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Using Fetal Dopplers for some Peace of Mind

JenniferWaller | Apr 20, 2010 |

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Pregnancy can be a great experience in the lives of an expectant mother and father and can be an exciting time for the whole family. However it can also be an anxious time and worrying about the health of an unborn child is part and parcel of the experience.

However a woman can do many things to help the pregnancy and this can include eating the proper foods and getting plenty of rest. Monitoring the progress of the fetus is important in the early months of pregnancy and this will necessitate a number of trips to see a doctor. However between these visits it is also possible to monitor the progress of an unborn child's development at home.

One of the most common devices for monitoring a fetus in the home environment is a Doppler fetal monitor. While this is something that a pregnant woman will become familiar with at the doctors office it is also possible to have one of these machines in your own home. This can then be used between visits to the doctor.

The Doppler fetal monitor now has more than 50 years of history behind it. It was invented in 1958 and in its 50 years of use has become commonplace in pre natal clinics. It uses the Doppler effect to identify the heartbeat of a fetus and produces an audible sound representation of this through a speaker. Some fetal dopplers also have the capability of estimating the heartbeats per minute.

Most fetal heart Doppler devices look similar in style. They have a simple probe which is connected to the main part of the equipment by a cable. When the probe is applied to the bump of a pregnant woman it can pick up the heart beat of the fetus. A speaker on the device provides the sound. More sophisticated devices can have also a screen which is used to display the reading of heartbeats per minute.

While visits to the doctor should demonstrate that their developing child is healthy, using a Doppler fetal monitor at home can add a little extra reassurance. This is its major benefit. However, hearing the heartbeat of your own child can be a rewarding experience which many parents like to experience. With a Doppler fetal monitor at home this can also be shared with the rest of the family. However a prescription is required from your doctor to use one and most reputable companies that produce them insist on this.

Doppler fetal monitors are common equipment and there are a few companies that manufacture these devices. Amongst these are Stork Radio and Belly Beats and they produce a range of different models. The cost to purchase one of these typically lies in a range between $400 and $600. The price of a particular model will depend on the features included.

If you do not consider that buying a Doppler fetal monitor is cost effective then it is also possible to rent a machine for a short period of time. This can be done month by month or for a set period of typically 3 or 6 moths. This can be a more affordable way of getting access to a machine and, depending on the device selected, the monthly price for this can lie in a range between $20 and $50.