Doppler - pros and cons

[SharpLily]

We had our 12 week scan yesterday and all was well. I'm very tempted to get a Doppler machine - can anyone recommend any particular brand or give any information about why they are or are not worth bothering with?
Thanks!

You can end up getting very worked up and obsessed with a doppler at home, so if you have an anxious personality it may be best not to invest in one. Plus it will tell you very little about the health of our baby, as my MW told me, a starving child in Africa has a heart beat and if you don't know what you're listening to it will sound exactly as alive and well as you or I.
That said if you want one purely for bonding with the baby, are not going to use it to play doctor at home and don't think it will become a problem there are plenty of not very expensive models on the market. Check out some reviews on amazon.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck!

I got a doppler after my 12 week scan as I hoped it would give me some reassurance (after 4 previous losses) that the baby was still doing okay in the long wait between scans and I have to say that for me it really has been a worthwhile investment. I know some people have a really hard time finding the heartbeat but I have never had any problems (lying on back, knees bent with heels close to buttocks and looking for the heartbeat around the area where your public hair stops) and once you've heard the sound of the heartbeat at the hospital it is very difficult to confuse it with your own or the sound of the placenta. I bought this one www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Baby-Fetal-Doppler-Heart-Beat-Monitor-Angel-Sound-Jumper-AngelSounds-JPD-100B-/251221445836
my only criticism would be that it is difficult to actually get a good bpm reading - it has to stay in position for a while and tends to through out random numbers- but I generally just use it to find the heartbeat and listen for a couple of seconds without worrying about the speed (too many variables involved).

duh 'throw out random numbers' not 'through'

I had a Doppler and found using it easy and exciting. They are lovely in that you get the thrill of hearing the little galloping horse sound whenever you like, but cause stress and anxiety if you can't find it. Also, you can get a bit too reassured by them, thinking that just hearing the heartbeat means all is well and not focus enough on the movement patterns of your baby, which is a better indicator of whether they may be a problem.

Well I do tend to get a bit obsessed by things like this, but not so much because I'm anxious as because I'll do anything to put off doing work or housework! I'm hoping it will help my husband feel closer to the baby as he seems very much on the outside at the moment.

I would be so stressed if I couldn't find the heartbeat.
Think it would be a bad purchase for me

I've got the sonoline one and it's been great for those weeks between the scan (although I found the heartbeat easily from just past 10 weeks) to when movements started.

I don't like it when people say it gives too much of a false sense of reassurance, between 10 and say 18-20 weeks you have NOTHING and even at that point if something is wrong no one can do anything about it anyway!

As long as you bear in mind it's just a snapshot and don't get obsessed and panic if you can't find it from time to time I think they are fab. I've also loved mine as means mil and other fam have been able to have a listen too which was lovely

I could never find the heartbeat with it and it would make me panic. So we had a rule that I was only allowed to try if DH was in the house because he could usually find it ok. It's much easier to find after 14/15 weeks so you might want to wait a while longer. In the long run I'm glad we had it but it was only useful for a couple of weeks as I felt dd move from about 20 weeks and stopped using it at that point.

We got an Angel Sounds one and it was very reassuring, especially as I had an anterior placenta and didn't feel a great deal of movement. We never had a problem finding the heartbeat, even early on. You can record the heartbeat too, so we have a recording of it which is lovely.

I purchased a doppler when I was like 11 weeks only started hearing the hb at 16 now I'm 20 weeks and I've blown up so big had my 20w scan everythings how it should be and to be honest I can't be asked got so much more to sort out its no fun for me anymore I no she's alive n kicking but yeah it was fun for a while

I don't think they should be sold for public se imo

Sorry i just think they should be for medical professionals only

Why's that, thistle?

I had an angel sounds one, no fancy beats per minutes readings or anything. I found it relaxing listening to DS's heartbeat and it was a good tool to help ex's children feel involved.

thistle midwives and hcps agree with you. they do lead to much stress if heartbeat cant be found and conversly even hwaring the heartbeat means bugger all as you dont know how to.interpret it or if it us evrn babies heartbeat ratger than blood fkow from oplacenta or mothers heartbeat.

I have to disagree 5madthings,the fetal heartbeat sounds completely different to your own heartbeat and the sound of the placenta. I don't think anybody using a home doppler uses it for diagnostic purposes and the main danger I can see (other than causing unnecessary stress if you are unable to find the heartbeat) is when there have been cases of reduced fetal movement and women have not sought medical attention because they could still hear the heartbeat. Before fetal movements are perceptible (16-19 weeks) or regular (24 weeks), I really don't see that there is any harm.

I got 1 the other day but only because the lady at my 12 week scan didn't play the heartbeat for us, so far I'm pretty useless at finding it but I'm not panicking because I know I'm not a professional and I'm not gonna find it every time. I found it last night and fell asleep listening to it plus dp has never been around babies or pregnant women so he's never heard it so I think its great for partners and husbands.

I was going to get one as I previously had a mmc & I was very worried about this pregnancy.

I know what im like though. I'd be obsessed so ive decided not to get one. Im 28 weeks now & take reassurance in the mental amount of movements!

Well I've bitten the bullet and ordered one. I can see the arguments against it but I have no intention of using it for diagnostic purposes. As I mentioned, it's partly so my husband can feel more involved. Furthermore, we live in a different country to both of our families, so although we can send them scan pics, they don't get to share in any kicking, stomach growing or any of the other things that come as part of pregnancy (fine by me - not keen on the stomach touching part). Being able to play them the heartbeat will help the overexcited grandmothers and other family to feel closer.

there have been some studies and articles in the bmj and they dont recomend it. it takes training to be able to understand and distinguish the sounds heard properly. you may think you can interpret it correctly but research has shown most people cannot

the early months of oregnancy are worruing when there are often no visible signs of preg ie no bump, movemetns and if you are lucky no sickness etx but even midwives guidlines are to not check with a doppler for a heartbeat before 16wks as it can be hard to find and causes undue stress.

my last baby had an anterior placenta and so i didnt feel her move as much and it was harder for the midwife to find her heartbeat at times due to her position. i cam see the temptation of them but esp as some of these devices are not all that good and not all have passed various quality controls recomended fir such equipment i wouldnt use one.

maybe speal to your midwife op.

Oh I've spoken to her - she says the heartbeat is strong and the baby is nicely positioned so it should be fine. She's just impressed they're so cheap in the UK compared to here (good old Amazon). I have no worries (well, other than the usual) about the pregnancy - and I think I've had just about every sign of pregnancy there is! I'm wondering if there is a single part of my body that isn't being affected by this! I won't be too stressed if I can't find it at first. We get a scan pretty much every month here so I get plenty of reassurance without a Doppler at home.

I hope you enjoy using it lily and that it helps you and your partner bond with the baby.
Thanks for listening to both sides of the argument

I appreciate the responses, thanks gang .

One thing that I did buy was an adapter to attach 2 sets of headphones, that way OH and I can listen at the same time

My doppler has brought nothing but positive things to all four of my post first trimester pregnancies. So long as you're aware, which you are, that it's not telling you baby is 100% fine, then it's all okay. In the early weeks (I found my last two just before 8 weeks) I'd set myself a time limit in which to find baby and if I didn't find it, I'd go away and come back later that day to stop the panic building up. As a result I never felt worried.

I agree that some women can't tell the difference. On the various due date forums I've been on, there are always several who swear they've found the heartbeat and for various reasons (too early, too slow) it's completely obvious it isn't.

In my personal opinion dopplers are great for those who are aware of the limitations, have spent time listening to YouTube videos etc for the different sounds, and know they can trust themselves not to panic and just to try again later if they have no luck. Which isn't everyone, but I resent that some medical professionals think they should be banned for home use. There's lots of products out there in general that aren't suitable for everyone for various reasons, not limited to psychological issues, but they shouldn't be banned completely!

Hearing baby every night before bed until I feel regular movement is one of the main things that keeps me sane through the high risk pregnancies I have had.

Being a very anxious mum to be myself I can't allow myself to be even more stressed by not hearing, or
Mishearing!

So many stories of people not
Knowing the difference between placenta and baby and baby is actually still born!

I'm sorry but using you tube to learn a baby's heart beat isn't something that sits easy with me! But everyone each to their own and all that