Babys first heartbeat is something that most parents long to hear. Many get to hear this long awaited sound in their doctors office around the twelfth week of pregnancy. While doctors are listening in order to monitor the heart rate of the fetus, which is an important indicator of its health, parents listen for the sheer joy and peace of mind that it brings them. While still in the womb, a babys heartbeat is her only way of communicating her health and well-being to the outside world.

A healthy fetal heart rate usually falls somewhere between 110 and 160 beats per minute. A heart rate falling outside of this healthy norm does not necessarily mean that there is a health risk to the fetus. Most physicians agree on some allowable variance in the heart rate norm, anywhere from six to 25 beats per minute. Heart rate can also be affected by factors such as gestational age (the closer to term a fetus is, the lower the heart rate), cycling of behavioral states (a fetus that is active and moving has a higher heart rate), and maternal use of medications.

After hearing their babys first heartbeat, many parents wanted to be able to listen at any time, in the comfort of their own homes in order to extend their reassurance in their babys health and to be able to communicate as often as they want. Recently, many businesses are answering this growing demand by offering parents Doppler ultrasounds, the tools used by doctors to monitor fetal heart rate, that are designed for easy in-home use. Many of these businesses were actually started by parents who were frustrated at being unable to hear their babys heartbeat outside of their doctors office.

Hear Babys First Heartbeat at Home
The in-home doppler ultrasounds take parents beyond babys first heartbeat, enabling them to easily listen in on their child at any time, from the comfort of their own home. These new dopplers are designed for ease and clarity of use; they are often hand-held and can be operated by one person. There are a number of different models to fit different budgets; however, it is good to look for a doppler that is more sensitive and that has good sound and display quality. These factors make finding and hearing babys heartbeat much easier. Some new models of in-home doppler ultrasounds even offer parents a recording option, which allows them to share their joy and excitement with friends and family.

Fetal heart rate monitoring is an important part of prenatal care. Fetal heart rate is an important indicator of fetal health; a heart rate that falls within the healthy range of 110 to 160 beats per minute indicates that the fetal heart is pumping at a normal level and receiving an adequate supply of blood and oxygen. For this reason, physicians monitor fetal heart rate throughout a pregnancy. Any abnormality in heart rate could serve as an early warning sign, allowing a doctor to catch a potential health problem much earlier in the pregnancy.

Important Benefits of Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring
Fetal heart rate monitoring also has emotional benefits for parents. Being able to hear the heartbeat of their unborn child is immensely reassuring for parents, and allows them to feel a close bond with their baby. Many parents feel that prenatal care appointments do not occur frequently enough to allow them to listen to their babys heartbeat as often as they would like. Recently, businesses offering in-home fetal monitors have appeared, often started by parents previously frustrated by the unavailability of in-home monitors.

Fetal heart rate monitoring works using doppler ultrasound. The monitor aims low-level sound waves toward the fetus; they are transmitted through the mothers abdomen via a special, conductive gel. When these sound waves reach the fetus they are bounced back to the monitor that translates the disturbance in their path into an audible heartbeat.

In-home dopplers work much the same way as their medical counterparts; however, their design allows them to be used by parents with no special training. Most models are hand-held and can be easily and accurately used by one person. Heart rate is calculated internally and displayed on an easy-to-read digital screen. Many in-home Dopplers offer the option of recording the fetal heartbeat so parents can share their excitement with friends and family.

Early fetal heart rate is one of the most important indicators of fetal health. Physicians can begin to monitor an early fetal heart rate in the twelfth week of pregnancy, when the heart is finally large enough to be heard with amplification. The ease with which a fetal heartbeat can be detected depends on a number of things, including position of the uterus, whether or not the mother is heavy or slender, and the position of the baby in the womb. A healthy fetal heart rate lies within the range of 110 to 160 beats per minute, with the average being about 140 beats per minute.

Mothers often think that a slower than average heartbeat indicates that she is carrying a boy, while a quicker than average heartbeat indicates she is carrying a girl. There is, however, no evidence to support this, just as there is no evidence that an especially loud or quiet heartbeat indicates any specific strength or weakness in the fetus. A heartbeat that is higher or lower than average also does not indicate a serious health risk to the fetus. Often an abnormal fetal heart rate can be explained by variables such as the fetus being especially active (which can significantly raise heart rate) or maternal use of medications.

Monitoring Early Fetal Heart Rate
Physicians monitor early fetal heart rate with the help of a doppler ultrasound. Doppler ultrasounds have been an important part of prenatal care since their introduction in the 1950s. Doppler ultrasounds use harmless low-level sound waves to detect fetal heartbeat. These sound waves are sent toward the fetus through the skin and tissue of the mothers abdomen via a special gel. As they travel, they are disturbed by the motion of the beating heart and are reflected back to the ultrasound monitor, which then translates them into an audible heartbeat.

Aside from the medical benefits of being able to detect early fetal heart rate, there are also emotional benefits for parents. Many parents describe their first time hearing their babys heartbeat as a special bonding experience, one from which they derive a great amount of reassurance about their babys health and happiness. Many businesses are now providing parents with easy to use in-home doppler ultrasound models. With the help of these new ultrasounds, parents can listen to their babys heartbeat anytime they wish, from the comfort of their own homes, and share their excitement with loved ones.

Chart fetal heart rate is the first commandment of any physician giving prenatal care. Heart rate is an important indicator of fetal health, and physicians continue to monitor and chart it throughout a pregnancy, usually beginning around week 12. A healthy fetal heart rate, which often falls between 110 and 160 beats per minute, indicates that the heart is receiving an adequate supply of blood and oxygen, ensuring that the fetus continues to grow and develop properly. While an abnormality in fetal heart rate might not necessarily represent a health risk to the fetus, it can also serve as an early warning sign, allowing a physician to catch any problems much earlier in the pregnancy.

How Doctors Chart Fetal Heart Rate
One of the most important tools allowing a physician to chart fetal heart rate is the doppler ultrasound. Doppler ultrasounds have been an important part of prenatal care since the 50s. Ultrasounds use low-level sound waves to detect fetal heartbeat. Unlike the ionizing radiation used by X-rays, sound waves are harmless to both mother and child; in all the years they have been in use, there has been no evidence of a mother or fetus being harmed by ultrasound treatments.

Doppler ultrasounds have sensitive probes which can detect the location of the fetus inside the womb. Once the position of the fetus is pinpointed, the doppler sends soundwaves through the mothers abdomen through a conductive gel. When they reach the fetus, the motion of the beating heart bounces the sound waves back to the doppler monitor, which interprets the disturbance in their path and translates it into an audible heartbeat. Doctors count the number of heartbeats audible in a full minute to determine and chart fetal heart rate.

While allowing physicians to determine and maintain the health of a fetus, doppler ultrasounds have now become a tool used by parents to help acheive a happier pregnancy. Many parents hear their unborn childs heartbeat for the first time at their doctors office. For many this moment is indeed blissful, providing them with reassurance of their babys health and the sense that they are communicating with their child. Because so many parents have expressed the desire to be able to hear their babys heartbeat more frequently than scheduled doctors visits will allow, doppler ultrasounds are now available that have been specifically designed for use by parents. These new dopplers allow parents to listen to their babys heartbeat at any time.

Discount fetal dopplers are now available to parents from a variety of sources, many of which can be found on the Internet. Parents often feel anxious during pregnancy, worrying about the health of their baby. Having a doppler for home use allows parents the comfort of being able to check their babys heartbeat at any time, reassuring themselves that their child continues to be healthy and happy in the womb. The Internet allows parents to browse through a variety of different dopplers until they find one that fits both their needs and their budget.

How to Find Quality Discount Fetal Dopplers
When looking for good discount fetal dopplers, there are several factors to consider. Be sure to search for a doppler that is fairly sensitive, as this will make it much easier to locate and hear your babys heartbeat. It is also important that the doppler have good sound and display quality. While the price of fetal dopplers generally goes up as sensitivity and sound quality increase, the large number of businesses now offering dopplers makes it possible to find a very good one at a reasonable price.

Fetal dopplers use low-level sound waves to detect fetal heartbeat, exactly as their hospital grade counterparts do. Many of the models available to parents are designed to be used easily by one person, no special training required. Beyond detecting and playing a babys heartbeat, many of the new in-home fetal dopplers offer extra options such as being able to record a heartbeat so parents can share it with loved ones. Additional options will increase the price of the doppler without necessarily improving its performance; if you are looking for the best doppler for your money, it often pays to stick to the basics.

Parents looking to purchase discount fetal dopplers do not need to compromise performance or safety. All in-home fetal dopplers are regulated by the FDA and are held to the same standards as the dopplers used by physicians. Many of the websites offering new in-home dopplers are run by parents who found themselves frustrated at being unable to listen to their babys heartbeat outside of their doctors office. These businesses are usually strongly committed to helping parents find the best doppler possible, even when price is a consideration.