The Uses of a Baby Heartbeat Monitor by Daniel Brash

in Health / Diseases and Conditions (submitted 2012-09-30)

Pregnancy is a time filled with so many emotional rollercoaster rides that the poor woman doesn’t know if she is coming or going half the time! Apart from all the hormones, there is the added stress of worrying that the baby is healthy and active. This is where you will find that the use of a baby heart monitor, or a baby heartbeat monitor, is invaluable.

This is a device which picks up the baby heart beat and records the baby heart rate to show that all is well. Once used only in hospitals by trained medical staff, these days it is easy to purchase a baby heart monitor over the counter and to use the device to listen to the foetal heartbeat.

This is fine as long people realise that these devices should only be used as a bit of fun to help bonding with the baby and to involve older siblings. A baby heartbeat monitor should not be used to replace medical check-ups and especially if you suspect that there may be a problem. If you feel that the baby is not moving when it should be, or that you cannot detect a heartbeat, then you should waste no time in getting to the hospital and setting your mind at rest. During labour, you may need to have continuous monitoring, or maybe just intermittent monitoring.

What is intermittent monitoring?

During pregnancy, your midwife will listen to your baby’s heartbeat at your antenatal appointments. She will use a hand-held Doppler or an ear trumpet. If your midwife uses a Doppler, then you can also hear your baby’s heart beating very quickly. It sounds a bit like a racehorse at full gallop, and is much faster than the mother’s heartbeat. During labour, listening to your baby’s heartbeat using a baby heart monitor is an essential part of your care. But it won’t interfere too much with your comfort. You just need to keep still for a minute or so while your midwife listens, and then you can move around again.

Your midwife will monitor your baby every 15 minutes after a contraction when you’re in established labour. Then she’ll do it once every five minutes once you’re at the pushing stage. This is called intermittent monitoring and is used if you are healthy and have had an uncomplicated pregnancy.

The first time that you hear the sound of the baby heart beat and know that all is well, you get a huge sense of relief as well total amazement. There are many advances in technology and much bigger and more crucial ones than the baby heart monitor, but this is one of those devices which can bring an instant smile to the face of adults and children alike. This is why more and more people are investing a baby heartbeat monitor for use at home, as well as having regular medical checks with the midwife and doctor. Along with the physical things such as diet and rest, reassurance is also important.