When the due date approaches for women it is their turn to “go to monitors” or to “become monitors”, what is it about? Prenatal fetal monitoring is a painless prenatal test performed to monitor the well-being of the baby in late pregnancy.
By graphically monitoring the baby’s heartbeat and the pregnant woman’s uterine activity (fetal movements are recorded), it is verified that the baby is well. It is a painless test that is performed in hospitals or gynecological clinics, usually from week 38 or 39 and until the moment of delivery, which is when the health of the fetus can be compromised.
The monitoring will verify that the placental function and fetal oxygenation are adequate and also, if it is performed by the gynecologist, it is usually used to do an ultrasound and / or an examination of the maturity of the cervix, the effacement state of the cervix.
What is antepartum fetal monitoring?
To do the test, the future mother is placed on a stretcher lying down or semi-sitting, with “straps” or elastic bands on the belly that have two transducers incorporated: one to control the heartbeat of the fetus and another to analyze uterine activity. The analysis takes about 30 minutes.
During this time, a graph is being recorded that records all the data thanks to the cables that connect the translators to the monitors, the screens where we can also see the activity. Sometimes they ask us to press a button connected to the monitor every time we notice that the baby moves.
Fetal well-being can be indicated by a heart rate between 120 and 160 beats per minute and five or more movements of the baby appear in the half hour that the monitoring lasts. The movements are also appreciated by the momentary increase in heart rate.
It is recommended to have breakfast or take some food or sweet drink to “activate” fetal movements , and we must also monitor contractions prior to the active phase of dilation, known as “Braxton Kicks”.
The midwife or gynecologist will help us distinguish these contractions, which are softer and painless (they can occur from the second half of pregnancy), from the stronger antepartum contractions that announce that delivery is near (a few days before the time of pregnancy). after giving birth, the cervix matures).
Until we are scheduled again for the next fetal monitoring before delivery , we will have to control the movements of the baby in the womb, taking into account that, precisely in the final stretch of pregnancy, its frequency decreases due to the little space that remains. . But even so, we have to notice their movements every hour and if they happen for several hours without noticing, go to the doctor.
Hopefully, the long-awaited moment of the baby’s birth occurs before the next prepartum monitors to monitor fetal well-being. But, in the meantime, this test will make you feel more calm knowing that everything is still fine and relax for a few minutes, something that is often not possible in our day to day life.
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In Babies and more | Frequently asked questions in the third trimester of pregnancy, What are monitors? What risks are there if delivery is delayed?
