Re: FHM

[Carole Gilmour]

Dear Anne I am pretty sure that there is no research and thus no references to define frequency of auscultating the fetal heart.  It is one of those practices that has become set in practice from historical usage and professional agreement.  Most places where I have worked the protocols were that in established labour we listened every 30 mins in 2nd stage prior to commencing pushing 15 minutely and once active pushing has commenced every 5 mins or after each contraction.  Obviously each woman is an individual and in treating her as such it may be seen as acceptable to listen less frequently in earlier labour or more frequently if there is some concern and continuous monitoring is not possible.    Carole ----- Original Message ----- From: Anne Clarke To: OZMIDWIFERY ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, May 26, 2002 12:15 PM Subject: Re: FHM Dear Deb and all,   Thank you for this information, but I was actually looking for why we monitor either by doppler or pinnards - the interval during labour to listen to the fetal heart not the electronic version of listening to the fetal heart.   Why do we listen at all to the fetal heart e.g. hourly, 1/2 hrly etc and the interval that we listen to the fetal heart during second stage too e.g. after every contraction or every other contraction.  Why and how where these intervals chosen, I for the life of me cannot find any references.   Should we be listening less (remember I am not talking about electronic - CTG - monitoring) or more often than we a doing already.   How often are you all listening to the fetal heart during the stages of labour and why?   With thanks, Anne Clarke Brisbane