Anyone use an at-home fetal doppler?

[hokiegirl82]

I am a little ashamed to admit it, and kinda feel like this belongs on the Bump which shames me, but I've been using an at-home fetal doppler since I was about 10 weeks. I use it every 4-7 days and I find it calming to hear the baby's HB with it. It was really hard to find the HB at first, but since about 12-13 weeks I've been able to find it pretty easily even though the little dude likes to move around a lot in there. I know a lot of doctors don't like patients to use them because they can cause anxiety if the mom can't find the HB but I decided to try it out anyways. There's only been a few times I haven't been able to find the HB after 20 minutes, but it was usually in the early morning and I guess he was still asleep in there and in a position that the HB wasn't very loud.

[Deleted]

I am. I used it my first pregnancy and I still have it so I use it about once per week.

[ilikedonuts]

Yes. I was a doppler whore. I used mine like twice a day until movement was regular and then like once every 2-3 days just for fun.

[picksthemusic]

I wish I had one right now. I know it's rare to hear the HB with a doppler this early, but it can happen.

I work in a medical clinic that has an in-house ultrasound machine (not for OB use, but joints and things), and I am SO tempted to go use it to see my peanut and see a HB.

[ilikedonuts]

Oh and I found it at 9w6d with DD1 and 9 weeks with DD2 and basically every day after. As someone who had multiple losses pre-DD1, it really helped with my anxiety

[greencrayon]

We got one and used it a lot before I started feeling movement. We've only used it maybe 5 times since 24 weeks. It was definitely reassuring.

[SJ]

I have used it twice. I wasn't sure if I was hearing the right noise, but today we heard the HB at the doctor so now I feel more confident.

I am 15w5d.

[Deleted]

Yes! I had it my first pregnancy too. I love it! I've been able to hear the hb since 9 weeks this time. Best purchase ever in my mind I WISH I had an US machine lol

[shelbyann]

Yup, I got one around 8-9 weeks and used it a few times a week until well in to second tri. I was never not able to find the hb.

[Blue Moon]

I want one so bad, but my H is adamantly against it. He is convinced I will work myself into a panic if I am unable to find the heartbeat. I'm having enough problems with anxiety as it is, so I have to agree with him.

[kermit]

I almost got one but talked myself out of it. I'm glad I didn't get one because the doctor can't even find a hb with the Doppler.

[lo]

I use mine nearly every day. It took around 40 mins the first time at 10 weeks, but now at 14w I find it immediately. Sanity saver.

[IndiaInk]

I don't have one, but I really considered it. I was so anxious in between appointments, after having a couple early first tri losses. DH even encouraged me to get one, which really surprised me because he's usually so laid-back and against any unnecessary intervention. It's probably good that I didn't though, because both our midwives had trouble finding the heartbeat on Doppler because the baby moves around so much. It may have been a bit stressful to me, if I couldn't find it.

[Yankees21]

I bought one and was really glad I did, it actually helped my anxiety.

[humpforfree]

I have a hand me down from my SIL that we used in first tri and early second some. It was reassuring before I felt the baby moving..

[ilikedonuts]

Sonoline B

[shelbyann]

I also have the Sonoline B.

[greencrayon]

Tritto the sonoline b.

[sunshine608]

I strongly considered one but was worried I would be thinking I was listening to my insides instead of the HB.

[SJ]

I also have the Sonoline B. I got it on Groupon.

[pinotgrig]

A friend gave me one but I've had zero luck with it the couple of times I've tried to use it.

My ob's office highly discourages moms from using them BC it causes panic when a hb can't be found and also BC they are suspect of their safety. She mentioned something about limited safety research/testing with them, but I never checked to see if that was actually true.

[osulori]

It's funny, when I first got pg I was all "No way, I don't need one of those home doppler thingies...I'm not wasting the $$." And then my CW ended up with an extra and offered to lend me one and I started thinking "Well, if I don't have to pay for it....why not?" Then I figured out how to find AJ's heartbeat around 14 weeks and proceeded to listen to it almost every night until I was feeling him move consistently. The reassurance was addicting, I guess

[lo]

sonoline b. FDA approved so I feel fine using it.

[hokiegirl82]

I use the sonoline B.

[catsarecute]

I had a love/hate relationship with mine. I wanted to wait until I was well into the first tri to use it since I knew from friends that let us borrow theirs that it could be tricky to use. My husband insisted we give it a try at 10 weeks. Well, I couldn't find the heartbeat. I watched a You Tube video that was linked here but had no luck and I freaked out for 2.5 weeks until our next ultrasound.

I started to find the heartbeat pretty regularly after about 14 weeks. It still took a little bit of time but I could find it within minutes. I used it once a week until about week 21 when I started to feel her moving around. A couple of weeks ago, she was pretty still for a few days in a row and I confess to breaking out the doppler 3 times in one day. Pathetic.

Now, she is moving so much that I don't feel like I need to use it but it is fun to hear her heart beat. Although, she is moving around too much and it takes me a while to track her down in there!!! The other day, I swear she kicked right in the spot where I was holding the wand!

[Deleted]

I had one and used it regularly until i started feeling movement around 16-17 weeks. I haven't used it in a long time though. I don't need to hear the heart anymore because I can feel her moving all day! I heard it the first time on the doppler at 9 weeks and then had about 3 weeks where I couldn't find anything and then found it again.

[saltypearl]

I did between 11 and 15 weeks. I used mine every other day and it totally made me feel better.

[Wonderwall]

My OB gave me a lecture at my last appointment about them when I asked her about them. She said that people rely too much on them and that we need to learn to trust our bodies and our guts so to speak when we have have fears or concerns about our babies.

?

THAT BEING SAID....

A girlfriend of mine sent me her Sonoline B today. It was really cool to hear the HB at home hahahaha

I'm going to try really really hard not to use it too often but it was really neat and easy to use.

[redpenmama]

Yes, with both pregnancies. Nothing to be ashamed of.

[DesertMoon]

I used one in my first pregnancy because I had an mc earlier that yr. I plan on using it again for this one. It's just reassuring, use on!