Continuous monitoring during hospital VBAC?

[mrs_park]

I'm planning my VBAC for my baby due in Sep, and I've been told that the hospital would want to monitor me continually. My first thought is whatever keeps baby and I safe is fine with me. But then I realised this will mean that I won't be able to use the bath or shower which I found really useful and soothing in my last labour. (though they've assured me I can still be mobile and active, I will just be on a leash

I know that I can decline or refuse continuous monitoring for intermittent but what are the risks?

 

[irish_cob]

Have a look here

https://www.nct.org.uk/birth/vaginal-birth-after-caesarean-vbac#What monitoring

I remember reading something else which basically said that monitoring by an experienced MW was far better at picking up issues than a machine. I can't remember where it was I read it.

My concern is that once you're on that machine, as far as the staff are concerned, that's that box ticked, and they're then basically handing over your care to the machine and relying on the machine to tell you and them when something goes wrong. As I understand it, there are much earlier warning signs which an experienced midwife can pick up on sooner that the machine can, changes to your blood pressure for instance, if you start indicating pain which they think is unusual for example, and these things are likely to be seen before the machine starts picking up anything going awry in the baby.

I'd rather be under the care of a midwife in a 1:1 ratio with her attending me and the baby constantly, than stuck on a machine which is supposed to be doing the job of a midwife whilst the actual midwife is looking after 3 other labouring women at the same time. That's my fear about accepting continuous monitoring, you're then seen to be "safe", and you don't need as much attention from real people, the machine can do it all.

 

[Viola Payne]

Constant monitoring was an awful experience for me and one that i will definitely refuse in the future. Basically it kept me chained to the bed the whole time, it made it so everyone was obsessed with the machine and no one paid attention to me, plus it was really dehumanizing because once i was looked up all they paid attention to was the baby and treated me like some kind of receptacle. It really enabled them to treat me and baby as two distinct patients and gave them complete control over the entire process. Also i think my baby hated it because he was really stressed out when he was born plus the belts hurt something fierce plus they eventually started trying to get me to do fetal scalp monitoring saying it was "best for baby". I would definitely not do that again. Big mistake.

 

[bunnyg82]

Obviously you know you can decline, but it might also be worth asking if they have remote control monitoring. When I raised concerns at my hospital, I was told they can now monitor remotely and you don't need to be chained to the bed and can even go in water etc. though I'm planning a homebirth and so won't be having continuous monitoring, but it was good to know that they offered that.

My worry if they didn't offer that is ending up in the worst position (on your back). In my first labour I had about 1/2 hour of monitoring and it was so painful just lying there x