My Baby"s Heart Rate - What is Normal?
Pregnancy can be a worrying time for all involved, especially the mother.
There are so many things to take into consideration, such as your own health, if you are eating the right foods to help the baby grow, how much rest you are getting and if you are going to give birth to a healthy, normal baby.
Of course, these are all natural thoughts and fears and no-one will tell you that you should not be having them.
They are all part of the process of becoming a mother or parent.
Whilst you are pregnant, an excellent way to determine if your baby is healthy is to listen to it's heart rate.
The heart rate of the fetus is a good indicator if there are any problems that need to be examined more closely by the doctor or midwife.
To be able to do this at home, you will need a product called a Baby Heart Rate Monitor or Fetal Doppler.
This is similar to the ones used by the midwives or obstetricians to listen to the heart rate when you attend for your check-ups during your pregnancy.
The consist of a small, portable unit and a probe that is placed onto the stomach area, where the sound of the heart beat can be heard.
These products are quite easy to use at home too and can be something that the whole family enjoys.
Hearing your baby's heart beating for the first time is a wonderful experience and something you will always remember.
With a monitor, you will be able to see how many beats per minute (BPM) the heart is going.
A normal reading is anywhere between 120 to 160 BPM.
Also, the younger the fetus is, the faster the heart rate will be.
As the baby gets closer to delivery, the heart beats slower, becoming more in tune with the mothers speed.
Any readings outside of these 2 measurements could be due to many different reasons.
Seek medical advice straight away to ensure that there is nothing wrong, but also bear in mind that although these device are accurate, they are not perfect and a proper medical examination should take place before you begin to worry too much.
There are so many things to take into consideration, such as your own health, if you are eating the right foods to help the baby grow, how much rest you are getting and if you are going to give birth to a healthy, normal baby.
Of course, these are all natural thoughts and fears and no-one will tell you that you should not be having them.
They are all part of the process of becoming a mother or parent.
Whilst you are pregnant, an excellent way to determine if your baby is healthy is to listen to it's heart rate.
The heart rate of the fetus is a good indicator if there are any problems that need to be examined more closely by the doctor or midwife.
To be able to do this at home, you will need a product called a Baby Heart Rate Monitor or Fetal Doppler.
This is similar to the ones used by the midwives or obstetricians to listen to the heart rate when you attend for your check-ups during your pregnancy.
The consist of a small, portable unit and a probe that is placed onto the stomach area, where the sound of the heart beat can be heard.
These products are quite easy to use at home too and can be something that the whole family enjoys.
Hearing your baby's heart beating for the first time is a wonderful experience and something you will always remember.
With a monitor, you will be able to see how many beats per minute (BPM) the heart is going.
A normal reading is anywhere between 120 to 160 BPM.
Also, the younger the fetus is, the faster the heart rate will be.
As the baby gets closer to delivery, the heart beats slower, becoming more in tune with the mothers speed.
Any readings outside of these 2 measurements could be due to many different reasons.
Seek medical advice straight away to ensure that there is nothing wrong, but also bear in mind that although these device are accurate, they are not perfect and a proper medical examination should take place before you begin to worry too much.
