Have you ever rented or purchased a fetal doppler? I hadn’t, until now. With my first pregnancy in 2004 it wasn’t even on my radar – people weren’t talking about them on pregnancy boards and the only place I got to experience that beautiful sound of my baby’s heartbeat was in the doctor’s office. With my second baby in 2007, I noticed they were becoming more popular. People began talking about them more and more and I debated getting one. After 2 miscarriages, I was scared and hopeful about having one. What if I couldn’t hear anything? This time around, I’m a little more experienced, a little more calm (barely) and a little more adventurous. Besides, on the pregnancy boards I’m reading fetal dopplers are a big discussion and it seems like every second prego mama has one.
Dopplers to Diapers is a Canadian company started, owned and operated by two moms based in BC. They offer fetal doppler rentals on a month-to-month basis or terms all the way up to 6 months. You can use standard shipping or if you’re impatient you can have your doppler shipped to you within 2-3 days via Canada Post Express Post for $18. They also offer overnight shipping for those super-impatient mamas!
Dopplers to Diapers sent me a doppler to try for a few months and this is everything you need! You receive the IMEX doppler unit, batteries, ultrasound gel and instructions for use. I also received an envelope to return the doppler in so I don’t have to worry about packaging (I kept the bubble wrap packaging it came in to ensure the unit is safely returned too).
I used the doppler at home after I had already heard the heartbeat in the doctor’s office. I had also had an ultrasound before that. I’m not sure I would try the doppler on my own at home without hearing it at the doctor’s office first because if I didn’t hear anything I’d be likely to freak out. In fact, the first time we used it at 13 weeks, 5 days, it took over a minute for my husband to locate the heartbeat. I didn’t freak though because I knew everything was ok. I use the doppler about twice a week, just to check-in on baby and now that I’m in my second trimester I can usually find the heartbeat within about 10 seconds.
Overall I’ve found it quite reassuring to have the doppler around and I think 2 months is a decent rental time – it takes you from that established time where you can hear the heartbeat to when you are feeling kicks and probably have no need to listen in on baby at that point. I found the doppler really reassuring to have this past week when I had a bad stomach flu – at the end of a long day spent ill we checked in on baby and felt good knowing everything was ok.
Check out Dopplers to Diapers and share the link with friends who are pregnant. Actually, a doppler rental would make pretty great gift for someone you love who is expecting!
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