Doppler rental

[Anonymous]

Anyone done this? All the sites I've been to require permission from your OB, did anyone's OB object? Anyone buy one off of Ebay or craigslist? I'm 13 weeks and realize that I'll probably start to feel the baby soon, but am just needing some reassurance Thanks for any tips!

[Anonymous]

babybeat.com does not require doctor forms. It was super easy.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that if you're looking for reassurance, this may not be the best choice. It's often hard for trained OBs and midwives to find the baby's heartbeat early on. How will you feel if you try to get the hb and can't? Will that cause more stress, imagining all sorts of horrible possibilities, or will you be able to say "Oh well, too early"?

[Anonymous]

I bought one from a member of a message board I was on. Considering I had already had one miscarriage it was a huge relief. Granted, I started feeling the baby at 16 weeks and have only used it a handful of times (like 3) since. By the time you find one you like, order it and have it shipped you may be able to feel the baby moving.
I would look on craigslist or ebay.
The other thing to consider/research is the effect the heartbeat dopplers may have if you use them alot. Dopplers use soundwave technology which causes a piercing noise the baby hears. It can bother them. If I use the doppler now (29 weeks) my baby will move away from the sound, I don't think he likes it. Just something to consider.

[Anonymous]

I agree that it's not a good idea. Medical professionals are trained to use the doppler, it's not really designed for a layperson to use at home. It took my midwife a long while to find the heartbeat at my last appointment, I'm sure I never would have managed to figure it out myself!

[Anonymous]

I rented mine at http://www.bellybeats.com/. It did not require doctor permission, not did I get any. I was extremely paranoid having just watched a friend go through a late miscarriage, and found it to be incredibly reassuring. As a first time mom, I did not feel any identifiable movement until 21 weeks, so having the doppler to use when I was feeling ancy was great. It took me a couple minutes to find the heartbeat the first time I used it (tip: angle the doppler down into your pelvis, not straight toward your back), but after that I could find it really quickly. I'm actually much faster at it than my ob or midwife because I know exactly where to look on me. When my friend who had a miscarriage got pregnant again, she borrowed my doppler, and it gave her a huge sense of relief in the early part of the second trimester to be able to hear the heartbeat. They are really easy to use - I tend to be hopeless with things like this (I can never successfully find my own pulse!) and I had no trouble.
And FYI, ultrasound technology (doppler is a form of ultrasound) has been in use for decades, and every major study has shown it to be completely safe.
Stress is bad for you and ergo, bad for your baby, so I would not hesitate to rent a doppler if it makes you feel better. Plus it is a great chance for your partner to hear the heartbeat and feel connected to the baby.

[Anonymous]

The FDA has only approved in-home fetal dopplers for use with physician approval. They also recommend the least possible use.

Sorry, but I completely disagree with the use of medical equipment for your own personal reassurance. This is the type of thing that breeds helicopter-parenting and obsessively worried mothers.

What will you do and how will you react if you can't locate the heartbeat?

[Anonymous]

I have one and have never had any trouble finding the heartbeat...I found it very reassuring. I only used it a few times (when I didn't feel her move for a couple of days, etc). If you use it occasionally it is no different than going in for your dr appointment. If it was that dangerous what about going in for fetal monitoring (NST) 2x a week....?

[Anonymous]

I have rented one with my three pregnancies (at around 11 weeks) and have never had a hard time finding the heart beat. It is SUPER easy, if the baby is big enough. It gave me reassurance during those last weeks of the first trimester. I returned it after a month.
It comes with very detailed instructions and a cd of what the heart beat sounds like so you learn how to distinguish it from your own and after a few uses it takes literally 5 seconds to locate the heartbeat.
My older kids loved having it!

[Anonymous]

We have a stethescope and found that an enjoyable adventure in learning baby's position as well as listening to the heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks everyone. I ended up renting one ...

15:31 - are you my husband? Seriously, these were his exact arguments. It's not like I just rented an ultrasound machine! If I had known it was going to cause the scene that it caused last night at home, I definitely wouldn't have rented one. He's since backed down from his initial ridiculously out of proportion arguments/tirade against getting one, but whoa, people apparently have very strong opinions about something that I really didn't think was that controversial!

... for what it's worth, at my last appointment (12 weeks) the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat and I didn't freak out (we found it at 10 weeks with my son). We took a quick look via ultrasound and everything was fine. I am having some complications that may actually make it hard for me to consistently find the heartbeat, but I am pretty sure I won't go off the deep end if that happens. We'll see, perhaps I will become an obsessive compulsive, over-protective helicopter-mom ... but so far I've done okay with my son, so I doubt the doppler is going to tip me over the edge!