It’s possible that she detected her own heartbeat or the vibration of the placenta. She noticed that the baby moved less, but found a heartbeat through her fetal doppler, so she didn’t seek medical help. Using it for a few minutes once a week shouldn’t cause any harm to your baby.Īt-home fetal dopplers can also be potentially harmful because they can give you a false sense of reassurance, according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS).Īlong those lines, in 2009, an article in the British Medical Journal noted a case of a woman who was 38 weeks pregnant. This is more worrying when it comes to at-home fetal dopplers, because some parents might want to reach for their fetal dopplers every day. As an FDA biomedical engineer explains, “Ultrasound can heat tissues slightly, and in some cases, it can also produce very small bubbles (cavitation) in some tissues.” There isn’t any research that shows that ultrasounds are harmful, but it’s best to err on the side of caution when it comes to your baby’s health. The only time you should use a doppler, the FDA says, is when a doctor is using it, in which case it is medically necessary.

In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised against using fetal dopplers. While at-home fetal dopplers are appealing to many parents-to-be, there are some safety concerns. See also Why Is My Rabbit Pulling Her Fur Out? (And just a reminder: By this time, you should be feeling your baby kick and may even hear that little heart beating away with nothing but a good ol’ stethoscope.) Some companies even state that their dopplers should only be used in the third trimester - that is, from week 28 onward. While some brands claim that their fetal dopplers can detect heartbeats from 9 weeks into the pregnancy, others claim they only work from around week 16. Not to mention, they can also be a source of support - which is great if you’re feeling nervous or if you have any questions. Your healthcare provider is also best equipped to diagnose and treat any potential health issues. They know what all the sounds mean - there’s a lot going on in there! - and they know what’s concerning (and what’s not). More importantly, your doctor or midwife is trained to operate a doppler. You can’t always be sure whether you’re getting an accurate and safe product. There are no regulations for selling dopplers online, so this is a bit like the Wild, Wild West, folks. But practically any company can create a device (or perhaps worse - an app for a device), call it a doppler, and sell it online.

Heart doppler baby