Fetal Monitors during Labor

Fetal monitors are very important during labor. This is an electronic device that keeps track of your baby during labor and delivery to ensure that the baby is safe. Fetal monitors let the attending health care provider know if the baby is in trouble by monitoring his heart rate. It is pretty much like the instrument that is used when you go in for your regular check-up. It uses ultrasound waves to detect movements of the baby's heart. The monitor will display the movement on another machine that sits close to your bed. It will record the baby's heart rate and you can watch and see just like others in the room. The fetal monitor is normally used along with a contraction monitor. This way the doctor can tell what the contractions are doing to your unborn baby.

When the baby is healthy and is getting the correct amount of oxygen the heart rate should be around 120 to 160 beats per minute. If the baby moves, the heart rate will also go up a bit and he should be moving. The baby should be moving quite a bit if he is receiving enough oxygen. If he is sluggish or is not moving as much, then he is not getting the oxygen he needs. This is one reason that the fetal monitor is very important, the doctor needs to see how much movement your little is making and how his heart rate is doing.

A healthy baby with a normal heart rate can also have problems once labor begins and the heart rate may drop. If your baby is getting enough oxygen there should not be any change in his or her heart rate when you have a contraction. Sometimes, though, even healthy babies may show a small dip in their heart rate and it is nothing to worry about. The doctor will be watching this closely. If the heart rate drops near to the end of the contraction and stays lower then the baby is probably not receiving enough oxygen.

A slower than normal heart rate can also mean that there are problems with the baby receiving enough oxygen. A heart rate below 100 beats per minute is serious. If this occurs, your physician will be able to accelerate labor or in some cases decide on a cesarean delivery to ensure the safety and health of your new baby.