What are your experiences of foetal monitoring during labour? I'm working on my birth preferences at the moment, and am definitely do not want to have any kind of continuous monitoring of my baby during birth. If faced with the situation where a midwife is demanding a heartbeat check, what are my options? Could I suggest a doppler instead, so that I could keep moving? Could I refuse intermittent monitoring, as I could with an internal examination? Apologies for my naivete - I'm just trying to think of ways to compromise if faced with a bully in the birthing ward (which I really hope will not be the case at Frances Perry)!
I had both of my girls in the birth centre and had intermittent monitoring with a doppler. I had water births and one of the MW's accidentaly drowned the doppler coz she forgot that it wasn't one of the waterproof one but that is the only thing that can make it difficult for them to monitor bubs with a doppler. You have the choice as to how you are monitored so you can tell them you want to be monitored with the doppler rather than CTG.
I had monitoring and was still active ... they put the monitor on me and every now and then they'd plug it in...
I think it gets down to if you're having an OB then they aren't comfortable without the high-tech gadgets, whereas midwives are a bit more relaxed?
My best advice for you with the birth plan is to start with best case scenario, and then put in trigger points at which point you want stuff to happen and not before. Cause I think that saying stuff like "I will have no painkillers" is setting yourself up for failure if you need them cause your body's been working really hard and you just need a rest?
Just like anything else done during labour you can refuse continuous monitoring. It isn't usually a big issue because many women now request intermittent monitoring with a doppler so you won't really be pushing them out of their comfort zone too much.
One thing to think about though is even for mums having doppler monitoring they will usually want to do a 20 minute trace on CTG when you are first admitted. Again you can refuse this if you like, or tell them you wish to have it while you're sitting on a birth ball so that you can remain upright. Many women find lying on a bed for 20 minutes excrutiating because we're not built to labour on our backs.
No such thing as silly questions on here! i think it is awesome that you are preparing in this way.
I was monitored for 20 minutes when i first came in and again when i went into active labour (i went in with broken waters but no active labour). i was on the machine that straps you in. this wasnt an issue when i wasnt yet in labour, but when my contractions were 2 mins apart those 20 minutes were pretty yuk. and next time i will ask for mobile monitoring ITMS...
I was never put on a CTG machine and I had a 17 hour labour. Different hospital though. I only had gas & peth, it might make a difference if you have an epidural (don't know).
I didn't have CTG either. But they did occasionally listen to her with the doppler, particularly in the second stage as for me that took around 1.5 hours. They'd listen to her after every contraction.
I think you're well within your rights to ask to not have the CTG.
Foetal Monitoring During Labour.
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