What is a normal fetal heart rate? This is the question you might ask when you first become a mother and hear your baby's heartbeat.
The fetal heart is formed very early and performs the same important tasks as that of an adult. During pregnancy, the fetal heart rate is also one of the signs that the germs that grow day by day in the mother's body are healthy and developing normally.
It is extremely important to monitor fetal heart rate during the 3rd trimester and during labor to ensure the fetus is always in good condition. According to experts, the fetal heart rate should be 110–160 beats per minute during labor .
Doctors use external ultrasound to measure the fetal heart rate or sometimes attach an internal monitoring device directly to the baby's scalp to help measure the heart rate more accurately.
Your doctor will measure different types of heart rate, including tachycardia and bradycardia. They will monitor for any heart-related changes that may occur, as this is often a sign that the infant or mother is at risk for physical dangers. If there are such signs of danger, the doctor must act immediately to ensure the safety of the fetus and mother.
Doctors will measure your rapid heart rate during labor. A tachycardia is when the heart rate rises at least 15 beats per minute, lasting at least 15 seconds. This is completely normal. The rapid heart rate increase is caused by the fetus needing a sufficient amount of oxygen to breathe.
Most babies experience a sudden increase in heart rate at many points during labor and childbirth. If you are concerned about your baby's condition and your baby's heartbeat is slow, your doctor will try to make your baby's heart beat faster using the following methods:
Gently shake the mother's womb;
Press the fetal head through the cervix with one finger;
Make a short noise.
If these techniques speed up the fetal heart rate, it is a sign that the fetus is still healthy.
Hopefully this article provides you with lots of useful information about normal fetal heart rate and tachycardia during labor.
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