How to Choose the Best Fetal Heart Monitor?

It seems that most parents are very anxious to know all the latest developments of their unborn child. Most couples just simply attach great meaning to pregnancy as a baptism of fire which they have all been waiting for. Gladly their anxiety will be diminished through the fetal heart monitor, a medical device that is being used by many medical practitioners to monitor a fetus’ development and at the same time, predict and control any diseases and disorders that the unborn baby has or could most probably have soon.

Fetal monitors observe and measure the heart beat of the child to see if he/she is healthy or if there is a certain distress present. There are different methods of fetal monitoring: scalp test – the invasive method of determining if the baby is getting enough supply of oxygen from the mother; non-stress test, which works by attaching electrodes to where the baby is supposed to be; contraction test, which determines the contractions of the uterus; the fetoscope, a stethoscope-like device which enables the doctor to hear the heartbeat of the baby; and a fetal Doppler, the most popular fetal monitor, which can be used even by an ordinary couple.

If you want to have one of these devices yourself, you can actually purchase or rent a fetal heart monitor, most especially if you are anxious about and/or excited for your future child. These monitors are available even online. But before anything else, you might want to consider different factors so you can choose the best fetal monitor, either for personal ownership or for rentals. Indeed, as a consumer, you only deserve the best from the market.

First of all, you need a prescription from your doctor. Most shops and rental stations require a formal prescription from a doctor to allow someone to buy (or lease) any of their products. Requiring prescription also gives assurance that the customers are patronizing an authorized and responsible seller.

Choose which model is the most convenient and the easiest for you to use. Although there are different models which, most likely, possess various specifications and features, most fetal Doppler monitors function in the same way. A woman simply needs to apply an ultrasound gel to the abdomen and then push down the sensors against the skin. She then has to move the sensor around slowly until she detects the sound of the heartbeat. Most models are either 2 or 3 GHz. Some users claim that the latter one is the easiest to use.

You can also opt to purchase (or rent) models which record the sound of the heartbeat. Modern models make it possible nowadays. Once recorded, it can be burned in a CD or be saved in the computer. Recorded heart beats are not only a nice vestige for your child when he grows up, but you can also use it as a basis of how the baby is improving through time.

Battery life also matters. Of course, you want to have a device which can last for many hours and does not need constant battery replacement. Majority of the models have 100 to 200 hours of battery life.

Also make sure that the device is approved by FDA. It means that the gadget was government-tested to safeguard the effectiveness of the product and the safety of the consumer.

Lastly, also ask the manufacturer about the specifications of the product; who’s the person to call when the machine goes wrong, or if it needs repair. Remember that buying (or renting) monitors is meant for mothers and the babies inside their wombs. Their safety should always play an important role in choosing the best fetal heart monitor.