Your baby\u2019s heartbeat can tell your medical team a lot about how much oxygen your baby is receiving during labour and their general wellbeing. Monitoring your baby\u2019s heartbeat can help us keep you and your baby safe and can help you to make decisions about your care during labour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are several options to monitor a baby\u2019s heartbeat. This page provides general information about each of these methods: what they are and when they may be recommended. Not all of these options are available in all birth settings so where you choose to give birth will have an impact on your choices. For more information about where to give birth see: Birthplace decisions Information for pregnant women and partners on planning where to give birth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that you talk about what options you have with your midwife and the medical team looking after you during labour. They will explain the reasons why they are recommending to monitor your baby\u2019s heartbeat and which method they are advising. This advice can change as labour progresses and sometimes, a senior midwife or a doctor may be called to provide a review of your circumstances and give additional advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that you get all the information you need and are fully involved in this discussion as each method has its own benefits and risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NHS Lothian follows the guidance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence which was last updated on 25 March 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overview | Fetal monitoring in labour | Guidance | NICE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Your baby\u2019s heartbeat can be monitored at intervals, with a Sonicaid doppler device or Pinard stethoscope. This is called intermittent auscultation. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Your baby\u2019s heartbeat is monitored at regular intervals: every 15 minutes during the first stage of labour, and every 5 minutes during the second stage.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n If your pregnancy is uncomplicated and there are no concerns about you or your baby, research shows that this method is as safe and effective as continuous monitoring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If this option is not offered to you, it is important that your midwife and medical team explain why they are recommending continuous monitoring instead and that you understand these reasons. For women with a low-risk pregnancy, research shows that there is a chance of increased interventions with continuous CTG monitoring compared with intermittent auscultation. When making a decision, discuss the benefits and risks of each method with your midwife and medical team. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n We would use either an electronic Sonicaid device (like your community midwife uses during your antenatal appointments), or a Pinard stethoscope to do this. Midwives are trained to pick up small changes in your baby\u2019s heartbeat that may suggest your baby is becoming stressed. If this happens, we recommend switching to continuous monitoring to give us a clearer picture of your baby\u2019s wellbeing. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n Intermittent auscultation can be done at home, in the midwife-led unit (Birth Centre) or the maternity team unit (Labour Ward). <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n You can move around freely during labour and use a birth pool.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n Some women and birthing people find continuous monitoring more reassuring. We may recommend continuous monitoring if we have any concerns about you or your baby during labour. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n Your baby\u2019s heartbeat can be monitored continuously, using a cardiotocograph (CTG). <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A cardiotocograph (CTG) uses two captors which are secured to your tummy by elastic belts to monitor your baby\u2019s heartbeat, and the frequency and duration of your contractions. It produces a continuous read-out of these two measures which allows us to look for patterns which may suggest how your baby is coping with labour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Occasionally we cannot get a clear reading from your baby\u2019s heartbeat, usually due to the positioning of Mum or shape of the abdomen. If this happens, we may recommend a fetal scalp electrode (FSE) is attached to your baby to ensure we are monitoring their heart rate properly. An FSE is a small, screw-like device that sits under the skin on the top of your baby\u2019s head to pick up their heartbeat<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n This is only available on the Labour Ward.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
1. Intermittent Auscultation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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2. Continuous Monitoring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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