Active Fetal Monitoring Offers Complete Picture of the Fetus As It Grows Inside the Mother’s Womb

There are two types of fetal monitoring that should be considered when monitoring a pregnancy: the passive monitoring or the active monitoring. In the passive monitoring, the attending physician is not required to insert a finger in the amniotic fluid. Instead, the baby’s blood pressure is read by attaching a Doppler to a stethoscope worn by the nurse or other medical professional. If the baby is showing any signs of difficulty breathing or appears to be gasping for air, then the nurse will act as soon as possible and place the baby into airway position using the stethoscope. Once the baby breathes, the monitoring is ended and the process of delivering the baby begins.

With the active fetal monitoring, it is possible to get a more complete picture of the fetus as it grows inside the mother’s womb. With this type of procedure, you can look at the heart rate, blood pressure and other indicators of fetal distress. If a problem is found, the attending physician can immediately change the course of action. The major advantage of this procedure is that you can have the physician right there in front of you giving you his or her opinion on what is best for your child.