Additionally, obesity makes listening to the heartbeat more difficult, as does a baby’s position.Īnother complicating factor is accurately determining a baby’s heart rate. However, this can sometimes lead to more problems.įinding a baby’s heartbeat is not always so easy-even for many obstetric providers! If a woman tries to listen when the baby is still very small (such as in the first trimester), she may not be able to find it and face undue anxiety that something is wrong.

Given that they are easy to access and usually affordable, some moms purchase one to help reassure them in between visits that their baby is doing alright. Personal-use versions of these Dopplers are available online and in some baby supply stores. This is usually the most anticipated part of most prenatal visits! They are usually powered by batteries, and when ultrasound gel is placed on a small transducer probe that is then put on your abdomen, your baby’s heartbeat can be heard by everyone in the room. But should expectant parents monitor their baby’s heart rate at home?Īs you’ve probably seen at your prenatal visits, fetal Dopplers are small hand-held devices that detect your baby’s heartbeat.

This is a longer version of when your doctor or midwife checks on your baby’s heart rate at your prenatal visits, using a fetal Doppler. When you go to a hospital or birth center when you are in labor, your baby’s heart rate can be monitored to make sure he or she is tolerating the labor appropriately.

Fetal heart monitor at home