3 Reasons You May Need A Catheter During And/Or After Labor
Posted on: 1 September 2016
Share
The experience of labor and delivery is an incredible one and can't really be compared to anything else. During your labor and delivery, your body will do things that you didn't think were possible. Since there are so many things happening in your pelvic area, you may need a catheter. This may be due to a medical reason or because something in your body isn't functioning properly. Either way, the catheter will allow your body to pee when it otherwise couldn't. This article will discuss 3 reasons why you may need a catheter during and/or after labor.
You Are Given An Epidural
A lot of the time, women are given the option of getting an epidural to ease the pain of their labor. The epidural is given in the spine and numbs the lower half of the body. This numbing dulls or eliminates the pain altogether, but it also makes it so that the woman can't control the lower half of her body. Her legs will either feel very heavy or she won't be able to feel them at all. In either situation, she is not going to be able to control her bladder on her own. For this reason, she will be given a catheter that will automatically catch her urine whenever she needs to go.
You Have A C-Section
Another reason why a woman may need a catheter is because she is having a c-section. This procedure will also require the numbing of the lower half of the body, which will make her lose the control of her bladder. Along with this, there is also a long recovery process where the woman will not be able to get up to go to the bathroom, even if she could control it. Having the catheter in place not only allows the woman to safely have a c-section, but it also allows her to properly recover without having to worry about going to the bathroom.
Your Bladder Isn't Functioning Properly
Giving birth to a baby vaginally can sometimes cause you to have some bladder problems afterwards. Some aspect of your bladder may have been damaged during the birthing process, and it is going to need time to heal. If you find that your bladder isn't functioning properly for an extended period of time after you give birth, and you aren't able to go to the bathroom, then you may need to have a catheter put in place until your bladder is repaired or is healed enough to go on your own.
For more information about using a catheter or the various types, contact a company like Medi-Rents & Sales Inc.