Constant monitoring during VBAC?

Hi girls!

I had my first antenatal appointment with my choice of hospital this week and they were informed of my VBAC plans. They are more than happy with this and seeming I got to 7cm last time by myself before an Emergency C/sec, there is a good chance things will happen in my favour.

The midwife mentioned about constant monitoring during labour which consists of a CTG the entire time (they do not have one u can walk around with.. i asked lol) and if this doesnt work (it didnt last time, couldnt stand it) they will put the monitor on bubs head.... to which ofcourse, you cant move with that either ($&#&&@!!!) So this in itself is annoying me and DP says we will cross that bridge when it comes to it. But still... what are my options?
They tell me it is necessary as DD went into fetal distress quite badly and they want to keep an eye on things so it doesnt happen again. I should be happy that they are taking good care of my baby incase something goes wrong but Im worried that being on the bed will be against me in trying for my VBAC.

Also, they wont let me go past 41 weeks.. is that the norm?

There was also something else they wanted to monitor the whole time, but I cant remember.. the constant fetal monitoring took up precidence in my head lol.

My fellow VBAC's... did you have constant monitoring? How did u go with it?

With dd2 I had constant monitoring it drove me crazy, it made the contractions feel stronger as it was so tight and they didn't want me moving too much as it would stop working.

With Ds I was in hospital the day before stage 1 labour started and insisted on having it done once an hour instead. They sent me home as everything looked fine, but my waters broke later that day and there was no time for monitoring when I got back to the hospital I was practically pushing.

As for once an hour, and the best advice I can give you is stay home as long as you are comfortable, then you won't have monitoring and have less chance of them being able to intervene.

Your options are to say no. You decide what you will and will not have, not them. I will just tell you what I did.

From my research on VBAC I learnt that a VBAC is no more dangerous for mother and baby than a first time mother giving birth. So I expected to be treated the same! I declined constant fetal monitoring, vaginal exams, a cannula JIC, and told them I wouldn't be induced/have a c/s before 42 weeks. I knew all these things would greatly increase my chances of ending up with another c/s and I wanted my VBAC! Anyway, I chose to have an appointment with an OB a few weeks before my due date so I could go over my birth plan and have him document in my file that I'd already been told the risks of declining these things so that I didn't have to have this 'argument' in labour. He told me all the risks of course but accepted that I was informed in my decision and signed off on my birth plan.

There is no way I would have constant monitoring and not be able to move, I had to move to get my baby out. The research shows that having constant monitoring does not improve outcomes for mother or baby. I had intermittent monitoring with a doppler and after my labour my m/w told me that had I of had constant monitoring I would have almost certainly ended up with some intervention because DD2 did get a little distressed right at the end but my m/w knew that this was because I had been pushing for 2 hrs and she was about to be out and was very squished down there and that she would be out very soon so it would be fine. BUT she said if I'd had the monitor on and she saw that reading she would have been obliged to call someone else in according to hospital policy.

Anyways, that's my story, hope it helps in some way :)

I would do exactly what Heaven did. I did exactly what Heaven did.

BUT ... Then ended up at a different hospital, it all went out the window, and things did not go according to plan at all.

I can tell you that the monitors ARE a physical impediment to givning birth and WILL effect your ability to have a successful VBAC.
I would also without a doubt, get a Doula. The midwife in a VBAC birth will be more interested in the monitors and rubbish than actually supporting YOU. So get a Doula.

Good luck :)

I had constant monitoring during my VBAC and it didn't bother me. The midwife did a trace and a VE when I got to the hospital. I was 4cm. She took the monitor off and left me to it for a while, but it went back on again a couple of hours later and stayed on for the last 3 hours or so. Check again about moving. I couldn't walk freely around the room but I could stand and squat etc, I wasn't stuck on my back the whole time. I was able to be on all fours for stage 2 even with the monitor. I actually found it quite interesting being able to see the size of my contractions on the printout. :lol:
I also agreed to the cannula, but insisted that it was in a position that didn't affect the movement of my wrist.
I agreed to do these things because I didn't feel that they would bother ME. It is completely up to you what you agree to based on what you see as a problem.
I was given until 42 weeks to go into labour, I would have a problem with 41 weeks. There is no reason to limit you to 41 weeks if bubs is healthy. I also would have had a problem with anyone suggesting making an 'in case' c/s date, or being told I needed to have an epidural. These are things I have heard happen fairly regularly with VBACs.

no VBAC here but DS had the monitior on his head in the pushing stage of labour as they were worried about fetal distrss, it didnt bother me at all, i didnt feel it or have a catheter or anything. they took it off and put it back on when they were worried.... and it was off when he came out. I really didnt remember it til I read your post.

Also why are you concerned that you will go over 41 weeks anyway?
my ds was born at 38 weeks and they said at the hospital it should be around the same or earlier with every subsequent birth. Was you DD overdue?

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With dd2 I had constant monitoring it drove me crazy, it made the contractions feel stronger as it was so tight and they didn't want me moving too much as it would stop working.

With Ds I was in hospital the day before stage 1 labour started and insisted on having it done once an hour instead. They sent me home as everything looked fine, but my waters broke later that day and there was no time for monitoring when I got back to the hospital I was practically pushing.

As for once an hour, and the best advice I can give you is stay home as long as you are comfortable, then you won't have monitoring and have less chance of them being able to intervene.

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Thats how I felt last labour with the CTG, It made the pain much worse and they couldnt pick up her hb anyway as i could lay down on the bed and was sitting on the edge of it. They ended up putting a monitor on her head.. which wasnt great but better than the CTG. See.. having severe and a fast onset of Pre Eclampsia last time and my hospital being 1.5 hours away from home.. they dont want me to stay away too long.

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Your options are to say no. You decide what you will and will not have, not them. I will just tell you what I did.

From my research on VBAC I learnt that a VBAC is no more dangerous for mother and baby than a first time mother giving birth. So I expected to be treated the same! I declined constant fetal monitoring, vaginal exams, a cannula JIC, and told them I wouldn't be induced/have a c/s before 42 weeks. I knew all these things would greatly increase my chances of ending up with another c/s and I wanted my VBAC! Anyway, I chose to have an appointment with an OB a few weeks before my due date so I could go over my birth plan and have him document in my file that I'd already been told the risks of declining these things so that I didn't have to have this 'argument' in labour. He told me all the risks of course but accepted that I was informed in my decision and signed off on my birth plan.

There is no way I would have constant monitoring and not be able to move, I had to move to get my baby out. The research shows that having constant monitoring does not improve outcomes for mother or baby. I had intermittent monitoring with a doppler and after my labour my m/w told me that had I of had constant monitoring I would have almost certainly ended up with some intervention because DD2 did get a little distressed right at the end but my m/w knew that this was because I had been pushing for 2 hrs and she was about to be out and was very squished down there and that she would be out very soon so it would be fine. BUT she said if I'd had the monitor on and she saw that reading she would have been obliged to call someone else in according to hospital policy.

Anyways, that's my story, hope it helps in some way :)

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Ive been told that in the event of refusing monitoring then I would need to sign a peice of paper stating that if anything goes horribly wrong in a result of no monitoring, they will not be held accountable. Thank you for reminding me about the birth plan. I know I have rights and I need to sit down with the OB to put my point across.

That another thing im worried about that if they see bub is in a little distress they are going to rush me for a c/sec. I would think all bubs have random bits of hard times in there. I mean, it must be hard work being born! lol. So i dont want that to be the decideing factor. Wouldnt the more stress it puts on me from constantly being monitored have an effect on bubs heart rate too? IYKWIM.

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I would do exactly what Heaven did. I did exactly what Heaven did.

BUT ... Then ended up at a different hospital, it all went out the window, and things did not go according to plan at all.

I can tell you that the monitors ARE a physical impediment to givning birth and WILL effect your ability to have a successful VBAC.
I would also without a doubt, get a Doula. The midwife in a VBAC birth will be more interested in the monitors and rubbish than actually supporting YOU. So get a Doula.

Good luck :)

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I would LOVE a doula, but i cant afford one :(

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I had constant monitoring during my VBAC and it didn't bother me. The midwife did a trace and a VE when I got to the hospital. I was 4cm. She took the monitor off and left me to it for a while, but it went back on again a couple of hours later and stayed on for the last 3 hours or so. Check again about moving. I couldn't walk freely around the room but I could stand and squat etc, I wasn't stuck on my back the whole time. I was able to be on all fours for stage 2 even with the monitor. I actually found it quite interesting being able to see the size of my contractions on the printout. :lol:
I also agreed to the cannula, but insisted that it was in a position that didn't affect the movement of my wrist.
I agreed to do these things because I didn't feel that they would bother ME. It is completely up to you what you agree to based on what you see as a problem.
I was given until 42 weeks to go into labour, I would have a problem with 41 weeks. There is no reason to limit you to 41 weeks if bubs is healthy. I also would have had a problem with anyone suggesting making an 'in case' c/s date, or being told I needed to have an epidural. These are things I have heard happen fairly regularly with VBACs.

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She did say it wont be "as bad as last time" as last time I was in pretty bad shape. I will be refusing to have a c/sec date as I can see that scaring my body straight away from going into labour by itself. I guess its just the hospitals policy with VBAC's that they only let you go until 41 weeks. Well I got them to change my date again this week so I can actually get to 41+3 now without them knowing. It was agreed that i was due the 25th September, but I got them to change it back to my LMP date of the 28th. So thats a start lol.
Honestly, i dont want an epi either. I want nothing that will go against my attempt to have a VBAC. Pretty much everything I had last labour, i dont want. So it will be a drug free birth for me. That way aswell, im still "with it" enough to tell them to go jump :) :p

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no VBAC here but DS had the monitior on his head in the pushing stage of labour as they were worried about fetal distrss, it didnt bother me at all, i didnt feel it or have a catheter or anything. they took it off and put it back on when they were worried.... and it was off when he came out. I really didnt remember it til I read your post.

Also why are you concerned that you will go over 41 weeks anyway?
my ds was born at 38 weeks and they said at the hospital it should be around the same or earlier with every subsequent birth. Was you DD overdue?

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I was induced at 38+4 last time due to a sudden onset of severe P.E. I was given 3 loads of gel and on 38+5 my water broke by itself and I got to 6-7 cm before the monitor was put on her head and off i went for an emergency c/sec. I dont think she would have been overdue as i was having random contractions about 1.5 weeks leading up to her birth.

I had intermittent monitoring with the Doppler with both of mine. There isn't a monitoring machine at the birth centre and they do a lot of vbacs there.

I went to 41 + 5 with the first one and 41 + 4 with the second.

I would say that 41 weeks is pretty good through an OB but I would negotiate for more time, with monitoring each day if they are that concerned :)

I'm not a VBAC'er, but I did have constant monitoring as I was induced. I didn't like it one bit, but laboured pretty well with my limited wiggle room around the bed and eventually resigned myself to having to stay on the bed. (I asked for an epidural)

I suppose they can't make you do anything you aren't comfortable with, but I know it's a tough decision to make. I suppose your options are: Refuse monitoring or request intermittent monitoring and see if they'll go for that (that should be feasible... right? I was only stuck with constant CTG because of the induction process)

Also, it seems like 41 weeks is about when the drs start to get a bit shifty, and want to induce. I got to 41+3, not wanting to jump the gun.

Good luck with your decision, and I really hope you have a wonderful positive VBAC. :hug: