Vaginal electrohysterography: the design and preliminary evaluation of a novel device for uterine contraction monitoring in an ovine model (.).

Objective: Tocodynamometry is the most common method of labor evaluation but most clinicians would agree it has limited utility before 26 weeks of gestation. The obesity epidemic has further reduced our ability to accurately detect uterine contractions using the tocodynamometer at any gestational age. We sought to design and test a novel contraction monitor that bypasses the maternal abdomen.