A normal fetal heart rate is between 110 beats per minute to 160 beats per minute.
A fetal heart rate of between 110 beats per minute to 160 beats per minute is considered normal throughout most of a pregnancy.
The fetal heart rate may fluctuate naturally in response to the baby's activity and uterine conditions.
In the very early stages of pregnancy, the fetal heart rate may be around 110 beats per minute.
Then as the pregnancy progresses, the fetal heart rate may increase to around 140 beats per minute to 170 beats per minute at around 9 weeks and then the fetal heart rate will gradually slow down to the 100 beats per minute to 160 beats per minute range.
The average fetal heart rate also tends to be lower in late pregnancy, and is typically around 130 beats per minute.
Monitoring of the fetal heart rate is a common procedure during pregnancy and labor to asses the baby's well being.
And if the fetus has an excessively fast or slow heart rate, or even an irregular heartbeat, can be a sign of potential problems.
A fetal heart rate is monitored through use of cardiotocography and handheld doppler devices during prenatal visits.
The two main methods of monitoring a fetal heart rate are external monitoring using a handheld Doppler or an electronic monitor, and internal monitoring using a fetal scalp electrode.
External monitoring of a fetal heart rate involves applying a transducer to the maternal abdomen to detect the fetal heart motion.
And internal monitoring of the fetal heart rate requires the attaching of a small electrode to the baby's scalp.