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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Heartbeat monitor - is it worth getting & if so which one?

53 replies

pregnancy1 · 25/03/2008 10:41

Morning,
It's my own fault....I've just watched ER series 10 when the baby dies in the womb and now would feel much better if I had some evidence that bean was still okay between scans.
Does anyone have a heartbeat monitor? If so, would you recommend it & which brand? I'm not sure whether it will reassure me when I can hear something or drive me to distraction if I can't....
As you can guess it's my first pregnancy. I'm 19 weeks (3 days) and very occasionally feel twinges that may or may not be bean, but need reassurance.
All advice gratefully received!
xx

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MrsTittleMouse · 25/03/2008 10:46

My OB was very much against these, as they were the cause of much stress and emergency visits to see him. It can be quite hard to pick up the heartbeat, even for professionals, when the baby is lying in an awkward position.
I can understand your concern. I didn't really believe that our baby was OK until she was born alive and intact (I'm PG again, and going through the same worrying, so it doesn't get easier when it isn't your first!). But I don't think that a heartbeat monitor is the solution. Sorry.
Do you have a 20 week ultrasound scan coming up? Soon the movements that you feel will be unmistakable and actually get on your nerves, which hopefully will reassure you.

Original poster

pregnancy1 · 25/03/2008 10:51

I think you are probably right - I'll end up getting more stressed if I can't find anything.

I have my next scan on the 8th April (and am away next week) - so it's not long to wait. It's just so long between hearing/seeing your baby and being reassured.

Everyone tells me that you 'know' when your baby is kicking - but I get little pains/twinges that could be a kick, but oculd just be stuff being moved out of the way.

Thanks.

OP posts:

MrsTittleMouse · 25/03/2008 10:58

Actually, I didn't know that DD was kicking until I was further along, and then I thought "so that's what that was!".
I still have a couple of weeks to wait until my first scan and I'm chewing my knuckles off in frustration, so I can really sympathise.

LilyToTheB · 25/03/2008 11:12

Hi pregnancy1, we bought a heart rate monitor about 4 weeks ago, for the same reasons that you're thinking of getting one. I'm 24 weeks pg now, and can only just hear a faint heartbeat when using it! It's nice to have as a bit of reassurance that everything is ok, but you might struggle to hear anything early on, and by the time you do you'll definitely be feeling the baby move
I was getting worried too that I wasn't feelng kicks yet, but am definitely feeling little kicks every day now, probably have sone for about a week or two!
Try not to worry, everything will be fine.

silver28 · 25/03/2008 11:22

Hi, I'm 38 weeks into my first pregnancy. I bought a Summer heart rate monitor at about 16 weeks and never managed to hear anything with it (though i haven't tried it since about 25 weeks as haven't felt the need due to constant kicking!). So i wouldn't recommend that brand.

Actually i wouldn't recommend getting one at all because i think you're likely to start feeling movement in the next couple of weeks or so, if not already. If you're like me then once the movements start you'll be less concerned about using the monitor.

I do understand what you're going through. until you start feeling things move it's hard to believe that things are developing inside you. your next scan should put your mind at rest.

carmenelectra · 25/03/2008 11:35

Please dont buy one, they are crap and dangerous really i think.

I attempted to use one of these on someone few yrs ago as she was trying unsuccessfully to hear anything.

Now, i am actually a midwife and i failed to pick up anything!! I told her to get a refund.

While its absolutely lovely to hear the heartbeat, even if you do, you will still not be aware if there is a problem, only that the baby is 'alive' if you get me. use other signs to check babies wellbeing instead.

At 19 wks, movements will not always be regular or that noticeable, but in a few wks i promise they will be and then use the regular pattern to see if baby is moving as much as normal for you. At this stage you will often be unsure of what you are feeling. If you are worried about anything, see the midwife, she will easily get the heartbeat at your gestation.

If its any consolation i was a bit mithered that my ds2 was ok when i was only a few wks preg. There wasnt a problem or anything, it was before i was able to feel movements and i was curious. I was probably 13 or 14 wks but cos i have a sonicaid i could hear the heartbeat very early on at home! However, once i got regular movemnts i never ever bothered listening at home cos my movements were so obvious i didnt need to hear to know he was ok! You will be the the same in a few wks

Nelif · 25/03/2008 12:32

I have a Bestman doppler and it is fantastic! I am 23 weeks now and have used it since I was about 16 weeks. I have never had a problem hearing a heartbeat and we hear it really loudly, we've even been able to record it onto a mobile phone!

With the gap in mw appointments being so big, last one 15 weeks - next one 25 weeks (although scan in middle) I have found it reassuring. Also I have only just over the last week felt my baby move and I was getting worried about that.

I don't use it constantly, I have used it every 2-3 days for a minute or so, and we smile so much when we hear the heartbeat its fantastic.

Original poster

pregnancy1 · 25/03/2008 12:37

Thank you so much for all your kind words and reassurance. It's good to know I'm not the only one who worries.

I think I'll follow the majority and pass on the monitor, at least for a few weeks until I have got the hang of (and am reassured by) the kicks. I'll also try to avoid watching tv dramas with pregnant women....

OP posts:

Amberc · 25/03/2008 12:43

I bought monitor - it's great as I went one night without feeling my baby move and rushed into the hospital only for them to use a monitor and tell me everything was fine. So bought my own so it won't happen again. Love it and hear the heartbeat no problem every time.

Bluebella · 25/03/2008 13:21

Hiya,

I have a Hi-Bebe Doppler, and used it for reasurance now and again, but when the baby started to move a lot, I didn't really feel the need for it, but it was brilliant from weeks 14 - 20!

www.anawiz.com/acatalog/Hi_Bebe__BT200__Sound.html

Blue x

Kezza7779 · 25/03/2008 17:42

I have a doppler ad have been able to hear the heartbeat from 12 weeks with great ease, i have never once not heard it and i listen to it every other or night!!! I started a thread on this a while ago with the details of where i got it form - ill try to find it......

P.S I love my Doppler and wouldnt be without it, im now 19 wks and can hear the baby kicking as well as feeling bubbling type feeling, also DH listens to and loves it.

Kezza7779 · 25/03/2008 17:46

website in the US that sells these for $49 = about £25!
www.contecmed.com

Kezza7779 · 25/03/2008 17:47

ps i use cheap hair gel instead of the expensice serum - works a treat!

slinkiemalinki · 25/03/2008 17:54

total waste of money especially at your stage - in a couple of weeks you'll feel baby moving all the time and will be desperate for some peace

Aitch · 25/03/2008 17:58

ky jelly also works.
i had one from 12 weeks with dd, never failed to find a heartbeat. in fact, thank god one day i'd listened to it before going to hospital for an appointment becuase the midwife couldn't find it with hers and went into a right panic. but by your stage i'd stopped using it as i could feel movements, so i wouldn't buy one now.

carmenelectra · 25/03/2008 20:01

You might be able to get the heartbeat easily with a 'proper' doppler what midwives, use which you can buy.

However, i disagree with them beacuse unless you are a midwife or doctor you dont know what exactly you are listening for! Hearing a heartbeat is reassuring but unless you undestand the normal ranges of the heartbeat etc it wouldnt be much help is understanding if there was aproblem.

Aitch · 25/03/2008 20:13

oh that's silly, you're just listening for a heartbeat. at the end of the day it doesn't even matter if it's your own or the baby's, it's for comfort. no-one's suggesting that you handle your own ante-natal care...

carmenelectra · 25/03/2008 21:05

Its not silly! Gosh the amount of people who i see who self diagnose and risk their babies wellbeing is astonishing

Aitch · 25/03/2008 22:02

really? how many? and in what manner?

bethoo · 25/03/2008 22:08

i have an Angelhearts doppler which was about £25. i got it after my second miscarriage and used it up to the birth as there were days when baby was quiet especially if he had been kicking all day before so it was reassuring to know that though he was not moving that his little heart was still beating. without is i would have been a mess. but then that is jsut my personal view.

carmenelectra · 26/03/2008 14:43

This thread makes me smile a bit cos if a HCP were to say on here that its ok to check there is a heartbeat by using a shop bought monitor they would be slated and told if in doubt about baby's wellbeing go to hospital abnd see a midwife etc

However, when its the only way round and a HCP questions whether these monitors are such a good idea, you get a response like 'oh really', 'oh thats silly, you are just listening for a heartbeat'.

Interesting.

Aitch · 26/03/2008 14:47

never mind the smiles CE, let's have some actual examples of the 'astonishing' numbers of people who you meet who have self-diagnosed their babies into ill-health by using dopplers.

if someone has concerns over the health of their child, they should go to the hospital, where has anyone said different? but circumstances in my life meant that i wanted to hear my child's heartbeat every few days, so what would your response have been if i'd turned up on your ward? what would you have written on my notes?

carmenelectra · 26/03/2008 14:53

You know what aitch i aint gonna give you any examples of astonshing numbers at all. How rude you are.

This has just proved my point that on mumsnet, it isnt what you say but who says it that adds weight.

I was just very surprised that noone apart from myself thought these monitors were crap, difficult to use and a possibly dangerous way to find if your baby is ok.

I can just imagine if i have posted on here saying these monitors are great, get one for reassurance and i would have had aload of replies saying 'But you are a midwife, what dangerous advice.'

Ive nothing else to say

Aitch · 26/03/2008 14:58

hmmm. do you honestly think your smiles and 'interesting' weren't rude before? or were they simply passive-aggressive, the standard NHS tone and that's okay?

what rot about who says what on here, you're the one implying that you're an HCP and giving yourself more weight because of that, all i did was ask you for examples.

remember, when i posted 'really? how many? and in what way?'. why ignore that perfectly reasonable question?

how rude you are to ignore that and come back with your snarky smiles. so come on, just tell me, what are these injuries, how common are they and if you had a parent come to you every three days asking to hear her child's heartbeat what would you write on her notes?

carmenelectra · 26/03/2008 15:02

Wouldnt write anything on her notes, apart from to say she was worried and i listened to fetal heart. Id happily listen everyday if someone wanted me to(though if it were early on id explain maybe it wasnt necessary) It would take afew minutes to listen in and reassure. Though i dont know what this ahs to do with not agreeing with the listening devices you can buy from shops.

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