What’s old is new, and what’s new is old—this may be the case for listening to a baby’s heartbeat with a fetoscope. Midwives everywhere carry a variety of tools and instruments in their kits, whether they’re doing an in-home prenatal visit or attending a birth. Here, we discuss when, how, and why midwives use fetoscopes and take a closer look at two variations.

The “When” for a Fetoscope

Midwives particularly love the use and access of fetoscopes as it helps them do away with electric dopplers. When the baby is around 20 weeks gestation, a midwife may turn to a fetoscope to begin listening to the baby’s heartbeat.

Fetoscopes are risk-free and offer various benefits, from fetal position insight to parent-baby bonding and affordability for providers and patients. Fetoscopes are an old practice that midwives today still rely on when administering prenatal care, in addition to relying on these safe tools during labor and delivery.

The “Why” for a Fetoscope

As mentioned above, fetoscopes offer a risk-free auditory assessment of the baby’s heartbeat and position. Fetoscopes like a Pinard horn or fetal stethoscope work by magnifying the heartbeat and relaying the sound, just like any other doppler device. The louder and more potent the heartbeat is, the more detectable the baby’s position. This information helps midwives understand potential birth method factors as it relates to the baby’s position.

For example, if the heartbeat is detected just under the mother’s breast, the baby may be sitting butt down rather than head down. A midwife can offer suggestions to help the baby turn or begin discussing what this means for birthing factors.

How To Properly Use a Fetoscope

Now that we know when and why a midwife uses a fetoscope, let’s talk about how to use one properly. Regardless of midwives’ chosen fetoscope—Pinard horn or fetal stethoscope—the methods to use them are almost identical.

A Pinard horn is a horn-shaped instrument with a listening and cone end. The midwife will palpate the mother’s abdomen to understand the fetal position. From here, they will place the cone-shaped end on the designated area and lay their ear on the listening end. The exam space must be quiet for the midwife to hear the heartbeat.

A fetal stethoscope will yield similar results, but the midwife will place the instrument differently than a Pinard horn. A fetal stethoscope mimics a standard stethoscope with the addition of a bell-shaped end and a wrap-like ear device. After palpating, the midwife will place the bell-shaped end on the mother’s abdomen to begin listening for the heartbeat. The sounds will transfer through the ear wrap just like a standard stethoscope.

Cascade’s Selection for Midwives

Cascade Health Care is proud to offer midwives of every experience level reliable, quality fetoscopes and other pregnancy-related tools. We uphold a commitment to ensuring each midwife has affordable access to the things they rely on most. Connect with a member of our team today to learn more about our selection.