Home Heartbeat Monitors

[Proud50andPG]

Hi everyone - My first post here, so I'll keep it simple. I am 15 weeks' pregnant and wondering if it would be worth it to buy one of those home heartbeat monitors. It's not that I am worried, but in my last pregnancy it was 23 weeks before I felt any movement, and I don't want to have to wait that long to get to "know" this little critter. If it matters, I'm slim and small-boned (5'3", 118#) and still have no tummy or weight gain. And yes, the login name is the truth! Thanks for any tips - Martha

[Magical_Mama]

Nah...

You sound like me. I'm small too and wanted one for the same reason. Unfortunately, the one we got didn't really detect anything as early as it said it could and by the time you could hear anything I already could feel the baby all the time so I didn't need it to be reassured anymore.

We just got a cheap one at Walmart that came with headphones. I think it said you could hear as early as 17 weeks and at 20 weeks we couldn't hear it. My husband would occasionally say he did, but it wasn't enough to tell.

An expensive one may be able to pick it up better.

[MistyD]

Congratulations!

I'd encourage you to do some research on Doppler and ultrasound technology and safety before using them.

Personally I don't think they have been proven safe so these links are admittedly biased.

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/ultrasound.asp

http://www.alternamoms.com/ultrasound.html

Searches on www.google.com will show dozens of sites so you can research this more and see both sides.


I bought a fetoscope. http://www.1cascade.com/display/Fetoscopes/ From about twenty weeks on I could find his heartbeat anytime. I loved hearing it. We did use the Doppler a few times during labor to check on the baby. There was no way I could lay on my back for the fetoscope to work!

Anyway, I hope that helps in some way. Good luck finding the right choice for you.

[Shakti]

We had one for our first pregnancy and never heard a heartbeat with it. It went to the consignment shop.

And congratulations!!! I am 45 and just tested + on an HPT yesterday. Just when I was beginning to think that I was too old to conceive!

Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery!

Patti

[lilyka]

There are some people here who rented dopplers so they could hear the hearty beat early. They figured thier menyal health was worth the risk of ultrs sounds. As for the ones y0ou get for 430 at wally world, those are more or less a glorified stethascope. You can hear movement and placental tones but not so much a heartbeat until you were probably 20 weeks - same as a stethascope or fetascope.

[tinyshoes]

The 'listen to baby's heartbeat' deals you can buy at Babies R Us for $29.99 will simply magnify the sound--they are NOT the snazzy Doppler deals that OBs/CNMs use that can easily pick up the heartbeat.

It is possible to rent Dopplers for a few months...when pg w/ my 1st, there were mamas on a different BB that had a link to an online resource that would rent the Doptones, as they cost around $400.

My hubby would hold his ear against my belly and could hear the heartbeat that way (midwives, being professionals, use the fetoscope, LOL......but you CAN hear it with the naked ear, provided your EAR is in the right place and you know where to pick up the heartbeat [varies w/ babe's position in womb.])