BILLINGS – New technology at the Billings Clinic will make life for some laboring moms a little easier.
The new wireless fetal monitor attaches to the stomach of the mother and is able to track the mom and baby through the delivery process. The monitor tracks fetal heart rate, maternal heart rate and uterine activity, all with a lightweight patch that sticks to the skin.
Because no cords are required, the expectant mother can move around throughout labor, which can provide a more comfortable experience.
“It’s been proven in multiple studies that being able to ambulate and be up and in different positions, such as birthing balls, in the shower, in the tub – these different positions help moms with the actual labor process itself,” said Haily Fisher, a nurse at the Billings Clinic Family Birth Center.
Fisher said it also requires less maintenance than the traditional fetal monitors used in most hospitals. When the laboring mom changes positions or the baby moves the monitors have to be re-positioned to properly capture activity. Since these new monitors are attached directly to mom without extra wires, once they are on they do not have to be moved again.
Nurses at the Billings Clinic began using this technology in February, and it became available in the United States for about a year and a half.
