Fetal Doppler
Hearing those initial musical sounds of baby’s heartbeat is enchanting. The wonder and relief that washes through you is usually a encounter you’ll never forget. That initial glimpse into your unborn baby’s life may be the beginning of the growing bond between you and your little one. Between appointments you might wait anxiously to hear that noise once again. By using a fetal doppler monitor, you and your family can hear your little one with out having to wait.
But, what’s a Fetal Doppler? It’s generally a handheld unit that emits ultrasonic sound waves via a probe into the abdomen of a pregnant woman. These sound waves are bounced off the unborn baby’s and sent back into the monitor. The monitor can then reproduce the baby’s heartbeat by listening for the depth and frequency of these echoes. It isn’t a microphone, but device that senses and reproduces the coronary heart beat of your unborn baby.
How do I know if what I’m hearing is the heartbeat from the fetus or me? Surprising to some, the stomach makes a great deal of noises and also a lot more so with pregnancy. At first it may be hard to decide what it really is you’re really hearing, even so, with a little practice, you’ll soon know what exactly is you and what is the little one. The fetal heartbeat will be a strong rapid paced noise that is twice as fast as the mother’s. If you hear a heartbeat that’s slow and steady, it is almost certainly yours. Move the unit and attempt once more. A baby’s heart beat is close to 120-180 beats per minute, and it sounds almost like a washing machine. Other abdominal noises include the placenta and instrument static. These sounds are similar to hearing the wind blowing through the trees as well as some static and popping noises. When you move the probe it may generate a sound like an old record player. Normally you will be trying to find a really quick swooshing sound that repeats over and over. It’s incredibly distinct and as soon as you’ve heard it the very first time it’s easy to recognize again. If you’re having problems determining which is which, ask the provider of the baby heart beat monitor for assistance.
To use the baby heart beat monitor, also known as a fetal doppler, a mother-to-be lies down and exposes her belly. Then an ultrasound gel is placed on the probe. This produces a far better signal and permits the probe to glide smoothly over the skin. The probe is then placed on the abdomen. In the initial few weeks, place the probe on the lower stomach above the pubic bone and angle it down towards the buttocks and toes. That is essential because the uterus is still tucked in to the pubic area at this stage. If no heart beat is detected, pick up the probe and replace it close to the original position. If you can not get a result, attempt on a full bladder. Though this is a harmless procedure, it is ideal to keep your sessions to no more than 10 minutes at a time. If you have not detected a sound by that time, try again at a later time.
During the first couple of weeks of pregnancy it is very tough to detect the heart beat, even by trained professionals. Do not get too upset if you have difficulty. There could possibly be a number of causes which includes the quality of the equipment, position of the baby, weight of the mother, shape of the uterus, and inexperience with the machine. Most heart beat monitors will detect the heart tones between 10-14 weeks, with some successful at 8 weeks, and some not until 14-20 weeks. If you’re overly concerned, talk to your doctor.
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