What should be in my labor/delievery records?

[lexapurple]

I requested copy of my chart from my midwife in hopes of gaining some understanding of what was happening in during my prolonged labor.

There are short descriprtions of prenatal visits, newborn evaluation, postpartum exam and birth record that shows how long was the labor,  presentation and if there were any complications to ether mom or baby. However there are absolutely no notes that have been taken during labor and that is kind of info I was looking for. Should notes like contraction timings, heart rate monitoring readings been included in my chart if they were taken?

[jgale]

Yes

[C.Arden]

Yes, I find that very odd.  All three of my records (3 different midwives in 3 different states) are packed with all the little details/info. 

[dogmom327]

I only got a copy for DD birth and granted the MW wasn't there very long (maybe 90 minutes before she was born and then the typical few hours afterward--but that's how I wanted it), but there were lots of little notes including heart rate and a lovely line about me refusing a heart tones test (actually I told her to stop touching me and not nicely...but to be fair DD was crowning and I had a contraction coming on and I no longer cared about anything but getting her out--which happened 30 seconds later).  My poor midwife

[crystal_buffaloe]

Kind of off-topic, but I recently got $70 worth of med records from my hosptial birth, and it didn't include anything about contraction timing or heart tones, which I was really surprised about. You'd think that in that 100+ pages of paper there would be some room somewhere for notes during labor and the fetal monitoring that was happening.

[lexapurple]

Thank you.

I found it odd since I remember her taking notes and I was in labor for 40+ hours.

I will contact her again.

[LaurenAnanas]

I just got mine and while they had all of that charting-type stuff, the thing I really wanted to know, presentation, was completely absent.

And I really wish they had better handwriting.