CTG in labour

[MummyJess123]

Is it possible to have a CTG machine hooked up in labour for constant monitoring if you are under midwife led care and considered low risk? I'd be giving birth in a labour ward not at home or in a birth centre.
Thank you

Yes you can request this if you want no matter your risk status. However in low risk women CTGs restrict mobility and increase the risk of intervention in the way of instrumental or operative delivery with no improvements in fetal wellbeing or outcomes so I'm not sure why you would want it?

I guess you can ask, and depending on your reasons they can discuss it with you? I imagine they won't be keen though, not least because they may argue the CTG is useless without a qualified medical professional (I.e. a midwife) sitting there watching it at all times. Which in a normal, uncomplicated delivery you won't have; they'll just pop in and out periodically at first and do checks with the doppler at various points. I guess they might not want to risk you or anyone else misinterpreting a CTG and either causing yourself undue stress or missing something important.

To be honest I don't really know for sure. I had continuous monitoring with my ds but I was being induced and had a midwife there watching it at all times. Even then they turned it so i couldn't see it as they thought it was affecting my heart rate and progress being able to see it any work myself up about things I want qualified to interpret.

Yes you can. Maternal request is an indication for ctg as long as informed choice.

*WASN'T qualified, not want!

Just wanted to say again I would still talk to your midwife if I were you and discuss your reasons as they may be able to support your request in some other way, or indeed they may agree took a CTG, I don't know!

That's interesting SoPass, ignore me OP!

Ratpoly - virtually all hospitals now have CTGs that transmit the trace to an office outside labour room so it can still be seen even if the midwife isn't in the room, although it's not good practice to leave women alone in labour so most will be in the room with you, hopefully doing more than just watching the monitor.

Gosh, didn't know that! To be fair my last birth was pretty terrible all round, although i thought the midwife staring at the machine taking notes for hours was standard... Hope this one's better!