All YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A HOME FETAL DOPPLER

Imagine you could listen to baby’s heartbeat anytime you’d like during pregnancy without making a trip to your OB’s office.An exciting proposition, isn’t it? Every expecting couple is bound to feel nervous when they are expecting their little one. It does not matter whether it is their first child or whether they have been through this phase before. What matters the most to every couple is that whether their loved and unborn child is growing safely in the mother’s womb or not.Many expectant mothers worry about the outcome of their pregnancy and the health of their babies on a daily basis.

What is a Doppler device?

A Doppler fetal monitor is a hand-held ultrasound transducer used to detect the fetal heartbeat for prenatal care. sometimes referred to as a pocket fetal Doppler. It uses the Doppler effect to provide an audible simulation of the heartbeat. The device sends sound waves through your skin and tissue in search of any movement. When movement is detected, the waves bounce back, creating a pattern, which the fetal Doppler records and plays back for you.

How early can I hear the baby’s heartbeat with a Doppler?

You may be able to hear – and see – your baby’s heartbeat for the first time when you’re about 8 weeks pregnant if you have an early ultrasound exam. Otherwise, you’ll probably first hear baby’s heartbeat with a fetal doppler until 10 to 12 weeks.However,  baby’s heart starts to beat at around 6 weeks.

When can you start using a fetal Doppler?

In some woman, the fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as 8-12 weeks. The fetal heartbeat should be audible 95% of the time in 12-week pregnancies, and nearly 100% of the time after 14 weeks. Earlier in pregnancy, between 8-12 weeks, your success in finding the heart rate can have to do with the quality of your device.

Are fetal dopplers safe for the baby?

When used by a trained health professional, fetal heart Dopplers are entirely safe. But extra attention is needed when used at home.The technology that hand-held Dopplers uses is safe, but it’s how the results are interpreted by some moms that’s the problem. Some mom tends to overstress when they can not spot the heartbeat. As a matter of fact, the fetus on Week 10th-11th is quite tiny. They can easily hide behind mom’s placenta and other organs which in this case spotting the heartbeat is a bit difficult. The moderate use of Dopplers is recommended like twice a week and not using excessively during a session. Expecting moms are recommended to limit the duration to maximum 10 minutes including the time taking to spot the baby.

How does a home fetal doppler work?

Fetal doppler or fetal heart rate monitor is a handheld device which is used to listen to the baby’s heartbeat inside the womb of the mother. Each fetal doppler contains a transducer or a probe which sends out short pulses of ultrasound sound waves into the directed area of the body. Starting in the third trimester (at 28 weeks), you can track fetal movement using kick counts, which time how long it takes a baby to get to 10 movements. Doing kick counts help you to get to know your baby’s unique pattern if you know the baby is moving properly and normally, that’s a sign the baby as well. When a baby is stressed or is being starved of oxygen, he will slow down movement to conserve energy. If you report it to your doctor, professionals can determine what’s wrong, which can have a positive impact on health outcomes.

What is the difference between a doppler and an ultrasound?

Is it easy to confuse a home fetal Doppler monitor with a Doppler ultrasound machine buy the main difference between the two? The Doppler ultrasound used in the doctor’s office tends to use higher-frequency sound waves, making it more accurate and reliable. The version used by doctors also provides imaging, whereas the handheld devices offer only sound.

Can I skip my doctor and Ultrasound appointment and use my home doppler instead?

Absolutely NOT. The use of fetal doppler is not a replacement for the visit to a specialist. There are many other elements that will be examined while visiting the doctor’s office. Also, the Ultrasound appointments are essential as the baby development size is measured and also the visual images on a screen are observed for details.