3 Tips for Using The Neeva Fetal Doppler

Do you remember your first prenatal doctor’s appointment? Most of you probably got to the clinic, sat in the room and hoped and prayed that everything was alright. You probably watched as the doctor or midwife lathered ultrasound gel onto the probe. You might remember how cold it felt when the gel touched your belly. 

What might have felt like seconds after, you first heard the gentle gallop of your baby’s heartbeat. You may not have even recognized that this was the sound you needed to hear, but the reassuring smile of your doctor made you confirm that the gallop was indeed your little one.

Now you and your partner may be waiting in anticipation to hear your little one with a home doppler for the first time. As you lather up the probe, you may be thinking, how did my doctor make this look so easy?

Medical practitioners, especially OB- GYNs go through significant training to identify a fetal heartbeat. While we do our best to educate our mama gang, we definitely recommend you seek advice from your healthcare practitioner if some of our tips below are not working for you.

How to Use a Fetal Doppler?

Get in Position

Start by lying down or sitting in a comfortable position and pushing your uterus as far forward as you can. Having a full bladder can help, especially if your doctor has told you that you have a tilted uterus (in this case you may not even hear the heartbeat at all). 

Position the Probe

The further along you are in your pregnancy, the higher up your baby will be positioned. If you’re earlier along, start by placing the probe below your belly button and closer to your pubic bone. Drag along your abdomen until you hear a heartbeat. It’s important to move slowly and in small movements, otherwise you can miss the heartbeat.

Use Lots of Gel

A sample size of lubrication gel comes with your doppler. If you run out of gel, you can always get a full sized bottleGel is important to use with the doppler because it allows for a clear sound. Without gel, the doppler will not work, the waves travel through air and the interference will cause a static. The gel is used to minimize air between the doppler’s probe and skin to provide the best, most clear sound. If your gel has bubbles in it, you might still hear static. 

Click here for a set up guide!

What Comes with the Neeva Fetal Doppler?

Speakers 

The Neeva Baby Fetal Doppler is equipped with a headphone socket and a built-in loudspeaker. If you want to share the sound of the heartbeat with your loved ones, we recommend you use the speaker output. If you are listening on your own, you can always plug in headphones through the standardized port.

Backlit LCD Display

The large LCD display helps you use the device and monitor the exact heart rate of your baby. The screen has a backlit feature which is enabled by pressing the light bulb button so you can use the device in a dark room. The screen displays the BPM (beats per minute) heart rate in large numbers so you can easily see the baby’s heart rate and not confuse the sound for other organs.  

Sample Size Gel

The Neeva Fetal Doppler comes with a 60g sample size Aquasonic Clear ultrasound transmission gel. It's fragrance and colour free. It's recommended for every use as it helps reduce friction and deliver the most clear sound. 

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