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| Home > Complication & Medications > Monitoring Techniques
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| | Monitoring Techniques in Preganancy
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Your doctor or midwife becomes aware of labor variations and can detect most complications by keeping a close surveillance over you and your baby during labor. The monitoring techniques described below serve several purposes:
They gauge the progress of your labor
They help identify variations and complications and
They help your partner decide how to manage your labor, especially if it is a difficult one.
Monitoring the Mother
Periodic vaginal examinations determine the dilatation of the cervix and the station, presentation, and position of the fetus. They are often recorded on a time chart or labor graph, showing how your labor is progressing. The nurse will observe the frequency and intensity of your contractions, who will either put her hand on your abdomen or she will use an electronic monitor. Your blood pressure, temperature, pulse, urine output, and fluid intake will be recorded throughout labor.
Monitoring the Fetus
Fetal heart rate:The fetal heart rate will indicate how your fetus is doing. It responds to the changes in the availability of oxygen or to other stresses. Obstetrician monitors the fetal heart rate by auscultation (listening) with a special fetal stethoscope or with a hand-held ultrasound stethoscope called "the Doppler. An electronic fetal monitor (EFM) is also used to monitor the fetal heart rate, a machine that records and prints out graphs of uterine contractions and fetal heart beats. The machine is connected by wires to various sensing devices placed on your abdomen or within your uterus. It records and prints out graphs of uterine contractions and fetal heart beat.
 Amniotic fluid:The look of the amniotic fluid provides use-ful information about the baby`s condition. An infection could be detected by an offensive odor. A green or dark color indicates that the baby may have expelled meconium from his bowels. A fetus under stress excretes meconium. So this is a danger signal. Your doctor may need to keep a tab on the fetal heart tones to find out if there is fetal distress or a serious slowing of the heartbeat.
Fetal scalp blood sample:On suspecting fetal com-plications the doctor may extract a sample of scalp blood from a small cut in the fetus` head. The blood sample when analyzed will give an indication of oxygen deprivation.
The Need to Start Labor
A doctor or midwife and the parents agree that it is in the best interest of the mother or baby to induce labor in a woman who is suffering from complications. This can only happen in late pregnancy after assessing the mother and testing for fetal well-being and maturity.
Prolonged pregnancy, prolonged rupture of the mem-branes and preeclampsia are some of the most common reasons for starting labor. A small fetus as per gestational age, and illnesses faced by the mother like diabetes, heart disease and so on, may also need induction of labor. The suspicion or knowledge of any of the above condition will necessitate close monitoring of the mother and fetus. If the continuation of pregnancy harms either of the two, labor is induced.
You may try some ways to start your labor. If you succeed, you may be able to avoid a medical induction of labor. There are some disadvan-tages for these procedures. Several methods are available to help you induce labor, time permitting. Pitocin administration is most common method for medical induction of labor.
Ways to Start or Stimulate Labor
At times, when it is important to start labor or when labor is progressing too slowly, the following measures may be adopted by you to hasten your labor. You need your doctor`s advice before trying any of these techniques.
Nipple stimulation
Stimulating your nipples releases your own Oxytocin, which contracts the uterus and often succeeds in either ripening the cervix or starting labor. These measures need several repetitions hourly or for half a day.
Self-stimulation: Lightly stroke or brush your nipples with your fingertips. You will feel con-tractions, often within a few minutes. This has to be repeated off and on for several hours. Massaging with warm moist towel every hour thrice a day may also help.
Electric or manual breast pump: Use a pump for ten to twenty minutes per breast. * (Electric pumps are often avail-able in the hospital.)
Caressing and oral stimulation by your partner: Try this for as long as you find it useful and pleasant or until con-tractions strengthens.
Nursing a borrowed baby: Suckling by a six to twelve -weeks old baby seems the most effective form of nipple stimu-lation. At this age, babies are usually efficient suckers, but do not mind sucking from the breast of someone other than their mother. The baby needs to be awake and not very hungry; a sleepy baby will not suck and a hungry baby gets irritated as no milk flows. The baby`s fussy period is a good time because the baby often wants simply to suck and not to drink. Suckling for at least ten minutes on each side seems to be effective. Wash your breasts and hands and sit on a waterproof pad because your membranes might rupture.
Walking
Walking may help start labor, but it is more effective when the labor is in progress.
Orgasm, clitoral stimulation, intercourse
Sexual excitement, particularly orgasm, induces contractions of the uterus. Prosta-glandin (a hormone) is released into your bloodstream by your partner, through his semen and by your uterus when you have an orgasm. They act directly on the cervix. Stimulation of the clitoris either manually or orally may also be effective. Intercourse or genital stimulation can be performed as long as the membranes are not ruptured. Do not try this, if they have ruptured. Do never blow -in to the vagina as it is dangerous Do not use these techniques to attain your goal - rather enjoy the sexual experience.
Bowel stimulation
You can sometimes start labor by stimulat-ing and emptying your bowels. The reasons for this are not fully understood. The contractions of the bowels may increase the production of prostaglandins which start the uterine contractions. An active bowel may irritate the uterus.
Enema: Uterine activity can be stimulated with the help of an enema which causes enough bowel movement and start labor. Buy complete, compact disposable enema units at your drugstore. Have the enema at home. An enema is also available in the hospital.
Castor oil:It is a strong laxative. It promotes powerful contractions of the bowel. Castor oil administration has limited benefits, but has been used for years. Take two tablespoons at first. You can enhance its flavor by mixing it with two or three tablespoons of orange juice and a teaspoon of baking soda. Stir and quickly swallow. Repeat every thirty minutes. Castor oil may cause pain-ful cramping and diarrhea so it is not an agreeable way to begin labor and it may not be preferable over Pitocin. It is sometimes used in combination with an enema.
Tea: Blue cohosh tea is given to induce labor. Your nurse should be able to guide you on which tea to have since they contain active ingre-dients that enter the bloodstream and therefore stand for a medical approach to inducing labor.
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