Dopplers - worth getting one or not?

[ClareBear28]

My fiance really wants to get a Doppler for us to have at home, I think he wants it in order to be able feel more in touch with our bub. I'm a bit skeptical about their reliability, how do I know that I'm not just hearing my heartbeat? Anyone had/got one and reckon they're worthwhile?

[Maruschke]

I've got a cheapy one, Bebe sounds, and I wouldn't waste my money. It is very very hard to find the baby's heartbeat, even for me now approaching 22 weeks. Would you stress out if you couldn't find it? Also, I noticed that even my doctor has trouble finding it sometimes even with his fancy doppler. While it is lovely and comforting to hear bubs heartbeat, if i could do it again I wouldnt spend the money.

[Danni]

I have one that I bought from fertility naturopath online. It is fantastic and isn't too expensive. Around $200 i think? Mine is a few years old now. I can easily find the heartbeat from 9 weeks and I am a big girl. It is a great reassurance

[StrawberryMumma]

I have 1 too, and love it! Very easy to find bubs heartbeat.

[Shanti]

We bought one when I was 10 weeks pg from E bay, brand new "Angel Sounds" for $80 and it's brilliant!! came with the gel too. We found the heartbeat at 11weeks 2 days (my Dh is a nurse so he found it easily!) but some ppl have trouble finding the bubs heartbeat just depends..... on bubs position etc too. We never had trouble finding it.
It was very reassuring in those early weeks until I could feel bub move heaps daily then didn't use it anymore.
Just one thing, don't use it every day and when you do, as soon as you find the heartbeat then only listen for 30secs probably best no more..... they are safe if not over used i believe.

eta - you will know if it's bubs heartbeat as it's heaps faster than your own! and also listen to your pulse at the same time then you'll know if you've picked up your own HB or bubs

But some ppl dont like them because if they cant find the HB they get really concerned (of course i would too!) so theres a chance that can happen and you can stress for no reason.

[Maruschke]

Mine was only $20... perhaps you get what you pay for, LOL.

[ClareBear28]

Thanks everyone, I guess I'll just have to sit my fiance down and see if it's what he really wants, and mention the chance that we may not hear the hb everytime - and whether that will cause undue stress for the 2 of us...

[Danni]

The chance of you not finding the heartbeat this far along, is very VERY slim. You get to learn where bub lies and you can normally follow his/her movements.

[Maruschke]

The chance of you not finding the heartbeat this far along, is very VERY slim. You get to learn where bub lies and you can normally follow his/her movements.

Heaps of women don't find the heartbeat even this far along, and I think this is what causes so much stress. There is an expectation that it would be super easy to find the heartbeat and it isn't always the case. Again, it depends on what kind of doppler it is and how powerful / effective it is in picking up the bubs heartbeat.

[ladybird11]

I second everything Renstar said...

I bought the same doppler and picked up a heart beat at about 13 weeks with DD. I'm only 9 weeks now so I'm exercising restraint and not bringing the doppler out for another few weeks or so yet - to not freak myself out lol!!

[tenar]

I didn't buy one because when I tried to read up on the safety of them, I got the impression that they are safe when used by an experienced operator, and I would be totally inexperienced. I didn't want to take any risks with it, though I'm happy for the doc/ob/ultrasound technician to do their thing for my regular scans.

As it turns out, I was glad I didn't bother because my placenta is in the front and this makes it harder to hear the baby's heartbeat. At around 16 weeks the OB couldn't find it at all, with her fancy equipment. The ultrasound showed baby was fine, so no worries, just that her heartbeat is obscured so much by all the stuff in the way, and my own pulse going through the blood vessels in my placenta.

Anyway, if you do get one and you have trouble hearing the baby's heartbeat, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[Visitor8]

I would get one I think they are great, and if it will help your DP feel more intouch with bubs I think the benifits would far outway anything else

[huggabug75]

I done a search on them today through google, and you can actually rent them from about $39 per month...

[briggsy's girl]

i figure if you're looking to hire for several months, it's going to work out cheaper to buy one - i got one on Ebay for 200 delivered - got it at around 12 weeks - and it will be able to be used right through this pg, and any subsequent pregnancy's - much cheaper than 40-ish a month...

[huggabug75]

I think that I would be paranoid if I couldn't hear the baby's HB, I think I will leave it to my doctor.

[Jas]

I think it is a cute way to contect with bubs for dads we bought one off ebay and it was useless (about $50) was always very easy to find Noahs heart rate with a proper doppler but the at home one we never found it! I would consider one of those ones you can hire for about $39 per month i think they are proper ones.

You could consider other way for ur partner to connect like shining a torch on your belly to atract bubs attention or use a bell near your belly for daddy baby play time

also bubs heart rates are round the 120-180 beats per min so much quicker than yours

[briggsy's girl]

unless you're like me with perm tachy!!! my heart is around 125 - so i pick up mine first - work out what it sounds like at the time, then go looking for bubba - thankfully it's around 145-155 so still faster than mine!

[treena217]

i hired one in my 2nd pregnancy and with this one. i found it great i only listened once a day and that was enough for me to feel better. i found hiring it for the month on 15/16-19/20 is enough because after 19 weeks you will should start to feel bubba move so i didn't really need it after that. it is great to share it with the family. my son loved to hear bubba! i also found it may take longer to find the heartbeat but i always did and i am a larger lady. at the GP they wouldn't spend much time trying to find it so having it at home was just reassurance.
i used First Beats i received it the next day and she is a very nice lady.