When a doctor uses a baby heart monitor and you are able to listen to the beating heart of your unborn child, it can be a magical experience that cannot be fully expressed in words. Suddenly what began as an idea that didn’t really have a tangible presence is real and alive, beating out a strong rhythm that loudly announces the baby’s invisible presence.

In recent years, these devices have been shrunk down and repackaged in forms that can easily be used by the expecting mother in the comfort and privacy of her own home. Some may ask why you may want to use a baby heart monitor to listen to the beating of your baby’s heart at home, but there are several good reasons for you to do so.

Many people feel that the developing baby isn’t entirely “real” to them until they hear its heart beating for the first time or they see it on the sonogram for the first time.  The use of a baby heart monitor can help an expecting couple bond with the baby by listening to its heartbeat almost as if it were a little voice talking to them from inside the womb   Some models even allow for the recording of the heartbeat, allowing the mother to make an audio CD that can be a wonderful keepsake for the years ahead.

Though fetal Doppler units are in no way intended to be used as a replacement for proper prenatal care, the regular use of baby heart monitors can allow you to monitor the pulse of your unborn baby. This can give you an early indication of when something is going wrong with the fetus, such as a very rapid pulse indicating a high stress level or a very low pulse warning of other problems.

They can also give peace of mind to expecting mothers who have suffered miscarriages or complications during pregnancies past. It allows them to take a more active role in the monitoring of their baby’s health and the peace of mind of knowing when things are progressing as they should.

There are quite a few different baby heart monitor models and manufacturers on the market, but the key when shopping for one is to ensure that it is FDA approved.  This means that it has gone through extensive government testing to ensure its safety and effectiveness, and any expecting mother can tell you that the health and well