Dopplers

[pringle88]

Is anybody using one at home? If so, what's the earliest you've managed to find the heartbeat?

Thinking about ordering one for this pregnancy but I'm only 6 weeks so might hold off until next month!

 

[nikkix86]

I haven't bought one yet but think some of the other may mummies found it at 9-10 weeks

 

[Emily0505]

Best money I ever spent, after going through mc.

I found my babies hb at 9+something.

XX

 

[PeanutButter]

Definitely gonna get one. But waiting until after 8/9 weeks xx

 

[Selly]

When I saw my midwife at 8 weeks I asked her about this and she said it would be impossible to hear before 16 weeks as the baby is in the wrong place before then - too low down and behind other stuff... I was confused as sure I'd seen others say they heard it earlier. She said they must be hearing other noises or own heartbeat?! But I would have thought that sounds quite different to a baby's! So not sure what to think?!

 

[Emily0505]

Babies HB is very fast in comparison to your own. There are a lot of different noises going on in there and to start with the HB is quite faint and very low down, but it's not impossible to find. Can be difficult but not impossible.

When I first found my bubs at 9 weeks I recorded it and sent it to a friend who is a mw and she confirmed it was baby.

XX

 

[Keelygracey]

Are they safe to use? I don't know much about them but I'm sure I have read you can't use them too often?
How much are they? xx

 

[Emily0505]

Mine was about £20.

I've used it daily since I was 9 weeks. Once I've found baby I only listen for a short while as I wasn't sure how much it was OK to use it.

I'm 14 weeks now and using it every other day this week so far and going to try to cut down on how much I use it now.

I've had three consecutive miscarriages so I've found it really reassuring

XX

 

[nikkix86]

Emily which one are you using and where did you get it from? x

 

[Emily0505]

I ordered it from Amazon.

I'm not sure what brand it is though.

I'll check in a bit and let you know.

XX

 

[Blueclass]

Alot of people mistake the sound of the placenta for the hb.
I had one but came to rely on it. If I get pregnant again I won't have one. Even if your baby sounds ok it doesn't mean it is so please don't rely in them.

 

[Emily0505]

It doesn't say what brand it is, just feral Doppler.

Blue class, totally agree with what you've said but at my early stage of pregnancy even if the worst was to happen there's nothing that could be done anyway and hearing the HB has been so reassuring. Although of course I would still call my GP/MW/EPU if i had concerns. I have become dependant on it though, so I'm cutting down on how much I use it.

I think the risk with Doppler use comes later on in pregnancy when women use a home Doppler instead of going in for monitoring. For example a woman may have noticed a change or reduction in her babies movements but as she can hear HB on the Doppler doesn't call her MW. Doppler's should never be a substitute for a trained health care professional.

XX

 

[lisey]

The doppler was a good buy for me after 4 miscarriages. I wouldn't rely on that later on if had reduced movements.
You can definitely find it before 16 weeks. In America I am sure midwives check heartbeat earlier than 16 weeks, I read lots about having theirs checked at 9-10 weeks.
I got my doppler at 11 weeks and found baby the day I got it. Definitely not placenta, mine has the reading on it, I think the placenta is a very distinctive noise and know it's not baby. Worth watching some YouTube vids. Plus doesn't register as high. Sometimes it picks up mine, again, doesn't register as high. Once I find bubs the reading jumps up very quickly to around 160. Was 170 earlier on. I have the sonoline b with 3mhz probe xx

 

[Miasmum]

I have a hi-bebe doppler. It's about 80£ new, but I got an ex rental one of eBay for 30£. It's the type that some midwives use on home visits.
I found the babies heartbeat at 8 weeks with this pregnancy and 9 weeks with my last.
There is a video on YouTube of a lady showing the difference between an artery, the placenta and the babies HB. Once you know the difference, it's easy to know what you are listening to.
I have never heard of a doppler being bad for the baby. I only use it a couple of times a week, though.

 

[babybee]

i found my youngest daughter's heartbeat at 9 weeks and this time round it was the same. It was most definitely theirs as it was very fast and very varied. Also at my 16 week check the midwife tried to find it and i directed her to the baby's usual lurking spot.
I think there was a thread on here a couple of months ago about safety of too many scans or doppler use and someone mentioned a study to show risks were minimal to nothing.

I agree with the above about not using them once you feel the baby move. Baby movement is the best possible thing for us to monitor to be able to raise alarm if anything is wrong. With my eldest I stopped feeling her at 38+5 and had i used a doppler i wouldve heard a nice strong heartbeat. Luckily i didn't and got checked and whilst the heartbeat was there, it wasn't varying which indicated the baby wasnt well. She was born soon after via c section and needed a blood transfusion as she was severley aneamic and stay in nicu. Had i left it 12 hours i was told she wouldn't have made it. I dread to think what i would've done had i used a doppler then.

 

[Skatinbabe]

I used one way toooooo much in my previous pregnancies. I have it still in my cupboard but it will not be coming out this time.
I probably used over 20 times a day.

Sometimes you'll hear your hb, the placenta or baby.

I'm not going to stress this time.