

You may not recognize changes in the rate or rhythm of your baby's heartbeat that need checking. Don't just reassure yourself by listening in with your Doppler. If you notice a change in your baby's movements, contact your midwife or doctor straight away. These are important ways of monitoring your baby's health. And go to all your prenatal appointments. Probably the most important monitoring you can do yourself-and this is far better than using a Doppler yourself-is to pay attention to your baby's movements, once you start to feel them. Rather than buying your own Doppler machine, it may be better to find out how your baby is doing in other ways. It's not recommended for use over long periods. This kind of Doppler is of a higher intensity and is therefore only used for a particular reason, for example, to check if the placenta is working properly. The ultrasound beam in pulsed Doppler has to be focused in one small area. A Doppler ultrasound machine uses something different, called pulsed wave Doppler, to measure blood flow. The CTG machines that midwives and nurses sometimes use in labour to monitor a baby’s heartbeat electronically work in the same way. This means they are safe to use over a long period. Hand-held Dopplers work by using very low power levels, called continuous wave Doppler.

#Best fetal doppler for home use skin#
You need to put gel on your skin to help with the transmission of the waves. This bounce is then translated into sound so that you can hear, for example, the sound of your baby's heart beating. The ultrasound waves pass through your skin and tissue and then bounce back. They usually have a handset of controls, a built-in speaker and a transducer which is placed against your belly. They are pocket-sized, battery-operated devices that send out high-frequency ultrasound waves. From the point of view of the technology they use, fetal Dopplers are believed to be perfectly safe. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada recommends that only trained experts perform Dopplers. This is why you're advised not to use a Doppler at home, because it could be falsely reassuring-or cause you unnecessary stress. It's very easy to pick up the sound of blood flowing through the placenta or your own vessels instead and mistake this for a heartbeat. You can't always be sure it is your baby's heartbeat you are hearing. Not being able to find your baby's heartbeat could cause you a lot of worry. It takes many years of training and practice to find and correctly identify a baby's heartbeat. One of the main concerns with using these devices at home is that they are meant for professionals. However, most doctors and midwives advise against using them at home.
#Best fetal doppler for home use portable#
You can buy or rent portable ultrasound Doppler machines from many online companies.
