When the birth date approaches, women have to "go to monitors" or "become monitors", what is it about? Fetal monitoring before delivery It is a painless prenatal test that is performed to control the baby's well-being at the end of pregnancy.
By graphically monitoring the baby's heartbeat and the uterine activity of the pregnant woman (fetal movements are recorded), it is verified that the baby is well. It is a painless test that is performed in gynecological hospitals or clinics, usually from week 38 or 39 and until delivery, which is when the health of the fetus can be compromised.
The monitoring will verify that the placental functioning and fetal oxygenation are adequate and, in addition, if performed by the gynecologist, it is usually used to perform an ultrasound and / or an examination of the maturity of the cervix, the state of erasure of the cervix.
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What is preparatory fetal monitoring?
To do the test the future mom is placed on a stretcher lying down or semi-sitting, with "straps" or elastic bands on the belly which have two transducers incorporated: one to control the beat of the fetus and another to analyze uterine activity. The analysis takes about 30 minutes.
During this time, a graph is 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 we are asked 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 of between 120 and 160 beats per minute and five or more movements of the baby appear in that half hour of monitoring. The movements are also appreciated by the momentary increase in heart rate.
In Babies and more Feeling or loss of fetal well-being: what it is, what its symptoms are and what causes itIt is recommended to have breakfast or take some food or sweet drink to "activate" fetal movements, and we must also monitor the contractions prior to the active phase of dilation, known as "Braxton Kicks".
The midwife or gynecologist will help us to distinguish these contractions, softer and painless (they can occur from the second half of pregnancy), from the stronger, preparto contractions that announce that the delivery is close (a few days before the moment of giving birth, the cervix matures).
Until they summon us 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 drops due to the little space it has left. But even so, we have to notice their movements every hour and if they happen several hours without noticing it, go to the doctor.
Hopefully, before the next pre-delivery monitors to control fetal well-being The long-awaited moment of the birth of the baby occurs. But, in the meantime, this test will make you more calm knowing that everything is going well and relax for a few minutes, something that is often not possible in our day to day.
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