Heart beat dropping during contraction?

[yourstruly10]

her ladies

I just had my visit from the home care nurse( wasnt my usual nurse though someone I had never met) and while I was on the monitor( about 25 minutes) I had 3 contractions and during one of those contractions her heart rate went from 156 down to 105. The nurse seems slightly concerned during but when the contraction was over it took a minute and her heart rate was back to normal and she was moving all over the place and the nurse wasnt concerned anymore. When she was all done I asked her if it was ok and she said yes because her heart rate did bounce back but for some reason I cant shake the feeling that it wasnt ok. Im sure she knows what she talking about and im just scaring myself but I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about this and could maybe reassure me more. My doctor is out of town until the 31rst with no one covering for her so I cant call her.

 

[BetsyRN]

First of all, how well is the baby moving and how many weeks are you? I think you're right to be concerned. I'm an L&D RN, and if someone had a heartrate deceleration while having an NST, the next step would probably to continue monitoring the baby (on the heartrate monitor) and to possibly get an US with a BPP (looks at fetal breathing & movement and amniotic fluid amount). No one's covering your MD? You can't call the office and express your concerns? Most likely everything is okay but I think it's strange for her to blow it off and you should go with your gut.

 

[yourstruly10]

Thanks BetsyRN. baby is still moving great. Lots and lots. Im 32 weeks and a nurse is here for daily monitoring due to me going into pre term labour last weeks which was stopped thankfully.

I had a BPP last week and am having another one on friday because my fluid level was an 8( was told that was the low end of normal) so hopefully they will recheck everything again then. I was left on the monitor another 10 minutes after the slow heart rate during the contraction and next contraction her heart rate stayed steady and it never dropped again. Unfortunately there is no one at my doctors office. It is just her and a nurse and her receptionist and when she's gone the other two are not there. my only option when she is gone is the hospital.

Hopefully my nurse tomorrow will be able to make me feel better about it or do something about it.

 

[BetsyRN]

Too be honest, if we monitored babies constantly your entire pregnancy we would definitely see occasional drops in the heartrate that don't mean there's anything wrong and that wouldn't cause any harm. You're even more likely to see these if the baby hasn't flipped to head down position yet and you have a low/low-normal AFI. Everything is probably okay, and it sounds like you're being monitored appropriately. Good luck today!

 

[a_c]

Poppy's heartrate did this all the day I was monitored whilst on the drip in hospital. It was only when it did not rise again after the contraction did people get concerned.

 

[LorelaiLana]

I was told the same thing in the antenatal class today...it is normal for the heart rate to drop during a contraction, but it has to pick up after the contraction is over and if it doesnt thats when they worry more.

The same goes with higher heart rate as well. Higher than 166 or 160 dont know for sure is also bad itseems since the baby cud be tachychardic!

 

[GingerNut]

From what I've been told during traces, fluctuations are actually healthy; if the heartrate stays regular it's not normal.

A contraction constricts the blood vessels in the placenta and temporarily reduces the baby's oxygen supply so a decrease is expected. As long as it goes back up afterwards it's absolutely fine.

 

[hardworknmama]

During labor with my second his heart rate would drop with contractions and then raise after the contraction was over. It was determined that this was occuring due to how he was in position with the cord, he was laying on it just right that when I contracted the cord would be squeezed. They did end up putting me on oxygen for the rest of labor which was only 45 minutes or so. LO was and is still fine. I would listen to your doc or home nurse and base your reaction off of thiers, even when they are trying to hide thier feelings they still come through. Good luck!

 

[gills8752]

Last time I was in labour my babys heart rate dropped during a contraction but it recovered after. When the heart rate didn't recover after contractions then it was when I had an emergency delivery. But before that, they weren't too worried.

 

[FeistyMom]

With both of my LOs the heart rate would drop during contractions - it was small dips at first, and then during transition the drops were under 100. The nurses monitored to make sure that the rate went back fairly quickly (it was almost instantaneous). It also helped if I was positioned on my left side instead of my right, although my right was more comfy!

They keep a close eye on it, and are concerned when it drops but only insofar as they are paying close attention to when the heart rate recovers. As the PP said, its only when the LO doesn't recover their normal heartrate between contractions that interventions are done.