Cardiotocography

Cardiotocography is a big word that means doctors and nurses want to listen to a baby's heart beat while it is still inside the mommy's tummy. They use a special machine that has two parts. The first part is a belt that goes around the mommy's tummy to measure the baby's heartbeat. The second part is a tiny microphone that is wrapped up in another belt to measure the mommy's contractions (when the mommy's tummy gets tight and then relaxes). The machine makes a lot of squiggly lines on paper that the doctors and nurses can read to see how the baby is doing. It helps them know if the baby is happy and healthy or if they need to help the baby come out of the mommy's tummy.