It’s always best to be assessed by a qualified professional. Let’s put it this way: if you thought someone was having a stroke, you would not delay calling an ambulance simply because you could still feel their pulse!
Misunderstanding what we hear on at-home dopplers could delay our visit to the hospital which could have devastating consequences. Trained midwives and doctors will know what the heartbeat of your baby should be sounding like depending on their current gestational age. The sad truth is that this may not be the case. If you use a doppler and find your baby’s heartbeat, you’re likely to think that everything is perfectly fine. So, just why is this really not a good idea? So why should I steer clear?ĭespite being intended for use by medical professionals, there has been a rise in products targeted for home use. If your doctor or midwife is using the fetal heart monitor, there is no cause for concern at all. The Doppler is then placed on top of the clear gel as the monitor is moved around to find the heartbeat. This gel acts as a coupling agent and helps reduce the static sound when listening to your little one.
FETAL HEART DOPPLER PROFESSIONAL
The health professional will then squirt a cold jelly-like gel onto your tummy. (Don’t make the mistake of wearing a dress like I did, or you’ll have to lie back with your undies on display! Not that I really cared by 35 weeks pregnant and in 80-degree heat!) You’ll also most likely need to unzip and pull down your jeans a little too. You won’t need to undress, but you’ll have to pull up your top to around chest level. When your midwife or doctor uses a doppler, you’ll be asked to lie on the bed or couch. Since they’re electronic, this means that everyone in the room (mom included!) gets a listen, whereas fetal stethoscopes only allowed the doctor or midwife to hear what was going on in there! How are they used? They use sound waves to listen to your baby’s heartbeat. Since the late 1950s, these handheld devices have been used to allow us to listen to babies’ heartbeats inside the womb. You may also have heard them referred to as a doppler or a baby heartbeat monitor.
So if a fetal heart monitor can provide such joy and reassurance, why is it so important to leave them to the professionals? What are fetal heart monitors? The first time you hear your baby’s heartbeat is a magical moment! I could just picture that little bundle of life that was growing inside me, and I couldn’t wait to meet him!
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