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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

If I end up being monitored do I HAVE to stay lying down?

29 replies

Pesha · 26/03/2007 14:48

Am 37 weeks with my 3rd. With my 1st her heartbeat was dipping with contractions so was monitored continuously and had to stay lying on my back throughout which made it so much more painful (she was back to back) and presumably slower.
Read afterwards that actually you can get up whilst being monitored so assumed it must have been me just accepting it and not asking too much to move around. However I was my sister's birth partner a couple of years ago at the same hospital. She was induced so had to be monitored and was told she'd have to stay on her back, i questioned this but they were adamant.
I've still seen things that say this is not the case but it seems to be my hospital's policy. My last labour was fine so hopefully this will be but if I do end up being monitored can i insist on being allowed to kneel on the bed or stand up at the side or however else i feel comfortable whilst still hooked up or will I have to just put up with it?

TIA

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mears · 26/03/2007 14:52

Womwen in labour should never lie flat on their backs. They should be sitting upright or on either side if lying in bed.

I often monitoer women standing at the side of the bed, sitting on a pezzi ball - wherever they want to be really. It can be harder to follow baby's heart beat though so it depends what is happening and the reason for monitoring. If it is imperative that the heartbeat be monitored continuously. a 'clip' can be attached to the baby's head which allows mum to move wherever she wants.

So the answer Pesha is that it is up to you. You can insist that you are moblie. Hopefully you will not need continuous monitoring at all.

cupcakes · 26/03/2007 14:54

I was monitored constantly because of previous cs. I lay on my side and even delivered in that position.

MissGolightly · 26/03/2007 14:54

You don't have to stay lying down but IME if you get an old-fashioned midwife she may prefer it. I had two midwives with my DS, the first one was young and as keen as I was to get me mobile, the second one totally the opposite! I just waited until she went out of the room and hopped off the bed and back on the birthing ball, she soon got bored of telling me to get back on the bed.

beckybrastraps · 26/03/2007 14:56

I didn't stay on my back. Spent most of the time kneeling on all fours I think, and took the odd turn around the bed. Or lying on my side, which for me really speeds things along (odd shaped uterus apparently ).

But not on my back

hana · 26/03/2007 14:57

i was monitored throughout labour with latest prgnancy and it wasn't a prpoblem to stand next to bed, kneel, or walk around as I needed to . hope it all goes well

jdd0709 · 26/03/2007 14:58

What shape uterus do you have? I apparently have an unusual bicornate shaped = heart shaped one - is there an optimum position!? How did you find out?

I found standing up to be best last time - maybe that is why?

fishie · 26/03/2007 15:01

i was sort of propped up on a bed and spent 9 hours trying not to fall off the bottom of it while the midwife insisted i was not having any contractions (the baby monitor was fine, the me one was not on my uterus!) unsurprisingly this was not a successful induction. i wish i'd known that this is not normal.

mears if i ever have another baby i'm coming to have it with you

saralou100 · 26/03/2007 15:06

i think what someone said about depending on the midwife is true.. midwife loooking after me for ds2 would only monitor me on the bed, but i just couldn't stay and needed to stand (and occasionally dance), then consulant came in and asked for constant monitoring, midwife pointed out i wouldn't stay put on bed so consultant said do it with her standing then!! she still didn't though...

tigerschick · 26/03/2007 15:08

I was monitored and spent most of the time standing up. They were quite happy except the monitor kept slipping off Ended up with a HUGE piece of tubi-grip to keep it in place - very attractive!

EllieK · 26/03/2007 15:14

pesha, you ok?

beckybrastraps · 26/03/2007 15:23

jdd - I think it's actually the position of my cervix. I have to have smear tests lying on my side as well.

nuttygirl · 26/03/2007 15:49

Hi Pesha, hope you're ok hun.

FWIW at the antenatal classes at my local hospital they said it was fine to be mobile while being monitored, in fact they seemed to be v much in favour of it. The only exception was if you had an epidural (they don't offer mobile epi).

DaisyMOO · 26/03/2007 16:22

Just to add - routine CTG (ie the one with the two belts rather than the handheld doppler) is not best practice - it should only be done when there is a specific reason for concern eg the intermittant monitoring has shown up problems with the baby's heartrate, if you are on a drip to speed up contractions or if you have an epidural. If the midwife wants to do a CTG when you go into labour "just in case" then you should ask him/her to justify it. The routine use of CTGs has not been shown to have any beneficial effect for the baby but does increase the likelihood that you will end up with a CS.

I think whether you are encouraged to mobilise depends very much on the midwife - some will encourage it but others prefer not to because it is more work for them

lulumama · 26/03/2007 18:03

i had continous monitoring during my VBAC, but was enouraged to stand and move with the contractions as DD was OP and the pain was unbearable otherwise......had to get back on the bed when i had pethidine, but was sat up almost straight, and delivered like that

EllieK · 26/03/2007 18:05

i'm confused, the only monitoring i've ever been given, during pg with ds and this time, and when i was in labour with ds, has been t he kind with 2 stretchy bands round my tummy so no way i could have walked around?

MrsBadger · 26/03/2007 18:08

Daisymoo, have you a ref for this?
My consultant was making discouraging noises re active labour because of a possible need for continuous monitoring and I would lurve some evidence to wave at him.

DaisyMOO · 26/03/2007 18:16

I will have to get my ladders out later to get at my books - will get back to you

lulumama · 26/03/2007 18:18

the leads on those EllieK, are quite long, long enought to allow you to stand at the least, sit on a birth ball, move a little..

Nbg · 26/03/2007 18:19

I was allowed to sit up for mine and when I was actually in labour I was only monitored with a doppler.

EllieK · 26/03/2007 18:21

i was allowed to sit up but every time i moved the slid down and out of position so there's no way i could have stood up!

lulumama · 26/03/2007 18:22

maybe they weren;lt tight enough? must have been irritating

EllieK · 26/03/2007 18:47

very! as were the foreign health care assistants that did it all wrong so the mw didn't have the correct readings and i had to sit through another 20 minutes of it!

EllieK · 26/03/2007 18:47

wasn't helped by the baby kicking the pads to try and push them away!

ebenezer · 26/03/2007 19:38

I'm intrigued by the funny shaped uterus! How did you find out? I want to know what shape mine is.

ebenezer · 26/03/2007 19:39

Though probably like a saggy sack of spuds after 3 kids!

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