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What is fetal monitoring?

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com

This is an external fetal monitor used to listen to baby in labor.

External Fetal Monitor

Photo (c) iStockPhoto

Question: What is fetal monitoring?

Answer:

Fetal monitoring is a catch all term to talk about how we watch your baby during labor. Fetal monitoring is done by both a midwives and doctors at home births, birth center births or hospital births.

The type of monitoring you will need for your labor will depend on where you are giving birth, who your practitioner is and how complicated your pregnancy and labor are. There are several types of monitoring:

Monitoring a low risk woman is less intensive than the woman with a high risk pregnancy. Though in general, studies have shown that an increase in monitoring, particularly for low risk women, has not improved pregnancy outcomes, but it has increased the intervention rates, like cesarean section.

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