pro's and con's of using a doppler?

[AlphaBeta82]

Have a new doppler and picked up HB at 12wks? This is very reassuring after 3 mcs but wondered if there are any pitfalls, ie not finding hb every time etc?

False reassurance. Just because there is a heartbeat at one time doesn't mean everything is hunkyfory the rest of the time.

Much better to look for patterns of movements.

Also you can easily pick up maternal HB rather than baby.

If you are not practiced/trained you don't know what you are hearing and whether it is good/bad.

I'm not a fan.

I disagree. I think if dopplers are used responsibly then they have a place in some pregnancies. The key thing is to see it as an aid (and sometimes just a fun tool) rather than a medical diagnosis.

You can easily distinguish between a mother's heartbeat and a baby's as long as you know the normal rates: this isn't an issue.

The issue is when women rely on dopplers rather than movements. As other posters have said, the baby could still be having problems despite having a heartbeat (and you could look for a heartbeat 10mins after having found one and it no longer be there). But at a time in pregnancy before movements can be monitored, I think they can give great reassurance. However once movements are able to be monitored, these should always be relied upon rather than dopplers.

Having lost a baby last year I found that the doppler brought me great peace of mind. My mum was worried it would turn me in to a crazy lady but I found that I didn't need it much, probably no more than ten times throughout the whole pregnancy, but when I did need it it worked a treat. Also, after a bad fall at work at week 30 it went some way towards reassuring my dh too. If you are buying one I would buy one that is recommended, maybe spending £40-ish rather than than cheaper ones.

I agree with Taggie and being aware of your baby's routine and pattern of movements is really important and as your baby grows and becomes stronger this will be more reassuring than the doppler is.