Auscultation of the fetal heart

The back will have been located during lateral palpation; the midwife will position the pinnard stethoscope over the anterior shoulder of the fetus. By placing the pinnard at right angles to the abdomen and pressing it gently but firmly against the abdomen, the fetal heart can be heard. It is important to take the woman’s pulse at the same time as listening to the fetal heart rate to distinguish between the two and clarify that it is the fetal heart that is being heard and not maternal pulse. The midwife should count the heart rate for a full minute. The heart rate should range between 110 and 160 beats per minute (NICE 2008).