Home Fetal Doppler Fail

SuperFreakedFirstTimer · April 2014

Just wondering who all has used one and what the outcome was like. I looked at older threads, which mostly talked about what kind of home Doppler each person used. I'm almost 13 weeks and was unable to find it. I used it for 10 minutes and nothing. Later that evening I did another 10 minutes...nothing, so I decided to stop for a few days so I don't go crazy lol.

I mostly picked up "heartbeats" that were around 120 (probably my own) & hit 145 a couple times but only for a split second. I AM a little fluffy ;-) and when I pressed harder, it made me cramp some.

Should I just wait till i'm further along? I obviously am not doing something right.

runningmama22 · April 2014

It depends on the model ... I didn't buy one because I knew I'd get anxious if I couldn't find it...a lot of the reviews on models say the heartbeat is hard to find until 3rd tri. Try checking reviews to see generally what people who have used that Doppler say about it..

RachelCA29 · April 2014

It depends on the person and model. I bought a used one from another mom and it has worked great from the day I got it (I was 11 weeks). I haven't used it very regularly since LO is constantly moving and now I hear it at my weekly OB appointments.

The 120 bpm was probably your heartbeat, but the 145 was probably your baby. Since you're 13 weeks there is still TONS of room for your LO to move around in your uterus. So only being able to catch the heartbeat before he/she moves around again is normal I think.

abbyful · April 2014

Watch some YouTube videos on how to use it. It was easier after I had a better idea what to do and how to find baby.

Also, be patient. It took me a lot longer than 10 minutes the first couple times, but now I can find it quicker.

mamaloaf · April 2014

Don't freak yourself out by not being able to find it. It's early and the baby is still very small. Even practitioners have a difficult time finding it in the first tri sometimes, because of the size and there's so much room in there for them to shift around in. I'd say stick with it, be patient, and don't panic if you can't find it.

ThereBeDragons · April 2014

It can be pretty tricky to find early on- almost always lower than you expect it to be. By the pubc bone, nowhere near the belly button.

And it's not always an easy find even once you get to the second/third trimester. Just two weeks ago it took the nurse a good five min to figure out how baby had positioned herself and find the heartbeat. We knew she was alive because she was kicking and squirming the whole time but actually finding the heartbeat was tricky.

mtrhomegirl · April 2014

i found my little one's heartbeat around 11-12 weeks but it literally took me an hour the first time....it is hard when you are that far along

mb314 · April 2014

This is why I don't get a doppler. Trying to find a heartbeat, and freaking out if I can't, is stress I don't need in my life.

marathonmommy82 · April 2014

mb314 said:

This is why I don't get a doppler. Trying to find a heartbeat, and freaking out if I can't, is stress I don't need in my life.

This.

When I went in for my 12 week apt my MW (who is trained to do this) told me not to freak out if she couldn't find it because the baby is so small.

SuperFreakedFirstTimer · April 2014

I'm not freaked out. It took my midwife 2 or 3 minutes to find it the other day. I'm almost 13 wks now...I'm pretty calm about it, just wondered what I was doing wrong

Jenrileysmom · May 2014

Did you watch a youtube tutorial yet? It really helped me when I first got my doppler. After that I was able to find it all the time because I knew where to look. I love mine. I've had it since 10-11 weeks and that first week I had a hard time finding it but after that it's been smooth sailing and really helps my nerves. I am 24 weeks now and still use it occasionally to check on LO even though I'm feeling a lot of movement.