Checking on Baby During Labor and Birth

What is Fetal Monitoring?

There are safe ways to check on your baby during labor by listening to your baby’s heartbeat. Listening to the baby’s heartbeat during labor helps the care team know how your baby is doing. It can also help them treat problems or avoid treatments that may not be needed.  

The choices for checking on baby may depend on your health, your baby’s health, and how your labor is going.

Hands-on Listening (Intermittent Monitoring)

Hands-on listening is when a nurse uses a handheld Doppler to check the baby’s heartbeat on-and-off during labor. With this option:

• Your baby’s heartbeat is checked regularly.
• The Doppler is placed on your belly, and the nurse listens for about one minute each time.
• You can move around, use the shower or tub, and use some pain relief options.

Intermittent monitoring is a choice for you if:

• You don't have any medical problems
• The baby is healthy
• Labor starts by itself

People using this option have lower chances of Cesarean or vacuum/forceps birth.

Hands-on listening is safe for healthy babies. There is a small increase in the chance of newborn seizures when there is hands-on-listening, but this is two in 500 births vs. one in 500 births with continuous monitoring.

Continuous Monitoring

With continuous monitoring, a monitor stays on your belly and tracks the baby’s heartbeat all the time. This is the recommended type of monitoring if you or the baby have health concerns.

Here’s what to know about continuous monitoring:

• Continuous monitoring is required with certain interventions like if your labor is induced or if you have an epidural.
• This type of monitoring may lead to the use of birthing aids like vacuum/forceps.
• This type of monitoring may lead to more cesarean births (15 percent C-section rate with hands-on monitoring compared to 24 percent C-section rate with continuous fetal monitoring).  

There are different ways to have continuous monitoring.

Wireless or Mobile Continuous Monitoring

During wireless or mobile continuous monitoring, a monitor stays on your belly and tracks the baby’s heartbeat all the time.

• The monitor may be sticky pads or a belt with a battery pack.
• You can still walk and change positions.

Wired or Stationary Continuous Monitoring  

With wired or stationary continuous monitoring, a monitor stays on your belly and tracks the baby’s heartbeat all the time.

• This may limit your movement. You may need to stay closer to the bed.
• The monitor can be used if wireless monitors don’t work or aren’t available.

Internal Monitoring

For internal monitoring, a small wire is placed on the baby’s head to track the heartbeat all the time from inside the uterus. This method:

• May cause a small scratch on the baby’s head
• Is safe choice in emergencies or when more information is needed
• Is not recommended for people with certain infections like HIV or hepatitis