A–Z Glossary

Intrauterine pressure catheter

An intrauterine pressure catheter is an internal monitor used during labor to measure contraction strength.

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Contractions with epidural explained

Contractions with epidural explained

What an epidural changes during a contraction During an unmedicated contraction, signals generated by uterine muscle activity and cervical stretching travel through nerves to the spinal cord and brain. Labor epidural analgesia places local anesthetic, often combined with a small dose of an opioid, into the epidural space near the spinal nerves. The medication reduces […]

External vs internal fetal monitoring methods

External vs internal fetal monitoring methods

What fetal monitoring is trying to answer During labor, contractions temporarily reduce uteroplacental blood flow. A healthy fetus usually tolerates this normal physiologic stress, and the fetal heart rate pattern gives clinicians indirect information about oxygenation, autonomic nervous system response, and reserve. Monitoring is therefore not simply about one number. It is about the baseline […]

Continuous vs intermittent monitoring and why it is used

Continuous vs intermittent monitoring and why it is used

What monitoring is trying to answer Fetal monitoring in labor is designed to answer a focused question: how is the fetus tolerating uterine contractions and the changing oxygen environment of birth? Contractions temporarily reduce uteroplacental blood flow. Most fetuses compensate well, but certain patterns in the fetal heart rate can suggest reduced reserve, evolving hypoxemia, […]