One thing that gladdens the heart of couples is the discovery of the impending arrival of a baby. Most expectant parents simply can't just wait to listen to the sound of their baby's heartbeat. If you belong to this category of parents who want to bask in the euphoria of hearing the sound of their child's heartbeat, you can purchase a fetal Doppler, or what is popular known as a baby heart monitor.

The fetal Doppler operates by using sound waves to detect the sound of the baby's cardio activity. The sound waves are deflected off the baby's heart and the baby heart monitor sends the sounds which are actually high frequency waves, into a listening device that is an integral part of the machine.

Because the high frequency waves do not move fast enough, the use of gels or lubricating oils might be required sometimes to make things move better. A device known as a sound conductor is placed on the mother's abdomen, while the baby heart monitor is placed just over the area and is moved around until a sound is detected.

The faint heartbeat is amplified with the aid of a speaker and an earphone that are both built right inside the baby heart monitor. Thus, the person with the earphone can hear the distinct sound of the baby's heartbeats.

The question of safety while using the baby heart monitor is a non issue because the device has been certified to pass quality control tests by the appropriate U.S government agencies. In its over three decades of usage, no single negative case or effect has been reported. The technology of baby heart monitor is what is been employed today in hospitals for thousands of patients.

Opinions are widely divided over the benefits of the device; some think it is a great invention, while others feel that excessive sound waves might be harmful to the unborn baby. The middle line to tread is path of the Food and Drug Administration, which recommends that a physician must be consulted before a home baby heart monitor can be used.

The expensive nature of the baby heart monitor is making many expectant parents to resort to renting one. Renting a baby heart monitor is cost effective and it provides parents with an additional option of buying it if they finally decide to.

However, the option of renting the device is made attractive by manufacturers, and even more attractive is the option to purchase the unit, as it gives the parents the incentive to try the product. Whichever way you look at it, a baby heart monitor is a great thing to have, because almost all families have a baby in their future plans.