Pregnancy and Health Gadgets

Blood Pressure Monitor

 I love gadgets, and when I can get gadgets that help with my family's health, it's even more fun!

My midwife recommended I get an automatic blood pressure monitor. I have a cuff and stethoscope and I'm comfortable taking my blood pressure with that, but she felt the automatic monitor might be easier and more accurate. It was like Christmas to get one and bring it home.

Traditional
Blood Pressure Cuff

She also suggested that I get my own doppler to listen to fetal heart tones. I already have a fetoscope that I haven't been able to use yet, because I'm not far enough along yet. A fetoscope can be used starting around 18-20 weeks, and I'm really looking forward to trying mine out. I love that the fetoscope doesn't use electricity or sound waves like the doppler, but I think a doppler would still be fun to have, especially since I plan on becoming a midwife and would like to have one for my future practice. I'm not sure how much I'd use a doppler versus a fetoscope, but I'd like to get some practice with both, especially the fetoscope since it takes some skill, or at least a trained ear, to use.

Doppler

Fetoscope

I don't have a history of blood pressure problems or other pregnancy complications, but I'm getting these things as part of my plan to take charge of my prenatal health. As I talked with my midwife about these things yesterday she also suggested that I bring home the file she started for me, and use that to track my prenatal health. She asked me to bring the file to each of the five prenatal visits and she said:

"You're responsible, which is really true for everyone, but they don't always take that responsibility."

And that statement pretty much sums it up for me.