A fetal monitor is a tool used to observe the(FHR) and uterine contractions throughout labor. The FHR is measured in beats per minute (bpm), and the uterine contractions are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Contractions are recorded on the fetal monitor as a waveform, which can be utilized to find out the energy, period, and frequency of the contractions.
To learn contractions on a fetal monitor, first determine the baseline FHR. The baseline FHR is the typical FHR over a 10-minute interval. Contractions are then recognized as deviations from the baseline FHR. A contraction begins when the FHR decreases under the baseline FHR, and ends when the FHR returns to the baseline FHR. The energy of a contraction is measured by the amplitude of the waveform, which is the distinction between the height and trough of the waveform. The period of a contraction is measured from the start to the top of the waveform. The frequency of contractions is measured by the variety of contractions in a 10-minute interval.
