Neha Arti 
Want a quick way to elevate your pregnancy? Try the BabyDoppler!
Fetal dopplers allow you to listen to your baby’s heartbeat, providing a unique bonding experience for mom and the whole family. They also provide numerous other benefits, including being a tool to connect with your healthcare provider or create keepsakes.
In this guide, you’ll learn 5 reasons you should add the device to your prenatal routine.
What is a Fetal Doppler?
Fetal dopplers are devices used to hear your baby’s heartbeat while they’re still inside the womb. Ultrasound gel is applied to the stomach and a probe is used to detect the heartbeat. The heart rate is displayed on screen and the heartbeat can be heard through speakers.
During prenatal appointments, your doctor or midwife will use a fetal doppler to monitor your baby’s development. Since they are a trained professional, they can use the device to diagnose problems, such as issues with her growth or an abnormal heart rate.
Fetal dopplers, like the BabyDoppler, are now also available for home use. Without being a trained medical professional, you cannot use this device to diagnose issues and they are not a replacement for prenatal appointments. However, fetal dopplers have many benefits for at home use. Many parents say they feel closer and better bonded to their baby. It can also provide bonding experiences for other family members, like siblings or grandparents.
How to Use a Fetal Doppler
Fetal dopplers are easy to use! The most challenging part is discerning which noise is your baby’s heartbeat, which we’ll help you out with below!
Here are the basic steps to using a fetal doppler:
- Recline back on a bed, sofa or chair.
- Apply ultrasound gel to your lower abdomen.
- Place the probe in the ultrasound gel and turn the device on.
- Glide the probe around your stomach until you detect the heartbeat. Start near your lower abdomen and slowly work your way up.
- When you detect the heartbeat, observe the fetal heart rate on the screen and listen to the noise through the speakers.
If you’re not sure which noise is the heartbeat, there are a few tips to keep in mind:
- A normal adult heart rate is much slower than a fetal heart rate, which is between 120 and 180 bpm.
- A fetal heartbeat is often described as a “galloping” noise.
- The placenta noise, which sounds like “whooshing,” is often mistaken for the heartbeat.
- Try listening to videos to learn the noise of a fetal heartbeat.
- Hearing two heartbeats, without being pregnant, likely means the heartbeat is echoing.
For more tips, read: Heartbeat or Another Noise? 8 Tips to Discern Fetal Doppler Noises.
5 Reasons to Add a Fetal Doppler to Your Prenatal Routine
There are many reasons parents add fetal dopplers into their prenatal routine. Below are some of the reasons parents love fetal doppler sessions.
Bonding
Hearing your baby’s heartbeat is a magical experience. Outside of your doctor appointments, you don’t get to hear her and before she moves, there are limited ways to “experience” her.
Fetal doppler sessions give you another opportunity to hear your baby and bond with her. Many mothers say the heartbeat helps them feel better connected. Feeling better connected to your baby may decrease the chances of pregnancy depression and postpartum depression.
You can also use your sessions in various ways to connect with your baby.
- Talk to your baby. During your BabyDoppler session, talk to your baby. Tell them about your day, send them words of love or encouragement and tell them about their future life.
- Practice mindfulness. You can use the session as an opportunity to practice mindfulness. Once you detect your baby, focus on the sound of the heartbeat. As other thoughts pop up, let them drift away and bring your attention back to the noise. Let the sound of your baby’s heartbeat ground you and calm you into a mini-meditation.
- Have a moment of gratitude. Another way to use your fetal doppler session is to practice a moment of gratitude. Say thanks to your body for all the amazing things it’s doing to support and grow a healthy baby. And share gratitude to your baby for being so strong and healthy.
Family bonding
Fetal dopplers also provide a special bonding experience for other family members, like your:
- Partner. Partners love the opportunity to hear their baby before birth, especially for those who can’t make it to prenatal appointments. For the non-pregnant partner, nothing has changed for them yet and it can be difficult to feel like the pregnancy is “real” before the baby arrives. Hearing a heartbeat can be a tangible way for your partner to bond with the baby and form a connection.
- Siblings. Fetal doppler sessions can be a special experience for children. You can guide your child on how to apply the ultrasound gel or move the probe to detect the heartbeat. This can gently introduce them to the idea of having a sibling and help them form a connection to the baby beforehand.
- Family. Grandparents, aunts and uncles all love the opportunity to hear your baby’s heartbeat. Have them gather around as you use the device or send them a recording of the heartbeat.
- Long-distance family. Long-distance family members can stay involved in your pregnancy by getting updates on your baby’s heartbeat! Simply use the BabyDoppler app to record the heartbeat, save the file and then send it to your loved ones!
Ask your doctor or midwife questions with the recording attached
If you ever have questions about what you hear on your fetal doppler and it’s not an emergency, consider recording the noise and sending it to your healthcare provider.
If you have a close relationship with your midwife, they’ll be happy to answer any fetal doppler-related questions. You can attach the recording with your question into a message or email.
Note: Fetal dopplers are never a replacement for prenatal appointments. Since you are not a healthcare professional, you cannot use the device to diagnose or rule out problems. If you believe there is an emergency, always call 911 or seek emergency care.
Track your baby’s developments
Fetal dopplers can also be a fun way to track your baby’s development, which can be another fun way of bonding. Your baby’s heartbeat changes throughout your pregnancy, which you’ll be able to detect with fetal doppler sessions.
Use the BabyDoppler app to record the heartbeat and track the fetal heart. Throughout your pregnancy, you’ll begin to see how her heartbeat pattern reflects her development.
For more information on how your baby’s heart develops, read: Normal Fetal Doppler Heart Rate Ranges: The Ultimate Guide.
Share the Heartbeat
Another great benefit to adding a BabyDoppler into your prenatal routine is the ability to share the heartbeat with your family. Even if they’re not around to hear the heartbeat, they can hear a recording and feel closer to the baby, even if they’re miles away.
Sending a fetal doppler recording through a message or email is a great way to include your long-distance family members in your pregnancy. Sending recording updates keeps them involved and can also strengthen your relationship.
You may also choose to post the heartbeat on social media for all your friends to listen to.
Create Keepsakes
One of the best things about having a BabyDoppler? You can create a heartbeat recording that you can listen to in years to come.
Once your baby is born, you’ll never get to hear their fetal heartbeat again. Capture their very beginning by using the BabyDoppler app to record the heartbeat. You can save the recording file onto a USB and use it as part of your DIY Pregnancy Time Capsule. You can also use it as background music and create a DIY Heartbeat Video Keepsake.
Unique Ways to Use a Fetal Doppler
Consider these unique ways of using your BabyDoppler:
- Use it as part of your social media pregnancy announcement
- Use it during a prenatal photoshoot
- Use it during your baby shower or make it a part of a baby shower game of Guess the Fetal Heart Rate!
- Use it during the holidays (Read: 9 Ways to Use Fetal Doppler During the Holidays)
- Use it during spring (Read: 10 Ways to Use Your Fetal Doppler During Spring)
- Bring on your trip (the BabyDoppler is pocket-sized and ultra-portable!)
- Use it as a date idea to connect you and your partner
For more ideas, read 14 Fun Things to Do with a Fetal Heartbeat Monitor
Summary: Adding a Fetal Doppler to Your Prenatal Routine
Adding a fetal doppler into your prenatal routine elevates your pregnancy. It’s a great way to provide a unique bonding experience to mom, partner, siblings and other family members. It can also be a tool to connect with your healthcare provider and create keepsakes.
