Lisa and lippy- I'm live in Essex! I'm from London originally, but now live with partner on his family farm (he's a farmer) near Halstead in north essex.
debs I've rented a "hi bebe" doppler from this company www.hi-baby.co.uk/acatalog/Hire_a_Doppler_.html .
Great service, arrived next day delivery via Royal Mail and came with a big bottle of gel to use with the machine. Really easy to use, you just wack on some of the gel, and then put the probe to your tum and move it around the general womb area until you pick up the hb! I tried it as soon as it arrived and got nothing, tried again 5 days later at just over 9 weeks and could hear a tiny galloping horse in my tummy! DP was on a stag do but rang him up and made him listen over the phone, and then took it to my parent's house the next day for them to have a listen!
I am a bit of a skinny minny and i have heard that if you are a bit curvier it can be more difficult to hear, as the sound has to travel through a bit more padding if you see what i mean! Reckon most people would get a good result by 16 weeks though.
I've been using it once a week on average, and have so far found a heartbeat every time. The trick is to scan very low down, as even at this stage (I'm 16+3) the baby is still quite low, even though the womb has pushed up into the pelvis. In the early days i would often pick up my own heartbeat/pulse first, but when you first find the baby it's obvious as it's so much faster! You can also hear the "whoosh" of the placenta.
I had a scare at 7 weeks with a bleed, and have found the doppler incredibly reassuring while i wait for my 20 weeks scan. Having said that, I'm really strict with myself on how often i use it as it could get a bit much if you let it, checking all the time etc! I have had a couple of moments of panic where I've rushed for it, and it is a comfort.
addictediam what a traumatic time you've had, so glad you came through it and are busy seeing your next dc safely into the world.
shonno know exactly what you mean with your pet hates. I'm amazed by peoples reaction when i tell them that we are not finding out the sex of the baby - I've always felt strongly that a healthy baby is all i'm after, especially after my scare early in the pg, yet people seem to take it as a given that all will be well and that i should be eager to find out if we've got a pink or a blue one! As long as the baby is safe that is all I'm concerned with.
Great to hear some of you are starting to gather stuff for the babies, like you abeautifulbutterfly we've been offered a travel system an a few other bits from close relatives, which will help enormously. My mum is desperate to go shopping for stuff, but i won't let her buy anyting until at least after the 20 week scan. We're moving house in August so i also want to hold off until we're in the new house before i bring any baby stuff home, or else i'll end up moving it twice! Might have a little browse over the next few weeks though, those sales will be tempting!