I'm interested to hear anyone's experiences with fetal monitoring during labour via wireless or telemetry monitors.
I am planning a VBAC for this baby. It is likely that the hospital I plan to birth at will strongly recommend continuous electronic fetal monitoring during labour. I am still researching and making a decision as to whether I will actually consent to it though(highly likely that I won't). I found out today that the Labour & Delivery ward does have telemetry monitors which would allow me to maintain mobility and get in the bath etc. This may influence my decision so I'm interested to hear from women who have laboured with these monitors in play and how you found them?
Were you really still able to get up and be as mobile as you would have been without any monitor? i.e. did you find it restrictive in ANY way?
Did you use the shower or bath with the monitor on?
Did you and/or your partner find the monitor distracting during labour i.e. noises and sounds and watching contractions etc?
And anything else you can add would be really helpful.
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...
My experience was very similar to sloane, right down to the drip but because of +GBS.
I agree if you can refuse constant monitoring that is best, maybe they could check every half hour or so so see how bubs is going??
I used telemetry, it was quite the day DS was born and I used all 3 units they had, problem is they keep falling off and having to be adjusted. The one saving grace I had, so that I didn't have to have wires, was the student midwife, who basically was on the floor with me holding the monitors in place and moving them as necessary.
My biggest fear was that if I was hooked up to the machine with wires, they would force me to labour on my back, ouch.
i pride myself on getting through the labour with just gas & breathing, I don't want an epidural, which is what would have happened had I been on my back.
If telemetry is not an option for me this time, i will be making the suggestion to just check routinley, rather than constantly.
I was monitored with wireless monitor for DD1's labour as I went into labour early. I didn't like it at all. It kept slipping off and needing readjustment and even though it was wireless the little things were quite uncomfortable in some positions. I was quite mobile (had to be as she was posterior) but not as mobile as I was with DD2, who was a totally natural water birth. I think if you can avoid continuous monitoring, do it. All I could hear was DD1's heartbeat the entire time too which drove me a little batty. I did go in the shower but had to avoid getting the monitor things wet. It was frustrating because I couldn't just let myself go and labour as I wanted to. I had to constantly be aware of the silly little things on my tummy and the bands around it. If they insist on you having monitoring, definitely go for the wireless or telemetry but try to avoid it if you can. It's not comfortable at all. Sorry to be negative but just being honest
I was only monitored from time to time with a doppler - can you ask for that option? I know they checked it after my waters broke and they were a browny/green colour - but I hardly noticed them putting it on my belly - was a tad distracted! Can you ask if this is an option?
With both of my labours I was induced and had telemetery monitoring. I also spent both of my labours completely mobile, using a birthball, many different positions (standing, all fours, knees leaning into the back of the upright bed) and in the shower. Even with the monitoring and drip I still had the most amazing labours. The CTG monitoring of the contractions helped DH alot with my first labour as it showed him when I was having a contraction so he knew when to rub harder without me having to ask everytime, this was until he learnt what my personal ques were. Also in both of my labours I had the sound on the ctg turned down for the majority but every now and then we turned it up so I could hear bubby's heart beat - I found it so soothing. I was very distracted by the ctg (being a midwife) that we angled it away so I couldn't see it and focus on my labour. This only distracted me in the early stages.
Best of luck achieving your VBAC.
For the most part i was monitored with the telemetry monitors which was alright as i could still use the shower for pain relief, movement was still restricted as you have to be close to the machine and lug around the monitors (hope im talking about the right thing here ) Once they broke my water i had a scalp monitor put on DS and apart from being uncomfy because you always have something hanging outta ...ahem "down there" it was pretty good and i could move around and do what i wanted to do....which was basically live in the shower lol.
If you get monitored definately go with one you can move around with.
In the beginning I had normal wireless monitor which was ok for me but wasn't picking up that well just because the bit strapped onto belly kept moving around and actually unless I held still and held it in place didn't give a great reading (this was after waters broken showing meconium, prior to that had intermittent monitoring) so was given the choice of either having a scalp monitor put in which would transmit wirelessly or go to wired. The midwives on duty were great and explained that although at first I wasn't keen on scalp monitor because of meconium had to be monitored and the scalp monitor would give me the most freedom also there was no guarantee that a wired monitor would perform any better on my belly as they were of the opinion same as me that wasn't the wireless part was the problem but my rock hard belly with the pad not staying in position. I went for the scalp monitor and as Minny say apart from the fact something hanging out, was fantastic could move around very freely and the reading was clear and never got interrupted. I could go in the shower, and really I pretty much forgot it was on, and we didn't really pay any attention to the readings (mind you DD reading never changed the whole time she was happy as larry in there).
I didn't want to be monitored at all initially but in the end it was useful because I failed to progress but because they could see how happy DD was in there they let me try for quite a long time (too long people have said to me since) before deciding she was stuck and ended up having a CS - so personally if you get to a point where they insist on monitoring I thought the scalp monitor was great.
Last time I had to be induced as my waters were broken and I was approaching the 48 hour mark.... but I had the telemetry monitoring.
Like you I am hoping for a VBAC this time and so have been considering the options available and have had small discussions with my Ob about it all.
Last time I was attached to a drip - so as Sloane mentioned not totally and completely mobile, but as much as could be expected under the circumstances. I had a terrible midwife who just kept tightening the belt, even though the strap was not slipping because DS had a habit of moving away from the monitor (apparently this is really common, they just don't like it!) until the point where I thought I was going to split in half. DH loosened it off and he couldn't believe the indent that was on my belly. After that he took care of the adjustment of the things (technical term ) and I coped just fine with it. I was in the bath alot too so there was no restriction as far as that was concerned.
This time, I have kind of made the decision that as they want to do the 'constant monitoring' I will agree if I get a telemetry machine. I just think having to stop and get the thing on again every 20-30 mins will be more of a hindrance rather than help to my focus. If they give me a more restrictive wired one I will ask for the intermittent monitoring instead. I don't really have a problem with it if it allows me to be mobile and be able to focus without interruption. And I know the telemetry one will allow this (I didn't look at the monitor and there was no sound unless they lost the reading).
As for what Camme-lot had with the doppler I think that is only going to be an option if you have a really good supportive m/w or student m/w that is willing to do that. And if that really is an option at the time I am going to jump at it.
It isn't an easy thing to figure out what is right for you without feeling like it is going to be a battle each time someone walks in to the room. But as long as you know what you want to be able to do, and if you can come to an agreement with your caregivers then hopefully everyone will be happy and you will get that much desired VBAC.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Its really helpful to hear what people have say.
I've decided to go with my gut instincts and refuse any continuous form of monitoring. If they want to monitor me, the midwives can do it intermittently with a doppler. And only if we genuinely believe that there is a reason to commence monitoring. The hospital can jam their 'policy' as far as I'm concerned LOL! (Can you tell I'm having a day where I'm more determined than ever to get my VBAC!?)
After all the research I've done, I still can't find an argument convincing enough to make me consider continuous monitoring if everything is going well. In fact the evidence is very clear - continuous monitoring actually increases the likelihood of a c-section and other interventions, so I'm determined and will make it VERY clear in my birth plan that I won't be consenting to it.
Telemetry or Wireless Monitoring During Labour
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) Once they broke my water i had a scalp monitor put on DS and apart from being uncomfy because you always have something hanging outta ...ahem "down there" it was pretty good and i could move around and do what i wanted to do....which was basically live in the shower lol.
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