Fetal Heart Rate: What's Normal & What to Expect

Question
What is the range that a fetus heart should beat.  I am trying to figure out if my baby has a fast heartbeat or slow heartbeat---it was 142 a minute?

Answer
Hello Amanda. A normal fetal heart rate is between 120 and 160 per minute. Yours is just fine. It will not always be the same- if baby is sleeping it will be slower, if awake and lively, faster, if you have just eaten, it will be faster. We want to see lots of variability because that tells us that the part of the fetal brain that controls the rate is well supplied with oxygen. Hope that helps- Cheri.