Questions & Answers

Midwives and doctors use dopplers so they cant be that dangerous really.

I bought a doppler and it was the best thing i ever bought its was around £30 off ebay its approved. It will take a few attempts to find the heart beat but not i gog my daughters right near the pubic bone in the middle from 10 weeks untill around 16 weeks but by then you will no what your looking for and if you get 1 with a screen on so you can see the heart rate then you will know for sure as babies hearts are alot faster than adults and they sound like galloping horses or a train. Xx

I didn't think they were dangerous either, I guess I'll have to ask my doctor if he thinks it would be okay. I have my ultrasound tomorrow so I'm excited about that. :)

Thanks ladies!! :)

mommx is right. The dopplers create more heat than regular ultrasound. You can't take hot baths to protect baby from getting too hot, why expose them to something that will create the same situation? This isn't about "reading something on the internet". It's about knowing facts and then making a decision. For example, it is a fact that caffeine can cause miscarriage. Some women choose to drink a limited amount of coffee anyway and assume the risk and others take in that knowledge and decide the withhold because it's something that is easy to give up and provides reassurance they are doing no harm. Yes, many who drink coffee are fine, but that's really beside the point. The point is you should be educated and determine where your comfort level is at. Please don't look down on some women for consulting with professionals about the risk of a home doppler and deciding, as it's not recommended by any organization whose interests are pregnant women, not to incur any potent

I have done some research on this, and it is not recommended for the same reason unnecessary ultrasounds aren't recommended. Also, your baby's movements are a much better indicator of when something is wrong. Here is one article about general use and one about some problems with them:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/298195-are-baby-heart-beat-monitors-safe-to-use/
http://voices.yahoo.com/doctors-warn-against-using-home-doppler-device-fetal-4868430.html?cat=25

I was going to buy one but after researching I have decided to enjoy my pregnancy and let baby's movements reassure me instead. Just some food for thought. If you do buy one, the more expensive ones have better frequencies and can be more discerning in the sounds they pick up.