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Pregnancy

Anyone got a Doppler??????

17 replies

Quackers · 12/01/2004 14:23

Was considering buying a doppler as I have been a little frantic this pgcy after losing 2 babies this year. Obviously don't want to be mithering the Doctor every week for my 'fix' and wondered if anyone has one? Have seen them on Ebay and they have come down a lot in price!! Any thoughts appreciated!!

OP posts:

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cheeky · 12/01/2004 20:27

not got one but i have heard mws dont recommend them because it can be hard to find the heartbeat and can therefore cause unnecessary anxiety. Im sorry you've had two miscarriages, but im sure you have every chance of carrying to term this time. good luck

SueW · 12/01/2004 22:18

I hate them! Sorry but at the last Baby Show I went to I saw one of these being demonstrated on a pregnant woman. The company rep was having a very hard time finding the baby's heartbeat and the mother was clearly becoming very agitated and upset.

I was with a friend and we were both shocked. Suddenly the rep found a heartbeat and said 'it's quite slow - your baby is probably asleep' but friend and I were convinced it was the mother's, not the baby's heartbeat we were hearing (yep it was turned up loud enough for everyone else to hear).

nutcracker · 12/01/2004 22:23

I haven't got one, but there was one for sale on ebay last week, in the baby section.

mears · 13/01/2004 13:55

I don't like them for the reason cheeky gave. I think it also keeps you in a state of heightened anxiety. They can be tricky wee people to find, expecially in early pregnancy. Don't like the thought of baby constantly being bombarded with soundwaves either.
I can understand your anxiety quackers, but once the baby starts moving you will feel more relaxed.

NorfolkTurkey · 13/01/2004 18:21

I've invested in a Doppler as having already lost 2 babies late on and being pregnant for the third time, I'm going to be anxious anyway. I've tried twice to find the heartbeat but with no luck. At the same time I'm not worried as I realise that as mears said, it's gonna be tricky! I'm currently 14+3.

I bought it from the american ebay site and all in cost approx £80. I'm pleased that I bought it as from 20 weeks onwards I'm going to be really worried anyway and I find that the thought of it being there is very reassuring. I think that I'll be able to resist the temptation to use it constantly!

pupuce · 13/01/2004 19:17

This may be silly but if you don't hear the heartbeat and you heard it the day before.... you're going to do what? How can this prevent another late miscarriage.... I am genuinely curious to see if this would indeed prevent it.

zebra · 13/01/2004 19:46

Come 'on , Pupuce, it's just given N'kTurkey daily reassurance. It would just do my head in, too, but other folk are entitled to perceive it as reassuring... or just fun!

pupuce · 13/01/2004 19:55

Zebra - I am not at all being critical... but if you hear no heartbeat... you go to the MW, she also hears nothing and the hospital also hears nothing... surely it's too late ???? I don't understand how it can prevent another miscarriage. I am not trying to say don't buy it... but trying to understand in what way it will help.

pie · 13/01/2004 20:00

I don't think its to prevent a m/c but when you've lost a baby, especially when the baby has died before the m/c has begun, there is that fear you are carrying a baby who has already died. Knowing that the baby is still alive is probably the 'fix' quackers is talking about.

pupuce · 13/01/2004 20:00

OK - that makes more sense.... thanks Pie

NorfolkTurkey · 13/01/2004 21:32

I tried my doppler earlier and was chuffed to bits to find the heartbeat. I feel immensely reassured.

For me, Pie has hit the nail on the head in that its the reassuring fix that I and quackers need. During my last pregnancy, after 20 weeks I was up the hospital twice a week and this was purely for reassurance and despite what people tell you, your mind does work overtime.

I know that when I reach the time of previous losses (both around the same time in gestation), I will need all the reassurance that I can get. The doppler will help give me this although I am certain in my own mind that if I cannot locate the heart beat, I will not panic (I have had the doppler for about 4 weeks and have only used it twice). At the end of the day, I have lost two babies late on and I am going to worry, doppler or no doppler.

At the same time, I can see what pupuce is saying and I know what happens happens, but I purchased the doppler purely for reassurance. If it was my first pregnancy, I would not bother and be of the same opinion as most people.

Sorry, for rambling on!

Quackers · 14/01/2004 09:18

Norfolk, couldn't agree more. The reassurance that an early scan gives and hearing the heartbeat regularly is invaluable. I was a mess with the second pgcy after first m/c, stressed, anxious, hyperventilating, just plain panicked. I read in lesley Regan's miscarriage book that women given tlc and reassurance alone in subsequent pgcies after m/c had very high chance of success because they are more relaxed and confident that they know where to go if it goes wrong. Pupuce with respect you have the same opinion as my old GP, if it's going to happen it's going to happen. However my new GP is of the opinion come in when you need to have the heartbeat listened to, have early scan and I'll be here whenever you need me. The difference in me this pgcy in amazing and the panic minimal. Before i read this thread I got my doppler on Ebay. I hope that like Norfolk the time when it will be useful is around the time of losses and like her I will worry doppler or no doppler but there is no panic and that is the difference. It's not about prevention, as we all know you can't prevent a miscarriage unless you know the cause of that particular miscarriage in advance. It's about feeling you are in control and getting over the hurdles such as bad anniversaries. I don't want to be obsessed and would listen when I have a vulnerable day. Sorry to ramble, couldn't reply yesterday so catching up today!!
Mears do you think that it can really interfere with the baby?? IE the soundwaves? Say on a weekly basis?
Thanks for all your thoughts, I do take on board about not hearing and panicking.
Love Q

OP posts:

NorfolkTurkey · 14/01/2004 13:47

Quackers - for me you have summed it up perfectly. I would have thought that using it on a weekly basis would be ok but Mears is the one with the greater knowledge (I was tested on a weekly basis by my midwife in my previous pregnancy). The only thing my consultant told me this time was not to use it prior to 12 weeks as apparently the baby membrane is quite thin and the soundwaves could possibly do something to that.

mears · 14/01/2004 13:51

There realy isn't a great deal known about the effects of ultrasound. My own opinion (and it is my own) is that little babies should be left undisturbed by technology as much as possible - they are in their own safe cocoon if you like. I don't know if we should invade their private world as much as we do sometimes.

Quackers · 14/01/2004 13:58

I do agree Mears, they must be so fragile at this early stage. I'm amazed I have got this far actually, as so much can go wrong! I wish I had been a mother decades ago really when there was no knowledge about the science of having a baby and it was left to it's own devices and so was birth. I suppose the disappointments I, Norfolk and so mnay others have had make us more vulnerable and know we can get things like Dopplers etcc.. whether we should or not I suppose is personal choice. I was so innocent having my first, shame it will never be like that again!

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Quackers · 14/01/2004 15:12

Norfolk, forgive me, how come I haven't seen you on the due in July thread?????? Do you fancy coming over and chatting there about our pregnancies, as we are due within 2 weeks of each other!

OP posts:

NorfolkTurkey · 14/01/2004 18:25

You are innocent in your first pregnancy. With my first up until the moment I started to lose him, I thought - what a doddle, this is so easy! How wrong I was! One thing I've learnt is getting pregnant is one thing (not a problem for me), actually delivering a full term baby is another - and that is my problem!.

I'll see you on the July thread!

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