Wait until the woman is resting and relaxed. Put the pads of two fingers on the pulse. Do not use your thumbs, because there is a little pulse in your own thumbs which could confuse you.

A woman sitting in a relaxed position while a HEP measures her pulse rate

Make sure the woman is sitting in a relaxed position when you measure her pulse rate.

If you have a watch with a second hand, or there is a clock with a second hand, count the number of beats in the mother's pulse for one minute. Write the number down.

At first, have someone look at the watch or clock for you, and tell you when one minute has passed. Many people find it hard to count accurately while looking at a watch. They tend to count one pulse beat every second, no matter how fast the pulse is really beating.

If you do not have a watch with a second hand, check the pulse anyway. You can learn to tell if it is slow, normal, or fast compared to your own pulse, and to other women's.

Last modified: Wednesday, 16 July 2014, 5:22 PM