Expectant Monitoring

[Babieseverywhere]

Come and tell me what I need to know about expectant monitoring. In particular what they look for and how frequently they need to look at it

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Good News.
Baby has moved again now LOA and not engaged, rather than OP

Not as Good News
I am only 40 + 8 over by scan dates, midwife record has me down for 40 + 9 instead...go figure.

Just had an interesting conversation with a community midwife this morning. She said oh you are 40 + 9, we'll have to book your induction.

I said I didn't want to be induced now and I would like to wait and see if baby turns up on his/her own over the next few days and if nothing happens I would like to go for expectant monitoring from 42 weeks.

Midwife insists she needs to book me in for an inducement even if I choose to cancel it later. I agreed that is fine, I don't want the midwife in trouble, happy to cancel the inducement when I get home from the doctors.

She chats to the hospital who decided the only possible inducement date has to be tomorrow morning at 9am. Midwife falters and back tracks, saying that as she knows I wouldn't go in tomorrow, so there is no point booking me in. More muttering on the phone. Midwife smiles at me again and tells the hospital that she didn't think I would go in on Monday either.

She wants me to see the consultant but his next clinic is 42 weeks, which is fine with me but not for them.

So apparently I can't book another midwife appointment for next week with the community midwifes, as officially I am in inducement territory.

So I am awaiting a phone call from the community midwife as to what we do next. She thinks it will be a meeting with the consultant about inducement which is just a big waste of his time. I know the risks of inducement especially following an C section and unless there is a medical need will not agree to a social inducement based on dates only.

Personally I just want to wait 5 days and see if baby turns up and if not do the expectant monitoring.

Maybe labour will start soon, now the baby is no longer OP...

Oh, good luck to you! I too was keen to have a vaginal delivery with no 3 (never having had section but breech & spd). Fought with consultants to get turned and to not have section and won.

Stick to your guns. You sound v sensible so I know that you won't ignore any warning signs re baby. He/she'll be fine for a good few days yet.

Thanks Buttonmoon

No, I would not ignore any medical advice/signs, just not willing to be induced on hospital policies only.

Bump for the evening crowd

My first son was due 7th feb, they didnt induce me till 22nd feb when he arrived, that wasnt my choice just the date they booked, they never monitored me or anything wasnt even concerned at all.
So if your only a week over due and no other health problems it seams silly to rush and 5 days really wouldnt make a huge diffrence.

good luck

BE as you know I am in a very similar situation!

They have not booked an induction date for me, but they are very keen for me to let them know when I would agree to it. I have explained firmly several times now that I see no reason for induction yet as they are unable to find any reason it is necessary for us as opposed to for their own timescales and cut off points.

I went for a CTG yesterday which was 'beautiful' apparently, and a scan today which showed no cause for concern over anything. I think that must really mean no cause for concern as I know if there was anything they could find to be worried about, they'd say so.

So... I am waiting now (and thinking of flowes opening!). Friday is when I have agreed to go in again and see whats happening.

Have been recommended by friend to meditate over a lit candle and imagine my cervix melting like wax

Oh and as to what they looked for - the CTG was just half an hour on a monitor that measured foetal heart rate and uterine pressure. The scan checked fluid round baby, took some measurements, checked position and condition of placenta, and measured blood flow across umbilical cord.

My experience was that if you go in looking supremely confident and state quite clearly that you are there for information so you can make a better informed decision, they seem not to try any pressuring. I was assuming I'd have to argue my case a lot more than I did have to.

Thanks Queen and Katy

You should be offered a scan at 42 weeks and twice weekly CTG as a minimum. Some places like to do daily CTG. You yourself will be monitoring your own baby by being aware of movements. Wishing you a lovely birth

Thanks Mears, I'll chase up a scan on Monday (42 weeks) if I haven't heard from the community midwive by then.

Midwife rang and asked me to be in hospital between 10am and 11am tomorrow for a scan to check baby. Fine, will do that.

She managed to mention 4 times in the course of the 3 minute conversation about how the consultants will be deciding on an action plan about what they would let me do...Grrr. Also mentioned ongoing monitoring over the weekend, bugger that for a laugh. I am only 41 + 2, nowhere near 42 weeks FFS. Just leave me alone, stress is not good for encouraging labour.

I didn't say anything but I am dreading tomorrow, I am terrified of hospitals at the best of time. What is to stop them lieing about the babies condition, I don't trust them to be truthfull

I will get DH to get us up there as early as possible, get out of there as soon as possible. I was in such a positive frame of mind and one phone call and I'm in tears.

Ask lots of questions, make them justify their recommendations with hard evidence, question the benefits and risks, and ask them specifically what in your case they expect to happen if you hold out and wait.

Most importantly good luck, and try not to stress. Get DH to do the talking if you can.

Oh BE

If it is any consolation I was worried about exactly the same things - hospital is not a context I trust, and it sounds like you are the same. In the event they were actually fine and even told me they could see I was sensible and supported my decision to wait for now.

Make sure your DH is fully aware of the real risks and statistics so that they cannot scare him either.

And maybe consider making it very clear before the appointment even begins properly that you are there for information that you will use to make your own decisions.

Good luck

Just spoken my BF, I have decided to go in tomorrow with long pillow and birth ball, so I can be monitored in comfort. I am not lying on my back and having the baby move OP again.

I will decline the weekend monitoring and maybe go in Monday/Tuesday to be scanned again when I will be around 42 weeks, if they think it will be a good idea.

I am not going to set an inducement date or be bullied into a c section. I want to see how things go.

Sigh, off to ask my mother to look after the children, whilst trying to stop her getting wound up and worried.

Oh yes good plan with the pillow and ball

Let us know how you get on.

Will do

Fingers crossed we will both go into labour overnight and won't need to be bothered with hospital policys anymore.

lol I am not sure I will ever go into labour now! Especially after seeing on FB that my friend who was 5 weeks behind me has gone in to have her baby this morning

There are some people who naturally gestate longer to 43 weeks see here, so long as little one is ok, if you stick to your guns they cannot force you into an induction or elective cs. Check out this site here for info that can help you argue against induction www.homebirth.org.uk/vbacinduction.htm. Have you tried going for a nice long walk to get things moving? I did 6 miles on the day I went into labour (was getting fed up so decided to help things along ). You are right to think that continous monitoring lying on your back will not be good for keeping baby in a good position (that is how I ended up with emergency cs after DD's head got into a bad position after being made to lie on my back during monitoring), demand hand held monitoring or they can continuous monitor you whilst sitting on your ball or lying on your side. Remember you can refuse to come into the hospital until labour is well established and there is nothing they can do as they cannot refuse to treat you once you are in active labour. Good Luck

Arghh, I don't blame you from sulking. Due five weeks after you !

So where about's in the country are you ?

Thanks AllSheepareWhite

Well, if I go into labour naturally (please god, third time lucky), it will be a home birth, so no worries about getting into hospital in that sense.

Just want to get in and out of that horrible place as fast as possible tomorrow, with as little contact with nagging consultants as possible.

Just think water off a duck's back, listen to their advice, thank them for it even and then just carry on with your plans!

I am on the Welsh borders BE. No Man's Land

What gets me is my DD was born bang on time though after talking to my mum it turns out there's family form for this - all my mum's three DC were born after the EDD, one of my brothers by at least two weeks, and my mum's sister's first was born 24 days after her due date! So maybe DD was 'early' by my family's standards or something.

And yes, five weeks after me! That really rankles right now I tell you. I want my baby!

AllSheepareWhite, Yep, did that at the earlier consultant meeting when we were 16 weeks pregnant. Just nodded along and at the end said thanks for the information, we are still planning our home birth.

Just want to be left alone for a few days and see if baby will naturally arrive, now he/she is finally LOA and ready to move

QueenOfFlamingEverything, I'm North West of England, not far from Manchester.

My first was induced after being 10 days 'late'. Horrible nightmare birth.

My second started on due date but moved transverse, so I had to transfer to hospital for a EmCS.

Now this one 'late' but only just in a reasonable position. I reckon will arrive in the next few days all on his/her own.

My mum was late and induced with me, second baby arrived on her own at 43 weeks and her third was late too (not sure how long by, I'll have to ask her)

So long pregnancy seem to run in the family. Trying to remember if my sister's baby arrived on time or not and I can't remember

Well, no monitoring appointment was set up for us. So we are carrying around a birth ball and a pillow for no reason

Consultant meeting went.

Him
I don't recommend a home birth/waiting until 42 weeks/inducement.
I do recommend a CS at 40 + 12/13 (i.e. today/tomorrow)

Me
Yes, nod.
I don't consent to a c-section I want to wait until 42 weeks and have expectant monitoring.

Him
You have no chance of giving birth cos of better off with C-section, give me a date you will accept.

Me
I just want to wait until 42 weeks and then we'll get monitored and see how things are.

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I am tired and emotional, can't stop crying. I feel like my current doom and glum mood is not helping my remote odds of actually going into labour naturally over the next few days. No show, no contractions and baby still has high head, looking like another failure. Didn't even make it into labour this time :(

I have appointment at 8am on Monday for a scan and CTG and another bloody appointment with another consultant.

Off to my friends house for 'Tea and Cake' and no bloody baby talk.

Just popped on to see how you got on. Sorry to see you have had such a negative encounter. Have you spoken to a SOM recently - I think you did earlier in your pregnancy?

Stick to your original plan. It is not unreasonable. As long as baby is happy in there, there is no need to intervene.

You will go into labour