Just wondering if I'm the only one that didn't really know how they attached them? One was attached to Jack during labour and I remember asking the doctor at the time if it would break the skin and I was advised no, it's just a clip. A day or so after he was born I noticed a small scab on his scalp, I was told of course that's not what it was from.

A thread on another forum made me think about it a bit more and I consulted Dr Google to find that it is attached with a tiny cork screw shaped needle. I'm sure there are many situations that this is necessary and the data provided is life saving but geez, it would have been nice to have been told the truth and have the chance to make a truly informed decision.

Am I the only one who honestly had no clue? http://www.birth.com.au/Variations-of-the-...monitoring.aspx

We were told that during our pre natal classes and I had no problem whatsoever with it. I guess cos I already knew about it... Audrey had a little scab too, but hardly noticeable.

We were also told this is how it would be done should it be required (which it wasn't).

Hmmm. I was definitely told during labour before they attached it that it was a needle.

They had three (unsuccesful) goes and Will had the three little scratches from it.

I wasn't told how it was attached but I don't have a problem with it, I didn't notice a scab on Koby's head and it was the only way to monitor his heart rate during labour because he kept kicking the monitor strapped to my belly.

We were shown what it looked like in an antenatal class. I immediately thought - poor baby! But was reassured that it is very simple and causes no lasting damage.
If we need monitoring during labour bubs will probably end up with it as she won't stay still and moves away from wherever they postition the CTG!

A good visit to the osteopath afterward would be required I reckon!!!

i wish we didn't have it - they can't be sure if it was the foetal probe or the forceps but isabelle was the only one subjected to both and contracted a staph infection.

so you saw this delightful machine as well

It wasn't used during my labour, but it was shown to us at antenatal classes. Everything was shown to us, the forceps, (Which scared the bejeebers outta me) and vaccume, (Which left a big bruise on Klay's arm!)..everything.

We weren't ever shown in classes, and thnk god we never had to have it..

Yikes! We did have it, but were never told about it before hand (ie. at antenatal classes) nor was it explained to us properly when we were preparing to have it. My memory of the birth is pretty foggy, but all I remember was being told something along the lines of "we need to do this, it won't hurt the baby". Actually, I think the doctor mentioned it attaches to the baby's head, but never in a million years would I have thought that was by corkscrew! I think I envisioned it as being kind of like one of those head scratcher/massager things that look like a giant daddy longlegs spider, and it would jut sort of rest on the baby's head, with a little bit of pressure, if that makes sense? If we have another bub, I am happy for fetal scalp monitoring to go ahead if it's needed, but I won't be so quick to agree to it unless it really IS needed.

I had to have on Bubs head the whole labour ( 5 hours) i wasnt told or shown what it was.

My OH was taking photos of bubs head coming out of me - Both him and My Mum said as Ry's head came out it popped off and squirted blood everywhere - we have the pics to show with blood pouring out. It did scab over very quickly and in hospital i was instructed to put breast milk on it. It so far hasnt caused any probs or left a mark.

TBH i thought through out my labour it was a sticker

OMG - my heart just sunk into my stomach. Elka had one as well, but I had no idea it was a cockscrew needle thing. She only had a tiny little scab, wow, if I had known I would have dealt with the stupid mointor. I thought I was well educated, dont know how I missed this one. I guess I believed the midwife when she said it was a clip and assumed it was like something they use to do an ECG

I knew what it was, but I was annoyed that everytime I was given an internal they knocked the thing off which meant they had to put another one on. This happened 3 times.

Not a nice though that's for sure, but at work we have cases where it really was needed and the women still declined - I certainly won't be declining if it is thought to be necessary.

same! He also kicked off the contraction monitor a few times.

with the scalp monitor I was shown how it would attach told the reasons why they wanted to attach it and asked if I was ok with that. At that stage Ryan had already had about 3 blood tests taken to monitor his oxygen levels due to other issues and to be honest I was quite happy for them to be thorough. I wouldnt hesitate to let them do it again given the situation I was in and given that Ryan was being squeezed through a tiny little hole I dont think that the scalp monitor left any lasting impression on him. However - I dont agree with this sort of monitoring unless there is a problem that they are aware of, some hospitals are being forced into routine foetal monitoring due to legal reasons which I think is a bit wrong.

also I didnt notice any other marks on his head other then scratches from his blood tests.

We got shown one in our ante-natal class yesterday.

It is a bit "off" that they didn't advise you how it was connected.

I had one during labour I never knew what it looked like before and after connecting until now. I feel a bit mad actually now, that it was never explained or shown to us. I thought it was connected by a sticker.

whilst i feel sick to see what it was, and the bleeding from it looked horrible in pics. Im not angry or upset they used - it was obviously for a reason. Ry kept kicking off the monitor on my tummy - if they hadnt used it would we have know his heart beat rapidly went down ?

I wasn't shown it at all just assumed how it was attached was by a needle of some sort. I was offered this during labour for bub if I wanted to use the ball as this was a comfy position for me but they were unable to get a heart beat for Angus (was induced so they needed to monitor his heart beat). I declined, I didn't want bub to get hurt and I had had enough of people putting their hands up there by that stage too.

Having said that is it was absolutely necessary I would have said yes.

Angus had a very small scratch on his head when he came out from when the waters were broken.

Marshall had one on during his birth. Actually they put it on twice and then pulled if off when I had to have the emergency csec. He has a tiny little scratch. My ob suctioned him out during the csec anyway so his head was a mess.

It looks nasty, poor things! But I guess being born isnt the easiest thing a baby goes thru anyway!

Nope I had no idea I thought it was a clip too, and wondered how they had got it to attach! We had to have him monitored because of the meconium (sp?) and the fact I kept doubling over and squashing him and setting the monitors off!

We had been shown one in our classes, but to be honest I had forgotten what they looked like until I just looked at those pics!

Mayana had to have one, her heartbeat was quite erratic and they were having a fair bit of trouble keeping a trace of it with the other monitors. It was dropping quite low (had midwife very concerned a number of times) during every contraction. They asked me if they could use one, and tried to show it to me and explain what they were going to do, but I immediately just said that I was happy for them to go ahead. I trusted my midwife enough to know that if she thought it was necessary then it probably was.

I didn't notice any marks on Mayana's head from it at all. They took it off her when it was time for me to start pushing. I think compared to what bubby goes through during labour and birth, a foetal scalp monitor (when used out of necessity) is fairly harmless and insignificant!

alana - IMO there is only a few cases were continual foetal monitoring is actually required, otherwise sporadiac monitoring via doppler is fine - that's all i had with molly - she was checked once in labour and that was after isabelle being 'in distress' (yes well that's what happens when your drip is turned up completely but that's a whole other issue and topic).

nope another one who had no idea LOL

My issue is more with the increased use of continuous fetal monitoring leading to decreased chance to remain active and potential increased risk of intervention/c-section.

There is of course an infection risk from it as well... I don't think the actual needle itself is a huge issue and I certainyl can't see why a baby who had it would need osteopathy, a babies head is designed to mould and get squeezed in the birth canal so a needle isn't going to cause any long term distress.

I had continuous monitoring due to potential fetal distress (severe meconium staining) and then actual fetal distress, however, if the same thing happens this time I will push for intermittent monitoring. It's just as safe.

I'm another that doesn't have a problem. Its just a needle - just not a conventional shape so appears to us a bit macarbe. Babies get a jab not long after birth anyway don't they?? And I'd suspect the trauma of birth itself would cause far more distress. I somehow doubt midwives or OBs would inflict pain and damage on a baby being born without good reason?

But then, I'm always more concerned with life AFTER birth than the birthing process and "interventions" itself. My babies could be surgically removed out my nose for all I care, so long as we are both healthy.

My only issue would be if I was given inaccurate information.

Sorry i dont really understand your point of quoting and posting back to me. As i stated i needed it - are you saying in your opinion it may not have been needed? Sorry if you are saying this i'll leave it up to the midwife to deem when it was or wasnt needed.
Would they have know his heart beat had gone down if i wasnt having continuse monitoring? Would the buzzer been hit to get a team of nurses in there to help happen? Again im glad they used it, i dont want to know they outcome if they hadnt seen him go into distress - Thankfully they chose my "case" becuase it worked for me. Also my opinion only.

Sorry if have taken your comment in the wrong way - maybe you meant it in generally they use it too much? Just couldnt quite get around the wording.

Your not the only one, I didn't know either. We didn't have one though. I would be most annoyed by the fact they lied. If it was deemed to be needed then I would have it done but it would be nice to know about it 1st. I think they should of told you the truth given you were asking.

I was told it was a 'clip' too... still extremely pissed off about that one as in my case I don't believe it was needed, so the risks were unnecessary. Informed consent my ass.

alana - just when you mentioned how would they have known if his heart rate dropped - there are other ways and means of knowing if a baby is in distress than constant foetal monitoring - not having a go hun

it should be a case by case assessment but patients need to be fully informed of everything that constant monitoring may bring prior to it being done.

^^^I couldn't agree more^^^

We saw it in our antenatal class the other day and it is a pretty tiny coil. If when I give birth the midwives/OB say they think there is a need to use it, then go ahead.

Exactly.

Unfortunately 'informed consent' is a concept that a lot of obs and hospital staff are a bit hazy on. (Patients too for that matter.)

I was told it was a 'clip' beforehand - we didn't need it thankfully - and I pictured a kind of bulldog clip! To be honest I think that would be more painful than a little needle. But I didn't want constant monitoring of any kind so was happy it was never suggested by staff.

Liam had one on his head and to be honest I couldn't remember when they put it on as I had all manner of people around that 'area' and all things being shoved up me .

When the c section was done he had quite a noticeable scab on his head. My mum recommended putting a big dollop of moisturiser on it overnight and the next morning we gave him a bath and the scab slipped right off.

I'm glad it was attached because he got quite distressed hence the c section.

I don't have a problem with it at all.

I had it in labour with Jedd but not Ella... if it meant being able to monitor my baby closer to make sure he wasn't in distress, I wasn't going to argue.
He simply had a minor scab on his head which healed within a couple of days

I was induced at 38 weeks due to high BP. When they broke my waters Jaydens heart rate was all over the place and they couldnt track it at all and were quite worried. They put the fetal scalp monior on and watched his heart rate and it slowly returned to normal, thank god.

So it for me was great and yes he had a little scab but it was no biggie

I knew how they were attached from seeing them at work. My midwife asked if I consented to Georgia being monitored via a scalp monitor because she was having problems getting her heart rate with the doppler; before then I'd had intermittent monitoring. I said yes, but she arrived before they had a chance to put it on her!