And have a fetal monitor on her by the time I get in there.

At the head of the bed, a fetal monitor beeped steadily.

The fetal monitor showed a normal heart rate in the minutes before birth, and at 7:57 the baby's head popped out.

Patty still had the fetal monitor on, which was left in place for the time being.

But the fetal monitor was still sending out its alarm.

But the fetal monitor, when read correctly, is perhaps the single greatest reason why it's so rare to lose a baby during labor these days.

Electronic fetal monitors have been under attack for more than a decade by some women's groups and parts of the medical community.

If there is a problem with the baby, "you need a fetal monitor to back you up," she says.

One important topic to talk about is how your doctor uses the fetal monitor.

The last glance I had of the fetal monitor showed a really strong heartbeat.