Fetal heart rate monitoring: Can I have a normal birth if the fetal heart rate is too fast?

Fetal heart rate monitoring sometimes finds that the fetal heart rate is relatively fast. Will this affect normal delivery? Generally speaking, if the fetal heart rate is relatively fast, it may be caused by fetal hypoxia. During the delivery process, due to the squeezing of the birth canal, fetal hypoxia may be further caused, which will affect the normal delivery of the fetus. There are many factors that affect the normal delivery of the fetus, such as the size of the fetus, the position of the fetus, and whether the birth canal is normal.

Then the treatment measures must be changed accordingly, and pregnant women must be prepared for various delivery situations. As for the question of whether natural delivery is possible if fetal heart rate monitoring is not good, you can look at the following analysis. Can I give birth naturally if the fetal heart rate monitoring is not good? If the fetal heart rate is not very good, there will be certain risks in giving birth naturally. Natural birth may cause hypoxia in the baby. It is recommended to have a caesarean section.

Fetal heart rate monitoring uses the principle of ultrasound to monitor the condition of the fetus in the uterus and is safe for the fetus. By using the curve of the monitoring graph formed by the instantaneous fetal heart rate changes recorded by the signal, we can understand the fetal heart rate response during fetal movement and uterine contraction, and infer whether the fetus in the uterus is suffering from hypoxia.

Precautions for fetal heart rate monitoring

(1) Fetal heart rate monitoring uses the principle of ultrasound to monitor the condition of the fetus in the uterus and has no effect on the fetus.

(2) Fetal heart rate monitoring usually lasts about 20 minutes, so expectant mothers should avoid being hungry and empty their bladder before undergoing fetal heart rate monitoring; and choose the most comfortable position, such as semi-recumbent or sitting.

(3) If the fetus is unwilling to move during monitoring, it is very likely that the fetus has fallen asleep. You can gently shake your abdomen to wake the fetus up. If the fetal heart rate monitoring results are not very satisfactory, then the monitoring may continue, so expectant mothers should not be too anxious.

(4) If the pregnant woman has high-risk factors such as intrahepatic cholestasis, post-term pregnancy, moderate to severe gestational hypertension syndrome, or a history of stillbirth, monitoring should be performed at least twice a week. If there are abnormalities in fetal heart monitoring, monitoring should continue until delivery.

Starting from the 37th week of pregnancy, expectant mothers should do fetal heart monitoring once a week, using instruments to record instantaneous changes in fetal heart rate. This is the basis for understanding fetal movements and fetal heart reactions during contractions, and can also infer whether the fetus in the uterus is suffering from hypoxia. If the expectant mother has comorbidities or complications, it is best to start fetal heart monitoring from the 28th to 30th week of pregnancy. Fetal heart monitoring should be done once a week in the late pregnancy. After providing venous blood and finger blood, the expectant mother should also contribute a little ear blood to detect whether her hormone levels are within the normal range, thereby indirectly understanding whether the placenta is functioning normally.

Confirming the fetal position is a very important examination before delivery. The doctor will tell you whether the fetus is in cephalic presentation (head first), breech presentation (breech first), or other abnormal fetal position. This is an important basis for determining whether the expectant mother will give birth naturally or with surgical assistance. Before giving birth, the expectant mother should undergo a comprehensive examination to learn about childbirth and lay the foundation for the baby's smooth birth.

Special examination: Before 38 weeks, vaginal discharge, even a little bit of water is abnormal. This means that the amniotic membrane has ruptured and amniotic fluid has leaked out, which is commonly known as "premature rupture of membranes." Usually, the fetus will be born about 12 to 24 hours after "premature rupture of water". If a small amount of water flows out of the vagina intermittently for several days or longer, the fetus will have a greater chance of infection as it loses the complete protection of the amniotic membrane, the umbilical cord is prone to prolapse, and the mortality rate is higher. So, if this happens, lie down and go to the hospital immediately.