Definitions for "Fetal monitoring"
These tests enable health care professionals to monitor the baby's heart rate and check its well-being before delivery. It usually occurs during the last 10-12 weeks of pregnancy. There are two types of fetal monitoring. For both tests, a device is strapped to your abdomen and the results are recorded. One is called the non-stress test, which is performed without requiring you to take any medication. A stress test is the other kind of fetal monitoring. This test is often recommended if the non-stress test is abnormal. For this test, you will be given the hormone oxytocin (which is normally secreted by mothers when normal labor begins) to stimulate uterine contractions. The contractions are a challenge to the baby, and if the heart rate slows down rather than speeds up after a contraction, the baby may be in jeopardy. The stress test is considered more accurate than the non-stress test.
The use of an instrument to record or listen to a fetus' heartbeat during pregnancy and labor.
A procedure in which instruments are used to record the heartbeat of the fetus and contractions of the mother's uterus during labor.