Fetal Dopplers

Fetal dopplers can detect a fetus's heart rate. Medical professionals use this information to assess your child's health and wellbeing. Capturing your child's first heartbeats is a precious parental experience. 

Fetal dopplers pick up the heart beating by using ultrasound waves. These high-frequency sound waves are delivered through a part of the doppler called a transducer. Afterwards, the sound waves bounce back from the structures (e.g. heart, blood vessels) and are picked up by the machine.

Parents and those present may be able to hear the baby's heartbeat when used correctly.

Fetal dopplers are manufactured with different levels of frequencies or power levels. Typically, they range anywhere between 2mHz to 8mHz [2]. Each frequency level is ideal for specific purposes. 

For example, a 2mHz fetal doppler probe would be more suited for detecting the baby's heart rate in larger women and later pregnancy stages. It is also the preferred probe during labour or delivery.

Most health professionals (e.g. obstetricians, midwives, etc.) will use a 2.5-3mHz fetal doppler probe to monitor the baby throughout the pregnancy. It is more sensitive and can detect the baby's heart rate earlier than the 2mHz probe.

As a result, the 2.5-3mHz fetal dopplers will be the most appropriate for most pregnant women. All of Caremax's fetal dopplers range between these frequencies, and you can view them here.

Fetal dopplers use ultrasound to help monitor and detect your baby's heart rate. Ultrasounds are high-frequency sound waves with no ionising radiation, unlike other diagnostic tools, such as x-rays or CT scans [3]. As a result, fetal dopplers are one of the safest ways to monitor your child. 

Currently, no research shows that fetal dopplers can harm the baby. Additionally, even less evidence has assessed the safety of the home version. 

As most mothers would know, direct heat onto the womb should be avoided as it can negatively affect both the mother and child. Items such as heat bags and heat creams should always be safely used as instructed, identical to home fetal dopplers. Avoid prolonged and always be guided by the instructions. 

Caremax's fetal dopplers have features such as 1-minute auto-off and lower ultrasonic power standards to maximise safety. 

You may need to wait for a certain period to effectively pick up your baby's signals on the fetal doppler. Most of Caremax's fetal dopplers should be able to detect signals as early as 14 weeks. 

The terms' ultrasound' and 'fetal doppler' are often confused. 

To clarify, ultrasounds are powerful sound waves that help detect what is happening inside the body [4]. Fetal dopplers are machines that use ultrasounds to monitor the baby's heart rate. 

However, different types of machines also use ultrasound to help assess the body. Regular ultrasound machines use sound waves to recreate the structures inside the body [4]. On the other hand, doppler ultrasounds measure the sound waves that bounce back from the moving parts inside the body. 

Before using your fetal doppler, set up your devices as outlined by the instructions. Make sure to place your AA alkaline batteries inside the doppler. 

When ready, make sure to lie on your back in a comfortable position. Expose the abdomen and apply ultrasound gel over the area you would like to assess.

Afterwards, slowly move the probe over the gel until you can hear a heartbeat. You may need to move the search lower on the abdomen during the earlier stages of pregnancy. 

Always follow the instructions as outlined with your home fetal doppler machine.