Fetal doppler- can hear a quick little heartbeat but low reading on the screen

[Suprima]

Fully prepared to get told off for using dopplers- but I bought it fully aware that they can be a bit dodgy.

I’m 15.5 weeks and can find my baby using the Doppler, but the appropriate fetal heart rate reading of about 140 only stays on the monitor for about three seconds before disappearing and dropping down the the 90s. I can still hear the heartbeat clearly and it is distinct from my own heartbeat.

I’m not using an amazing bit of kit- just a £50 off Amazon job with really good reviews.

I imagine it’s a combination of anterior placenta and baby still being pretty small, but wanted to check anyway?

You don’t know what you are doing - throw the bloody thing away and leave it to a professional.

Put the doppler in the bin and forget all about it. It has already brought you all this anxiety. They are no good for people to use, can give false reassurance or like you massive anxiety.

Also without sounding harsh, nothing can be done at the weeks you are if something were to happen, so you have this added anxiety on top of it all.

Relax and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy without the doppler.

You will drive yourself mad this way. x

Dopplers are shit unless used by a medical professional specialising in maternity/foetal care.

It’s not giving me massive anxiety- I already have that and I am completely maxed out.

I know she’s there somewhere because I can hear her. Just wanted to know if the monitors can be a bit dodgy and if anyone has had any experience?

It’s just to get me through to my 18 week scan in a couple of weeks.

It’s probably picking baby (140)up then your heartbeat ( 90)
I wouldn’t use it for reassurance, if you are concerned about anything see your midwife :)

You're probably hearing the blood pulsing through the cord. That's what most people are hearing when they think they're getting a fetal heartbeat.

Short of having a scan every 2 days, very little I can do for reassurance.

I feel better having picked her up for a few seconds at a time

@peachgreen

You're probably hearing the blood pulsing through the cord. That's what most people are hearing when they think they're getting a fetal heartbeat.

This is a good sign anyway I suppose! If I am heading this nice to know it is working.

Seriously just stop using it. It's not doing you any good.

@TequilaBlaze

Seriously just stop using it. It's not doing you any good.

It has actually done me good- as I am constantly in an OCD thought loop of ‘my baby is dead’ due to terrible mental health after losses- hearing her has yanked me out of it.

I am was previously having weekly ultrasounds and I have now stopped until 18 weeks.

Hey, I had an anterior placenta and also lost my babies twin at 9 weeks so my anxiety was high and most of my midwife appointments from 16 weeks till she was a lot bigger she was always hard to find or moved away quickly once she found her. The Doppler also can pick up the placenta pulsing at the same heart rate as your own so I reckon that's what you're picking up

OP I'm not saying this to be nasty but what happens when you can't find a heartbeat? The NHS won't see you at this stage for any concerns such as this. A lot of trusts don't use Dopplers at 16 week appointments anymore as midwives can struggle to find it. It's a dangerous road to go down especially for someone who already suffers with anxiety.

I have to agree with pp. my midwife, who is trained to use Dopplers, wouldn't use one at my 16week appointment because they are not reliable at an early gestation.
On top of that many babies have died when pregnant women get false reassurance from these devices. If you have concerns see a trained professional. And please make sure that your midwife is aware of your anxiety so it can be monitored and handled when needed.

www.kickscount.org.uk/why-we-want-home-doppler-sales-to-be-regulated

Unless you have 3 years of midwifery training you have absolutely no idea what you're listening too. It's pointless and using it to relieve your anxiety that your baby is 'not dead' is a dangerous habit to form.

@whosaidtha

I have to agree with pp. my midwife, who is trained to use Dopplers, wouldn't use one at my 16week appointment because they are not reliable at an early gestation. On top of that many babies have died when pregnant women get false reassurance from these devices. If you have concerns see a trained professional. And please make sure that your midwife is aware of your anxiety so it can be monitored and handled when needed.

My midwife is fully aware but due to staffing there isn’t really a lot of support. The best that has been offered is the free local helpline for the Borough which is a counselling listening service.

I have been referred for more reassurance scans and to be under the care of the vulnerable woman’s team but the referral hasn’t been processed 12 weeks on and I have just been told to wait.

@firstimemamma

https://www.kickscount.org.uk/why-we-want-home-doppler-sales-to-be-regulated

Unless you have 3 years of midwifery training you have absolutely no idea what you're listening too. It's pointless and using it to relieve your anxiety that your baby is 'not dead' is a dangerous habit to form.

My baby isn’t kicking noticeably yet as I am only 15.5 weeks- I obviously wouldn’t be using it past this 18 week scan as I know it gives false reassurances to women who are using it in lieu of monitoring fetal movements.

@ForTheLoveOfSleep

Dopplers are shit unless used by a medical professional specialising in maternity/foetal care.

Exactly.

It's strongly advised against at any stage. The amount of weeks you are or whatever is all irrelevant.

Hi OP,

A lot of the replies on here are understandable, as you don’t know what you are listening to. As another poster said there’s a similar sound of the blood flow/placenta etc so you could be mistaking certain sounds for a heartbeat.

I do have one and use it sparingly for that exact reason. If I can’t hear anything it doesn’t cause me additional worry or anxiety. Bear in mind you are very early, the baby is small and has a lot to space to move around. At my 16 week check, my midwife caught the heartbeat for a few seconds and she said he was moving around loads. Guessing that’s why some posters have said their midwifes don’t even use the Doppler.

Best thing always is to seek advice from your midwife, although appreciated some midwives are exceptionally busy and some aren’t fantastic at listening to your concerns (speaking from experience!).

It can be a horribly worrying time in early pregnancy, so I definitely understand how you are feeling.

Your Doppler sounds the same as our one, we don’t use it for reassurance though but have notice the same thing as you, you can hear the babies heartbeat which the monitor will pick up briefly but then it will disappear and will start to read a much much lower rate. Like another one said above, it’s likely picking up both you and baby’s heartbeat at the same time.

mine can be heart in a certain position the I guess the baby moves and it stops, or the monitor will stop reading it as again I think the baby has moved but you can still hear it through the speaker. Don’t take any of this serious, as you said you already considered the pros and cons before buying the unit so baring that in mind when you cannot get a reading at all, don’t worry about it, chances are baby is fine.

I had my scan a few days ago and baby was not happy to stay still for certain checks.. the sonographer had to shake my stomach to get baby to change positions again as it wouldn’t cooperate 🤣. This makes sense to me as to why I keep getting changing results but I just wanted to message to say I have gotten the exact same readings as you, monitor not picking it up but can still hear it.

Just remember than regardless of hearing the heart or not, should anything be wrong there isn’t anything that can be done early on anyway so no need to keep checking or keep having scans because the home Doppler won’t change the fact that if anything is wrong it cannot be undone.

I feel so much anxiety in between scans and just before I go in for the scan as that’s the time I will find out for sure if anything is wrong, it’s completely normal and regardless of mental health or not, it’s common for us all to worry if the baby is still alive in there or not so try not to worry so much 🫂