Perhaps the most amazing thing women experience while they are pregnant, other than being transformed into a human coffee table, is hearing their unborn baby’s heartbeat inside of them. It is what mothers-to-be look forward to most when visiting the doctor, as seeing and hearing their new arrival before it even arrives gives them peace of mind and indescribable joy. Portable fetal doppler machines now easily allow the parents to monitor the baby’s breathing from the comfort of their own home. These machines, available for rent or sale, are now available in the U.S. and U.K. in numerous types and prices, so before you make the investment, make sure you know what signs to look for in a legitimate product.
A home fetal doppler is a battery-operated, pocket-sized device that can be used as early as 8-12 weeks into the pregnancy. Using a home fetal doppler can be reassuring if you are very anxious about your baby's well being. It is also be fun to listen to your baby with your partner and other members of the family, and has also become useful for surrogate mothers. Furthermore, sounds produced by the home fetal doppler can be recorded and saved onto computers for emailing .
Dopplers can run anywhere from $20-$50 to rent and $145-$550 to purchase, so be sure to shop around and find the best deal possible. Some websites and stores offer deals, and some may include batteries and/or gel while others may not. Research the websites, check for a warranty, and make sure the product measures up to safety regulations.
The doppler sends out low-frequency ultrasound waves that travel through your skin and tissue, and what comes back are the waves translated into sound. Gel or lotion should be used to aid the transmission of these waves. It may be difficult to use a home fetal doppler if you have never done so before. Trying to find the heartbeat can be frustrating, so upon buying your doppler, take it with you on your next visit to the OB so he or she can help you locate your baby’s heartbeat. Move the probe very slowly, tilting it downward towards the pubic bone. Make sure to use plenty of doppler gel. Regular skin lotion will also work just as well. Be aware that you will also hear other things besides a heartbeat—particularly working organs and blood flowing through the placenta.
It is for this reason that using a home fetal doppler for personal benefit may have the opposite effect that it is intended to, and may make you more anxious about your baby rather than less. Identifying the sounds you hear will take a little practice, so to help make the experience less frustrating and more enjoyable, make sure you carefully read the directions so you will be using it properly and you will know how to interpret the sounds you hear.
While there is no evidence that home fetal dopplers are harmful in any way, there is also no research available to concretely prove they have no harmful effects. For instance, is it all right for a mother to listen to her baby two or three times a day throughout pregnancy? Because we do not know whether dopplers are 100 percent safe for such frequent use, you may want to be cautious about how often you use it.
By Kelley Caner