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| |    Fetal Assessment in the Third Trimester by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. Once you start the third trimester, the chances that your baby could thrive outside the womb go up every week. Although the uterus is usually the best place for a fetus until full term, there are situations in which uterine conditions are not so healthy. If the baby starts to show signs of distress, he may be better off being delivered quickly and getting his nutrition and oxygen in the nursery. When action is necessary How do we know how the baby is doing? In healthy pregnancies, a fetus that is growing well and moving every day is showing us he is OK, and no special monitoring is necessary. In cases where there are risk factors, however--such as a pregnancy that has gone well past the due date; a mom who has high blood pressure, long-standing diabetes, or other significant health concerns; or slow growth or other signs that the fetus isn't getting enough nutrients through the placenta--we watch the baby extra closely using the fetal surveillance tools we have at our disposal. These tools include fetal movement counts, non-stress monitoring, contraction stress tests, and the biophysical profile. If these tests are reassuring, the pregnancy can continue without too much worry. If they are equivocal, the baby can be watched extra closely, or if he is full term, labor can be induced. If there is a clear-cut problem, even a preterm baby may be delivered because he would be expected to do better outside than inside the uterus.
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