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I have heard that if you are having a VBAC you need continuous fetal monitoring and therefore cannot move around. Is this true? Apparently if the baby's heart rate drops it is an indication of the uterus about to to having torn. So this is why they do it continually. Won't that affect the type of birth you have as I have read that if one stays flat on your back you are less likely to succeed. Any ideas or experiences out there?
My OB is using a mobile monitor with me so I can move around, get in the bath etc. I would look into where you are birthing because although they do like to continually monitor you can get mobile ones.
Also they can only monitor once you are in hospital so the longer you stay at home during labour the longer you can be active without a monitor.
Don't you fear that if you stay at home for long something might go wrong?
There's always that fear that something will go wrong, no matter where you are.
Some places like continual monitoring and some places are happy for an active birth, its true though that you have a higher chance of success if you can be active during the labour.
Some places may insist on continuous monitoring but you can always tell them no, you'd rather not. They cant force you to have the monitor on.
Cheers,
Beck
I had continuous monitoring with Izzy with cords and all and although it was awkward I was standing, rocking on a ball etc as much as I liked. Yep the monitor would play up but it just meant at times the midwife would have to hold the monitor in place....
This time around I am going to a hospital where they have mobile monitors but I have told them that I will take off the monitors to shower etc when I feel the need to... you don't have to have continuous monitoring and if you research VBAC you will see that CFM doesn't correlate with any improved outcomes for mother or baby in VBAC's..they are just covering their backsides really.
As far as staying at home, the risk of uterine rupture is similar if not the same as that of induced labour with synto on a first time mum, cord prolapse in any birthing mother etc... All risks that occur in every day labours.
I was going to stay home as long as possible, but I wanted to move around & be noisy & Matilda was asleep, so I wandered to the hospital where I walked around outside groaning for a good 30 minutes until it started raining and then in the hallways... I slowly made my way to the birthing suites and they did a trace then. I discussed in length the necessity of movement in labour with the hospital and although they don't recommend it, I agrued "its my body" and compromised to 20minutes trace than 20 minutes off.
BUT when I got there and finally got in the suite, the midwife did a trace for 30-40 minutes because I was happy sitting on the fit ball having the trace, then I moved around and walked around and got in the shower and then came back to the bed & did another trace, than I was moving around and walking, back on the fit ball for a trace.... etc... So I did have traces but they certainly weren't that scheduled. In the end, the trace was on for the last 4 hours, but I didn't notice, I was sleeping between surges, I was on a beanbag with my belly down and the monitors were on, I just didn't notice.
I had continous monitoring only for the fact that when I got there Oskar' heart rate was dropping to 40 with every contraction. I did NOT have a uterine rupture so I would have to disagree that it means that. He was born 45 mins after we got there so the monitoring wasn't an issue although I did have to lay down but I tried to be as upright as possible in that position. I only had to lay down cos they did a vacuum assisted birth because of his heart rate. He was absolutely perfectly ok when he came out :D