Once only reserved for health care professionals, the privilege of hearing your unborn baby’s heart beat using a baby heart monitor is now a dream come true. Also known as a fetal doppler, this nifty gadget allows you to listen and record your unborn baby’s heartbeat as early as 8 weeks into pregnancy. This all thanks to the electronic ultrasonic technology used. Some fetal doppler companies like Stork Radio even provide a guarantee that you’ll be able to do just that.
But with the huge variety and price range for purchasing, it is often that couples feel overwhelmed, so let’s break it down and decide if you would want one and which type.
Is It A Necessary?
While not necessary, it is a precautionary measure especially for women at high risk of miscarriages and has had a history of it occurring. In fact, women who have suffered miscarriages would view getting a baby heart rate monitor as one of the essential items on their list. On the product pages, many women have testified that this little machine is, in their own words, “a lifesaver” and “a great investment for a peace of mind”.
Potential issues or complications can be highlighted and brought to your doctor’s attention much earlier on rather than waiting for your regular check–up. It is always more sensible to have an early warning of any problems and get them checked out immediately instead of trusting that all is well. Some monitors can even record the heartbeat trace of your baby for download onto a computer. This can then be saved into a CD or emailed to your doctor or healthcare professional for analysis purposes.
What are the benefits?
The ability to hear your unborn baby’s heart beat anytime you like and anywhere you wish sure enhance the overall experience and joy of being preganant. After all, it’s only that many times (1-3 times on average) that a lady conceives so make it a special one with a baby heartbeat monitor. Make the most of this wonderful opportunity by sharing the experience with your husband. Knowing how your baby’s heartbeat sounds like before birth certainly causes you to form a special bond with her/him. What’s more, the entire family can get involved too and “listen in” to baby. Share the joy of pregnancy with family and friends, and have peace of mind knowing your baby is safe.
These devices however, cannot be reliably used to predict the gender of the unborn child as there is no evidence that there is no relationship between fetal heart rate and fetus gender.
Cost
The cost of purchasing a baby heart monitor can always be offset by renting it instead of buying it; since you’ll only be needing it during your pregnancy term. To purchase such a baby monitor will set you back around $450 – $600 whereas renting one will cost around $20 – $25 per month. Many have commented that it is expensive to buy but very reasonable to rent.
Types
There are essentially two kinds for home use – one in audio mode only and one with the added convenience of a digital display. With this style of baby heartbeat monitor, you do not have to count the heartbeats to determine your baby’s heart rate. The digital version is thus more user-friendly.
Fetal Heart Rates
Starting at week 5 the fetal heart will accelerate at a rate of 3.3 beats per day for the next month.
When it first starts to beat, the fetal heart beats at approximately the same rate as the mothers, which is around 80 to 85 bpm. Assuming a start heat beat of 80bpm, the following illustrates heart rate for weeks 5 to 9:
- week 5 starts at 80 and ends at 103 bpm
- week 6 starts at 103 and ends at 126 bpm
- week 7 starts at 126 and ends at 149 bpm
- week 8 starts at 149 and ends at 172 bpm
- at week 9 the fetal heartbeat tends to beat within a range of 155 to 195 bpm
The fetal heart rate will begin to decrease and generally will fall within the range of 120 to 160 bpm by week 12.
Certifications & Features To Look Out For
-FDA approved medical grade
-Digital readout of your baby’s heart rate to make it even simpler to use.
-Technology like Static Suppression Doppler (SSD) to provide a static-free signal for maximum clarity.
All the facts have been laid out, now it’s up to you in consider if the cost is worth your peace of mind. But if I were to have another child, I would certainly not do so without my trusty baby heart monitor!
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