Advice pls - FH app - dangerous? Reliable? Worth it?

[BeanExpectin9]

Hi all
After some advice please: I am 17+3 and had a midwife appt this morning where I was able to hear the heartbeat for the first time ... it was wonderful. Only thing is, I didn't realise it was on the agenda for today, and now DH is a bit miffed to have missed out (which I completely understand). He was there for the scan but the hosp told us it was policy not to listen to the FH at that stage and just to look, and I didn't think he'd need to come today as I fully expected just to wee in a cup and have my BP done.
I've seen a number of apps advertised saying you can listen to the FH at home, but am a little dubious. Plus, I've found some negative write ups from various pregnancy sites... it would be amazing to be able to have DH hear it, but don't want to use if it's not advised. Does anyone have experience with this or any nuggets of wisdom they can impart?
Hugely grateful for any input!!

I think you have to buy a handheld device to attach/Bluetooth to your phone to listen and even without considering that it isn't recommended to do that at home I would not bother.

From now on midwife will listen to FH in every app and your DH can go to the next one.

Xxx

Angel care do a heart rate monitor. It's very clear and very good. But a word of warning.. if you get one do not panic if you can't find the heart rate- it can be difficult to locate and depends on what position the baby is in; also if it's a 'wooshing' sound you're listening to the placenta!

Thanks both 🙂

I think they recommend you don't do it as it can be easy to be reassured by it and so not get checked out properly if something is wrong. For example if you thought your movements were reduced but you could still hear a heartbeat you might not contact your midwife when you really should. As I read somewhere, by the time you don't hear the heartbeat, it's too late. That and it can be really hard to find in the first place...

Angelcare. I've used it all through pregnancy now 38 weeks and even now on quiet movement days i use it to check shes ok

Not sure I'd bother with an app, but I also have the angel care Doppler. Didn't manage to find a heart beat until around 21 weeks though.

As a PP said, they're perfectly safe in themselves, just not recommended in case you dismiss other concerns because you can hear a heart beat. So fine for just having a little listen to baby together, but not fine to check baby's okay if movements are reduced.