If you are an expectant parent you know what a wonderful feeling it is to hear your baby’s heart beat for the first time. Prenatal heart monitors allow parents to monitor their baby’s heartbeat on a regular basis. Many obstetricians today recommend that expectant parents monitor their baby’s heartbeat to ensure a healthy and stress free pregnancy. Even parents who don’t have any known health issues or concerns are encouraged to use baby heart monitors. There is no concern too unreasonable when it comes to the health and well being of your baby.
By monitoring your baby’s heartbeat you will be able to pick up any differences or irregularities that may occur. A heartbeat that is too rapid, known as tachycardia, can signal distress in your developing baby. In contrast, a heartbeat that is too slow, called bradycardia, can also mean trouble for your baby. For expectant parents who have a history of health concerns associated with pregnancy, a baby heartbeat monitor would be an essential item to have. People who have family histories of diabetes or other potentially life threatening illnesses to an infant could safely monitor the baby’s heartbeat. This is also good for people who expect twins or multiple births. Often it is difficult to get a handle on the heartbeat of a multiple pregnancy. Having your own baby heart monitor would allow you to listen at regular intervals in the quiet of your own home.
Baby heart monitors work through the use ultrasonic waves. These waves can safely pass through the mother’s body as well as the developing fetus and detect movement within the fetal tissue. Although most baby heart rate monitors used in the physician’s office are very technical, there are many simpler models available for home use. One type of home use baby heart monitor is the digital fetal Doppler monitor. This device has a digital display to make checking your baby’s heartbeat easy. The digital monitor calculates the heartbeat and gives a digital readout so you don’t have to count the heartbeat yourself. You can even use it as early as 8 to 10 weeks into your pregnancy. When choosing a baby heart monitor for use at home make sure you are purchasing from a reliable company.
There are many products available with instructions and manuals included. There are also models made especially for the monitoring of twins. A good quality monitor can be quite expensive. Baby heart monitors range anywhere from forty dollars to thousands of dollars, so it is important to shop around. There are always sales and specials and some companies even rent out fetal monitors. Make sure the one you choose has been FDA approved to ensure that it has passed inspection and testing. When it comes to your baby’s health and well being there’s no such thing as being too careful.
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