Finding fetal heart via doppler

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hello all,

I'm new to labor and delivery and would like to know if you guys can share any tips on finding the fetal heart using the doppler? Are there any locations on the abdomen that you find easier to spot the heart depending on the GA of the baby? Any tricks on finding the FHR with mother's who are overweight or have an anterior placenta?

thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Hello all,

I'm new to labor and delivery and would like to know if you guys can share any tips on finding the fetal heart using the doppler? Are there any locations on the abdomen that you find easier to spot the heart depending on the GA of the baby? Any tricks on finding the FHR with mother's who are overweight or have an anterior placenta?

thanks in advance!

I don't have much advice other than asking the mom where she feels the baby, where they found the heart last. Kinda like I do with IVs.

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

In my experience if they are further along, maybe 28+ weeks then you can ask them where they find it at the doctors, if they are not as far along and you're using the Doppler go very low, overweight usually doesn't make a huge difference but if it seems to then by or near the belly button. Sometimes you have to just move it around a bit, tilting it up or down can sometimes help too. If theyre further along the just feel the baby and how they're laying and base your position on that. Hope that helps :)

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Learn to do Leopold's maneuver and then place the doppler on the fetal back. This was one of the first things my preceptor taught me and it has been so helpful and made my life so much easier. I've even had patients comment "you found that so fast all the other nurses have problems finding him/her on the monitor."

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thanks for the advice! I'm starting off on an antenatal, high risk pregnancy unit and was wondering if there was any contraindication to palpating the abdomen of a women with PPROM or placenta abruptio.. I actually have yet to see a nurse using Leopold's maneuver. Most of them just ask the mother where the heart is normally heard, like what was suggested in the other comments.

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Specializes in L and D.

Wow leopolds is an important skill for l and d nurses. It can help you anticipate is baby is malpresenting, op, etc. i suggest finding someone who knows how and asking them to teach you. Leopolds is one of the first things i do when i get a patient, before putting on the monitor. We always do a bedside ultrasound to confirm vertex on all our laboring/induction patients. That can help you comfirm ur findings if you do that too

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