Listening to your baby's Heartbeat for the first time is indescribably magical, to say the least! In the past, you can only hear it when you visit your doctor. Sometimes, your next appointment can feel a little too long for your liking. What if we tell you that you can now hear your baby's heartbeat at the comfort of your own home?
Yes, you can do so using a fetal doppler, also commonly known as "baby heartbeat monitor" or "heart rate monitor for pregnancy". These handheld devices are affordable and easy to operate. Unlike using a stethoscope where only the person on the other end can hear it, fetal dopplers allow everyone in the room share your joy in hearing those precious tiny heartbeats.
There are hundreds of fetal dopplers in the market claiming to be the best baby heart monitor, unfortunately, not all of them work well enough to actually hear a heartbeat. Read our fetal doppler reviews below to find out what is the best at home fetal doppler that suits you most. We also have an in-depth analysis of why you should not obsessed over this little gadget at the end of this post, so make sure you read it too!
1. Top 5 Best Baby Doppler
1. Womb Music Heartbeat Baby Monitor by Wusic
Aptly named the Womb Music (yes, the heartbeat of your baby is like music to your ears), this fetal doppler by Wusic is the best baby heartbeat monitor for those that want to hear absolutely everything of your baby.
Yes, not only the heartbeat, this doppler can also detect the kicks and hiccups of your baby. Mothers have said that this helps them bond even closer with their baby.
The Womb Music is a straightforward device that is easy to use, not to mention it is also very lightweight and compact. Simply switch it on (you will know when you see the LED indicator comes on) and you are good to go! You can adjust the volume and it allows you to have two headphones plugged in at the same time so that both mom and dad can bond with baby simultaneously.
It also comes with a computer recording cable for you to record the sounds to your computer - for memory's sake, for sharing, or even for the very practical later use of soothing your newborn by playing the sounds he is familiar with back in the womb.
The use of this doppler is safe and non-invasive. It can be used after the 16th week of pregnancy, although some parents are able to use it as early as the 8th week. While it may take a few minutes to find the right spot, it does get easier to hear your baby's heartbeat as the baby grows stronger each week. Do remember that you need some sort of gel to cut down the static in order to listen clearly. Parents love this hypoallergenic one, but any lubrication gel will do.
If all you want is just listen to your baby's heartbeat in a simple, non-fussy way, the Womb Music by Wusic is the best doppler for you. Many parents swear by it, claiming it is the best fetal heart monitor (it is the bestseller for a reason!) that they can rely on.
2. Bjingles Heartbeat Baby Monitor
Bjingles Baby Heartbeat Monitor is another heartbeat monitor for pregnancy that is very well loved by parents.
Like Womb Music by Wusic, Bjingles is a lightweight and portable doppler that comes with 2 sets of headphones so that two people can listen to baby's heartbeat and other movements simultaneously.
Not only does it allow you to record baby's heartbeat, Bjingles also has its very own app on both Apple and Android phones that allows you to play soothing music for your unborn baby as well as record special messages (like Mom's and Dad's voices) or lullabies to play for your baby. It can also measure and record your growing belly and you can create a pregnancy album to share with your friends and family. Bjingles has one of the best fetal heart monitor app in the market.
Like any heartbeat machine for pregnancy, you have to use a generous amount of lubricant to reduce the static caused by moving the monitor around on the belly, otherwise, you may not be able to hear the heartbeat sounds clearly.
It is recommended that you use it after the 16th-week mark, but parents have reported that they can hear a heartbeat as early as during the 9th week period! No wonder the Bjingles Heartbeat Baby Monitor is regarded as one of the best fetal doppler for early pregnancy!
3. Bambeego Babyflip Womb Baby Sound Amplifier
Bambeego Babyflip Womb Baby Sound Amplifier is another one of the best home doppler that amplifies baby's sounds for you to hear his heartbeat, kicks, hiccups and more.
Like most portable pocket dopplers, the Bambeego Babyflip comes with two headset sockets for dual listening. Parents have commented how clear and crisp the audio is and has to lower the volume until they find the heartbeat. It is one of the best at home baby doppler, sound wise. The recording cable attachment allows for sound recording for later playbacks.
Tip: Mothers like to record their own heartbeat so that they can play it to soothe their baby once they are born. This is found to be effective because baby is reminded of the time when s/he is still in the womb and they feel secure and safe in such environment.
If you think the Womb Music by Wusic and Bjingles Heartbeat Baby Monitor are on the pricier side, Bambeego Babyflip Womb Baby Sound Amplifier may just be right for you, in fact, it has the lowest price point out of all our pocket fetal doppler reviews. Being one of the most affordable fetal doppler for sale, no wonder it has become a popular gift choice for many!
4. Up & Raise Digital Fetal Heartbeat Monitor
If you are looking for the best heartbeat doppler with digital features, Up & Raise Digital Fetal Heartbeat Monitor may just be what you're looking for.
You will notice that the above three dopplers are not able to display the heartbeat of your baby - they just amplify the sound of it for you to listen and record. With Up & Raise Digital Heartbeat Monitor, a sensitive, professional detecting probe is used to capture your baby's heartbeat and movements before displaying his heart rate on an LCD screen with backlight.
Now, this backlight serves a purpose as well (another reason why Up & Raise is one of the best at home doppler for pregnancy). It shows whether or not your fetal heart rate (FHR) is too low or too high. If your FHR is between 120-160bpm, the LED backlight will be "clear". If the FHR falls out of range of 120 to 160bpm, the backlight will turn orange and a 'beep beep' sound will be heard. Do remember that this is just an indicator only and there's no need to be alarmed or panic. If ever in doubt, you should check with your doctor.
We like how you get two options to hear your baby with this home baby doppler. You can either listen intimately with the earphones provided, or put on loudspeaker, which is the green base unit, to share with your partner, parents and close friends.
Like most home fetal dopplers, you get to record and save baby's sound clips onto your cellphone or computer. You will also need a doppler gel when using the probe (any will do, including baby oil or lotion) to reduce static.
Parents have noticed that the heart rate measured by the Up & Raise is relatively accurate to that derived from their doctor's sonogram so this is another reason why the Up & Raise Digital Heartbeat Monitor is regarded as one of the best doppler for baby heartbeat. Your pregnant friend will certainly not feel disappointed if you are to gift her one of these!
5. FIGERM Pocket Unborn Baby Sound Amplifier
Out of all dopplers that we have reviewed, FIGERM Pocket Unborn Baby Sound Amplifier resembles closest to your doctor's heartbeat monitor, but in a more compact and portable design which you can bring around with you.
Like Up & Raise, FIGERM Pocket Unborn Baby Sound Amplifier also displays your fetal's heart rate through a LED screen. What you have to do is move the independent probe around your belly until you find a heartbeat and stall there for a few minutes for the doppler to record its heart rate. It will then be shown on the screen and the accuracy is pretty high, too.
FIGERM claims that this is an all-in-one set which you can use as it is. Yes, that is true because aside from headphones, it also includes batteries AND a doppler gel which you would otherwise have to buy separately with other brands.
The reason we rate it behind Up & Raise is that you can only listen through your headphones as it does not have a speaker to amplify the sounds. It also does not allow you to record directly, but there is an outbound auxiliary jack for you to plug it into your phone or computer to record. Still, it is not as convenient as the rest of the dopplers reviewed above.
It is, however, one of the quietest home fetal doppler we can find in the market so that is definitely its strongest point. Nonetheless, FIGERM Pocket Unborn Baby Sound Amplifier is still one of the best fetal doppler to buy if you are in the hunt for one.
2. Things to Look For to Find The Best Fetal Heart Doppler
Now that you have read our best fetal doppler reviews, you would more or less have an idea of which model suits you best. In any case, the best fetal doppler should have the following criteria:
1. FDA approved. Because fetal dopplers fall under Class II Devices, they fall under FDA's regulation. Any brand that is not FDA approved, discard it immediately.
2. 3mhz range. Anything less than this will not let you hear anything substantive so forget it if it's not 3mhz range.
3. Small and lightweight. This is a no brainer. You want something that is portable enough for you to carry around whenever you need it.
4. Recording function. This is not a must, but most parents would love to record the heartbeats of their unborn baby for memory's sake. Mothers also utilise this function by recording their own heartbeat to play for their baby once born for soothing effect.
5. Safety. This is a no brainer, you want a device that is safe which is why, again, having the FDA approved logo is so important. You should also follow the usage instruction strictly so as not to overheat the device.
The best fetal heartbeat monitor chosen and reviewed above fulfil all the criteria above so you can shop for them with peace of mind.
3. Why You Should Not Obsessed Over Using A Fetal Doppler
There are many articles in the internet advising why a fetal doppler is not advisable. Amongst all, the very common reasons are:
- False alarm. The reason why parents get a fetal doppler is to have ease of mind but sometimes, it can give you the opposite effect when a heartbeat cannot be detected. You have to understand that your baby may have just c
