How does fetal doppler work

But in the hands of Mom? Not so much. Using a baby Doppler without proper experience can create a number of problems. The potential for confusion or human error is not insignificant. And while this may not sound like a big deal, misuse of the baby Doppler could have serious repercussions.

Risks of using an at-home fetal Doppler include:. Doctors, nurses and midwives typically train for a minimum of three years before performing Doppler ultrasounds on pregnant women. A home Doppler might lead Mom to think baby is okay and ignore other potential warning signs. If she thinks she hears the heartbeat, she may be less inclined to check in with her doctor. The risk of using fetal Dopplers at home is not in the technology.

The risk is in misinterpreting the fetal heart rate. So what can you do instead of monitoring baby with an at-home fetal Doppler? Starting in the third trimester at 28 weeks , you can track fetal movement using kick counts , which time how long it takes baby to get to 10 movements.

In addition to fetal kick counts, Chanchani recommends patients go to their scheduled prenatal appointments and ultrasounds. And last, but perhaps most important: Tune into your maternal instincts.

Trust your instincts, flag it for your doctor and go get professional medical help. To do this, the ultrasound probe transducer is fastened to your belly. The wire runs from the baby through your cervix. It's connected to the monitor. But it can only be done if the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the baby during pregnancy amniotic sac has broken and the cervix is opened.

Your provider may use internal monitoring when external monitoring is not giving a good reading. Or your provider may use this method to watch your baby more closely during labor. Your provider will note how often you are having contractions and how long each lasts. Because the fetal heart rate and contractions are recorded at the same time, these results can be looked at together and compared.

Your provider may check the pressure inside your uterus while doing internal fetal heart monitoring. To do this, he or she will put a thin tube catheter through your cervix and into your uterus. The catheter will send uterine pressure readings to a monitor.

Fetal heart rate monitoring is especially helpful if you have a high-risk pregnancy. Your pregnancy is high risk if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.

It's also high risk if your baby is not developing or growing as it should. Fetal heart rate monitoring may be used to check how preterm labor medicines are affecting your baby. These medicines are used to help keep labor from starting too early.

Contraction stress test. This measures fetal heart rate along with uterine contractions. Contractions are started with medicine or other methods. Biophysical profile BPP. This test combines a nonstress test with ultrasound. You may find the elastic belts that hold the transducers in place slightly uncomfortable. These can be readjusted as needed.

You must lie still during some types of fetal heart rate monitoring. You can also follow us on social media for latest news, contests and information on fetal dopplers. Your email address will not be published. Call us : Mail us : support babydoppler. Share with:. Never knew this, thanks for letting me know.