State Based Birth Monitoring System

A method of monitoring a birth process, comprising: receiving, over time, a plurality of position signals from one or more positioning elements or tissue areas located at least one of a cervix and a fetal head; and determining a discrete state of labor of a fetus that is wholly inside a body responsive to said position signals, with a temporal resolution of better than 15 minutes, said discrete state being other than a start or stop of labor and encompassing more than a single contraction, said state including a state other than an abnormal fetal head position.