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Fetal Monitors
A Necessary Part of Delivery?
By Teri Brown
Kerensa Brougham, a certified birth educator and mother of two from Portland, Ore., says that most U.S. hospitals now require some form of fetal monitoring throughout labor, although many doctors and midwives agree that it's more important during the second, or pushing, stage of labor.
"I always suggested that my students talk with their doctor about fetal monitoring, especially early in labor, when they might want to walk around more," Brougham says. "Many birth attendants will agree that continuous fetal monitoring is unnecessary, and will allow couples to have roughly 15 to 20 minutes of monitoring every hour, but leave the machine off the rest of the time. Every labor is unique, and some will require more monitoring than others."
Brougham says it's also important to ask your doctor how they will interpret different EFM or IFM results. Some birth attendants feel a drop in fetal heart rate indicates the need for an immediate Cesarean section. Other attendants might give Mom a whiff of oxygen first to see if baby's heart rate will come back up before immediately moving Mom into surgery.
Many natural birth advocates believe that constant fetal monitoring increases a woman's chances of having instrumental delivery, C-section or infection. Though scientific studies don't prove that fetal monitoring improves outcomes, many doctors are not willing to take that chance, especially when it may be their professional lives on the line.
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