Fetal dopplers give you a special opportunity to hear your baby from home. Even more amazing? You can easily record and save those sessions now USING THE BABY DOPPLER APP! – you can link BABY DOPPLER APP to https://www.babydoppler.com/download-app – you just select the words and then right-click to link them.
Fetal dopplers give you a special opportunity to hear your baby from home. Even more amazing? You can easily record and save those sessions.
Fetal heartbeat recordings can be used during appointments, to help your doctor assess issues, or as keepsakes.
Read on to learn how to record your baby’s heartbeat.
How to Use Fetal Doppler
To get an accurate recording, you must know how to use a fetal doppler properly. The basic instructions are simple:
- Apply ultrasound gel to your lower belly
- Turn the device on
- Place the probe in the gel
- Use a rocking motion to glide the probe toward your pubic bone and around until you detect a heartbeat.
For a video tutorial, download the Baby Doppler app, tap “Record” at the bottom and tap the “i” icon at the top. You’ll see a how-to video on how to use a fetal doppler your first time.
Discerning a Heartbeat
The trick to using a fetal doppler is improving your ability to detect a heartbeat. Some women mistake their own heartbeat or womb noises for the sound. Here’s some quick tips:
- Your heartrate should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). A beat above 120bpm likely indicates a fetal heart rate.
- Use the Baby Doppler app to learn what a fetal heartrate sounds like. We have a reference guide inside the app you can use to discern between heartbeats. You’ll hear what a fetal heartbeat sounds like clearly, with mom’s blood flow and with movement noise. This can help you determine if you’re picking up on the right sound.
- Read our other guides. Check out 10 Must-Know Secret Tips for Finding Fetal Heartbeat with Dopplerand Can’t Find Heartbeat with Fetal Doppler? 8 Things to Do.
If you don’t hear a heartbeat, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong. Your baby could be too small or just switched positions. Many women can hear a heartbeat around 12 weeks, but it can happen sooner or later.
How to Record Fetal Heartbeat Sound Using App
The easiest way to record the sound of your baby’s heartbeat is by using the Baby Doppler app. Compared to other methods of saving sessions, the app keeps a log of the audio and fetal heart rate. This makes it simple to attempt to see patterns. You’ll need:
- A fetal heartbeat monitor
- The Baby Doppler app
Step #1: Get the App
You can download the Baby Doppler app in the Apple or Google Play store.
Step #2: Sign up
Enter your email and choose a password to make your account. You can customize your profile to include personal details, such as your birthday or whether you’re high risk.
Step #3: Create a Baby Profile
On the Baby Doppler app, we use “Baby Profiles” as a way to personalize your experience.
To create your baby profile, fill in details such as your baby’s due date, name and gender. The app will determine how far along you are based on your details and share relevant information with you each week. You’ll know the size of your baby in comparison to a food (ex. “your baby is the size of an orange”). It will also let you know what you can expect, like more fetal movement starting this week.
Step #4: Start Recording Session
- At the bottom of the app, tap the “Record” icon.
- Tap “New Recording” at the top of the screen.
- Use the fetal doppler to detect a heartbeat (instructions in the section above).
- When you detect a heartbeat, tap the “Tap to Record” button.
- When you’re finished, tap the “Tap to Stop” button.
- Listen to the session you just recorded. Did it record the sound clearly? Are you sure the sound is your baby’s heartbeat?
- If the recording is good, tap “Submit” to save it to your Baby Profile.
- If the recording is bad, tap “Re-Record” and follow these steps again to get a clearer version.
- The app will remind you when it’s time for another recording session.
Your heartbeat recordings will be saved along with the heartrate and date. To see your history of recordings, simply tap the “Record” icon at the bottom of the screen to view the list.
Compared to casually using a fetal doppler, recording the heartbeat can help you notice patterns by simply scanning your fetal heartrate history. For example, you may notice your baby’s heartbeat is much lower than usual today and contact your doctor for advice.
Having a list of recordings may also be helpful for your doctor. If you have a high-risk pregnancy, your healthcare provider may want to listen to them to make sure things are okay between appointments.
How to Record Fetal Heartbeat Using Recorder or Computer
Another way to record a fetal heartbeat is by using a traditional sound recorder or a recorder on your computer. By directly plugging your device into the recorder, you may get a clearer version. You’ll need:
- A fetal doppler
- A digital recorder or recorder on your computer
Here’s how:
- Plug one end of the recording cable into the headphone jack on your fetal doppler.
- Plug the other end into your digital recorder or computer.
- Use the fetal doppler to detect a heartbeat (instructions in the section above).
- When you detect a heartbeat, hit the record button on your recorder or computer recorder.
- Listen to the session to make sure you’ve detected the correct sound.
- You can save all your recordings on your recorder or your computer. To distinguish patterns though, it’s a good idea to note down the fetal heart rate each time. (This is why we recommend using the record feature in the Baby Doppler app instead—it automatically stores recordings and heartrates).
4 Things to Do with Fetal Doppler Recordings
Now that you know how to record your baby’s heartbeat, what’s the purpose of it? There’s a few reasons why you may want to keep the recording.
#1 Monitor Your Baby’s Health
The most common reason women record their baby’s heartbeat is to better track their health. Although fetal dopplers can only be used by professionals to diagnose issues, it’s possible to detect an irregularity and report it to your doctor.
For example, if you reflect on your history of heartbeat recordings and see that your baby’s heartrate is much higher today, you can contact your doctor to see if it’s normal. If not, you can book an appointment to confirm the issue, learn the cause and any possible treatments.
#2 Share Recording with Doctor
Another reason why pregnant women record their fetal doppler sessions is to play it back for their doctor. You can play the recording for them over the phone or email them the file to playback themselves. This can be helpful when you:
- Have remote appointments.Even with COVID-19 increasingly under control, the trend of remote appointments is likely here to stay. Although you’ll still have in-person appointments, you’ll probably have fewer. This gap leaves room for “self-monitoring.” Between check-ups, you can use the device yourself and play the recordings for your doctor to comment on. That way, even though they can’t use a fetal doppler, you can.
- Suspect an issue.Suspecting there’s an issue with your baby is an anxiety-ridden experience. To get a quicker answer from your doctor, it’s helpful to send them a recording. Having this tool means that you can save yourself time and appointments if there’s a non-issue.
- Have a high-risk pregnancy.Even if you don’t suspect an issue, if you have a high-risk pregnancy, your midwife may want to hear your baby’s heart more frequently. Sending them a quick “check-in” could ensure you’re not missing any potential issues.
- Need reassurance.Sometimes, we might suspect everything is okay, but we’re not sure because we’re anxious people. It can feel like a lifesaver to have the ability to play the recording back for your healthcare provider and have them reassure you everything is okay.
#3 Keepsakes
Most of us hear stories about how we were inside our mother’s belly—but we’ll never get to hear it ourselves. Well, now your child can!
Recording your baby’s heartbeat can be a keepsake for years to come. You can do this with a single recording, or you can save each one as you progress throughout your journey. Show your child as they grow up, or on a special date, such as their 18th birthday.
The Baby Doppler app will save all of your recordings. To keep them for years, you can save and store them on a USB stick, hard drive or online storage space.
#4 Announce Pregnancy
You can use a recording of your baby’s heartbeat as a pregnancy announcement. Simply record a session using the Baby Doppler app and play it back for your friends and family, letting them guess the surprise. Alternatively, you can save the recording and email it in an announcement.
P.S. Don’t Have a Fetal Heartbeat Monitor Yet? Get One Today with Free Gel!