Baby Handling Contractions?

eg214

Since I'm in the care of midwives and don't have NST's (or a need for them I guess so far) and other "invasions"...how do I know baby can handle contractions? I've seen a few women on my birth board talk about how their babies have had a hard time handling contractions and I worry since I've never been tested...how do I know she handles them just fine? Anyone have experience with this?

barista411

Once you go into labor your midwife will monitor their heartbeat with a Doppler or connect you to a monitor briefly. They will watch to see if the babies heartrate accelerates or decelerates with contractions. Based off of what they observe they can tell how the baby is handling the the contractions.

eg214

Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying. I guess BH aren't really a concern then.

Rrrrrachel

how they handle BH aren't really going to tell you much about how they handle the real deal. 

aylafsu88

I had a natural birth friendly nurse at the hospital. She was great and very non evasive. She used a doppler to check LOs heart beat several times during my labor. I was in the tub on my hands and knees. She just kind of stuck it in the water and held it there for a couple of minutes. I was only in the hospital for about 2 hours before LO was born and she checked me 3-4 times with the doppler.

eg214

Rrrrrachel. That's what I was most concerned with. I know they check me once I'm actually in labor with the doppler.