Question: Should I get a fetal heart monitor?

Answer: Commercially available fetal heart monitors consists of a portable external probe and a loudspeaker that detects the fetal heart rate from about 12 weeks through labour. The fetal heart rate is displayed on an LCD screen and the heartbeat is heard at the same time.

Some women find the sound of their baby’s heartbeat reassuring and they can bond with their baby from the very beginning, even before they can feel their baby’s movements (which are only noticeable after 20 weeks).

The risk of performing your own fetal heart monitoring is that some mothers may mistakenly detect their own heartbeat instead of their baby’s. Worse, she may be unable to find the fetal heartbeat altogether especially during early pregnancy, which may then cause unnecessary worry. I’d say the monitor is not an essential buy.