What it means
It may be done now and then with a handheld Doppler (intermittent auscultation) or nonstop with electronic fetal monitoring. Externally, an ultrasound transducer on the abdomen picks up the heartbeat and a pressure sensor records contractions; internally, a small electrode can be attached to the baby's scalp once the membranes have ruptured. The tracing is read for the baseline rate (normally 110–160 beats per minute), variability, accelerations and decelerations, always in relation to contractions.
For the nurse
Place the transducer where the heartbeat is clearest, usually over the baby's back, and confirm that the rate you hear is the baby's and not the mother's pulse. Report a tracing outside the expected pattern at once and begin the facility's first steps, such as repositioning the client.
At a glance
| Also written | electronic fetal monitoring, fetal monitoring, EFM |
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Related terms
uterine contraction
A tightening and then relaxing of the muscle of the uterus (womb), as happens during labor.
fetal heart rate
The number of times the unborn baby's heart beats per minute.
deceleration
A temporary drop in the fetal heart rate below its baseline, seen on a fetal monitor.
nonstress test
A prenatal test that records the fetal heart rate for about 20 to 40 minutes to see how it changes when the baby moves.