Psychological responses to the use of the fetal monitor during labor.

Fetal monitoring, a major advance in obstetrical care, transforms the labor room into an intensive care setting. The psychological effects of this new technology were investigated by means of structured interviews with 25 postpartum women. The multiplicity of psychological responses obtained are described. The relationship of demographic, obstetrical, and psychosocial variables to women's overall positive or negative reaction to the monitor was investigated. Personality characteristics and life experiences with pregnancy and childbirth were factors that shaped the manner in which the monitor was experienced. The effect of fetal monitoring on maternal anxiety is discussed. The impact of mechanization on the total experience of childbirth is noted.