** continuous fetal monitoring during VBAC please advise**

[rainbowgirl]

.. am 22 weeks pg and had consultants appt today to discuss VBAC - had an emergency c-section last time, 4 years ago, following long labour and face presentation..

i have been advised to have continuous fetal monitoring because it is my consultant's policy..

she was actually a nice doctor (!) and says she can't 'make' me but in her experiences of VBAC it is safest for the baby.. i have read up quite a lot about it but am interested in any experiences of women who have had VBAC and can advise...

one thing i'm confused about is that i thought with continuous EFM you couldn't move. she said, you can move, just not out of the room. she said i could still give birth on all fours if i wanted, just would need the strap around my belly..

any advice / help!!

sorry if my OP was confusing lulumama! what i meant was, the doctor strongly advises continual monitoring but was saying you could move around with these leads on.. i then heard you couldn't.. so was trying to work out the situation?

aitch that's a good idea, i'll speak to the midwife next time i see her and maybe make an actual birth plan fairly soon, that might help me feel better..

i saw the consultant at 20 weeks am due to see her again at 34 weeks as placenta currently low; will prepare very well for this appt!!

thank you all for your posts

i seeeeeee!!

keep us posted as to your progress and it there is anything else we can help with, just shout ! xx

thanx lulumama much appreciated

Hi...rushing right now (meant to be preparing some work for tomorrow... aaargh!) so haven't read all other posts. Apologies if I am repeating anything.

I refused CFM with my VBAC, although I must say that I had the complete support of my consultant in doing so. Slightly different circs from yours as I had an elective first time round because of placenta praevia, so once I knew my placenta was in the right place there was no reason to suspect that I would have difficulties giving birth naturally (must feel quite different after a traumatic first birth). I was in hospital quite a long time with my first dd (because of the placenta praevia) and was monitored twice a day. It is possible to move a bit with the monitor on, but the problem is that the 'pick ups'(or whatever they are called...???) are quite sensitive and if you move there is a chance that they move away from where the baby is and then you lose the heartbeat. This can also happen if the baby changes position. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women who try to move with CFM on are either asked to keep still by the midwives because they are having difficulty keeping track of the heartbeat or just freak themselves out because the heartbeat keeps disappearing. I was monitored with a hand-held monitor every 15 minutes (and it was great cos it also worked underwater, so I didn't have to get out of the bath to be monitored either). I moved around (in bath, out of bath using TENS, kneeling on bed, etc.) and never felt that I was being 'restricted'. It goes without saying that obviously I'd have agreed to CFM if there had been any worries about the baby's heartbeat... but she was totally laidback throughout. I really believe that not having CFM allowed me to have a successful VBAC.

HTH and good luck

I had a vbac without cfm lastweek.
The midwives were not keen on the idea, but it turned out to not matter in the end anyway. I had to be unhooked so many times for loo visits, it became quite impractical anyway!.
I wouil suggest you refuse cfm, and opt for intermittent monitoring instead.
HTH

ellbell and kdinas, were you worried about scar rupture? the consultant has made me quite scared about this! did they tell you they would watch for other signs of it (see lulumama's post below)?

kdinas did you put in your birth plan that you didn't want CFM or just say when you got to hospital?

x

haven't read all this but just wanted to add that continuous monitoring is only good if the midwifes are going to be watching the output regularly which in my experience is not done alot due to them being so busy and having to care for up to 3 labouring women.
i had a hvbac and the midwifes listened in every 10 minutes with a doppler and more in the 2nd stage. because i was at home i was lucky enough to have 2 midwifes to myself the whole time which is safer than a monitor and a midwife checkng it every hour.

like most people going for VBAC I was advised to go for medicalised birth with continuous monitoring. I read up and decided I was willing to take the risk of a problem. I think you do have to accept there is a risk but calculate for yourself how big a risk it is. I had to sign to say I was ignoring medical advice and then I headed for the Birth Centre. I couldn't have done it without a the wonderful woman who runs the Birth Centre itself - she met me, we discussed the risks, what I wanted and what she was willing to do. Having had a rough time first time round I also had a birth partner (my NCT teacher) which was wonderful. If you're at all worried, and can afford it, I would really recommend this.

Oh, meant to say that I'd been 'continuously monitored' first time. It mainly involved my midwife doing her paperwork. They said I'd be able to move around. Absolutely not possible. When I asked they looked at me pityingly! And the first thing they did was shove a canula (sp?) in my hand 'just in case' which meant moving hurt anyway. I was very keen to go for the Birth Centre second time!

thanks ladies. all very useful info. eeeek did you have CFM in first labour then an emergency c/s? don't quite understand the chronology!