- Your baby is smaller than normal and not growing well
- You are past your due date
How is the test done?
A fetal monitor is a machine that records your baby's heart rate and contractions on a strip of paper. Two belts are placed around your stomach, one for contractions and one for the baby's heart rate.
They are attached to the monitor. The test takes about 30 to 60 minutes. You will be sitting in a comfortable Lazy-boy chair or on a bed for the test. Be sure you've had something to eat or drink and don't
smoke for at least 1 to 2 hours before the test.
You will be given a button to push when you feel your baby move.
What do we look for in the test?
- Your baby's heart rate should be about 120 to 160 beats per minute.
- When it records on the paper, it should look like a squiggly line.
- When your baby moves, the heart rate should go up a least 15 beats above the normal rate and stay up for a least 15 seconds. This is called an "Acceleration".
- If you are having contractions (cramps), we look for changes in your baby's heart rate with the contractions and how close together the contractions are.
A REACTIVE test is good
- Your baby's heart rate is normal and looks squiggly.
- Your baby's heart rate has at least two "accelerations" in 20 minutes.
- There are no decreases (or drops) in the heart rate
- This tells us that your placenta is working well and giving your baby enough oxygen. It means the heart and the brain are working together like they should.
A NONREACTIVE test means the baby doesn't have the accelerations we are looking for, and may mean your baby is not getting enough oxygen. We then need to do other testing to make sure your baby is healthy.
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