Fetal monitoring is a method of listening to the growing fetus' heart tones (or heartbeat) using a monitor on the mother's belly. Most Doppler devices at doctors' offices can pick up the baby's heart by the end of the first trimester. This exam simply involves putting some gel and a probe on top of the mother's belly and listening for the fetal heart. The probe uses ultrasound to detect the heart and is not harmful to the fetus at any gestational age. However, the earlier the pregnancy and the more the fetus moves around, the harder it is to pick up the heartbeat.

You will hear the gallup of the fetus' heart, and the doctor will count the beats per minute to make sure they are in the healthy range. But be prepared, because hearing your little one's heart for the first time can be pretty emotional.

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