I'm sorry your feelings were hurt. To be honest, I don't see what your weight has to do with it- the vast majority of doctors, who tend to err on the side of caution (and most midwives) will not use a doppler at 10 weeks, it's barely a 50/50 chance and tends to panic women more than comfort them. He could have just said he didn't want to risk a doppler right now. I'm 5'5 and 130lbs, she couldn't find it with the doppler on me a few days ago either. My ultrasound Monday confirmed all ok.

Perhaps next time, you can ask him why your weight matters - and if he explains (because there is an explanation for this, I know it's hurtful but it's true), then maybe you will feel better about the incident.

Unfortunately, women DO need to realize that being overweight and/or obese will matter at certain times in pregnancy. Like it or not, it is a risk factor and can affect certain procedures, primarily with the abdomen due to varying amounts of visceral fat interfering with medical equipment. Yes, we all know plenty of overweight women who have had these dopplers/ultrasounds just fine, and babies with zero risk/complications, but doctors and midwives need to use their sense in factoring these things in. To ignore these real factors would be negligent in itself, but when they do so, they might hurt people's feelings.

It's no win really.

I'm not overweight so I can't say how much that hurts, I'm sure it's a lot, but I gained way too much with my son (leading to complications at birth) and have been dealing with a few lectures on weight gain this time, it isn't fun but they can't ignore risks either.

That "wand" is a transvaginal ultrasound and a completely different procedure than a doppler. Doctors tend to only use transvaginals when it is an important procedure (ie. confirming an MC). It is far more invasive and technical than a doppler which is just done intermittently to confirm a heart rate.

I am over weight. a US size 16-18 and i have ALOT of flab in my tummy.
on my first scan. they did a transabdominal, as well as a transvaginal at 7+2 days.
they found the heart beat EASILY with both. they did TA first and it was hard to get a measurement of baby because she said he/she was curled. so they did TV and measured at 7+2 but still said baby was curled so i could possibly be further along. Either way.. even with all of my flab and my B belly.. my LO heart beat was found at 7 weeks.
he was rude, insensitive, and regardless of whether he felt he was doing you a favor, he could have said it a bit nicer.
Get a new doctor and report his ass!

But a doppler and ultrasound are two different things, the problem is that he didn't use the doppler.

Surely the real problem is that he was rude enough about it to cause this lady upset and distress?

I understand it hurt her feelings, but how else is he supposed to say that he isn't going to use the doppler because she is overweight and it won't pick anything up?

He could just say that the doppler probably won't work at that stage I suppose... but there comes a point where most doctors and midwives will have to explain that certain procedures can be more difficult when a patient is overweight. I don't know, I guess it's a no win situation. BMI, weight gain, risk of GD, etc... all these things will come up in pregnancy and the doctor/midwife will likely not be able to tip-toe around it forever.

What's the argument for not trying, that it might not work and that's she'd have been upset? Look what he's done anyway. He's dismissed her concerns without any explanation other than what amounts to "I can't you're too heavy". It's just cold, he's a doctor, where's the bedside manner? Or do you have to pay extra for that these days?

Most doctors won't try at 10 weeks anyways, whether you are a size 2 or 20, so I guess he could have just said "we don't try at this stage", I suppose. He should have explained further how it's difficult at this stage and why exactly (ie. visceral fat over the abdomen obstructing sound), I agree. But I don't think doctors should refrain from commenting on weight when it may be a factor in whether or not a procedure is done.

No one is suggesting that he not explain why it might be difficult but I'm at a loss as to why anyone would defend such a poor attitude from a highly paid professional. He's there to provide medical care, the second word is just as important as the first. He has sent a woman away distressed, upset and very obviously confused. As a forum, all of us should really try and be supportive here, after all we're all in this together. There's not point going on about excess weight, I'm sure she's read that now, I'm not sure there's any benefit to further putting the boot in.

Well, the original question was "Has anyone ever heard of this?" so me, I was just trying to explain why he may have said this and perhaps some alternatives about how he could have said this, but that he shouldn't neglect to inform her the specific reason that he did not wish to do the procedure.

Others have just said he's an asshole, jerk, exaggerated his comments, and that she should switch doctors (fair enough - but make no mistake, all doctors will bring this up, maybe another will do it in a manner that is more sensitive), I suppose we all have our own forms of "support", I apologize if my version of support/explanation is not good enough.