Objective. To assess which of three different methods of monitoring the fetal heart in labour was preferred by labouring women. Method. Ninety-nine women in the first stage of labour were enrolled into a prospective clinical study to compare their preference for fetal monitoring with a Pinard fetal stethoscope, an innovative wind-up Doppler ultrasound fetal heart rate monitor, and cardiotocography. Result. Significantly more women preferred the fetal heart rate monitor to the other two methods (p=0.001). Conclusion. Intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart during labour with a fetal monitor is more acceptable to labouring women than monitoring with a Pinard fetal stethoscope or a cardiotocograph
