Freedom of movement during continuous electronic fetal monitoring?

[janellesmommy]

If you have continuous electronic fetal monitoring, is it possible to be off the bed and moving around? I ask because someone told me that their hospital midwife told them that they'd need continous EFM but that they would still be allowed to move around as much as they wanted.

[Baby_Vol]

It's technically possible -- but -- speaking from experience, the monitors slip at the slightest movement and loose the heartbeat. At my hospital, the nurses came in and jumped on me for moving because they lost the heartbeat. That's one big reason I'm going to the birthing center this time.

Have her talk more to her midwife about it. Maybe she can think of a way to prevent them from slipping. That's really the main problem.

[QueenOfThePride]

I moved all around with the belly monitors on. They did keep slipping, so I had the nurse tape them in place.

[katsam]

I had to have it at one point, and the nurse said I could get on the birthball and move around.

[hetaera]

It seems like one of those things they "say" and in theory it sounds okay... but in practice not so much.

I know I couldnt even roll over without it getting off his heartbeat. Then they would come in all huffy because they had to find it again.

pft.

[Ackray]

We have telemetry efm where I work. Mama's can get up and move around the OB unit. They do tend to slide around and lose the hr though.

[Ironica]

I had continuous EFM for my son's birth. Step 1: put straps around belly; Step 2: show me and DH how to unplug the cords for when I needed to go to the bathroom. ;-) The cables were long enough that I could sit in the rocking chair near the bed without unplugging, too.

I think the monitors slipped once or twice, but I was there for 36 hours before I got an epidural, so that's doing pretty well. OTOH, I'm not small ;-) so maybe they were just able to be a bit more snug on me than on some moms.

I frankly barely remember them. I remember the plug-end much more than the belt components.

[ishyfishie]

Mine wasn't continuous, but for the "20 minutes every hour" (I managed to get out of it after the first time by staying in the shower until time to push) I had to stay lying on my left side. I was furious because my pelvis hurt most on my side and the contractions hurt more too, so I was ready to tell her I'd stay still sitting on the side of the bed the next time but no way was I going to lie down again, but fortunately, I didn't have to worry about it.

[4C-mom]

absolutely i could move around. sat on birth ball, sat on edge of bed, stood up beside bed, leaned on bed, on all 4s, on knees leaning over back of bed, etc. i was offered intermittant monitoring but decided it would be more annoying to have them taken on/off, on/off. they really never disturbed me.

[wannabe]

Yes, of course (it's called telemetry monitoring if you want to ask at your hospital). They're waterproof, too. Mine had wires to a small box that hung around my neck, but I saw some today that are just the small round monitor, no wires.

But as PP said, depending on your body, your baby and your movements, they may need lots of adjusting to keep track of the baby. But that's what doulas and nurses and people are for (crouching next to you in the shower holding the bloody thing in place ). For me the only time I noticed it was in the shower (I had continuous because I had pitocin), at other times I assume they got fiddled with, but I was too busy dancing around on my toes and leaping off the edge of the bed and stuff to notice.

[terrabella]

Originally Posted by wannabe

Yes, of course (it's called telemetry monitoring if you want to ask at your hospital). They're waterproof, too. Mine had wires to a small box that hung around my neck, but I saw some today that are just the small round monitor, no wires.

But as PP said, depending on your body, your baby and your movements, they may need lots of adjusting to keep track of the baby. But that's what doulas and nurses and people are for (crouching next to you in the shower holding the bloody thing in place ). For me the only time I noticed it was in the shower (I had continuous because I had pitocin), at other times I assume they got fiddled with, but I was too busy dancing around on my toes and leaping off the edge of the bed and stuff to notice.

:

[cdmommie]

They told me I could move with it, but when I did they lost the heart beat and sometimes the baby would go to sleep and it would drop. So, long story short they tried to put an internal monitor in OUCH! Luckily she was still at -3 so they couldn't reach her scalp. Realisticly movement is not easy with continuous monitoring.

[happyhippiemama]

I had continuous, and the nurses continuously came in and made me lie back down. I smiled and nodded and got up again as soon as they left.

Eventually they put in an internal and then I bounced and rocked and walked all I wanted.

[courtenay_e]

Theoretically, yes. Within the five foot radius the cords allow, unless you have telemetry...however telemetry is expensive and few hospitals have it (only one in our immediate area, out of half a dozen hospitals, have it).

Practice, however, is a bit more difficult. It DOES tend to slip, or the baby moves, and then they have to come in and fix it. That messes with the "rythm" the momma acheives when she gets in her zone, as the lights come on, people talk to her, and often they end up making her lie a specific way (usually side or back) to "get it on the monitor".

Sometimes, it works out just fine, but more often than not, it is a huge pain. On top of causing unneccesary cesareans and not preventing the problems they're "supposed" to prevent. Have her do some reading--The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth is a great start.

[onelilguysmommy]

ha..well, i nplugged mine about every 20 mins or so for most of my labor, (induced with pit, so required ) and went to the bathroom with my 1st son never seen a portable machine before.

[Ironica]

Ok, so... I think there are differences at different places, and for different women. I just checked with my DH, and his impressions were the same as mine. Here's what I recall...

They'd come to our room every so often, look at the big beeping wall, make clucking noises or smile approvingly, yadda yadda. No one ever came and said they'd lost the trace or anything. This made me think they didn't have a readout at the nurse's station at all, and DH said the same thing when I was talking about it.

BUT... then I remembered another screen in our room: it showed the contractions and fetal heart rates for all the OTHER women laboring in all the OTHER rooms. ;-) So I'm guessing they did also have that screen at the nurse's station.

I don't recall them having to adjust the belts more than a couple of times, or complaining about losing the data remotely. So this may be a physiological difference (the belts fit me better), an equipment difference (their belts stayed in place better), or a management difference (they just didn't freak out like some folks do).

[Sileree]

I remember seeing in the new edition of the Labor Progress Handbook that had a drawing of a woman on EFM, and she used a folded washcloth between the monitor and band to keep it from slipping off. Maybe that would help?

[mamabearing]

possible but challenging

If you are on the thin side ( not me! ) then continuous can be easy in any position and you don't lose the tracing much. Also experiment with the belly band vs the straps and see which is more comfortable. The washcloth to angle it or stabilize works too.

Telemetry is great if you have access to it.

Another solution for those who are dilated enough and water is broken is an internal scalp electrode. I know most people, probably ESPECIALLY here, might think that its crazy. But if you can't keep a tracing and the nurses are driving you nuts constantly adjusting it ...boy...it is a great solution. I ASKED for one. I am a nurse. I was on my hands and knees, on the ball, walking I never held still the whole labor. I think it helped me to give birth without any meds as I wanted because moving was very important to my comfort and I liked being left alone ie not having to worry about the monitor moving when I moved. I have actually but one of the FSE's in my hand just to see how much it hurt and it was like a splinter...not a big deal. Of course, there is a slightly increased risk of infection but if your labor is progressing well and otherwise normal I think it is a very reasonable choice for a person who isn't bothered by the idea. It was my preference.