another vein.
Also depending on what they want to put in it will depend on where it is.
Its also quite easy to find a vein in the hand as they are closest to the surface, but being boney it also hurts more going in.
Until i had and IV inserted as a patient, i had never really had that much sympathy (especially on night shifts) for people that complained LOADS about a sore IV... The insertion is NOT like an injection like i previously assumed, the gague of the needle is different and also it needs to go in on an angle so that also makes it more painful.
te 2 easiest places are on the top of the hand and in the elbow crease, however they are the WORST for patient comfort and they typically come out when moved a lot... Also you can easily occlude the line by bending your hand or elbow, so you may inadvertently stop the infusion that you are being given
The other thing to consider the best place for the pt is above the wrist area, BUT if you are dehydrated (like cos you have been fasting or cos there is not way you can think about drinking while in labour) it is significantly harder to find (so is more likely to be a stab in the dark so to speak).
HTH :)
As a 'canula puta-inera' there are a few reasons why the arm is better than the hand or elbow.
The elbow and hand are 'easier' to put canula's in as the veins are generally more prominent in these areas. But as people have pointed out the constant movement of the elbow and hand and wrist make these spots less desirable. One, it can begin to hurt, and two, the end of the canula can get a kink in it and become blocked. The actual inserting of the canula is no different, pain wise though.
In the forearm, it is not near a moving joint, and if taped down well is less likely to be in the way. I'd prefer mine in the forearm if i had to have one for labor.
Also, what Kim says is true. :D If you 'blow' the vein distally you can move further up the arm.
:lol: i started my post when Sammiejanes wasn't there! hence a repeat of her post! ;)
:yeahthat:
The elbow crease kinks and the hand can get knocked. Both are positional and not much fun. The thumb side of the wrist is less of a problem and as pregnant women we are often easier to cannulate due to the extra fluid volume we keep. I know I specified where I wanted my cannula during DS's labour ;) The problem of a health care professional as a patient :rofl:
thanks for all the input everyone, I think I will revise my birth intentions now :)