The most precious thing to every mother is her children. Even before they are born a mother worries constantly that her baby is ok, healthy, and happy. Fetal dopplers can provide assurance that the baby is healthy and prospering as they should be. They are a non-invasive way to monitor the baby's heart beat which can be an extremely effective way to monitor baby's health while still inside the womb.

Fetal dopplers are the most commonly used type of heart beat monitor. Other methods of monitoring pose a risk to the baby. There is no risk with a doppler because it is used outside the womb only. There is no discomfort and the doppler is very easy to use. They are so easy to use that the hand held fetal doppler can be purchased inexpensively for home use as well. It can be used at home anytime you need to check on baby, especially if the pregnancy is high-risk. It is worth the peace of mind it can bring.

Sound from inside the womb is sent through ultrasonic waves which are picked up by the hand held fetal doppler and transmitted through a speaker on the doppler. A special gel is placed on the mother's abdomen which keeps static and any noise from outside the womb to a minimum. The gel also helps to protect the end of the doppler. The probe is moved around the abdomen until the heart beat is found and a heart rate can be calculated. The average range for a fetus heart rate is 120 to 180 beats per minute. As the baby moves the heart rate will increase. When the baby is sleeping the heart rate will be slow. The range is so wide for normal that it will take a few visits to determine what is normal for your baby. By determining the normal heart rate of your particular baby, it can be used to monitor the baby's health more accurately. If your baby is normally on the high end of the range and is all of the sudden on the low range (or vice versa) it could be an indicator there is a problem.

The probes of a hand held fetal doppler come in 2 MHz and 3 MHz. 3 MHz probes are more effective for the majority of pregnant women. Occasionally if the mother is very obese the 2 MHz probe may work best. The higher frequency probe has a shorter wavelength which may not reach the fetus in a very overweight woman. Fetal dopplers are very helpful and are an important monitor used in pregnancy.