I just bought a BF500++ Fetal Doppler with display. I am 9 and a half weeks. I dont have a scan until I’m 13 weeks unfortunately and didn’t want to wait that long to make sure I could hear heartbeat. I got the doppler today and quickly tried to use it at lunchtime from work. It was picking up heartbeat as it was going from 000 to 127 and above, but kept fluctuating, and it did move about, so had to find it quite a lot, could this of caused the difference in readings, I was just expecting one reading and that was it. What should the heart rate be at this stage? and what happens if it picks up that it’s a little slower than it should be? Any tips on using them, ie do I need lots of gel on? Do I need to lie down? Etc. Any help would be gratefully received.
Why are some people saying I won’t be able to hear it till after 13 weeks, thats not right at all, everyone’s different, and it certainly wasn’t my heartbeat, unless I’d been running beforehand! Its a medical doppler that is used by midwives so it will work earlier, I just wanted to clarify roughly what the heartbeat should be, as it did register on the monitor quite a lot.
Didn’t really sound like a heartbeat, just noise, strange, but nice :oD
To the nurse who commented - so nobody at 9 and a half weeks has ever picked up a heartbeat on a medical doppler, complete rubbish!!! I know a lot of people who have, what exactly was it reading then if not a heartbeat!? and why is it a waste of money, it’s something to keep to listen to your baby right till it arrives, why is that a waste of money!? Lets hope I never get treated by someone as cold as you - mind you, the amount of nurses I’ve met in the last 2 months (nothing related to my pregnancy) my grandad’s illness and then passing and going by your comment, you’re all the same!!!!
Thanks for everyone thats been helpful and given me tips - and to those who haven’t I hope you never ask for help or hints. I’m only excited, isn’t that natural, I don’t expect ‘god’ or ‘waste of money’ to be thrown in my face!

Filed under: Fetal Doppler FAQs

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