Low-tech mamas - doppler or fetoscope?

[because]

I haven't been in yet but I assume this m/w will use a doppler like my last one did. As I'm learning more about ultrasound and dopplers, I'm thinking I might avoid them and just ask for her to use a fetoscope... but that won't catch the baby until around 20 weeks, right?

So what are the other low-tech mamas planning?

[Black Orchid]

As long as everything is going okay (no bleeding and we are certain it is not an ectopic), we will wait to use the fetascope. As I mentioned on the other thread, I feel that my DD's sensory issues could have been caused by the liberal use of u/s and doppler during my pregnancy. I will have vaginal u/s done until we see that the egg has implanted properly, beyond that I will avoid those technologies.

The fetascope dosen't work until 19-20 weeks and that can be a long time to wait to know if the baby is gorwing, etc... however I started feeling my DD at 16 weeks and they say that you feel subsequent babies earlier. So my thought is that I will be feeling movement and will know if something has gone wrong long before 19-20 weeks.

I am still looking for the links with more info regarding the safety of u/s. As soon as I find them I will post here.

[ozzyemm]

I would like info on Doppler. Is it passive (where it collects sound) or is it like U/S where it "bounces waves in the uterus"?

[Willowrose]

We are pretty low-tech, this being our 3rd baby that will be delivered at the free-standing birth center. My midwife typically uses the doppler till the fetoscope can pick up the h/b. At that point, she will typically rely on that one. For delivery we opted to use the doppler in order to pick up any clear warning signals that the baby might be in distress.

[hottmama]

Ozzyemm- doppler IS ultrasound, just like a sonogram is a type of ultrasound.
Willowrose- there are tons and tons of studies showing that fetal monitoring does not improve birth outcomes, and is likely to lead to unnecessary interventions. If anything, I would use only a fetoscope during labor and that rarely.
I am not doing to get any U/S (incl. doppler and EFM) except for diagnostic purposes if there is a problem (ie no movement, bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester). I felt Julian first moving at 14 weeks, and I hope I will feel this one around then too, although I know that's early and don't expect it to necessarily happen. I am going to use a fetoscope or stethoscope to hear the HB later on, starting to look around 16-18 wks. but might not hear it til 20-22 wks.

[AAK]

Originally Posted by hottmama

Willowrose- there are tons and tons of studies showing that fetal monitoring does not improve birth outcomes, and is likely to lead to unnecessary interventions.

The studies actually indicate that CONTINUOUS monitoring doesn't improve birth outcomes vs intermittent monitoring. Therefore regardless of which tool you use, intermittent is all you should bother with.

That said, I believe early U/S to be the cause of my dd blind right eye. Therefore, I will NOT be doing that again. (There was cause, just not "real" cause) However, we really want to hear that heartbeat so I will use the doppler around 12 weeks and once we hear it I will have that put up and we will wait to do anymore listening until we can pick up with the fetoscope.

Amy

[chasmyn]

Before we made our choice, I did tons of research on doppler vs ultrasound, and actually a minute with the doppler is equivalent to an hour of u/s. Doppler is much more concentrated and a continuous stream, rather than intermittent like u/s.

Because our first son had a heart defect we chose to do a high level u/s at 22 weeks to see if this one would have a healthy heart. I am so glad we did, but that was our only u/s, since really, it doesn't change the outcome, it only lets you know what is going on.

We'll use a fetoscope the rest of the time if we need to hear the HB or anything like that.

(I'm an August Mama, not Jan, so I'm further along than you lovely Goddesses are, but I had to chime in since we really did worry about and research this as much as we could.)

Happy pregnancies, lovely glowing ladies!

[Rockies5]

We won't be using anything.....


possibly a fetoscope later in pregnancy. My feeling is that you will likley feel baby moving before you can hear the heartbeat on a fetoscope. If I'm getting kicked, baby has a heartbeat and I don't really care if its fast or slow...

maybe I'm less intervention then anybody, but this is #5 so we've come a long way and found this way best for us. We do sometimes do late pregnancy u/s scans if there is reason. Last baby I felt a pulling, and had a small previa on u/s.

lso doppler u/s is more focused then typical scan.

Carrie