It’s called a fetoscope!

A feto-what?! A fetoscope!

A fetoscope is similar to a stethoscope, also called a fetal stethoscope, is used to listen to the fetal heart beat through the abdomen. Though they have changed a little over time, they are some of the early tools used to listen to baby in-utero. The ones we use today work through bone conduction magnifying the fetal heart beat. The fetal heart beat can usually be heard with a fetoscope around 20 weeks gestation.

Why use a fetoscope instead of a doppler?

It is a more intimate experience. This fetal heart beat sounds like a flutter. Dopplers use ultrasound technology and will pickup anything in the path of the wave. Sometimes we can hear baby’s heart beat as well as the pregnant persons heart rate, the placenta and some fetal movement with the doppler. Not with the fetoscope, we’ll only be able to hear what’s right underneath it. This can be a great advantage for confirming fetal position. Some people may prefer using a fetoscope due to its more intimate and quiet experience, while others may want to reduce doppler exposure.

Can you use a fetoscope during labor?

No. It is not reliable during labor. Changes in the uterine muscles, changing fetal position and hydrotherapy during labor make it difficult to use reliably. It can take sometime to hear clearly with the fetoscope and during labor we need to be gathering information quickly. The room needs to be quiet to hear the subtle sounds of the fetal heart beat through the fetoscope, this is not always feasible during labor.