aaaggh yuck!!! I hate monitering - it makes me feel so trapped. I swear that every time I have had one of those things strapped to me my labours have slowed - and now they've invented a machine that will no doubt make monitering easier and hence increase its use.
Then again there was another woman in hospital who had a an emergency c-section at the same time as me. The moniter picked up that her babies' heartbeat was dropping and she was rushed to surgery. It turned out that he son's cord was wrapped around his neck and each contraction was squeezing the cord tighter so there was less blood/oxygen getting through to her baby. Without monitering it could have died so she probably loves the horrible machine.
I geuss they have thier place but why don't they work on one that can be incorperated into active birth (waterproof & mobile).