By the time a pregnant woman reaches 40 weeks, it is already the final stage of pregnancy. However, during this final and most important period, if there are any physical problems, they can also be very serious. Monitoring fetal heart rate in pregnant women is an important task at 40 weeks of pregnancy. What happens if fetal heart rate is added at 40 weeks of pregnancy? Let me explain it to you below.
During the 31-40 weeks of pregnancy, the average rate is 139 beats per minute. If the fetal heart beats more than 160 beats per minute or less than 110 beats per minute, or if the heartbeat is irregular, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, jumping and stopping, etc., it is considered abnormal.
The fetal heart sound is usually heard most loudly on the abdominal wall of pregnant women above the back of the fetus, and the location of the loudest heart sound varies depending on the position of the fetal head. It is beneficial for pregnant women to learn how to count the fetal heart rate per minute. If the fetal heart rate is less than 110 beats per minute or greater than 160 beats per minute, it indicates an abnormal fetal heart rate and further monitoring is required.
In most cases, fetal heart rate abnormalities indicate hypoxia in the uterus. The more severe the fetal heart rate abnormality, the more severe the fetal hypoxia. However, not all fetal heart rate abnormalities are caused by hypoxia. In addition to the above situations, the pregnant woman's own condition also affects the changes in fetal heart rate. For example, if the pregnant woman has a fever, the fetal heart rate often exceeds 160 beats per minute. If the pregnant woman has hyperthyroidism, her own heart rate is very fast, and the fetal heart rate often exceeds 160 beats per minute. If pregnant women take certain medications, it can also cause an increase in heart rate in both mother and child.
Fetal heart rate is an important indicator to ensure the health of the fetus. At the critical point when the fetus is about to be born, expectant mothers should pay attention to symptoms that occur at 40 weeks of pregnancy and understand what is going on with fetal heart rate at 40 weeks of pregnancy. So that expectant mothers can safely pass the 40th week, allowing the fetus to spend the last period of time healthy in the womb, and welcome the arrival of new life.
