Doppler or no doppler?

Julieturner507 · June 2013

I know this question gets asked a million times, but this is slightly different. After DH and I decided to NOT get a doppler, some friends just gave us one. I am 13 weeks today, and I have a retroverted uterus. I have only had ultrasounds with this pregnancy, so I have never had a successful doppler reading. With my first, the OB couldn't find the heartbeat because I had a missed m/c.

I will probably not have a dr appt for another month because I have insurance stuff to work out, so it would be great if it worked. But if it didn't, I am worried that I would panic. What would you do?

CaliforniaDream87 · June 2013

I, for one, loved my doppler and believed that it helped me through some really rough times.

However, if you're worried about not finding the HB because of your uterus and the Dr. usually has a hard time finding it I probably wouldn't use it.

brandlebugg · June 2013

It depends on you. I love the Doppler; I don't always find the heartbeat but I know going in that I might not find it, and I'm ok with that. I usually just try again a day or two later. It just depends on if you can prepare yourself for the possibility of not hearing it and knowing that doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong. If you can do that, they're great!

HopingforChange · June 2013

CaliforniaDream87:
I, for one, loved my doppler and believed that it helped me through some really rough times.

However, if you're worried about not finding the HB because of your uterus and the Dr. usually has a hard time finding it I probably wouldn't use it.

This. If the doctor can't find it, you probably can't either and, while you logically understand that, it might still cause you to panic. That's just my two cents.

waterfall11 · June 2013

HopingforChange:
CaliforniaDream87:
I, for one, loved my doppler and believed that it helped me through some really rough times. However, if you're worried about not finding the HB because of your uterus and the Dr. usually has a hard time finding it I probably wouldn't use it.
This. If the doctor can't find it, you probably can't either and, while you logically understand that, it might still cause you to panic. That's just my two cents.

This is why DH didn't want me to get one. He was sure it would just stress me out more. Turned out it was good because this LO was so active that it was hard for the Dr to find/keep the heartbeat on the doppler.

poohbear033 · June 2013

I chose not to get a Doppler. We just heard the heartbeat for the first time this past Monday. If your doctor needs to use an ultrasound because of your uterus, I would be nervous every time I didn't find the heartbeat on my own.

74dragonfly · June 2013

I wouldn't use one. It sounds like it would be hard for you to hear the heart beat.

Julieturner507 · June 2013

Thanks, girls, for your input. I think I will wait until my next appt. and then ask my doctor for instructions on how to use it. With this pregnancy, my doctor didn't even try the doppler because of my anxiety due to my loss, so I am not sure how easy it would be to find it. But I'll definitely ask. I panic easily with this pregnancy... My heart is pounding right now just thinking about using the doppler. Ha ha. I am kind of a mess. But thanks for your input.

natleilynn · June 2013

I wouldn't. I have a hard time finding pulses so I know I'd freak out if I couldn't find a heartbeat. Or I'd confuse it with some other noise. My OB practice doesn't recommend them for that very reason. They get a lot of panicked women who want ultrasounds because they can't find a heartbeat on their doppler.

DRB7586 · June 2013

brandlebugg:
It depends on you. I love the Doppler; I don't always find the heartbeat but I know going in that I might not find it, and I'm ok with that. I usually just try again a day or two later. It just depends on if you can prepare yourself for the possibility of not hearing it and knowing that doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong. If you can do that, they're great!

The time between appointments seemed to be very long, especially as I was transitioning into the second trimester and wanting that risk to drop. I'm not sure how your uterus would effect the reading but I agree with the idea of going into it knowing that you're not a medical professional and might not find it. However, I haven't had the experience of not finding it yet, I just give it a couple more minutes so, I think it's a really personal thing.

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