Doppler or not?

[Apple35]

What are people's thought regarding buying a doppler? Good idea or not?

@monique007 thank you I totally agree people do things differently and thank you for your support and kind words I very rarely comment on here and this has for sure out me off commenting on other posts going forward x

@FenellaMaxwell it did make it hard last time yes but that is what am saying because of that I learnt the difference between my heartbeat, the placenta and babies heartbeat and you are correct my placenta is were is should be this time I didnt say it would be the same as last time as every pregnancy is different.

@OlderthenYoungerNow
It is as opinion and my opinion as the poster asks what peoples thoughts on is she should get one or not they dont have to follow it, everyone could say yes but doesn't mean the person will go get one we should be able to come on here and 9ffer what we are doing or opinion without people like your self being rude about it just because what am doing is different to you or other mums

I wouldn't bother and I've experienced loss and anxiety. There have been suggestions that they should be banned and this is why.

www.irishnews.com/news/healthcarenews/2017/06/21/news/woman-who-lost-baby-warns-mothers-against-using-doppler-machines-1062274/

Don't get me wrong, I have been tempted to purchase one in the past, but I have resisted.

I’m sorry @Monique007 But that’s bollocks. You can’t say nobody is allowed to say anything negative on this website because some people are pregnant - if someone asks about something that is ill-advised or dangerous or just downright stupid then it absolutely should be challenged.

@FenellaMaxwell I was only asking opinions and unlike some, I am not stupid.

I used a Doppler when I was pregnant with my ds, I learnt to tell the difference between my heartbeat, the placenta and baby's heartbeat, I used it until I started feeling movements and it gave me reassurance that I hadn't lost the baby but once I started feeling movements I stopped using the Doppler and focused on his movements. The way I see it is if I did have a miscarriage there's not much medical staff can do when you're in early/mid pregnancy, and I'd rather know sooner rather than suffer a missed miscarriage thinking I'm pregnant when I'm not, if that makes sense.

Thank you everyone for ur opinions. But don't see why some people are getting nasty about it.

@apple35 good luck with the rest of your pregnancy what ever you decide to do about a doppler just enjoy the pregnancy it's such a lovely time and experience x

@Apple35 because this is mumsnet

I had one. Biggest mistake I made - I have terrible anxiety and thought it would make me feel less anxious, but it just made it worse and fed into my OCD that unless I heard DS something bad was happening.

If you're prone to anxiety I'd steer clear, in fact i would steer clear full stop. I knew the difference between placental heartbeat and babies heartbeat, but honestly, the anxiety it caused when I should have been enjoying my pregnancy was not worth it.

I stopped using it once I felt movement but because I had reduced movement my pregnancy anxiety went from finding the heartbeat to feeling the baby, so I spent weeks 12-38 constantly anxious.

Don’t do it, I had four miscarriages and seriously considered it. And then I noticed my midwife could only just find the baby’s heartbeat when I would go in for checks at 16 weeks she took a heart stopping age to find baby’s heartbeat.

Which made me realise I’d probably really drive myself over the edge if I got one.

Don’t do it.

@FenellaMaxwell yes, everyone is entitled to an opinion and even if it’s against what others think it’s fine, but there should be a line on crossing the line between your opinion and being mean to people and avalanches of angry people because of their convictions.

I don’t agree either with everyone on every subject, but you know what? That’s fine and I don’t see a point in forcing my opinion on others.
Do what’s best for you and listen to your care providers, and Lord willing everyone turns out to have a healthy little baby to care and to hold, and healthy parent/s too.

It’s not an opinion that the use of home dopplers adds a level of risk to miscarriage and stillbirth, it’s a fact. You can be all ‘each to their own’ about it as you like, it doesn’t change the truth. Unless you’re qualified to listen to a fetus’ heartbeat with a doppler, you have no idea what you’re doing.

No, no, no and no.

I downloaded one of those "listen to your babies heartbeat apps" for about £4.99 during my last pregnancy. It basically just uses the microphone on your phone to record sounds and then plays it through the speaker and creates a chart to show "your babies heartbeat".

It played a sound, I recorded it. Let husband hear it when he got home. We then tried it on him....it picked up an almost identical sound. It was either our own heart beats or just intestinal gurgling.

Dopplers are obviously much more high-tech.....but without the correct training that's wholly irrelevant.

Also; when the midwife listens with a Doppler, they don't just listen, hear a heartbeat and say "fine." They spend quite a while listening and counting beats and listening for all sorts of anomalys. If you are not medically trained, it's just pointless.

I have to agree with BettysLeftTentacle
Unless you are qualified and can tell the difference between your own heartbeat and the baby's heartbeat then it is best to avoid.

My friend is a midwife herself, one day a friend of hers posted the heartbeat of her baby from a home doppler online and my midwife friend told her to get to the hospital now because if it was really the baby's heartbeat then it was worryingly low. She got to the hospital and fortunately it was her heartbeat and the baby was fine but for weeks she was convinced it was the baby's and not her's.

Plus you also have to take into consideration that trained midwifes won't use dopplers before 16 weeks minimum due to the difficulties of finding it beforehand and they use dopplers that cost hundreds of pounds, very sensitive and top of the range, not the cheap £40 ones you can buy online.
I can understand you are anxious, especially in early pregnancy but a doppler could make it a lot worse. It would be best to speak to your midwife if you are worried.

@Apple35 I think you’ll find if you reread my post I talked about stupid opinions generally in response to another poster’s comment about general use of mumsnet. I was making no direct reference to you or to your doppler question.

You have had the opinion of many people on here, and you’ve had the medical facts and experience of midwives. What you choose to do with that is up to you.

@ Monique007 it’s not an opinion. It’s medical fact that untrained Doppler use can lead to a higher risk of missing something wrong with your baby. People can have whatever opinions they like but if those opinions contravene widely available fact then their opinions are wrong and they can expect to be told so.

Yes, agreed. Stillbirths are more common in countries where women are encouraged to rely on dopplers rather than movements.

As long as you rely on movements not real harm unless you have anxiety. It's not that hard to decipher the different sounds. You certainly don't need to be qualified to the equivalent competence of a brain surgeon.

I really wouldn't. There's just no upside to them in my opinion.

Please don’t be rude to people that do things different to yours. It’s a choice.

But your choice has been shown to be medically dangerous and increase the risk of still birth.

Your choice is not recommended by the NHS.

Your choice is equipment that is often misused by the untrained public.

OP don't get one.

Bad idea.

What are you wanting it for?

It's not that hard to decipher the different sounds. You certainly don't need to be qualified to the equivalent competence of a brain surgeon.

Ah well then! OP why have a MW at all. You could measure yourself, test your own urine. Heck, you could scan yourself too! No need for a sonographer. It’s not brain surgery

Please don't use one.
I didn't use a Doppler, even if you are fantastic at finding baby's heartbeat you are not trained in recognising if it is a happy & healthy heartbeat.
They are not recommended for very valid reasons.
If you have additional anxiety during pregnancy you must speak to your midwife and ask them for help and reassurance ❤️

People are “getting nasty”, as you put it, because these things risk babies’ lives. I don’t actually see anyone getting nasty, I see people being passionate about something that could really, really matter.

As a pp has said, you can be as much “do what works for you” as you like - but this has sound medical proof that it’s a bad choice.

I admit I did use one early on, more out of curiosity than anything, and I do have a nice recording of my DD's heart rate. But the minute I felt the first kick, it went up into the loft and wasn't used again, and I probably wouldn't use it for a second pregnancy. If you do use one, don't ever use it after you start feeling movements.