How much can you move while being monitored?

[tonton]

I'm going for a vbac, due in 2 weeks. The hopsital want me to be constantly monitored (in case of fetal distress like last time or rare case of scar rupture) but other people have advised me to just be intermittently monitored until I am in established labour.
I've been told you can't really move much even if the 'string' is a metre long or so as the pads slip off easily. I want to use a birthing ball and keep upright. Anyone have experience of being constantly monitored but managing to move?

Tonton, you can get off the bed and bend/lean over the bed. You can have a birthing ball and sit on it, if it is next to the bed. Can't do much pacing though. Test all this before your contractions come thick and fast.

Intermittent monitoring is better, if the hospital will allow. I was induced so that was not possible. In the end, baby got into distress anyway so being constantly monitored was good (??) or not. Dunno. The pads do slip off easily and so they did not detect my baby's distress for 15 mins notwithstanding.

Why are they permanantly monitoring you? I have had two VBACs now and have just had intermittent monitoring both times. Have a look at some of the vbac websites, it is just easier for the staff to have you strapped up, it's better for you not to be! What would you rather?

You do need to lay down your rules sometimes, they can't make you do anything although the medics might imply that they can - THEY CAN'T

I'd repeat what blueshoes said, I was induced and found being monitored pretty restrictive, I could move about abit but the pads kept slipping and the midwife would ask me to be still. I sat on a birth ball for a while but then they made me get off that too for the same reason.

Hi Tonton, they must be constantly monitoring because of fetal distress the last time. I found it very restricting as well. My waters broke so they induced me, had to be monitored constantly because of meconium in water.

I had constant monitoring with ds due to PROM. I just stayed on the bed.. But I pretty much did that anyway with dd and I wasn't permanently monitored!

I had an induction with ds but was very clear up front that I wanted to move around. My labour was 8 hrs long but I hardly lay down for any of that time. The midwives were brilliant but I also had a birthing doula who was agreat advocate for me.

The monitor pads did slip off a bit but I'm afraid there was no way I could have stayed still without an epidural and I had wanted to avoid that. In the end I did and I feel I had as much freedom to move as I needed.

Not at all in the US hospital where I delivered DD2 (our 4th). It was a complete nightmare! I felt like a prisoner.

I agree with what Lulu is saying but I felt completely powerless and at their mercy.

think it depends on your midwife - when I was induced I had anumber of midwifes as it took a while (actually didn't work but thats another story). The first one I had wouldn't let me move at all (although I didn't ask as I had gone through a lot by this stage), bought me a bed pan rather than let me go to the loo. Another one took over and asked me why I needed a bedpan (she took me off monitoring so I could go to the loo) and went and got me a birth ball so I could move on that. The pads do slip but you can hold them on.

I think its worth pushing for intermittent monitoring or at least for using a birthing ball when being monitored.

I was induced and things kicked in very quickly.4 1/2 hoirs from start to finish.Had to be monitered as DS 's heart rate was up and only 35wks,but was quite mobile just reattached moniter once standing .Couldn't have managed to lie down the whole time ,too flippin' sore and uncmfy!!

I was forced to lie on the bed at an extremely uncomfortable angle. Nightmare.

I had pethidine with ds1 so was monitored after that... it was pretty awful, I wanted to kneel for the delivery but couldn't because of the wires; last thing I wanted was to be on my back for giving birth but that seemed to be the only way that the signal would work.
I would insist that they manually monitor instead, every 5mins if they're so bothered.

had vbac 14months ago. prev cs was elective so had never experience lab b4, is that same with you?

had to be monitored constantly and sitting on my bum. I'm quite short so the pads were awkwardly placed so movement wasn't possible. Had a dreadful midwife and didn't stand up for myself, desperately wanted the same as you and ended up in stirrups and she was threatening ventouse cos of meconium. consultant said that was rubbish afterwards as the meconium was old rather than recent. Just got my legs off the stirrups but apart from that was patronised and ignored. had 3rd deg tear and heamatoma so ended up with another block and surgery 6hrs after birth, not to mention rather traumatic time on ward b4 they noticed heamatoma.

Sorry to be so down but I want to impressupon you how different this was to what I'd been told and what they told me afterwards. the main issue with the labour was it was very short and quite panicky (about 20 mins for the last bit). The consultant I saw afterwards said she would recommend a waterbirth next time as that wld slow labour down and reduce te risk of tearing. I was shocked as had been told had to be monitored and cldn't possibly consider this. She said no it would be fine.
Nest time I will have BIRTH PLAN written down and no bossy midwife will have a blimmin say. Althouh I expect I will yet again be flat on my back scared witless.

I was constantly monitored but managed to use a birthing ball for quite a long time next to the bed. I guess if you make your feelings clear they will try and do what they can to allow some movement.

How terrible mannitz! Poor you.
I only dilated to 2.5 cms ;last time so this will be a first labour really (fingers crossed I don't get another section!). I have written a birth plan that says i want intermiitent monitoring.
I think DH will help support me in this, although I know he is really scared for my safety and the baby's. So he could be easy for a midwife to scare.
I'm usually a bolshy cow who's good at standing up for herself - but I know it could be quite different in labour. I'm a succour for people in positions of authority! If they tell me it's dangerous I expect I'll weaken...

tonton - if all is well with your pregnancy when you go into labour there is no need for continuous monitoring IMO. The recommendations for continous monitoring does include women with previous C/S, however intermittent monitoring is just as good. Often depends on how confident your midwife is as well. In my unit you would be 'allowed' to have intermittent monitoring and a waterbirth if you so wished. At the end of the day it is actually your choice. Professionals can only advise.

tonton, I know poor poor me. I do like to harp on a bit about it, so sorry for that . I'm also usually a bolshy cow but i think it's qutie different if theres potential danger tothe child and I'm totally ignorant in all things medical. DH was frankly rubbish, I think he's acknowledged that now, he thought I was making a fuss - so english! admittedly I was quite incoherent and demanding a cs so maybe he can be excused.

It will prob be better for you cos it's not like th efirst time. mears is your unit anywhere near me? (nw london, harrow) i really want a waterbirth next time. how do you persuade medical professionals to do what you want? and how do you do it when you are actually in labour?

i had to have constant monitoring when i first went in with ds, as his heart rate kept dropping when i had a contraction. really couldn't move very much at all because the pads slipped - even lying in a different position was a problem. i found it a real issue, as before i went into hospital, i'd been dealing with the contractions by pacing round the room - found lying still just concentrated my attention on them!

manitz - I am in Scotland. Howver, it doesn't matter what part of the country you are in, you have a right to the birth you want. Medical and midwifery staff cannot stop you. Obviously there will be times when the birth you dreamt of cannot be achieved because of good reason. However, there are times when the birth a woman wants is not dangerous but 'different'. I planned to look after a friend in labour who was a midwife and also previous C/S. She wanted a waterbirth and her consultant supported her. Unfortunately she delivered in the back seat of her car before we got to hospital. She na d baby were well. Not a bit of monitoring in sight!

Have a look at this \link{http://www.aims.org.uk/\site} You may find it helpful when trying to get the birth you want.

are you being induced? if not, you might want to think about how long you are happy to stay at home for - that way, you get to move around as much as you want to til you feel ready to go in. It worked well for me and tbh by the time I got to the hospital, I only wanted to lie down on the bed anyway (on my left side - later on I read that it is a good position for labour in any case, so that was lucky!). Even so, I was only monitored intermittently but it wouldn't have mattered a jot to me by then either way. I was only in hospital for about an hour before ds2 arrived.
good luck

I was continuely monitored with DD1 (VBAC) and DD2, they were both premature births. With dd1 the doctor wouldn't even let me roll onto my side, I was flat on my back throughout the labour, with dd2 the midwife let me move about and she was delivered on all fours with someone holding the monitor on.

Mears. Thanks very much. Site looks great but havne't got time to read all tonight. Will come back and look when I have bit more time. Gotta say not actually pregnant at the mo but planning to be and want a bit more than 9 months to get plan of attack. considering doula but also private mw but money is an issue at present (and always !)

Accept that might have a different birth than I want (have done each time so far) but really don't want to tear like last time if I can help it at all.
Ta again. Alx

Nothing like planning ahead, huh?

Mears thanks again, have now written to them for some advice - actually to a link on that site the birth trauma association. Hoping to get written advice from consultant who told me to get waterbirth nexttime as have moved hospitals.

Yeah, snafu I can dream, still trying to persuade dh or engineering another 'accident'!! hope you well? will call.x

I had to be monitored all the way through and couldn't move off the bed, but the belt/pads kept slipping off and popping open so eventually they put a cranial monitor on ds and then I really couldn't move an inch.

haven't read all posts so i'm sure i'm repeating what others have said but it can be quite awkward to move around. the belts are quite uncomfortable and the leads quite short. on top of that the pads tend to slip down very easily and lose the babies heart beat.

i was put on them for the initial hour but had to keep them on as they saw blood in my waters and were concerned. much as i regretted not being able to move properly i'm bloody glad they did leave them on though as at 8cm dilated my d's heartrate dropped to 30 and all hell broke loose. my midwife stretched my cervix herself the last few cm's (which i didn't even know was possible) and had me push right away. turns our my dd's umbilical was around her shoulder and she was suffocating. i'd take the discomfort any day over the chance that they hadn't spotted the problem and gotten her out.