Fetal distress is basically your baby showing that he is not happy, most commonly because of a temporary starving of oxygen with a contraction. The features of distress are an abnormal heart rate trace (CTG), the baby passing meconium (green stools) and sometimes an absence of movements from the baby in early labour. Mild fetal distress is sometimes perfectly OK as he is squeezed through your bony pelvis at the end of labour, at birth. It is not normal in early labour; it depends what is happening at the time, how near you are to delivering and what underlying conditions are affecting the baby and/or you as to how significant distress is. This is the reason your baby''s heart beat is assessed regularly throughout your labour.
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