The word midwife means “with women”, a wonderful image that speaks to the vital act of listening to the women we serve. While that picture is important to keep in mind, I assert it is incomplete. As midwives we are directly responsible for a minimum of two lives: the life of the mother and the life of the fetus. Obviously, it is easier to “listen to” the mother, as she is able to communicate thoughts and feelings with us. However, we also need to tune in to the little one inside who deserves, at least, equal attention.
Laying our hands upon the belly is the first way to connect with the babe inside the womb. Once the uterus emerges from the pelvis, we can begin to find the fetus with our hands. Through Leopolds maneuvers we can determine the position of the baby, and know where to find the heart tones. Listening to heart tones with a Doppler uses amplified sound waves and therefore is not as accurate as auscultation of the fetal heart rate. Auscultation with a fetoscope provides true beat-to-beat information, but is harder to identify until the second trimester. Feeling for size and listening to the heartbeat are vital to assessing the growth and development of the fetus. However, there is more to be considered.
The word midwife means “with women”, a wonderful image that speaks to the vital act of listening to the women we serve. While that picture is important to keep in mind, I assert it is incomplete. As midwives we are directly responsible for a minimum of two lives: the life of the mother and the life of the fetus. Obviously, it is easier to “listen to” the mother, as she is able to communicate thoughts and feelings with us. However, we also need to tune in to the little one inside who deserves, at least, equal attention.Laying our hands upon the belly is the first way to connect with the babe inside the womb. Once the uterus emerges from the pelvis, we can begin to find the fetus with our hands. Through Leopolds maneuvers we can determine the position of the baby, and know where to find the heart tones. Listening to heart tones with a Doppler uses amplified sound waves and therefore is not as accurate as auscultation of the fetal heart rate. Auscultation with a fetoscope provides true beat-to-beat information, but is harder to identify until the second trimester. Feeling for size and listening to the heartbeat are vital to assessing the growth and development of the fetus. However, there is more to be considered.
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