As in the title really… 🙂

why are you a midwife? probably best to rely on fetal movements than fetal heart monitors

why would you want one?

"Oh listen are baby is dead!"

they tend to use something like this one

http://www.wms.co.uk/Huntleigh_FD2_Fetal_Dopplex_II.html?V=&SID=1050&SSID=3301&GID=8483

I can only see one increasing my stress factor to be honest, pretty sure there will be times its hard to find the heartbeat, especially at the 15 weeks were at, but the wife had 3 misscarriages last year all very early before 3 months, but we have broken that barrier now, and we would like one for the reassurance.

FunkyDunc – Member

why would you want one?

"Oh listen are baby is dead!"

you w4nker

I can understand that tinsy but to be honest in the next few weeks your wife will start to feel the baby move- usu 18-20 weeks

try this- the cardiff count to 10 scores

http://www.justmommies.com/articles/keeping-track-of-fetal-movements.shtml
probably the easiest way for mums to monitor fetal health.

obviously if any bleeeding or severe pain see doc/midwife asap!

Good luck with the pregnancy – hope all goes well.

And without tempting fate Most miscarriages occur in the first 12-13 weeks so fingers crossed all will be well with this one.

As a GP I wouldn't recommend buying one, they're not particularly easy to use, and are likely to make you more stressed on the (likely numerous) times you can't hear a heartbeat, or provide false reassurance when you pick up your partner's heartbeat instead of the baby's.

aggree with kramer as a GP also

I know your right, but we got that 3 weeks yet to feeling the baby move and she is anxious now, £70 is a small price to pay, but there are quite a few choices just kinda wondered if anyone could reccomend a brand….

We all use Sonicaids.

Just spoke to the wife and have managed to put her off the idea of one for now at least, your posts have confirmed my suspicions that it could give us more stress than not having one, especially as the £70 ones cant be anywhere near as good as the medical type ones at £250..

Thanks all…

except FunkyDunc who clearly is a proper knob head.

ROFL Harris

Thanks for your comment, I do occasionally but not often.

Actually my wife is pregnant at the moment, and we had a big scare at 12 weeks. My wife wednt straight to A&E, because she wanted to have a scan to make sure the baby's heart was beating ok.

Doing a DIY test at home with one of these machines your more than likely not going to pick up the heart beat, which will cause you both to freak even more and think the baby is dead.

after my wife read on the internet that she should feel kicking at x weeks, and couldn't she started worrying, so she bought a simple doppler listening monitor off the internet. It did put her at ease, she has used maybe a handful of times.
I was against it, as if the worst happens, we're alone at home to discover what might be, then we would have a horrible wait, whilst the hospital confirmed it.
The key with it, is for the barrier cream to be applied in abundance, and you do need to be sure where you pointing the thing.
If your Doc suggests not to get one, then I would hear their advise.

p.s ours cost less 15quid, but we do live in China

Note to all pregnant couples: go and see "Away We Go" in (some) cinemas now. Good movie.

(nice gag with foetal heart monitors in that)

interesting follow up to this;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8343317.stm

you w4nker

Agreed

Actually my wife is pregnant at the moment, and we had a big scare at 12 weeks. My wife wednt straight to A&E, because she wanted to have a scan to make sure the baby's heart was beating ok.

Ohh, so that's okay then?

Out of all the puerile comments posted on here, that one is head & shoulders the most puerile and absurd.

You should be ashamed of that comment. And if you are not, then you are a pathetic little excuse for a man.

'IF' you do get one, the Huntleigh listed above by Doctor Nick is a good bet, make sure you get the gel as well, helps with conduction of the ultrasound.
Hope all goes well, and remember some people who post on here really don't think before posting. (excessive toning down used)

We got one with our second due to major complications with our first where we ended up going in for herat/movment checks every other day which went on for 2 months along with scans every week as she wasn't growing.
My wife wanted one for reasurance the second time as the first time she didn't get many movements anywayand what she did were small. We only got the growth problems picked up when she hadn't felt anything allday. They are hard to use and can cause panic but we had got it down to a fine art after doing it for so long with the first.

Yes – I think the potential for reassurance is the most important thing. I was similarly shot down on here by certain members last week for having the audacity to ask about heartbeat monitors for their cots for our girls as we were moving them into the nursery and my wife wanted similar reassurance.

Anyway, we got two and they have been very good – they mean you can see that there is a heartbeat without having to go into the room. Had one false alarm in a week but rather that than the alternative.

MrsGrahamS (14 weeks) came home with one of these contraptions last night:

Summer Infant Prenatal Heart Listener System – £30 from Boots.

Despite looking forward to using it, I can kind of see what FunkyDunc was saying, in that you are essentially using a medical device with no real training in how to interpret the results and no immediate support and counselling if you find the worst.

(which is basically what that BBC article is saying too)

But good god man! Maybe a little sensitivity in future? 😯

Well we did end up buying one, not an expensive one either, it works a treat, we enjoy listening the baby, we can now also feel the baby move about… on the whole I am pleased we got the doppler.. roll on March. 🙂

I was similarly shot down on here by certain members last week for having the audacity to ask about heartbeat monitors for their cots for our girls as we were moving them into the nursery and my wife wanted similar reassurance

Can't remember if I was one the people shooting (and if I was, I hope I wasn't as insulting as FunkyDunc), but it still strikes me as a waste of (admittedly your) money. I'd say the same about foetal heart monitors – if you do detect a problem, are you qualified to do anything about it in time to make a difference?

I think the point of the bbc article was not that people would dtect a problem they cou;ldn't diagnose but that they would convince themselves there wasn't a problem and thus not seek medical help.

i went to buy one at boots once and the lass behind the counter told me i was off me head and not to bother. 🙂
as soon as she said it i knew she was right.

My advice is don't your going to be paranoid as hell every time you hear something odd but I kind of understand why your tempted. At the end of the day it's your little bun in there so your decision.

if you do detect a problem, are you qualified to do anything about it in time to make a difference?

Well you have more chance of doing something about it than if you find out several hours later when you get up the following morning. And anyway, many babies do stop breathing occasionally but a small nudge can wake them and they continue without problems.

And yes – I do know how to perform CPR on a baby as we were shown in the SCBU at Harrogate hospital before we brought them home. And my wife is a registered St John's Ambulance First Aider too.

At the end of the day, I agree that sometimes they might not actually save a life, but in the outside chance that they MAY do so, it is money very well spent.

And yes – I do know how to perform CPR on a baby

That won't help much for a fetal heart monitor – unless you're prepared to go a bit "Vets In Practise" 😯

I refer you to my last post, please bear in mind this thread is now 1 month old, its not bout trying to ascertain if the there is a heart problem as wwaswas says, its just to hear there is a heartbeat, admittedly if you don't find the heartbeat easily it could be worrying, but practice has made this very easy, it has set my wife's mind at ease, after 3 miscarriages last year her nerves are a bit shot, I can see how it could be a bad thing and was in two minds early on, however I am still glad we got one.

graham s, mastiles has a differnt monitor for babies…

And yes – I do know how to perform CPR on a baby as we were shown in the SCBU at Harrogate hospital before we brought them home. And my wife is a registered St John's Ambulance First Aider too.

Thats not really the same as knowing how to do it is it.

That won't help much for a fetal heart monitor

No – but I was referring to my case and heartbeat monitors for cots whilst babies are sleeping.

Thats not really the same as knowing how to do it is it.

But it is better than not having the first clue about how to do it, isn't it?

sorry everyone, wasn't wanting to reignite the whole debate, just thought it was an interesting view on the use of heartrate monitors pre-birth.

Well you've already bought one now so it's a bit late but I'd say don't. Mother in law bought us one, I was against using it, sometimes it's tricky to find the heartbeat. Those days when I could hear the mrs using it and it took 10minutes to find the heartbeat, well I'm sure they've knocked a good few years of my life expectancy.

As a complete aside, "fetal/fetus", "foetal/foetus", or "fœtal/fœtus" ?

I see BBC favour "foetal", Chambers has both, and the OED online only has fetal