Wow, that's fantastic. All of the midwifes I had were fantastic as I said but from reading some of the stories on here I think there need to be a lot more like Sue and the ones that I had.:
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Wow, that's fantastic. All of the midwifes I had were fantastic as I said but from reading some of the stories on here I think there need to be a lot more like Sue and the ones that I had.:
Yeah I had fantastic ones too. In fact one told DH off for trying to adjust the strap saying his job was to look after me.
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).
Well I dont see that it will make that much of a difference....
I had weekly monitoring for the last 2 months of my pregnancy and the midwives never stayed in the room with me, and yeah we keept an eye on the thing and if bubs moved we had to move the thing about to try to find her or else we knew we would be in there for longer if we just waited for the midwives to come back....
This is not pre-labour monitoring we're talking about but monitoring in labour emz.
I was on the monitor a lot coz of having the drip to augment my labour. It was a pretty old clunky one, and I had to stay by the bed. I was still able to stand up and move around the bed etc, but it had to come off for me to go into the bathroom. I didn't mind having the monitor on, I liked the sound of the heartbeat, and I like being able to see the contraction "ending". The midwives only popped in every so often to check on me during my labour (which I didn't mind, we were having a problem free labour, and it was nice just being me and DH). But it would be sad to have them not pop in at all if they could see the monitor from their desk. However I'm one to welcome new technology wherever possible :) so I guess it comes down to the midwives themselves and the care they want to provide. Surely midwifery isn't something you'd do unless you loved it, so there must be an element of caring that wouldn't be lost due to a new machine? Am I just naive to the midwifery profession? 8-[
I just found out that to set up three machines and for one midwife/desk unit, it will cost $500,000. Hmmm I wonder how far that would go in keeping a birth centre open, or midwife salaries to have one on one care? :-k
Good point Kelly. It is hard to justify the Government spending that much money, when they are closing birthing centres left right and centre and neglecting country hospitals who have to fundraise for every piece of equipment they get.
i don't know how much midwives get paid, but if they got paid $50,000 a year, they could pay for 10 midwives with what that machine costs.
In all likelihood, it will only be 'rich' hospitals getting them anyway.
I think the Northern here in Melbourne already has them, and the RWH is getting them. I think places like the RWH would get more than 3 units though - can you imagine the cost!!!
I might see if I can find out if the Mercy (Heidelberg) has/will be getting them. I agree that it's a very sad development. However if women can be vocal about their disapproval then it might eventually have some impact.... especially on the private hospitals. I see a bit of an analogy with these monitors and autotellers... sure people thought they were great but when it involved the total withdrawal of human presence especially regarding country banking branches, then there will be outcry. The bank my DH works for is now acknowledging the backlash and starting to reinstate human presence. I know this analogy is offensive to the importance compared to labouring women and newborn babies... but I use it because midwifery and access to our money are both essential services that shouldn't be changed in such a radical way without public consultation. The more I think about these remote monitors the more upset i'm feeling :fuming: why hasn't it been in the media? As one labouring mum who knows the feeling of "abadonment" during labour I'm starting to feel really angry on behalf of every first-timer out there who's chances of being likewise "abandonded" because of these machines are surely going to increase. Thanks Kelly for bringing this to our attention.
From someone that has recently been in the situation of being constantly monitored by CTG. I hate the stupid things! During my labour with Bella I was hooked up to it for the whole time and recently when I was in the hospital I was hooked up to it for 18 hours straight, no time off to go to the toilet, or even allowed to sit up. I was allowed to use a portable once but even that was uncomfortable and they took it off as soon as I was back in bed.
I do agree though that they are useful, but hospitals have to learn that just by making them easier to use doesn't mean that they are more comfortable for the mother.
I did some study on CTG's a few years ago. Here is a few quotes with references. They are a little old but I don't think much has changed.
The CTG monitor can be over used and findings often insignificant. Although the CTG monitor has high sensitivity in predicting the normal foetus, the foetal monitor is not able to accurately and consistently predict a sick newborn (Cabaniss, 1993 p. 19).
The benefits of foetal monitoring are modest and resulted in prolonged labours and gains are achieved at the cost of a higher rate of caesarean section and operative vaginal delivery. Stroup and Peterson (1996 p.317)
The only significant effect of continuous electronic foetal monitoring was an increase in the caesarean rate. Odent (1996)
Cabaniss, M.L. 1992. Fetal Monitoring Interpretation. J.13 Lippincott, Philadelphia.
Odent, M. 1996. Kitting needles, cameras and electronic fetal monitor. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest. 6(3).
Stroup, T.S. and Peterson, H.B. 1996. Routine intraparturn electronic fetal monitoring decreases neonatal seizures but increases operative deliveries. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest. 6(3).