interventions
Fetal Monitoring During Labor
How baby's heart rate is monitored during labor to ensure well-being.
Overview
Fetal monitoring tracks your baby's heart rate during labor to ensure they're handling contractions well. It helps identify if baby is in distress and needs intervention.
External monitoring uses two belts around your belly - one for baby's heartbeat, one for contractions. Intermittent monitoring checks periodically; continuous monitoring is constant.
Low-risk labors often use intermittent monitoring, allowing more freedom of movement. High-risk labors, inductions, and epidurals typically require continuous monitoring.
💡 Key Points
- •Monitors baby's heart rate response to contractions
- •Two types: intermittent and continuous
- •External (belts) or internal (scalp electrode)
- •Helps identify if baby is in distress
- •Continuous required for epidural and high-risk
- •Wireless monitors available at some hospitals
📖 What to Know
- →Normal fetal heart rate: 110-160 beats per minute
- →Heart rate should vary (variability is good)
- →Accelerations are reassuring
- →Decelerations happen - not all are concerning
- →Continuous monitoring may limit movement
- →Wireless monitors allow more mobility
- →Sometimes needs adjustment to pick up signal
✓ How to Prepare
- →Understand why monitoring is important
- →Ask about wireless monitoring options
- →Discuss intermittent vs. continuous
- →Know that continuous limits mobility but ensures safety
- →Don't refuse monitoring - it protects baby
- →Ask questions if staff concerned about readings
- →Position changes may affect monitor readings