At what point in your pregnancy will you get to hear the swoosh-swoosh of your baby’s heartbeat? And if your practitioner wants to check your baby’s tiny ticker at every prenatal visit, is that normal?
Heart monitors that let you and your health care team hear fetal cardiac activity are an important — and completely routine — part of prenatal care. And you might get the chance to listen to cardiac activity sooner than you think.
Here’s a look at what fetal heart monitors are, when and why your practitioner might use one, the benefits and risks, and whether it’s worth using an over-the-counter heart monitor at home.
What is a fetal heart monitor?
A fetal heart monitor is a handheld Doppler device that uses ultrasound technology to listen to a baby’s heart during pregnancy.
Starting some time in your second trimester, your practitioner will use one to check your baby’s heart rate and rhythm, which can offer insight into how your sweet pea is growing and developing in utero.
When will my doctor use a fetal Doppler baby heart monitor?
You can usually hear fetal cardiac activity on a Doppler monitor for the first time around week 10 of pregnancy, but the timing can vary a bit. Your doctor might start listening to your baby’s heart at your three-month checkup.
After the first time, you can expect him or her to check cardiac activity at every visit.
Reasons your practitioner will use a fetal heart monitor during your pregnancy
The sound of your baby’s heart can reveal a lot about her overall health, so it’s completely normal for your practitioner to use a fetal heart rate monitor at every prenatal checkup starting sometime in your second trimester. The monitors are used to:
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Check your baby’s heart rate
Check your baby’s heart rhythm
- Assess your baby’s overall health in utero
Your practitioner will probably use a fetal heart monitor regardless of whether your pregnancy is low- or high-risk. But fetal heart monitoring may be especially important for keeping tabs on your baby’s health in high-risk pregnancies, like if you have diabetes or high blood pressure or if your baby isn’t growing or developing normally.
Your practitioner will determine when and how often your baby’s heart should be checked.
What happens when your baby is tracked in utero with a Doppler?
Listening to your baby’s heart at your practitioner’s office is simple and straightforward. Here’s how it works:
You may need to undress from the waist down and put on a hospital gown, or you can pull your pants below your belly. Then you’ll lie down on the exam table.
Your practitioner will rub clear ultrasound gel on your lower belly and press a wand-like device against your abdomen, moving it around until he or she hears cardiac activity. (You’ll hear it too!)
After listening for a minute or so and checking that everything's all right, he or she will remove the device.
Your practitioner will wipe the gel off your stomach, and you’re done!
How are fetal heart monitors used during labor?
During labor, fetal heart monitors can show your health care team how your baby’s heartbeat reacts to contractions. That can give a sense of how she’s coping with the stresses of labor.
Your baby may only get periodic heart rate checks with a Doppler monitor if your delivery is low-risk and unmedicated.
But your baby’s heart rate will be continuously monitored if your delivery is high-risk or if you’re receiving medications, like an epidural or Pitocin. In those cases, you’ll likely have heart rate sensors strapped to your belly.
Benefits of using a fetal heart rate monitor
There are a few important reasons why your practitioner will use a fetal heart rate monitor throughout most of your pregnancy:
Fetal heart monitors allow your practitioner to check heart rate and rhythm and see how she’s growing and developing in utero.
If your pregnancy is high-risk, monitoring fetal cardiac activity is a way for your practitioner to keep tabs on her general health.
For you, hearing the incredible sound of your baby’s heart can be a sweet way to feel more connected to her.
Downsides or risks of fetal heart monitors
Fetal heart monitoring is a valuable part of prenatal care, and there are no significant downsides or risks. Still, there are a few things worth keeping in mind:
It’s possible (but unlikely) that your practitioner might suspect a problem with your baby’s heart when there isn’t one. If that happens, you might end up having to undergo further testing.
For some moms, the process can be a little nerve-wracking. It could take a minute for your practitioner to find your baby’s heart, and you might worry whether it sounds normal. (Though if there is a problem, your practitioner will let you know. And if you have any questions or concerns that she hasn’t brought up, just ask.)
Fetal Doppler baby heart monitors vs. at-home Dopplers
You can find at-home heart monitors that allow you to listen to your baby’s heart anytime at drugstores or online.
These devices can be tempting — hearing your baby’s heart rate might reassure you that she’s doing well in there. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against them, and for good reason.
Why? At-home monitors aren’t as sophisticated as the one your practitioner uses, so you might have a hard time finding your baby’s heart or it could sound fainter than usual.
That could lead you to believe that there’s a problem when there isn’t one. (And who wants that kind of scare?)
Even if you want to listen to your baby’s heart more often, your best bet is to wait for your practitioner to check it with a Doppler device at your prenatal checkups.
Fetal heart monitors are a routine part of prenatal care. They’re a valuable tool that allow your practitioner to listen to your baby’s heart and assess her health. Hearing that sweet thump-thump of your baby's heart can be exciting for you too.
Just be sure to let your health care team do the monitoring at your prenatal appointments instead of checking your baby’s heart with an at-home device. And if you have any questions or concerns, talk to your doctor.
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