Should I buy a Fetal heart beat moniter, or is it just going to stress me out?

[SadPander]

I was a bit disapointed that I didn't get to listen to the heart beat at my 16 week appointment, as I'd heard so many other people saying they had that I assumed this was the norm. Unfortunatley its just not something they do where I live. I've also been having the ongoing worrying and paranoia which seem pretty common for first time mums and at 16 + 4 haven't felt any movement or flutterings at all.

I've been considering buying a heart beat moniter from ebay, but not sure if its a good idea. If I can't find the heart beat the I imagine I'm going to be totally stressed out and even more worried in the run up to the 20 week scan! Would you/have you bought an at home moniter and would you reccomend it or just suck it up for the next 4 weeks and wait for my anomoly scan to see if all is okay?

I wouldn't - you'll feel kicks soon enough, and it's too easy to pick up your own HR with a monitor if you're not used to using one. Later in pg monitoring kicks is much more effective. I know the wait is agonising. Have you tried lying on your front - that's when I first felt my DS!

I bought one that I managed to find the HB from around 9 weeks, however this is baby number 3 and I have a posterior placenta, I also bought one for baby number 2, who's placenta was anterior and didn't get anything at all the whole way through, so my advice would be to wait until your anomaly scan and find out where your placenta is before buying.
And to be fair, I've probably used it about 5 times....(I'm 38.6)

I wouldn't bother...

I bought one immediately after my 16 week appointment, as I did hear the heartbeat and the MW found it straight away with her machine, so I thought it would be nice for the kids to hear it.

It was rubbish, the noises could have been mistaken for a HB until I put it on OH tummy (I am a bit childish sometimes) and it sounded exactly the same.

I am 22 weeks and I have not felt any kicks yet, and this is my 3rd (albeit a 13 yr gap) and this is because my placenta is at the front and shielding me from the kicks.

I wouldn't stress yourself out or waste your money :)

Thanks everyone, that is kind of what I thought so I will save my money and wait for the scan. Haven't tried lying on my front so will give that a go too. The waiting at this stage seems awful, most symptoms have cleared up and no bump to speak of so I'm not feeling very pregnant at the mo, but will try to be patient!

I rented one for a month before my 12 week scan and have to say that I never had trouble finding the heartbeat. If you don't want to commit then maybe give that a go? When you're at your next midwife app ask if you can hear the HB, they don't always do it but they'll have the equipment there! I'm still only feeling light flutterings at 19 weeks so be patient, they will come!

I got one but have just been sensible with it only use every couple of weeks or so. Struggled to recognise the different noises at first - placenta, my hb, baby's hb and kicks and movement etc.
Once I'd deciphered the code as such it is quite comforting to listen to but I was worried about what is I didn't hear anything but it just took some patience, a quiet room and a sensible head. Best £15 I ever spent

I wouldn't bother, but I understand why some people do. A friend gave me hers to try and I thought it was a bit crap. Lots of outside interference and static.

The literature says that you mustn't worry if you can't find a heartbeat, as you're not an expert and they're not infallible etc. I didn't see the point in buying one.

I wouldn't bother, I toyed with the idea myself as I'm quite a worrier but decided against it, it could be unnerving if you find it one day then the next day he/she has moved position and you can't catch it. Don't worry you'll start feeling movements soon enough, I'm 20 week now and the movements are just becoming stronger now and less like little flutters.

About not hearing the heartbeat at the midwifes. Mine said they wouldn't do it at 16 weeks and I just calmly explained I'm quite a worrier (I have an anxiety disorder) and I just felt like I needed to hear it. They were reluctant as they thought if they didn't find it right away I would worry more (can't blame their logic) but I just had to and I held my ground. They did it and it was magical to hear. I wish I'd recorded it. DH was really surprised that I'd actually asked for something I wanted for a change but at the end of the day you need to feel comfortable and at ease, perhaps ask your midwife again when you next see them and just say it would put your mind at ease. Hopefully they will do it next time (my midwife did say they would just not at 16 week as it's not always possible to pick it up at 16 so perhaps by time you see them again they will feel more comfortable doing it)

I have one and I love it!
it did take me a couple of days to find the right position and decipher all the different sounds but once I had it really put my mind at rest(bit of a worrier too).
on the other hand if the baby is in an awkward position and you fail to find or hear anything then it may just cause you more worry.
mine is an angel sounds one from amazon.
that and the gel came to about 18 pounds so very reasonable.

I wouldn't because what you think is your baby's heartbeat isn't and can mask problems and make you worry. Only someone who has been trained to tell the difference should check the heartbeat. That's just my opinion.

I wouldn't bother. I had my 16 week appointment with the midwife yesterday and she found the heartbeat.... after a really long time of looking. She warned me that it can be difficult to find as baby can 'hide' and although it was nice to hear, I have to admit to feeling a bit disappointed by the whole thing if I'm honest! Some people describe feeling overwhelmed by hearing the heart beat, so perhaps I have no heart! lol. I would wait for your next scan (I think the scans are much better anyway) and I have been actively trying to find movement. I've felt my baby moving around when I lie on my front (which I notice someone else has suggested) so just give that a go.

I was given a fetal heart monitor, and it was useless. I had an anterior placenta, and didn't hear the heartbeat at all during the entire pregnancy with the monitor I'd been given. Even when baby was kicking, the monitor picked up nothing except the noises coming from my own digestive system!

I honestly think its just another thing to stress about.

Sad I consider it but I didn't get one because the consultant told me she would not advise it as there wasn't enough research to be able to say whether dopplers/heart monitors are safe to use in early pregnancy when the baby is at it's most fundamental development stages. She said that this was one of the reasons they stopped using it as well as the fact it can cause more concern when a heart beat is not detected. The other thing that scare the bejesus out of me was learning that the frequency concentration levels of dopplers/heart monitors are greater than the general ultrasound machine because it has to penetrate deeper into the baby's little body. Apparently one minute of Doppler/heart monitor exposure equals 35 minutes of real-time ultrasound. That seemed a little intense for me. But everyone has a differing opinions on this subject. I am 15+2 and i have felt any movement yet but i have heard its only a few weeks before it starts.

I didn't buy one until I was about 19 weeks, and my DP whacked me hard across my bump (accidentally!). I hadn't felt any movement by then and I was really stressed by it.

I have never had a problem finding the heart beat, and it gives me instant reassurance when I start to worry. Last night I was a bit worried as I hadn't felt much movement, but when I used the Doppler the baby started booting it and running off from it, which reassured me all was ok apart from the fact I'm pissing my kid off

I'm really glad I bought mine. I'd rather have a peep hole to see that everything's fine, but that's not really an option.

You should consider the safety aspect aspeapod says. You may not use it properly anyhow, you could be picking up your own heartbeat. It will make you stressed and neurotic and mucking about with equipment you aren't trained to use isn't sensible. Doppler in the first trimester should be used with caution according to guidelines.

I'm a massive worrier, and there are times when I would have benefitted from the reassurance but I was worried that if I couldn't find the heartbeats (twins) or couldn't differentiate then it would make me even more anxious. Even the midwife struggled with the twin with the anterior placenta at 20w! After my 20w scan I started to feel them both regularly and that's more reassuring for me.

If you think it's going to stress you out then it's going to stress you out, I wouldn't have one either.