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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Fetal heart Doppler ????

56 replies

lj123 · 01/01/2014 22:21

I am currently 6weeks 5 days with my 5th pregnancy, will be first baby!
I had an early scan new yrs eve and it revealed my pea with a strong heartbeat of 140.
I am considering getting a Doppler for at home, has anyone got one or tried one etc, what's your feedback??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PenguinsDontEatStollen · 01/01/2014 22:22

If you do, wait until at least 18 weeks. You will panic yourself otherwise as finding the hb is too unreliable.

PenguinsDontEatStollen · 01/01/2014 22:22

Oh, and congratulations

PeanutPatty · 01/01/2014 22:27

I decided against. I knew I'd be constantly using it, stressing if I couldn't find the HB but that is just me.

2kidsintow · 01/01/2014 22:37

I got one from ebay. It was great.

I'd had 3 mcs before having DD1 and she was supposed to be twins, so I was a bit nervous.

When I got pregnant with DD2 I wanted one, so I bought one.

It took a bit of playing with, but DD was lazy and always seemed to be in the same place and I got used to finding her heartbeat. I used to love listening to it.

It's been loaned to about 8 pregnant friends/relatives so far as I won't get back what I paid for it and prefer to keep it. 7 of them loved using it, one handed it back early as she'd been told off by the MW for worrying herself when she couldn't find the HB.

My kids love listening to the sounds of their own heartbeats with it now. :)

lannyshrops · 01/01/2014 22:44

I bought one and loved it.

I didn't even try and find the HB until I knew the midwife had found one though.

DH loved hearing her HB especially as he didn't come to see the MW with me so wouldn't of had the opportunity otherwise.

princesscupcakemummyb · 01/01/2014 22:47

i rented a fetal doppler in all my pregnancys i loved it :)

Santabroughtmethis · 01/01/2014 22:53

Don't, please don't.

I'm saying this as a mum but also a midwife. Yes its lovely to hear your baby's HB but if you've lots of anxieties then see your midwife. The problems these machines cause are never worth it. Firstly how a Doppler bought for less than £100 is safe I don't know - the ones we have at work are super good and cost approx £400. Secondly how do you know the difference between yours and the baby's, or the placental noises and baby's? Lots of women think the swishing is baby HB and it isn't.

I've heard if a neighbouring trust sending out posters to clinics and surgeries as they had a awfully sad cases of a woman being reassured by these things when in fact it wasn't baby...

I have had recurrent misc, and last pregnancy I ummed and aaahed at going to my car, getting my kit at 12/40 and listening in as I was so worried. I resisted though, although I was so tempted!

Women need to be relying on their baby's movements for reassurance, and any deviation from normal pattern needs to be reported to their labour ward immediately. If you're anxious, talk to your midwife.

BEEwitched · 02/01/2014 00:19

I wasn't going to buy one as I didn't want to panic myself and am overweight so knew it might be tricky to find, but when the midwife found a heartbeat consistently from 14 weeks on (I see her every 2 weeks) I thought I'd give it a try.

Bought and Angelsounds and it doesn't work. Not sure what I'm doing wrong - I know baby is fine, as DH and I also don't have a heartbeat and last time I checked we were both alive...

Original poster

lj123 · 02/01/2014 05:51

Thank you for all your feedback, I guess I won't get one then with all the panic I'd get if I couldn't find a HB.
I just wish that now I have seen and heard it once I could do it all again. Xx

OP posts:

HazleNutt · 02/01/2014 15:38

I agree - don't. Couldn't resist myself and got one, but there were significantly more times when I could not find the hb (which happened even quite late in pregnancy, and I'm not overweight) and panicked/worried, compared to times when I was reassured by the doppler.

Angelina77 · 02/01/2014 16:05

I'm very glad I bought mine, it has got me through some very worrying weeks wating for scans. It's an AngelSounds one with headphones, nothing flash but I picked up the baby at 10 weeks (size 14/16).

Santa what makes you think it would be unsafe?

Angelina77 · 02/01/2014 16:07

Oh and it's obvious when it's just your pulse you're picking up, the baby should be around twice the rate of your resting heart rate.

EvenFlo · 02/01/2014 16:16

I totally agree with what santa says and also speak as a mum (with previous miscarriage) and a medic.

I have been trained to use a proper Doppler and feel it is nowhere near as easy to be sure it's the baby's HB as the manufacturers would have you believe. In addition, there will be times that it will be difficult to find the HB due to positioning etc and this will just generate huge amounts of anxiety for you.

Movement monitoring and close contact with your midwife / labour ward is the best way forward.

Santabroughtmethis · 02/01/2014 16:35

Because they aren't as sensitive. The NHS and IM wouldn't pay hundreds one, when they need a vast amount if you can use a cheapo angel sounds.

As evenflo said, baby's position etc makes it difficult to pick up. Even sometimes now, after years as a midwife I find some difficult especially if a lady has a higher BMI or maybe anterior placenta. There's a skill to it and personally I feel they shouldn't be sold. These companies are making a fortune out of vulnerable women.

Angelina77 · 02/01/2014 19:02

Less sensitive doesn't mean less safe.

PenguinsDontEatStollen · 02/01/2014 19:32

I'm sorry that this is a DM link, but here is an article on why some doctors and midwives consider them dangerous.

Santabroughtmethis · 02/01/2014 20:22

Well we will agree to disagree on that Angelina. My friend had a angelsounds and the quality was shite. Like I said, the one I carry is £400 if these cheap ones were safe and effective, believe me the NHS would be all over them.

Either way, an untrained person using them is the main issue.

Angelina77 · 03/01/2014 00:23

You are implying that using a home doppler is unsafe, when what you mean is relying on it above all else is unwise. I am 'untrained' yet I've managed to detect the baby's heartbeat from 10 weeks (now 16 wks) - I can tell the difference between 140 bpm and 60 bpm without midwife training.

We get bombarded with enough speculation about what is or isn't safe, so please don't add to this unnecessarily.

Obviously when my baby starts to kick that will be what I will focus on but until then, I find the doppler very reassuring.

Santabroughtmethis · 03/01/2014 00:27

They are unsafe, IMO. I've yet to meet a medical professional who'd disagree with me too.

what about placental noises, as per the article linked?

Some mums have a fast pulse, could be mistaken for FH.

I'm not adding to it unnecessarily. When you've seen first hand the devastation these things cause maybe you'd understand where I am coming from.

HandragsNGladbags · 03/01/2014 09:18

I believe, and Santa tell me if I am wrong, that the cheap Doppler's give people a sense of security when there is a problem.

So you hear baby's heartbeat and think all fine, disregarding the lack of movement for example. Whereas baby could be in distress and you wouldn't know.

ThermoLobster · 03/01/2014 09:20

My very highly regarded obstetric consultant said they were unsafe because they can provide false reassurance. An unwell baby will continue to have a heartbeat until it is too late to intervene. There have been cases of mothers worrying about lack of or change in movements, and then using a doppler to reassure themselves that the baby's heart is still beating and not acting on the lack of movements. With tragic consequences.

Don't be attacking Santa. Ignore the advice if you want but she is trying to help people.

ElBombero · 03/01/2014 09:22

Totally agree movements should be your main reassurance but then again I bought one for both pregnancies. Good ones off eBay for about £50 n used from 14wks. I found it a great reassurance x

Angelina77 · 03/01/2014 09:42

The wording is important here, the point I'm making is there is nothing fundamentally unsafe about using a home doppler. Women should be able to make informed choices without scaremongering.

Until you feel your baby move you have no idea what's going on in there so , as I said, until then I'll carry on with my doppler.

EvenFlo · 03/01/2014 10:32

But surely as medics we can state that we feel they are unsafe based on past experience I don't happen to feel that this is scaremongering...

ThermoLobster · 03/01/2014 10:34

Nobody is scaremongering. They are trying to help you make an informed choice.

The only thing that is important here is trying to keep your baby safe, which is what those giving advice are trying to do.

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