My next stupid question about home doppler

[Sonia1992]

Hi,
I'm 10w2d pregnant today and I was able to find baby's heartbeat with my angel sound at 9w 6d. I know I'm really lucky to find this so early. I don't use it everyday, but 2 times a week ( on mondays and fridays), so not very often. But! It took me long time to find heartbeat. I think it can be us much as one hour ( not constant, but with breaks). I' m scared that it is too long, but when I can't find it,I' m so worried and desperate that I can't stop. After I feel very bad and guilty for doing it so long. Anybody in the same situation?

 

[doggylover]

It is definitely one of those things, so resssuring when you find it, but terrifying when you can’t. You are so early on, it must be hard to pinpoint if exactly. If it’s worrying you then maybe hold off for a few eeeks?

 

[Sonia1992]

I'm not sure if I can stop doing it, I'm a little bit addicted but I'm worried that I did for so long and that it's harmful for my baby. Everytime befere using my doppler I'm saying to myself that I will do this for max 10minutes no matter what. But when I can't find I'm so sad and worried that I can't do anything else and I do it again. I feel very bad with it, because in some places I read that doppler is 100% safe, but I saw some articles that it can heat yhe baby or be harmful

 

[Katiedw21]

I used a doppler through my last pregnancy and have ordered another for this one, I have heard the good and the bad, my homebirth midwife told me to not use it very often has they don't know what the dangers are, my obgyn said only do it once a day no more but never set a time limit, but for me I know hearing that little heartbeat was very reassuring so I continued daily for the first 20 weeks well from about 10 weeks until 20 weeks until I could feel the baby moving then would use it when baby wouldn't move as much just for reassurance no harm as far as I know, but I also don't know of what they say it cam cause has been scientifically studied or its just what they assume can happen

 

[Sander]

Yes - I asked my midwife about this exact same thing, because I was sometimes using the doppler for an hour or more at a time - she said it would take days of continuous use to harm the baby (like non-stop for 48 hours or more), and that they don’t have enough power to heat up the amniotic fluid which is what I was worried about.

It will get easier to find soon and you won’t be needing to use it for as long. Then when you feel the baby move you’ll hardly use it anymore

 

[Sonia1992]

Thank you I read so much different things, for example that 30sec using doppler is equal to 30min of ultrasound or that it heat amniotic fluid and cause damage to the brain. I almost cried when I read it and thought that I kill my baby. My husband don't like when I use it, because he thinks that it is dangerous so I even didn't tell him how long i used it.I hope that your midvife is right.

 

[Sander]

Yes I know I read all those same things, but I was so conflicted because I’d stress if I couldn’t hear the heartbeat, and I felt like I couldn’t go long stretches without worrying about it - so I figured listening would be better than stressing. Had my anatomy scan last month and all was perfectly healthy - and I used that doppler pretty much every day. My midwife used to be a sonographer before she did midwifery so I assumed she knew all about sound waves and the technology etc.

Anyways I think especially if you’re only using it twice a week that’s perfectly fine. And I really wouldn’t be surprised if within a couple weeks you’re able to find it so much quicker because baby grows a ton at this stage!

 

[flowergirl7]

I use mine everyday for about 2-5 minutes. I’m 13 weeks and this is my 3rd baby and I’ve used a Doppler each time so I have a little experience finding the heartbeat. It was hard to find in my earlier weeks and it would put me in a bad mood if I didn’t find it. It got so if I didn’t have the time or patience I wouldn’t even bother trying. It would take 15-20 minutes at least back when I was around 8 weeks. It will get easier and faster to find as you get further along.

As for safety, I’ve told my midwife about how I use the Doppler and she’s never told me to stop using it or that it was unsafe. I’ve used one for each pregnancy.

 

[Sonia1992]

Thank you girls,
I feel better now. This is my rainbow baby, so I'm worried about everything because in my first pregnancy my baby's heartbeat stopped when I was 10weeks preggo. Now I'm 10weeks so this is hard time for me and I bought a doppler for some reassurance.