vbac hospital guidelines/policy - choosing to forgo some

[Emma1979]

just wanting to hear people's opinions and experience with vbac - specifically in regards to choosing not to follow standard policy on going to hospital early in established labour, and also choosing not to have the constant monitoring and opting for intermittant doppler monitoring instead.... have done all the research and know whats what, but want to hear from those who have been through it....

has anyone's ob's 'given them the okay' not to go to hossy straight away and labour at home...? the rupture seed is planted in my brain and although i would love to labour at home for some reason i think it might cause me more angst when the time comes... just in case...

the monitoring though i think will drive me nuts, they have telemetry (wireless) monitoring where i can move around and get in the shower etc, but there is the possibility that they will all be in use and i will have to use the standard 'chained to the bed' monitors.... also i think even the telemetry ones would drive me nuts to an extent, comfort wise and my movement losing the baby's hearbeat etc etc...

hope i get some responses... thanks in advance

[Fleur]

It's entirely up to you which of their guidelines you choose to follow.
They can't MAKE you do anything, but they can argue with you about it, lol.

So just be sure in what you want & be prepared to fight for it...choose what matters & let the rest go.

For me, I really wanted an active labour & I was totally prepared to argue about being chained to the bed, I wanted freedom to turn off the monitors for a bit If I wanted to shower etc. Didn't happen, but that was for reasons totally unrelated to VBAC - it would have been like that in any labour.

As for going in as soon as labour starts...well, they can't do anything about it if you turn up later....

I do suggest though, having a chat to them about why they have these policies. I guess if you are going to choose to follow or not to, it helps to know why they are there. It did help me to decide which ones I wanted to follow & which I didn't.

Good luck!

[Laranna]

My OB says I can labour at home for as long as possible and to call the hospital when my contractions are 1-3 minutes apart. Either way, my intention is to stay at home as long as I can where I can use my own shower, walk around my own house and do whatever I need to do.

The downside is that my OB wants monitoring. He says probably 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Then when I'm 8cm dilated, my OB wants constant monitoring. I've not yet had my interview with the hossy midwives so I don't know what type of monitoring they have and what I'll be allowed to use. After chatting to the girls in the VBAC discussion thread, I think I'm ready to "negotiate" the monitoring if I don't want it.

I'm seriously considering hiring a doula to be there to be my voice for this sort of thing just in case DH caves in and doesn't speak up for me if I can't.

[rufalina]

I am yet to have this conversation with my OB. That is for next appointment... Been thinking about it though, so will be cool to hear from others what they have been able / not able to do so I can have a swag of questions for my OB....

[Miss E]

I had constant monitoring for my labour, and not the wireless kind. I also had an IV in because I was induced. But I had a fabulous midwife caring for me who let me move around an labour as I wanted to. She helped me reposition as I wanted and would hold the sensor pads in place whatever my position. At no time did she ask me to get on the bed. If you do have to have the monitoring you can make it clear that you want an active labour and get the midwife to work with you.

[Ozziehoffy]

OMG how did I miss you having another bub?? CONGRATS!

Both Oskar and Elijah are VBAC bubba's. I was quite happy to have them check what was happening when I got to hossy and was VERY glad I did cos Oskar's HB was dropping to 40bpm every contraction. So, they had to vacuum assist him. With Elijah I then decided they could check but told them that I only wanted intermittent monitoring if everything was ok and they were fine with that. The midwives truly were great. Both times I headed in when I was probably about 4/5 mins apart and with Oskar (although I didn't know it at the time) I was apparently 9cm dilated. Elijah was born about 4 hours after getting there and I was definitely in active labour with contractions right on top of each other. So, like has been said, they can't physically drag you in at a particular time. You will know when it's the right time though, you'll just get that "uncomfortable I need to not be here and now I need to be there" feeling.

[Carrie]

My ob said that I would need to come straight in. But when I called the hospital to tell them I was in labour the midwife said to wait til my doula arrived and see what she said.
So in the end I laboured at home and arrived at the hospital an hour before giving birth.
Prior to the birth I worried alot about rupture and what it would feel like and would I know etc, not once during the labour did it enter my mind.
They put on a monitor when I first got there but it didn't stay on, probably because I was fully dilated and really to push.
Goodluck with it!

[julie_ann_jules]

Hi Emma,
I had a VBA2C in March this year and refused continuous monitoring. The hospital I had my bubs have the wireless monitoring and they did try and tell me while I was pregnant that I could get up and move with them on. They also said I could go in the shower and bath with them. Then when I was in labour all the wireless monitors were broken. That didn't bother me though because I was planning on refusing it anyway

I simply told the midwifes to take the monitoring off. They did and my OB came to see me. They told him I didn't want the monitor on. He asked "So what do you want with the monitoring?" I replied "Intermitted monitoring with a Doppler" he said he "couldn?t guarantee the safety" of my baby if I wasn't being monitored. And "monitoring would show if any problems were arising" I nodded. He asked "so you are aware of the risks of refusing monitoring" I said yes. He wrote in my notes that I had refused monitoring and asked me to sign it. I did and that was it. Not mentioned again. And when he told me of the risks he wasn't mean or rude or judging in anyway, he just said what he needed to keep the hospital happy

I also had the conversation with my ob while I was pregnant about when to come to hospital. He said they recommend coming to hospital early so that they can begin monitoring. I was obviously upset by this (not crying but was quite gutted) my ob then went on to say- even though we recommend you come in early ultimately it is your decision. We can't make you come to hospital. He also explained that there is no research on the safety of labouring at home with a VBAC. So he couldn't tell me it was safe and he couldn't tell me it was dangerous. There is simply no research. I really got the feeling that he personally believed that I could come later but needed to tell me to come sooner to keep the hospital staff happy...... IYKWIM!

Hope it is all going well
Jules