Baby Beat Fetal Monitor, the Best Option to Hear Your Baby's Heartbeat

First, congratulations, if you are reading this it means you probably have a baby on your way. Like most soon-to-be parents, or grandparents, you are sure to be excited and can't wait to hear, feel or see the first signs of your new little one. The Belly Beat fetal monitor is the best way to hear your little one's heartbeat. Usually you can hear the heart beat in as little as ten weeks.

What is a Baby Beat Fetal Monitors and what kind of options are there?

A Fetal Monitor goes beyond just passive listening and uses ultrasound and Doppler shift to allow you to hear a much clearer heartbeat than you could ever hear with even a stethoscope. In fact it is the same equipment your doctor is likely to use.

Each model has a base unit that contains the electronics, batteries, and a speaker. Some models also have a digital readout the displays your baby's beats per minute. Some also include a headset jack so you can attach it to a recording device and others are even able to record themselves..

Your unit will also include a 3MHz probe. This is the part that you actually place against your belly. You can also order a 2 MHz probe but the 3MHz probe is much more common. According to the Belly Beat website 90% of doctors, hospitals, and midwives use the 3MHz probe. The only case that the 2MHz probe seems to work better is for very overweight mothers where the fetus is very deep.

How and where to get a Baby Beat fetal monitor

You have two options as to how you obtain a fetal monitor. You can either purchase one outright or you can even rent one. The decision to rent or buy depends on how long you think you will want to use your fetal monitor.

If you plan on using your Baby Beat fetal monitor for several months and even for multiple pregnancies then you may want to consider a purchase. The basic model starts around $450 with the top models going for almost $600. You can obtain them from several locations including specialized websites like www.babybeat.com or www.bellybeats.com and normal shopping sites like Amazon or Ebay.

Another option that works well for many people is renting a Belly Beats fetal monitor. Rentals run as low as $20 a month for a base unit and up to $45 a month for the top end units. An added benefit of rental is that you can apply your rental payments towards the purchase price if you decide to purchase the unit. Of course keep in mind that if you choose this options it is likely that your unit will be used instead of new.

Using your Baby Beat fetal monitor

The number one rule when using your fetal monitor is be patient. It may take you very long to find your baby's heartbeat and sometimes you may not be able to find it at all. Don't panic, just because you can't find it doesn't mean that it isn't there. Just slow down and take your time, with persistence you will almost always be able to find the heartbeat.

Of course keep in mind that personal use of the fetal monitor is limited by the F.D.A. and is not intended to be used for any diagnostic or treatment activities. If you have any reason to think that you may be having difficulties or problems with your pregnancy contact your healthcare provider.

Listening to your baby's heartbeat can be a great bonding experience for you and your family. In fact it will probably be easier and more comfortable for Dad to be the one using the probe. Your other children will love listening to the heartbeat as it will give them something tangible to connect with.

Safety Concerns

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has expressed some concern over the excessive use of over the counter fetal monitors. You can read more detail on their website here but they do acknowledge that there are no known risks when using ultrasound imaging and heartbeat monitors. The concern is centered around the affects to other parts of the body from excessive and unsupervised use.

Sources

Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm095508.htm

Belly Beat Website

http://www.bellybeats.com/

Baby Beat Website

http://www.babybeat.com/