What is a Fetoscope? A Tool of the Midwifery Trade
Fetoscope
If you’ve had prenatal care with us, you’ve likely seen a fetoscope more than a few times. Also known as a fetal stethoscope, it’s a staple in midwifery equipment, and we use it to connect with you and your baby throughout your journey. It embodies the natural, holistic approach we take to prenatal care.
What is a fetoscope?
A fetoscope works much like a regular stethoscope but with one key difference: it has a bell-shaped end that amplifies sound waves from the fetal heartbeat to make them audible. You can usually hear a baby’s heartbeat using a fetoscope starting around 20 weeks of pregnancy. As a low-tech yet highly effective device, the fetoscope has been a cornerstone of fetal heart monitoring for decades.
How the Fetoscope Works
When the bell-shaped end is placed on the abdomen, it captures the sound waves from your baby’s heartbeat and transmits them through tubing to the earpieces, allowing them to be heard clearly. It's a simple mechanism that doesn’t rely on electricity or ultrasound waves – so it's completely safe and non-invasive. The fetoscope’s design also allows for precise localization of the heartbeat, helping us accurately assess a baby’s position and well-being.
Why We Use Fetoscopes
As midwives, we are well-trained in the use of fetoscopes as a method for listening to fetal heartbeats. We use them as soon as we’re able to listen to for auscultation of fetal heart tones during prenatal appointments instead of using a Doppler. Fetoscope uses go beyond just listening to fetal heartbeats as they allow us to connect more deeply with our clients.
Benefits of using a fetoscope:
Risk-Free Monitoring: Unlike ultrasounds or Dopplers, the fetoscope doesn’t emit energy or waves, making it completely safe for both the birthing person and the baby.
Human Connection: The use of the fetoscope encourages careful assessment and fosters a sense of intimacy and trust during prenatal appointments. We love showing parents how to listen to their baby’s heartbeat on their own to deepen their bond.
Fetal Positioning: The fetoscope helps us to determine or confirm fetal positioning by identifying where the heartbeat is loudest.
Minimizing Ultrasound Use: Using a fetoscope reduces reliance on prolonged or unnecessary ultrasounds, which better aligns with a natural childbirth philosophy.
Low Cost: The fetoscope is a budget-friendly tool accessible to all families.
Doppler vs Fetoscope
Many people wonder about the difference between fetoscopes and Doppler ultrasounds. While both tools are used for fetal heart monitoring, they differ in how they do so. As we’ve mentioned, the difference between fetoscopes and ultrasounds is that fetoscopes rely on sound amplification whereas Dopplers use soundwaves to generate images of moving tissues and bodily fluids. Both are noninvasive, but the fetoscope is much cheaper and inherently risk free.
Pinard Stethoscope vs Fetoscope
In the history of the fetoscope, the Pinard horn, or Pinard stethoscope, was the predecessor to the modern fetoscope. Invented by French obstetrician, Dr. Adolphe Pinard, in the 19th century, it is a simple horn-shaped device. While it’s effective and still used in many parts of the world, the modern fetoscope’s design gives us more precise amplification. The parts of the fetoscope are what differentiate it and make it more closely resemble a traditional stethoscope.
How We Use the Fetoscope
Using the fetoscope is a hands-on, meaningful part of your prenatal care. During appointments, we gently place the bell-shaped end of the fetoscope on your abdomen, focusing on areas where we’ve detected the most movement or kicks. By adjusting its position, we locate your baby’s heartbeat and listen directly to its natural rhythm.
This approach not only helps us confirm your baby’s position but also ensures accurate, non-invasive monitoring. We often share this moment with parents, showing you how to connect with your baby by hearing their heartbeat in real time. It’s a tool that bridges precision and connection.
Keeping the Skill Alive
There’s something deeply grounding about using a fetoscope. It’s a skill that ensures we’re never reliant on technology alone, providing a timeless fallback when batteries fail or devices aren’t available.
With a fetoscope, we’re listening directly to the natural sounds of your baby’s heartbeat, not just an echo. It’s also invaluable for confirming things like fetal position, whether that’s identifying an occiput posterior baby by hearing the heartbeat near the center or detecting a breech by finding the heartbeat higher up. It’s always magical to see partners light up when they realize they can hear their baby’s heartbeat by gently placing their ear against the right spot on your belly!
A Timeless Tool for a Safe and Confident Prenatal Care
At its heart, the fetoscope reflects what we’re all about: safe, evidence-based care that honors your choices and strengthens the bond between you and your baby. Whether you’re hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the first time or learning to use the fetoscope yourself, this tool fosters meaningful moments and ensures you’re in charge of your prenatal care.
Take the next step in your journey with compassionate, personalized care. Schedule a consultation with our experienced midwives to explore how tools like the fetoscope can enhance your prenatal experience and connect you with your baby in meaningful ways.
