My evening with the fetal doppler

Sunday, September 16, 2012

So if you read my post from yesterday you are probably confused about the title of this post.  Well, I had no idea that I was going to pull out the doppler last night about 9 PM.  My husband, his friend, and I went out for a quick bite to eat.  After eating about a pound of bread, I was able to stomach some farfalle pasta with light tomato sauce (lots of mozzarella cheese medallions, too, haha).  My husband and his friend decided to hit up a party and of course I decided to call it a night at the ripe old time of 8 PM.  Yes, I am a loser these days, but I am fine with that.

When I got home there was a disgusting bug on my front screen door.

Sick.  What is this???

I got out my phone to take a picture to send to my husband when I saw a text from my friend who let me borrow her doppler.  She said she had read my post from earlier and suggested that I try.  She was pretty confident that at 10 weeks I would hear this little Button if I tried in my lower abdomen.  With a renewed spirit, I decided that it might be a good time to try to find it.

As soon as I got inside I went up to the computer and Googled "how to use a fetal doppler".  I read a quick article and felt like I could handle it.  I got the Sonoline B Pocket Fetal Doppler, some gel, and laid down on the couch.  I turned the thing on and it squealed at me so loudly I think I might have scared the baby into hiding.  I started on the left side of my lower pelvic area and immediately heard something that sounded like a heartbeat.  It was only registering 82-98 bpm, so I figured this wasn't it.  I moved the wand lower near my pubic bone (as my friend recommended) and kept moving the thing around down there...nothing that would register more than 100 or so.  Then I moved the thing up to my belly button and I started to hear a loud heartbeat, but again it was similar to my own at around 90 something bpm.  I was starting to get anxious and nervous that something was wrong.

I got frustrated and shut the thing off.  I texted my friend that I had no luck.  :(  She felt so bad and tried to offer me suggestions of having a full bladder and watching some YouTube how-to videos.  I decided to take her up on her idea.  I watched the following 2 videos:



These two videos were so helpful and saved my evening.  I learned what the different sounds were in my abdomen, my blood flow off to the left and my placenta right smack in the middle.  I learned that I was looking in the wrong spot and that I was moving the wand way too fast and not pressing hard enough.  I also had the volume too low.

After learning these helpful tips, I got into my bed, propped up my head, squirted some aloe vera gel this time and tried again.  After about 5 minutes, to the slight left below my belly button and left of the placenta, I found it.  OMG.  It was so amazing.  I only found it for a few seconds, but I got the doppler to register up to 169 bpm before I lost it (that baby must be moving around in there or something!).  It was amazingly loud, fast, and distinct from my own.  I can't tell you how relieved I felt.  I texted my friend, texted my husband, and called my mom.  I went to sleep so happy last night.  I have never heard a heartbeat before.  The moral of the story here is, watch some how-to videos before attempting to use a piece of equipment that you are unfamiliar with.  I learned my lesson!!

**Update on my friend**

Her second beta came back at well over 400.  She more than doubled in the past 48 hours.  I am so excited for her!!  I really hope that this is her miracle baby!  :)

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6 Comments »

6 Responses to “My evening with the fetal doppler”

  1. Yea!! So happy for you! When I went for my 11 week appointment with my dr - she looked for a heartbeat. She was convinced she was hearing one, but I couldn't. I let out a sigh and low and behold, I could hear it briefly too. At this stage, you will only hear the heartbeat for a few seconds. They are moving around a ton and are so tiny! Wait a couple of weeks and you'll pick it up right away! I wish I had a doppler. I think it would have saved myself endless nights of worry! Congrats again...so happy for you!

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  2. Oh that is sooooo cool!

    You know before I went through all this to get pg I thought that fetal dopplers and constant anxiety were kinda ridiculous and self-indulgent.

    Now my feelings are the exact opposite. I am five seconds away from seeing if i can rent a fetal doppler.... It must give you so much comfort.

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  3. OMG, that is amazing that you found it. I didn't realize you could hear it on a doppler so early! Good for you for researching how to use it. Soooooo cool! :)

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  4. I'm so glad you have a blog too! Just popped over from your comment on mine. I love that I know how far along you are now (About 2 1/2 weeks ahead of me I think) and laughed on the doppler issue. I bought one (about 3 miscarriages ago) but have never gotten far enough along to hear anything. I have told myself I will wait until 9 weeks to try. I will definitely be using your video tutorials too. Thanks so much for commenting on my blog, Im so happy to have found yours and follow your journey! I wish you all the best. x

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  5. I'm so excited for you and your friend! I was worried for her when I read yesterdays post but I am so glad that things are looking up for her.

    How awesome that you worked through the fear and were successful with the doppler. What an amazing sound. I'm happy that everything is going along as it should!

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  6. That is fabulous news!! I'm so glad that baby is growing and has a little heart!

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