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Doppler Users - Question

jbal918jbal918 member
edited June 2020 in December 2020 Moms
Anyone using an at home Doppler? I didn’t use one with DS but my friend gave me hers to borrow. I’ve been using it and I hear the heartbeat but the numbers don’t match up. Once it got up to 170 but now it doesn’t and the baby sounds further away that’s it’s been harder to find it. It sounds just as fast but I’m wondering if it’s all the moving and flipping or if I’m doing something wrong? Or maybe the baby is back further? I have no idea, honestly.
*Edited for grammar 
DS born 2016
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Re: Doppler Users - Question

  • laurenspdxlaurenspdx member
    My number never matches either, I just count it on my own. I run my stopwatch and when I find the HB, I’ll try to count for at least 10-15 seconds, then multiple that by 6 or 4 (depending on how long I had it). It’s not exact but it gives me an idea. It’s usually between 140-160.

    How often are others using them? 
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  • laurenspdxlaurenspdx member
    Oh, and I’ve also had a hard time getting it. I’ll usually hear it for a few seconds then lose it, I think it’s just bc the baby is moving a lot more.
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  • thankfullyamamathankfullyamama member
    @jbal918 @laurenspdx once you find baby’s heart beat keep it in the same spot, the Doppler will sometimes start to pick up up better, or even just the very slightest movement will help like keeping it in the same place but tipping it slightly down towards your pelvis or to your mid section. And the numbers are almost always wrong on the dopplers, and for an accurate baby’s heart beat you have to count for a full 60 seconds! 
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  • jbal918jbal918 member
    @laurenspdx and @tryingktogku Good to know it’s not just me though! I feel like this baby moves a lot because I will hear it for a few seconds and then have to look all over again. I try to tilt it but sometimes she’s on the other side already. I’ll try counting next time if I can get a full minute!
    DS born 2016
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  • laurenspdxlaurenspdx member
    Ya mine is way too squirmy! Even tilting it around, I’ll still lose it quickly. Baby has also been super active on ultrasounds too! And, yes, a shorter count is less accurate but it at least gives an estimate which is all I’m usually looking for. I’m also trying to limit the amount of time I’m using the Doppler to less than a couple minutes, so a quick check is a good way to do that.

    How often do y’all use yours?
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  • jbal918jbal918 member
    @laurenspdx I try not to use it every day and I’ll use it maybe every other or every three days. I’m trying to do less so I don’t make myself crazy lol
    DS born 2016
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  • laurenspdxlaurenspdx member
    @jbal918 Ok same! I use it a couple times a week and try to do it for no more than 2 minutes. Seems like there’s nothing definitive I can find about overusing (just a lot of “no definitive studies have shown harm but it’s possible”) so I still get a little nervous about overdoing it. Once I feel it move more I’m sure I’ll feel less of an urge to keep checking.
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  • jbal918jbal918 member
    @laurenspdx Sometimes it takes me longer to find but I don’t keep it on long 
    DS born 2016
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  • BmcD2016BmcD2016 member
    I still can’t find mine, I don’t think. It shows a number on the screen (even though I can’t hear anything) like 120-135 but that’s way lower than what we saw on our first sonogram (185) so I’m assuming that’s not him/ her. 
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  • feather_heatherfeather_heather member
    @laurenspdx - I use mine every other day for about 30 seconds. I’m able to find the heartbeat quickly now that I know where to look. I don’t bother with the number it gives, I just like being able to hear her heart beating for reassurance. 
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  • gingkomamagingkomama member
    Those who use a doppler, I'm curious how you know you're hearing the baby and not your placenta? At my last appointment my provider kept commenting on how healthy my placenta was, and explained that you can hear the placenta on the doppler too (which was making it harder to hear the baby's heartbeat). I didn't even know that was possible so I'm just curious how you all differentiate between them?
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  • laurenspdxlaurenspdx member
    @gingkomama The placenta is crazy loud when I listen, but the rate is much slower and it sounds a lot more “wooshy” (technical term haha). Mostly I can tell by the rate, though.

    If you know how to take your pulse, take it for a bit before you start to get a sense of the rhythm so when you hear that rhythm you can easily identify it as your own. Baby’s HR will be almost double that. If you’re still not sure, and you can manage to hold the Doppler and take your pulse at the same time, you can actually tell the rhythm of your HR in the placenta matches up.

    You can also start a stopwatch and just keep an eye on it. Baby’s heartbeat will go at least 2x / second and yours will be close to 1/1.5x.
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  • gingkomamagingkomama member
    @laurenspdx That makes sense. I don't have one at home so I won't be trying it anytime soon, I just hadn't realized you could hear it and it sounded like it could be confusing.
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  • shelmcclelshelmcclel member
    Ahh - mine is arriving today (a friend sent it).  Thank you @laurenspdx for that info Bc I wouldn’t know the difference.
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