This high-tech replacement for the ear trumpet is used to track the baby's heartbeat. Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) will be used routinely in all cases of high-risk pregnancies, but most mothers and babies don't require it. You will have EFM if you are being induced or your labour is being accelerated for any reason, or if you have opted for epidural anaesthesia. Its main function is to give warning of fetal distress. If your doctors decide that you and your baby would be better off with EFM, try to see it as a source of reassurance. You can watch your ...

To ensure a healthy pregnancy, you must attend your antenatal check-ups regularly. Although most pregnancies proceed normally, these visits and investigations are vital to monitor your progress and spot problems before any harm is done. Women at high risk, and those women with an existing condition such as diabetes or having a Rhesus negative blood group, are carefully monitored so that the baby's welfare is never in jeopardy. You will attend an antenatal clinic at either the hospital where you will have your baby or at your doctor's surgery. Most of the women attend once a month or so up until 7 ...