How do they monitor a baby's HB at a homebirth?

[Dildals]

That really!

In hospital they put those monitor things on your belly at sort of regular intervals and as soon as you're sufficiently dilated they put a clip on baby's head, but do they do that at homebirths as well?

The midwives used a Doppler at my home birth .

They uses a handheld monitor in exactly the same way. I don't think they put clips on the baby's head, but I think this isn't done for everyone in hospital either (certainly wasn't for either of mine, first in hospital and second at home)

They didn't at mine. That may have been because it was a waterbirth and clearly all progressing quickly and well.

They use a pinard horn.

Efm is usually only used for inductions/epidurals because of increased risks.

The scalp monitor is only used when there are problems.

Afaik no, as you have to be still/lying down to use a CTG (although there are wireless ones which allow you to move, these are few and far between). Definitely not a head clip, these aren't used often in uncomplicated deliveries in the UK.
My feeling is that the hands-off nature of HB means such things wouldn't be desirable, but I never considered a HB (1 emcs due to breech presentation, 1 vbac under consultant led care). Even in a very conventional delivery you aren't usually under continuous monitoring.

I had a homebirth in December, they just listened in with a handheld thing every 15 mins. Was a bit annoying but if I batted them away, they waited a minute for a contraction to stop before trying again!

the ctg with the belt and the two plastic pads shouldn't be used routinely in a hospital birth anyway, but on the topic of your post, the midwife would use a handheld Doppler like they use in the clinic at the gp surgery/health clinic. If they had any concerns re the fetal heart you would likely be aske dot transfer to hospital for constant hear rate monitoring, that's not something that can be done at home.

Handheld doppler.

The ctg with the belt and scalp clips are both for hospital births with concerns - if you had a straightforward hospital birth the midwife would use a handheld doppler just the same.

At mine they had a water sonic aid, I hardly remember them using it though, maybe once or twice? It wasn't a long labour though, baby arrived two hours after the midwives did and I was obviously progressing so they pretty much left me to it, I think.

Yes a handheld Doppler. I was in the birth pool and every 15 minutes had to get into a crab/bridge position to stick my abdomen out of the water while they checked the heart beat in the middle of a fecking contraction.

Standard is intermittent listening with a handheld Doppler or pinard (old fashioned horn!) every 15 minutes when you're in active labour, whether in hospital or home, stepping up to every five minutes once you're fully dilated, and after each contraction if things are very intense and there's any cause for concern. Because you (should) have two midwives at a home birth they often have capacity to listen after every contraction anyway. Obviously the woman can refuse. I've never noticed being monitored though as I've been off in my own world!

The midwife uses a soncaid to monitor the baby's heart beat, but not continously. I don't think it was quite every fifteen minutes. I think a lot depends how fast labour is progressing. With dd I think the midwife monitored her heart beat when she arrived and then monitored the heatbeat again when I told her I was ready to push. I also had two internal examinations during labour.

A homebirth is far less medicalised. An experienced midwife uses her judgement and intuition far more than a hospital midwife. It also helps that she only has one patient. I found a homebirth was far calmer than my hospital birth.

They used a doppler at mine- but only a few times towards the end, as far as I can recall. My first birth was in hospital and heart rate wasn't monitored at all because there wasn't really time for that!

Doppler thing for me. And something she could stick under the water.

Clips on the baby's head are not routine in hospital.

For my first I was monitored regularly with the CTG (belt thing) probably because I had twins & PPROM.

That's all good to know, thanks for all the answers!
x

Ah yes with twins it is fairly routine to put a clip on twin 1's head in labour to ensure they are picking up different heart rates. With a singleton they'd only use a clip if they couldn't pick up the heart rate well or there's a lot of confusion between what is maternal pulse and what is baby.

MW used a Doppler at mine although she only checked once as DD was born about 25 mins after they arrived. Was in the pool and just had to lift bump out the water to check.