hi inifinity

i had the wireless monitoring, which i requested because i wanted to be mobile during labour. i had GD though, so i was induced & still had to be hooked up to a drip so my mobility was restricted (even though i could take the drip with me, it's not my idea of being truly mobile!!). i wanted to be able to use the shower (there wasn't a bath in my birthing suite) but i never got a chance - i should have kept asking but once the contractions kicked in, i kind of forgot

one thing i would say about the wireless monitor is that they don't seem to be as reliable as a normal monitor so they may make the switch anyway if they don't feel it's working well enough.

i was a bit distracted by the monitor watching contractions (i don't remember it making a sound - i think they may have turned the sound right down) but i have to say that the contractions were soooo strong that it wasn't a bad thing to have the distraction. the m/w did tell me off for watching the screen though because she said it's not an accurate representation & i should be going with how they actually felt.

if it were me, i think if there was any way to refuse the monitoring i would - for me it made the experience so medical . that's my biggest gripe about my labour/birth overall - that it just wasn't the natural experience i'd hoped for (but that may just be me!). i ended up being rushed to theatre for an epidural & assisted delivery because DS's heartrate started dropping. i'm kind of conflicted about the monitoring because i don't know whether the monitor saved him or whether it led to unnecessary intervention...

HTH a little