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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Message for Mears!! PLS!

27 replies

Quackers · 26/07/2004 14:16

Mears, apologies for using a whole new thread, but I feel I cannot ring the maternity unit with this.
You may remember I had 2 miscarriages last year and this time bought a doppler to use if ever I got very worried and it has been a great benefit for the whole pgcy as I've only used it say every couple of weeks. Today I wanted to listen in as I'm 40 weeks tommorow. As I was just about to listen I started getting a big contraction. I carried on. The heartrate had dropped to around 60 bpm poss less and I could hear the blood flow through the umbilical, also dropped. It stayed there throughout the contraction, which lasted around a minute or 1 min 30 secs, then the heart rate went back up to around 150bpm. It has obviously greatly concerned me, but feel I cannot ring up the unit and tell them the situation. My first baby had erratic CTG traces when I was admitted and she was distressed. I have had a doppler scan last week, you may remember and all was well and I was relaxed, but now I fear for this baby, if it is having these dips and I'm not yet in labour.

I'd really appreciate it if you could comment on this as early as you can.
Much appreciated
Quacks xx

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Twiglett · 26/07/2004 15:02

message withdrawn

mummytosteven · 26/07/2004 15:03

Bumping this up for you. TBH think if you are concerned u will have to bite the bullet and call your maternity unit. alternatively maybe NHS direct would have somebody with the appropriate experience to comment?

PreggieMum · 26/07/2004 15:03

Thought I'd bump this up for you....

I'm not a midwife so am no expert, but does your hospital have a drop in clinic that you could maybe pop into to reassure yourself/check everything's okay?

As your 40 weeks tomorrow if there is a problem they would presumably deliver the baby and if there isn't a problem then you would have reasurance from the hospital that everything is okay and be sent home.

Sorry, if this isn't helpful.

mears · 26/07/2004 15:21

Sorry Quackers, have only seen this now.

Is your baby moving normally? If so you do not need to worry too much. However, there are times that a baby's heart rate drops during contractions, or outwith for that matter. It can be because you are lying too flat or some other reason. Healthy babies have dips in their heart rate for various reasons. Did you count the heart rate or was 60 the number on the monitor? It is common for monitors actually to display an incorrect reading and it is more accurate to count the heartbeats for a full minute.
We do not continuously monitor normal healthy pregnancies in labour any more because of the problems when isolated decelerations are picked up.

Having said all that, I think you should phone the hospital and tell them what you heard. You will only worry otherwise and a CTG will give an overall picture of the heart rate where accelerations and variability (how much it fluctuates) will give more information.

Remember what I said about hand held monitors? They can cause more alarm than reassurance. I am sure your baby will be absolutely fine, but call the hospital for your own peace of mind. Love, mears.

mears · 26/07/2004 15:53

Will hopefully hear from you later Quackers.

Original poster

Quackers · 26/07/2004 15:58

I'm having trouble ith internet connection, sorry, I have been here all this time!Thanks so much for that!! (and those who have bumped it up for me!)
I am a worry wort and can't wait to get this over! Baby moved tons ;ast night and I have felt a few small ones today so yes I think - active baby.
Yes I counted using my watch Mears, it doesn;t have a display. It was obviously very very slow and immediately when I heard how slow I though it would stop! I was standing up, not lying down, but as I say as soon as the contraction passed the heartrate went back to normal. It was so very low, 60 was about what I counted, it may have been 50 bpm.
I do know what you said about monitors and thought I had done well till now! I had another listen 10 mins ago and heart was fine during another contraction, it wasn't as strong or long, but nevertheless the heart barely changed from normal. I will feel so daft (imagine if someone rang your unit and declared they heard a dip on their own doppler!) if I rang up and go in making a huge fuss etc... They have been brilliant when I needed to ring last time, so will listen again during any more contractions I have and call if it drops again. Like you say maybe it was a one off. I can honestly see why they advise against continual EFM!!! I am so grateful to you for replying so quick!!! Didn;t expect it at all, as you are so busy!!!

OP posts:

mears · 26/07/2004 16:06

Hi Quackers, glad you sound OK. I forgot to mention that it can be really easy to pick up your own pulse and think that is the heartbeat. That is something that happens all the time. Even a slight angle of the monitor can make it slip from fetal to maternal pulse. There have been hazzard warning notices sent to hospitals highlighting this problem. When I hear a deceleration I feel the mum's pulse to make sure that I have got the right heart rate. I won't give you any more lectures about monitors If you are concerned, do phone the hospital.

Original poster

Quackers · 26/07/2004 16:41

Thanks Mears, much appreciated! As always your reassurance is comforting. I have had 3 smaller contractions now since and the heartrate has not changed at all. It has been around 140 bpm, since, so I'm happy - for now!! I'll check each contraction though, good point about the maternal pulse, I really hope it was that. Was very very worrying how slow that got!
Thans again, maybe next time I'll have had this baby!!!! xx

OP posts:

Levanna · 26/07/2004 21:18

Hi Quackers, I hope you don't mind me adding this! Throughout a large portion of my labour with DD her heartrate dipped like this during contractions. Nevertheless she was born happy and healthy, after a problem free labour with apgars of 9 then 10 . I hope this is of some reassurance.
Best wishes .

Original poster

Quackers · 27/07/2004 10:27

Thanks Levanna, appreciate it, yes my DD had this too, big dips and then accelerations so she was distressed.
I had a healthy heart beat all yesterday, except when I had another big contraction and it dipped again, this time it definately was the baby, DH was there and he heard it too. Then it went back to normal. I am going to see how this goes today and if it slows again, I will just have to ring and admit to owning a doppler. I am seeing the GP this afternoon, but I'm sure she will listen in and everything will be fine, unless I'm having a contraction right at that moment.
Just looked at the July thread and bzhmum, had her baby by emergency c section. When she went in for monitoring the baby had dips during contractions and the heartrate slowed right down. It was due to the cord being tightly round baby's neck. When I listen I can hear both the heart and the cord together. Could this be happening to me maybe??

OP posts:

mummytosteven · 27/07/2004 11:44

bump

Egypt · 27/07/2004 15:09

just caught this thread quackers. hope you are ok. better to ring than anything bad happening. lots of love xxx

Original poster

Quackers · 27/07/2004 17:11

I've had no problems at all today. Had some pretty big contractions and baby has remained stable and happy throughout every time. I am reluctant to ring as the chances of having this happen again must be so slim, they will think me a bit daft. Just had my antenatal with my GP. She was checking for the heartbeat and found the umbilical as I can now tell the difference, but she couldn;t and thought it was heartbeat! Gosh now I wish I had a mw!!!!

OP posts:

Twiglett · 27/07/2004 17:48

message withdrawn

Original poster

Quackers · 27/07/2004 18:31

Thanks Egyot BTW, hope your little one os doing well! Twigs, will be making full use thanks!!!!!xx

OP posts:

mummytosteven · 27/07/2004 19:14

bump

mears · 27/07/2004 19:46

Hi Quackers - still having the odd listen in??

Original poster

Quackers · 27/07/2004 20:37

Yes Mears thanks, much happier today as even though I've had v strong tightenings, baby has been absolutely fine. I'm not panicking anymore and my listening has reduced dramatically. I have only needed it several times, but now wonder if it was worth it after all this at the end! Thanks for your support! Look out for my announcement, hopefully all will be fine!

OP posts:

mears · 27/07/2004 23:52

Looking forward to it

Egypt · 28/07/2004 08:31

we're all waiting quackers - can't wait - xxxxxxxx

mears · 29/07/2004 00:01

mmm....

Original poster

Quackers · 29/07/2004 10:01

Well, I got yet another drop yesterday. My mum is a nurse and spoke to a m/w colleague as I was so reluctant to ring. The m/w told me to go in and not to worry. I knew it would be difficult to catch though. They monitored for an hour and nothing. Doctor came and I told him exactly what happened. The drops were occuring for around 1 min 30 to 2 mins. He said he completely believed me and said mother knows best. He said to keep me in overnight and try to find the dip. He said he thought the umbilical was probably the cause, being compressed during a huge contraction as it wasn;t occuring during milder ones. So they put me on again at 8pm and still nothing and I had bigger ones this time. Baby coped beautifully even though heartrate was around 160-170 beats it was consistent. A new m/w came though and was very rude and said I should now go home and shouldn;t be listening for my baby's heartbeat, as I didn;t know what I was looking for. I could have waited for the Doc to come out of theatre as he was much more understanding, but felt I was getting nowhere and had done absolutely everything I could in this situation. So at 10.30 at night I had to get a taxi with all my bags and stand in the dark on an isolated road. I was not happy as they had already said they were keeping me in and I had made the arrangements for that. Anyway, I was glad to be home. SORRY for long story! So I'm going to forget the doppler as it doesn't get me anywhere. I'll just hang on now for labour!

OP posts:

mears · 29/07/2004 10:08

I am sorry the midwife was rude to you Quackers. I am glad however that the CTG was good. If you do need to be reassured over the heartrate again please do not hesitate to call them. That is what they are there for. Keep an eye on the baby's movements - if they are normal you can be reassured that the baby is happy.

Original poster

Quackers · 29/07/2004 12:12

Thanks Mears. You've been a star as always. I have put away the doppler and am going off movements now. I' can't be putting the 2 of us through the stress! Use this as an example of why not to have your own doppler. Despite finding things, it doesn;t get you anywhere unless it can be found by professionals!

OP posts:

madgirl · 29/07/2004 12:20

hey quacks glad everything is ok.

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