If anything in the world of parenting sounds like it’s straight out of the future it would have to be a fetal doppler. In fact, I would not even blame you if you enter parenting without a single clue what a fetal doppler even is. No need to fret though, we have got all the information you could ever need about them and all the reasons that you should use a fetal doppler and on the flip side a few reasons you might not want to.
Should you use a Fetal Doppler?
All About Fetal Dopplers
It is only a recent development that parents can purchase a fetal doppler to use in their home. Before that, fetal dopplers were only used by doctors and nurses to listen to the baby’s heartbeat during appointments. Now they are small handheld devices that parents to be can easily purchase online or at their local baby store. You might be wondering exactly how these work. Well, it isn’t actually too tricky of an answer. It’s just like an ultrasound machine, high-frequency waves pass through your skin to detect movement and then bounce back translating the movement into sound.
Should You Use a Fetal Doppler
Reasons we say Yes
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To Enjoy Listening to your Babies Heartbeat –
Hearing your baby’s heartbeat is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Suddenly all the things you knew in your heart to be true are confirmed; your baby is there, they are healthy, and they are growing. The thing is, hearing their heartbeat never really gets old and that’s why the idea of having a fetal doppler in your very own home can be so appealing. While you shouldn’t use a fetal doppler to ease anxiety or try to answer medical questions, if you want one simply for the enjoyment of being able to listen to that little heartbeat we say go for it. Pregnancy is a miracle worth enjoying.
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You plan on asking for training.
While you won’t reach the level of professionals, with some easy pointers you can learn how to safely use a fetal doppler. You can ask a midwife to give you a short consultation on how to use the fetal doppler. She can answer all your beginner’s questions and get you started off on the right foot with your at home fetal doppler.
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Want to share with your family and baby’s siblings
All your loved one will have the experience of connecting with your baby before they arrive. This is one of the biggest reasons we, and so many others, say yes to using a fetal doppler. You may not be able to bring all your friends and family into your doctor’s appointment but you can definitely invite them over to your home where you can all listen to the heartbeat together. It’s also a great way to explain pregnancy to siblings who might be confused about what is really going on with mommy. Hearing the heartbeat might make the fact that there’s a baby on the way a bit more real to them.
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You’ve done your research.
The most important factor in deciding whether or not to purchase a fetal doppler is how willing you are to learn about how it works and what it is telling you. This means you are going to have to take a real dive into how your baby’s heart is developing and knowing what is normal and healthy. Even with this research, you should only use the doppler for entertainment and bonding, but the understanding may help to put aside addition anxieties or assumptions causing you to miss an important sign.
- You Plan to use it sparinglyLeave the medical devices to doctors unless you have enough self-control to use them sparingly. The fetal doppler may be unhealthy for you and your baby if you use it too frequently or for too long. The waves heat up your tissues and overexposure is not good for you.
Reasons we say No to a Fetal Doppler
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You aren’t a trained professional.
Doctors and technicians go through tons of training to be able to properly use equipment like a fetal doppler. They also have tons of outside knowledge that plays into their understanding. Because you aren’t a trained professional, you may not fully understand what you are hearing. This can lead to a wide variety of consequences. As we said earlier, you need to at least do your research and understand the device before you dive into using it at home.
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The doppler may give you a false sense of security.
Sadly, just because you hear a heartbeat does not necessarily mean all is good with your baby. The sense of security you get from hearing a heartbeat may cause you to miss or ignore other warning signs, like lack of movement. Always make sure to listen to your doctor and visit at the appropriate times.
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It might cause unnecessary stress
If you are easily anxious or stressed, getting a doppler may not be the wisest idea. While in some cases they are comforting, other times they can cause unnecessary worry. They do not always work perfectly and are not always as strong as necessary to translate the sound of the heartbeat back to you.
Overall, we would recommend talking to your doctor before making a purchase of a fetal doppler. While it may be exciting to have the joy of listening to your babies heartbeat, it can also be an unnecessary stress on both mom and the baby.
Have you used a fetal doppler? Let us know your opinion in the comments
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