[MamaFern]

ive been so set against using any doppler/ultrasound technology with this baby, but now im an hour away from my 16 week appt with my midwife and i want to hear the heartbeat sooo badly..! part of me feels like im being irrational, but other parts of me thinks its totally normal to want to hear it. i loved hearing it with elwynn and he turned out okay right?

so tell me again why i didnt want to have a doppler put on my belly!!

there better be some good stuff when i get out of the shower :LOL

 

[DreamsInDigital]

I never knew there was anything wrong with it, and the peace of mind it gave me that the baby was okay was always so wonderful. I'd like to see some reasons as well.

 

[BensMom]

I succumbed to it at my appt with the backup doc at 14w and I find myself tempted to check again at this appt (16w). Now that I am not feeling like death-warmed-over every day, and I still am not sure I am feeling movement, I am tempted by that reassurance that the bean in there is ok. I figure by the next visit, I will have lots of movement to reassure me.

If you are on the thinner side, you can have the MW check with the fetoscope first. I know I am way too fluffy for that to work, but it might for you!

But all in all, a quick check with the dopplar is probably not too big of a deal, if you feel comfortable with it. It's not like you are thinking about renting a home unit and listening for several hours a day!

Good luck at the appt. I go in at 4pm (EST) today.

 

[Viriditas]

Okay, I'm butting in from December, but here's how I feel. I'm 13 weeks and although it would be nice to hear the heartbeat now, it's not worth hurting or even frightening my baby. I've heard stories from other mamas of babies kicking at the doppler device or freaking out when it was used. I can wait a couple of months to use a fetoscope.

Since you're at 16 weeks, you only have a few more weeks before you can hear the heartbeat with a fetoscope. Not too much longer! Get a fetoscope for yourself (they're cheap) and start trying to find it! I've heard of heartbeats being detected as early as 17 weeks. That will keep you occupied. Besides, I don't know if you've felt the baby move yet, but if you haven't then you should very, very soon! That will help you bond with the baby and reassure you that s/he is okay.

 

[*Amy*]

I think it's OK to do it in moderation. Usually you can get a really good HB and figure out the BPM within 15 seconds, so very minimal exposure. I recorded mine on my cell phone so I can listen to it whenever I want, and that has been really cool. You've been saying for weeks that you want to do it, so I say, do it!

 

[MamaFern]

i didnt do it.. i decided to wait.. i feel good about that decission.. once i was in the midwife office and she asked i knew i would say no.. weird.. huh?

thanks everyone

 

[DreamsInDigital]

No one yet has said why not to use it?

 

[MamaFern]

sorry, we had a thread about this before..

i feel like its unnecessary invasion of the babies world.. its a powerful tool.. they use high frequency sound waves that go in and bounce off the baby to create sound and pictures.. ultrasound is also a doppler device,. the thing about the doppler is that its about 200 times as powerful as a picture ultrasound. what my midwife said is a minute of doppler is like an hour and a half of a picture ultasound.. i feel like unless its totally necessary i dont want to expose my baby to anything like that. most people think its fine and harmless, but they use doppler devices in the military for underwater missiles and stuff and it has been known to cause whales to beach tjemselves , so it in my oppinion it cant be too good for a 16 week old baby..

 

[DreamsInDigital]

I had no idea. Any links where I can find out more?

 

[3for3hb]

MamaFern......

do you really need external validation for what you know in your heart to be right for you and your baby.

Glad to see you've come around

Hang in there

 

[BensMom]

I went to my appt planning on having them using the dopplar. But after palpating me and saying I am measuring around 18w (I am 16w today), I figured, eh...that's enough for me to know everything is ok. And then my MW didn't offer, so I didnt ask. I hope it's all a moot point anyway, since we should be feeling daily kicks and squirms very soon now!

 

[MamaFern]

i agree..

i know everything is okay.. i guess i was just getting nervous.

 

[PicnicBear]

I have my 17 week appointment on Friday and I don't feel anxious to hear the heartbeat with a doppler. Because I am thin maybe we could hear it with the scope but maybe not. I don't want to get my hopes up. For whatever reason I don't feel the need for any reassurance like that -- I guess I just assume that everything is OK.

It sounds like you're happy with your decision, so good for you!

 

[Gunter]

When I saw the OB at 8.5 weeks, she did an internal ultrasound and I was so excited to have physical confirmation. I knew much less then, too. Amazing how much info there is out there and how quickly one can learn things.

DH and I heard the heartbeat, too. That was overshadowed by the horrible OB visit, though. (The visist that led to them dropping me b/c their knowledge of my intentions to HB made me a "liability"!)

I don't plan to have another ultrasound unless it is absolutely necessary. I have gotten some odd looks from people when that is my answer to, "When is your next ulrasound?"

Being informed about the risks technology brings is so important, yet rare. I am once again so thankful for this community of empowered, thoughtful women of courage!

 

[trmpetplaya]

I did allow doppler use, but only because I did just miscarry last year... so I figured my sanity and comfort would help the baby more than me waiting several weeks and freaking out about every little thing. I try to live by faith, but sometimes it's really really hard to.

I'm not planning on having a picture ultrasound though

: I've gotten a lot of crap about it from others, but I just tell them that I'm not sure if my insurance even covers it unless there's a medical reason (in which case I would have one) and I tell them that if my midwife recommends one then I'll get one (but she almost never does

). That usually satisfies anyone who gives me a hard time initially. And it's all true too. I only don't know about the insurance because I hate talking to strangers on the phone and I've already wasted enough of my time talking to the insurance people. The pamphlet I have and their website are completely indecipherable. But I don't have to go into that kind of detail with everyone

My parents live across the country (I'm in Washington and they're in Georgia) so my husband did record the heartbeat at my last appointment on his laptop to listen to whenever we want and to e-mail to my parents

I wouldn't have used the doppler if I hadn't been freaking out so much though...

:

 

[Chi-Chi Mama]

coming in late, but just wanted to chime in

I wasn't planning on using the doppler or the ultrasound either, but agreed to the doppler at my appt. yesterday (I'm almost 15 weeks) I've been under a lot of pressure lately - emotional, financial, etc. and was a bit worried about the baby. (like the doppler would actually change anything) but dh wanted to hear it too, he's had a tough time with the pregnancy and we thought it would help him 'bond' maybe?

anyway, it took forever to find the heartbeat.. I was getting really scared. The midwife could make it out before I did, so she had to tell me to relax. And the baby really didn't like it. It kept moving around, kicking at it, etc - I couldn't really feel it, but my midwife said that's what it sounded like. Like s/he was trying to hide / get away.

so I felt reassured that there was a heartbeat, etc... but a bit down on myself for agreeing to it. Anecdotal evidence I know, but I definitely know this baby didn't like it. so no more for me.

but good for you.

sorry this is so long

 

[Awaken]

I want so much not to want to use them, but I really need the reassurance esp. after having a m/c and not being far along enough to feel movement. I hate the thought that it is scaring or hurting my baby

And it took a long time last time to hear it- it was even scaring ds (2 1/2)!!

I just have some fear, that doing this one thing will really help me have more confidence that the little one is growing and ok in there.