Pregnancy is an exciting time, but of course it can come with some anxiety. Buying a doppler to have at home so you can check your baby’s heartbeat when you’re having an anxious moment, or even if you just want to hear your bubba or let your family share the experience, is something that more and more mums are doing. However, it is important to get the right doppler and to be aware that not all dopplers are created equal. If you’re newly pregnant and wondering where to buy a doppler for pregnancy to use at home, then we here at Sweet Beats hope this helps.
Be cautious about buying a ‘china cheapie’ doppler
It is now very easy to buy very cheap dopplers that are manufactured and often shipped straight from China. Very often these dopplers are designed to look just like the more expensive hospital grade dopplers that are used by healthcare professionals. It is quite easy to manufacture a cheap doppler that will pick up a fetal heartbeat. The problem is that these cheap dopplers, although it may seem like they are picking up the fetal heartbeat, are often completely inaccurate. Even more worrying, they are often manufactured without any kind of quality control or compliance with regulations, and so they may use more power than has been considered safe, and even have fake CE marks on them.
Consider warranty & support when buying a doppler
It may be seem like an easy option to grab a cheap doppler on eBay, but please remember to thoroughly investigate compliance with Australian medical regulations and the FDA and be aware that you shouldn’t rely on a cheap doppler if you need to be sure that the heartbeat is being picked up accurately. At Sweet Beats we do not sell cheap dopplers and only sell medical grade, quality dopplers – this may lose us sales, but we believe pregnancy is not the time to take risks by using a doppler that may not be manufactured safely.
At Sweet Beats we do hear regularly from mums who’ve bought a doppler from somewhere, had a problem and then been unable to get any kind of support from the seller. Please bear in mind that you may be wanting tips on use, or a seller you can rely on if a fault or issue develops.
What technical specifications do you need?
Dopplers come from different options, from a very basic model which will just pick up the basic heartbeat sound, to those designed for professional use that are sensitive enough to detect and calculate the heartbeat accurately. There are also options like waterproof probes, playback options and more. (Hint – most of our customers are looking for a quality doppler that they know is safe and accurate, but don’t need lots of bells and whistles – our favourite is the Hi Bebe LCD Doppler, also available for hire at $40/mth).
Consider hiring instead of buying a doppler
Are you sure you want to buy? Although buying a quality doppler that you can rely on to be accurate and safe will hit the budget harder than a china cheapie, you may want to consider hiring a doppler instead. This way you can have the reassurance of a good brand without the upfront expense. A lot of women find they just really want the doppler for 2-3 months, so hiring can be a more economical option for sure. If you decide you want to buy later, Sweet Beats will put any hire fees paid towards the purchase price. Great!