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A doppler...
Cons: Cost,
is it safe for the baby if used frequently
Undue distress if baby is in a difficult position and I can't find it
Pros: Peace of mind when I can find the heartbeat.
Daddy can hear it too
I realise the cons outweigh the pro's but maybe peace of mind outweighs all that?? What do you think. I don't want to overuse it, and I don't think I would. Maybe just weekly in between Dr's appointments. Ok maybe twice weekly..
The main concern I have with dopplers is that women sometimes seek reassurance from hearing a heartbeat when they really need to speak to a midwife or OB. Knowing that there is a heartbeat does not mean everything is fine, sometimes the heartbeat can be pathological yet because it was present the mother did not seek help :(
I would personally have concerns with the frequent ultrasound waves for the baby too. However I appreciate the jury is still out on this subject. If you really need the reassurance have you considered a fetoscope instead? Both you and your OH could listen to baby as many times as you wanted with no ultrasound waves.
What is a fetoscope? Never heard of it.. Off to google now. LolI realise that, however I would always seek help if I was concerned.:
Knowing that there is a heartbeat does not mean everything is fine, sometimes the heartbeat can be pathological yet because it was present the mother did not seek help
ETA: Aaah, a special type of stethoscope. Shame I couldn't hear the HB with my normal stethoscope..
There are other devices on the market with which you can listen to babies heartbeat that are likely much cheaper. Even a basic stethescope (sp?) can be used to hear the babies heartbeat. :)
I figured you probably would, and being medically trained you would probably have an idea what you were listening to aswell. It's just my initial reaction when someone says they are getting a doppler as I've heard a few too many horror stories.
Must be too early I just tried and couldn't hear anything, so I googled and it said from 18wks you can use a normal stethoscope. I might just do that :):
Even a basic stethescope (sp?) can be used to hear the babies heartbeat.
ETA: Hopefully I will be able to feel Button move more frequently anyway so wont be so anxious. I can feel little movements but they are very light and irregular.
I had one and used it infrequently throughout my pregnancy with DD1. I had absolutely no confidence that I would not miscarry again, and once I passed the "safe" period for miscarriage I then had no confidence I would birth a live baby. It saved me on those infrequent occasions from having a complete meltdown. FWIW, I didn't use it once with DD2 - didn't have the need.
I know the jury is out on he safety of frequent ultrasounds and dopplers, but just wanted to say I had ultrasounds from week 7-38 approx every 2 weeks, most were only for a minute or so, but still! anyways, My DD is fine!!
Could just be too early. We have been able to hear bus with a stethescope. My midwive has used a funnel to listen as well, and DH can sometimes hear her heartbeat now if he just lays his ear directly on my belly - provided she is laying in the right position.:
I never thought I'd be the one to get a doppler, but after my m/c it has given me some peace of mind with this pregnancy. I know it can't change anything but it has been wonderful for me to just pop it on and hear that heartbeat. I was using it around once per week and as soon as I got the heartbeat I would switch it off. Now that I'm feeling bubs move on a regular basis I'm not using it much and will probably send it back soon. If I had any concerns I would be straight to my GP or hospital but as i said it was great for just confirming that all was as well as it could be. There has been a few times where I haven't picked it up, I just go to the loo and try again in 10mins or so and there it is :)
When I was pregnant with my son I tried to get a heartbeat with my stethescope - but never did! Then my midwife told me to use an empty toilet roll. That didn't work for us either so maybe it was my little guy's position. But it's worth a try!
My main issue with any form of monitoring like that is that it feeds into anxiety and creates an environment where you're not trusting your body or that things will be okay. I understand yours is a unique situation so I hope this view doesn't offend you.
With DS our OB used the stethoscope from a little later on in the pregnancy, so maybe it won't be too much longer till you can just use that. Baby's movement is probably a better indicator :dunno:
I agree with Arcadia about feeding anxiety. I understand why you need the extra reassurance, but that may be better gained through close contact with a caring and understanding caergiver, as well as taking time to care for yourself.
I hope you're doing well adn baby is kicking up a storm soon
Yeah, I'm not that paranoid. I'm doing quite well actually. I don't think I'll bother. I am closely monitored anyway, at least every 2 - 4 weeks I'll have an appointment.
Not offended, but ROFL at trusting my body and that everything will be ok. Once I passed 12wks with the twins I thought things would be ok. Then once I got the stitch in at 19wks I thought things would be ok. When my babies were born alive at 24wks I thought things *may* be ok. They weren't and I don't trust my body. It failed my babies. They were perfect, it was my body that couldn't hold them which is what caused their death.. In my case increased monitoring doesn't make me more anxious, it makes me less anxious. The fact that I have the option to be closely monitored makes me see the need for it less. However I also had 2 big bleeds at 10 and 12wks, which increased my anxiety. I think I'm coping quite well though.. It's just going to be a long 9wks to get passed 24wks.. Lots of milestones to focus on in this pregnancy..:
My main issue with any form of monitoring like that is that it feeds into anxiety and creates an environment where you're not trusting your body or that things will be okay. I understand yours is a unique situation so I hope this view doesn't offend you.
Abs, I think you are indeed doing a brilliant job with your coping!! :hug: love ya heaps :)
Thanks, I'm a big brave Mummy! Being at the hospital is hard. Lots of triggers that make me feel right back where I was 2 and a half years ago..
If you think anything will give you peace of mind, then you should do it :) You have good reason to stress and to recognize that and try to alleviate it is probably the most comforting thing you can do. So if you want one = pro, if you dont = con lol
:hug: BAL...I didn't know your full story and feel a little sheepish now...
It's ok Arcadia, it is hard to trust my body when I feel it has let me down so much. It also comes from TTC as well. It took me years to fall pregnant, I was with my current partner for 3yrs before the twins were conceived. Then it took clomid to conceive this baby. I just feel like my body has failed me in that way, especially because I'm so maternal, and being a mother is all I have ever wanted. It is a hard pill to swallow when you hear of young drug addicts managing to fall pregnant and carry a baby to term when i do all the 'right' things and still don't get to take my baby home at the end. I am working through all this stuff though, slowly, but surely. At the beginning of this pregnancy I meditated and focused on trusting my body and my baby. So far, so good apart from the bleeds :)
Its bloody awful when you no longer believe that if you do everything you're supposed to, then your body just does what it is intended to do. I remember having to walk past groups of pregnant women smoking at the hospital entrance after another loss and boy, the desire to smack them all was pretty intense.
It is so hard and it is so completely unfair when you are robbed of what should be a joyous experience, but hang in there lovely. It is your turn to bring home a beautiful, snuggly warm bub.
Its great you're having regular monitoring, but if you need just another quick peek in between scheduled scans if you're having a bad day, don't hesitate to contact your hospital/OB. Your mental/emotional wellbeing is paramount.
I LOVED my doppler when pregnant with both my babies. Even thought the box said "from 12 weeks" I first heard my son's heartbeat at 10 weeks, and my daughters at 9 weeks. We only ever used it for a minute or two at a time, but it was magical.
Not only did we have the peace of mind of hearing that little heart beating away, but I think it also helped us form that early bond with our babies. It also gave DH a way to feel like he was a bit more of a part of the pregnancies.
When it comes to the health side of things I'm usually the first to err on the side of caution, but with ultrasounds having been used for soooooo many years and so frequently I am convinced that it would be known by now if they were causing any harm at all. Having said that, we still limited our time with the doppler, but more so in case it the fluid waves the sounds waves causes were uncomfortable for the baby. You'd think if that was the case though, hat babies would become super active when you are having an ultrasound, but my babies both had a tendency to sleep during ultrasounds, lol.
Anyway, if you are keeping count of yay and nay's, then I'm definitely in the "yay column" :D
blessed, you can hire them too.
I have no opinion whether you should or shouldn't get one (so maybe I shouldn't post at all!) -but I have one question, in general, not specifically for the OP. By having a doppler, how does it change anything? I mean, yes you get the reassurance of hearing a heartbeat, but God forbid you can't find one, having that doppler isn't going to change that at all so how does that make you pregnancy easier?
That's not intended to sound rude - hope it doesn't, I just was wondering, how does having one change something you really have no control over anyway?
ooops. Double post. Sorry
Ausgirl - you're absolutely right. A doppler is not going to save a pregnancy. What will be will be. But from my own experience only, I found that when you are so used to getting that wonderful BFP only to then have yet another miscarriage, the reassurance on those bad days when you have no hope that you will get through is amazing. I had one occasion where it took me about 10 very, very stressful minutes to find my little girl's heartbeat, but the rest of the time it was almost instant reassurance that today at least, my dream was still alive.
That's me though, and I do agree to a certain extent that sometimes they cause more apprehension - depends on the person. My SIL flat out refused to aknowledge her pregnancy because she was just too scared to build up her hopes.
Ausgirl - A doppler wouldn't change the outcome, neither do U/S or blood tests, but it can be nice to get reassurance. I also agree that it can cause undue stress if the heart beat can't be found which I listed as one of the cons.. I think for me the best reassurance for me will be when I'm looking at my baby alive :) but it will also be good when I can feel it. I don't think i will bother with a doppler, as it shouldn't be that long until I can regularly feel Bub and that will be reassurance enough..
I have a doppler. I bought it when I was around 11 weeks with this bub. I found a hb for the first time at 11 wks 6 days. I currently use it around twice a week for less than a minute each time. For me the doppler has offered peace of mind but I can see how it would offer anxiety often too. I use it simply because I just love hearing that little hb when I need to. This pg I have anterior placenta so movements are not as soon as as strong as DS so I will probably stop using it as often once I get more regular movements. Big Hugs - I can relate slightly to the way you are feeling, I had two m/c prior to DS and then I had some early and late bleeding with his pg. He was a clomid bub too.
For me personally I think I answered your question when I wrote::
"Not only did we have the peace of mind of hearing that little heart beating away, but I think it also helped us form that early bond with our babies. It also gave DH a way to feel like he was a bit more of a part of the pregnancies."
You're right, it's not going to change anything, but hearing that precious heart beating away when you are having a moment of doubt as to whether your baby is still alive is the most reassuring sound in the world. After about 12 weeks with both my pregnancies I was able to find the heartbeat within at least a minute or two, and most of the times it could be heard the second I placed the doppler on my belly.
The joy my husband and I could share in while listening to our baby's heartbeats was priceless though.
I asked my OB about this, and also about monitoring the baby movements (as not at 25weeks bubs is pretty active) but he told me not to stress about it too much. He said if I couldn't find the heartbeat that would cause me more stress than it was worth, and that was more harmful to bubs. He was the same with the movement told me unless I was feeling nothing at all, not to worry about where, when, how often etc. Until much later in the Pregnancy, just to enjoy it. Heartbeats are good, but movement is better I think, and in my OB's opinion being as relaxed as possible (yeah i know easier said than done) is the best for bubs.
Personally I decided against getting one, because I'm prone to worry about things alot, and if I had one I think while at first it would decrease my stress, ultimately it would give me something else to worry about. Does that make sense?
I can understand after what you have been through wanting the reassurance. I hope everything goes well for you.