Baby Heartbeat Monitor

Although baby heartbeat monitors are most commonly used at pre-natal visits and
during labor, some women fancy the idea of monitoring their babies at home. The Belly Beats or Baby Beat
Fetal Doppler baby digital monitor system can be rented for as paltry as $24-$49/month or bought for as much
as $499. Women who have miscarried or have had problems with past pregnancies may find considerable comfort
and peace of mind with a system like this, which allows them to keep the movement of their baby’s every
breath to know that the pregnancy is going well.

A baby heart beat monitor is available as an external and internal type. Using an the
external baby monitor system during your term will report the baby’s heart rate, measure the period of
contractions, tests for fetal stress and evaluate amniotic fluid levels. This kind of baby infant monitor may be
a stethoscope, two flat elastic sensors or an ultrasound equipment. Sometimes the data is heard as a beeping
sound, whilst other times, a chart reading is printed out. Baby heart monitor readings are a great way to keep
track the health of the baby and sense uterine contractions during labor.

Baby heartbeat monitors can also be internal. Generally the internal baby monitor
system is only used when complications arise during labor. Once the mother’s cervix has dilated at least two
centimeters and the amniotic sac has ruptured, continuous internal monitoring is done to find out whether the
stressfulness of labor is a threat to the baby’s health and also to measure the strength/duration of labor
contractions. To do this, an electrode is inserted in through the vagina, cervix, uterus and to the baby’s
head. Chart print-outs and beeping sounds let doctors and nurses know exactly what’s going on during this
urgent time.

To prepare for heart rate monitors testing, mothers may be asked to eat a meal
shortly before the non-stress test because food digestion will increase the baby’s movements. Conversely,
contraction tests may require mothers to abstain from eating or drinking 4 to 8 hours prior to monitoring.
Mothers who smoke will need to avoid smoking for two hours before the test because smoking decreases the
baby’s activity. Doctors will check to see that the baby’s heart rate is between 120 to 160 beats per minute.
If abnormal readings occur, sometimes ultrasound video monitors will be consulted and blood samples will be
taken.