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The Three Types of Fetal Heart Monitoring

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1. Home Fetal Doppler (HeartBeats™)

Purpose: Bonding, reassurance, personal monitoring between appointments Technology: Continuous wave (CW) Doppler ultrasound at 2.5 MHz Output: Audible heartbeat + BPM display Who uses it: Expectant parents at home Cost: $69

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2. Clinical Handheld Doppler (OB Office)

Purpose: Quick fetal heart rate check during prenatal visits Technology: CW Doppler ultrasound at 2–3 MHz — same technology as HeartBeats™ Output: Audible heartbeat + BPM display Who uses it: OBs, midwives, labor nurses Cost: $200–600

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3. Hospital CTG / NST Monitor (Non-Stress Test)

Purpose: Clinical assessment of fetal wellbeing, contraction monitoring Technology: External tocodynamometry + Doppler ultrasound Output: Paper/digital tracing of heart rate variability over time, uterine contractions Who uses it: Hospital staff, high-risk OB monitoring Cost: $3,000–15,000+

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HeartBeats™ Is Functionally Equivalent to Clinical Handheld Dopplers

The HeartBeats™ device operates at the same fundamental technology as the handheld dopplers used by your OB during prenatal visits. Both use:
  • 2–2.5 MHz continuous wave Doppler ultrasound
  • A single probe transducer
  • Output of audible heartbeat signal and BPM reading
The primary differences between HeartBeats™ and a clinical handheld doppler are price point, build quality, and regulatory classification. The underlying acoustic technology is equivalent.

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What Only Clinical Equipment Can Do

The key clinical capability that home dopplers lack is heart rate variability assessment. A normal NST shows “reactive” patterns where the fetal heart rate accelerates with movement. A CTG tracing can show this variability over 20–40 minutes. A home doppler gives you a snapshot BPM — not a pattern over time.

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When Each Is Appropriate

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The Complementary Approach

HeartBeats™ and clinical monitoring are complementary, not competitive. Regular OB appointments with clinical equipment provide the diagnostic depth that home monitoring cannot. HeartBeats™ fills the space between appointments — providing the emotional connection and simple reassurance that a heartbeat is present, without replacing any clinical monitoring.
Never use HeartBeats™ to delay or replace a scheduled OB appointment or a call to your provider when you have a clinical concern.
Related: Safety · FDA Clearance · Product Overview