Talk to me about dopplers

lb1117 · July 2013

Because I'd like to buy one at some point.

Which one do you have?

How early did you find the HB?

Anything else I should know?

skreedrake · July 2013

I have the Sonoline B and found the heartbeat at just over 9 weeks. However, that is really early to be able to find it. I was not expecting to be able to find it and tried for 10 minutes. I was just about to give up when I found it.

If you decide to get one, don't try much before 9-10 weeks and don't panic if you don't find it right away. At 16 weeks, it's still hard for me to find it sometimes. Just know that it can cause more anxiety than it eases if you can't find it.

With that being said, if you decide to try it out, I suggest watching some YouTube videos on how to do it. Try looking really low - lower than you would expect. I was able to find mine at the hairline, just at the pubic bone. Even though it's super hard to find and takes a lot of patience... it's also the best sound in the world.

bobcee · July 2013

I have no personal experience since I never had one, but I know even my doc warns us at our 12 week and 16 week appts. That she may not be able to find the HB and not to worry. So I'd imagine it'd be even harder for someone with no experience to find it very early. I think for me having one would have caused more anxiety than it relieved.

botanicalbliss · July 2013

skreedrake:
I have the Sonoline B and found the heartbeat at just over 9 weeks. However, that is really early to be able to find it. I was not expecting to be able to find it and tried for 10 minutes. I was just about to give up when I found it.
If you decide to get one, don't try much before 9-10 weeks and don't panic if you don't find it right away. At 16 weeks, it's still hard for me to find it sometimes. Just know that it can cause more anxiety than it eases if you can't find it.
With that being said, if you decide to try it out, I suggest watching some YouTube videos on how to do it. Try looking really low - lower than you would expect. I was able to find mine at the hairline, just at the pubic bone. Even though it's super hard to find and takes a lot of patience... it's also the best sound in the world.

I think I have this same one, but I can't remember when I got mine. It might not have been til after I fell at 23 weeks. We were able to hear a hb at the doctor's at 9 weeks, but that's really rare. Don't panic if you don't hear it right away. It takes some time to find it, and they can be hard to pick up early on.

lb1117 · July 2013

So, if its hard to pick up that early at the doctors, how do you know if your baby has a HB?

gatorwife · July 2013

lb1117:
So, if its hard to pick up that early at the doctors, how do you know if your baby has a HB?

No doppler with me. But I knew because you could see it flicker on the ultrasounds. I heard the heartbeat for the first time at my 12 week appointment.

fallbrideoct05 · July 2013

I debated for a long time on getting a doppler but knew deep down if I couldn't find it myself I'd be at my doctors office every other day. At my 12 week appointment the midwife didn't even attempt at my appointment due to it being hit or miss. Luckily we had our NT scan a week later so got the reassurance I needed.

lb1117 · July 2013

gatorwife:
lb1117:
So, if its hard to pick up that early at the doctors, how do you know if your baby has a HB?
No doppler with me. But I knew because you could see it flicker on the ultrasounds. I heard the heartbeat for the first time at my 12 week appointment.

So you basically wait and wonder until then? I don't get an u/s until 13-15weeks or so.

gatorwife · July 2013

I had 2 ultrasounds before then. My first one was my dating ultrasound at 6 weeks, I requested a 2nd one for 2 weeks later to make sure she was measuring correctly. (I had thought I was one week ahead of what they told me, and it freaked me out.) I then went from week 8 to 12 with no ultrasounds, so yes, I just waited.

I know most places do a dating ultrasound, have you asked?

lb1117 · July 2013

gatorwife:
I had 2 ultrasounds before then. My first one was my dating ultrasound at 6 weeks, I requested a 2nd one for 2 weeks later to make sure she was measuring correctly. (I had thought I was one week ahead of what they told me, and it freaked me out.) I then went from week 8 to 12 with no ultrasounds, so yes, I just waited.
I know most places do a dating ultrasound, have you asked?

I have a few more weeks before getting to see my family doctor for an OB referral. I see my dr at almost 10 weeks so it would be after that.

botanicalbliss · July 2013

Normally, you'll get an early dating u/s which will show a flicker for a hb. Since we heard it at our 9 wk appt, we just waited until our NT scan to actually see the baby. So, if you don't hear the hb at your doc before the u/s you are kind of left in the dark. It's scary, but it's standard protocol.

TudorRose11 · July 2013

gatorwife:
lb1117:
So, if its hard to pick up that early at the doctors, how do you know if your baby has a HB?
No doppler with me. But I knew because you could see it flicker on the ultrasounds. I heard the heartbeat for the first time at my 12 week appointment.

We had a dating u/s at 8 weeks and could see and hear the heartbeat clearly (vaginal u/s).

My next appointment was at 12 weeks (and a few days) and my doctor warned me that we may not hear the heartbeat via doppler but if we didn't that he would send me over to get and u/s to make sure baby was ok. He tried for about 5-10 minutes and I could tell he was about to send me over and then found it.

So, unless you have an early dating u/s it's common to wait.

Kaiene · July 2013

gatorwife:
lb1117:
So, if its hard to pick up that early at the doctors, how do you know if your baby has a HB?
No doppler with me. But I knew because you could see it flicker on the ultrasounds. I heard the heartbeat for the first time at my 12 week appointment.

Same. We saw the heartbeat at 7 weeks with this one (8 with DS), and heard it at my last appointment (almost 13 weeks). I didn't hear it until almost 15 with DS.

I chose not to get one because I felt I'd get more anxious if I had a hard time finding it.

ziggy23213 · July 2013

I have the Sonoline B one, got it on eBay for $55. I actually was able to find his heartbeat at 8w3d, but that is really really early. My midwife found it at my 8 week appointment, so I figured I'd try myself a few days later, and I found it right away. It is lower than you think when it's that early, down below your hip bones, by your pubic hair line. I'd also find yours first, so you can hear the difference between the two (baby's will be much faster) and you're sure you're not just hearing yourself.

If they can't find a heartbeat at an appointment, they will probably order you an ultrasound. At my 8 week appointment, she said if she couldn't find it she'd do an ultrasound, but then she found it. I have a friend who had her first appointment at 10 weeks and they couldn't find the heartbeat so she got an u/s the next day.

flowerpower3 · July 2013

We opted not to get one. We were going to, but then decided the stress that it'd cause if we couldn't find the heartbeat wasn't worth the money.

Smiley-1980 · July 2013

I got the Sonoline B from www.fetaldoppler.net. I found the HB at 11 weeks. I loved having it because I would use it a lot and especially before my doctors appointments so I could go and be relaxed.

Talk to me about dopplers

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