June 4, 2025

What’s EFM and Do You Need It For Your Birth? with Caroline Jones

Today we’re diving into a topic I’ve wanted to explore for quite some time now: External Fetal Monitoring (EFM). I held off, however, because I wanted to ensure we had the right medical professional to guide us through this important conversation- and I’m thrilled to say that we do.

To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Caroline Jones. Caroline is a certified nurse midwife practicing in New York City and a childbirth educator with The Parent Collective. She particularly enjoys supporting parents throughout postpartum, and she created the Postpartum Prep Workshop to proactively address common postpartum experiences and concerns.  Caroline lives in Westchester with her husband, toddler, and dog. 

In this episode, Caroline draws from her extensive experience as a midwife to shed light on all things EFM. We discuss what it is, the pros and cons, the differences between intermittent and continuous monitoring, and more. We also delve into evidence-based research and explore which types of monitoring may be appropriate in different scenarios- including internal fetal monitoring. My hope is that this conversation equips you with the knowledge to make informed choices about fetal monitoring and empowers you to advocate for those choices in birth!

In this episode, you will learn:

  • About Caroline and what inspired her to become a midwife
  • How midwives use monitoring during birth
  • The pros and cons of EFM
  • What a handheld Doppler is, and when it is used
  • Intermittent monitoring- what it is and when/why it’s used
  • When and why someone may need full time EFM
  • Evidence based research around EFM
  • When and why someone would need internal fetal monitoring
  • One tip or final piece of advice Caroline would like to offer new and expectant parents
  • Where you can find her work

**Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com

About Caroline:

Caroline Jones is a certified nurse midwife practicing in New York City and a childbirth educator with The Parent Collective.  She is passionate about educating parents-to-be, thus empowering them to step into birth and new parenthood with confidence.  She particularly enjoys supporting parents throughout the postpartum transition, and she created the Postpartum Prep Workshop to proactively address many common postpartum experiences and concerns.  Caroline lives in Westchester with her husband, toddler, and dog. 

Connect with Caroline:

https://profiles.mountsinai.org/caroline-reid

Check out similar Yoga| Birth| Babies episodes:

  • Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE 
  •   If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify!

To connect with Deb and the PYC Community: 

Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter

Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center

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