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So, are they safe to use? To answer that we need to be clear about what dopplers are. Dopplers are portable units consisting of a transducer and a speaker unit. To use, you simply apply a generous squidge of gel to your tummy, switch the unit on and hold the end of the transducer against your skin. It is totally painless and very easy to do.
Dopplers use ultrasound at an extremely low power level. This is why they run on just a household battery.  The power level is hundreds of times lower than that used by the imaging scanners used in hospital and private clinics to show pictures of your baby. They are even about ten times less powerful than the units which are strapped to women during labour to continually monitor the baby for 24 to 48 hours at a time!
In addition to the countless clinical studies that have been carried out on ultrasound, portable dopplers have been in use for the past thirty years around the world with no adverse effects to either mother or baby ever reported; it is an impressive safety record.
On the other hand, the detrimental effects of maternal stress are well documented. Studies have shown links between high stress levels and pregnancy problems such as pre-eclampsia, premature delivery and low birth weight. While there are many factors that can play a part in reducing stress for an expectant mother, it is impossible to deny that for many women using a doppler at home can mean the difference between a happy, relaxed pregnancy and an ordeal of worry and fear.