Having a baby can be one of the most exciting and worrying times in the lives of most people. We all want our children to be healthy and we try to ensure that we do all that we can to make certain that the baby is growing well. One of the things which can help in this respect is a baby heartbeat monitor. A baby heart monitor is used to measure the baby heart rate to make sure that the baby is fine.

As part of the regular medical checks during pregnancy the doctor or the midwife will listen to the baby heart beat using a baby heart monitor. These monitors are also available to buy for home use so that you can listen to the baby heart rate in the privacy of your home. It is also possible to rent these monitors if you do not wish to buy one.

Your heart rate, or pulse, refers to how many times your heart contracts and relaxes per minute - how many beats there are per minute. People's heart rates vary considerably, depending on what they are doing, their levels of fitness, what medications they are on, and their age. A normal resting heart rate for adults’ ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute. Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats a minute.

For a baby the heart rate is usually faster and this is normal. However in adults, although there's a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low heart rate may indicate an underlying problem. Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.

In order to keep a track of your heart rate, either for medical purposes or if you are starting a weight loss or training programme, you can use a heart rate monitor but be aware of which one to select. The key is to find a monitor that captures the information you are looking for without buying more device than you need. The top models now can capture and compute and monitor a large array of data. If you just want to know speed and distance, or are more interested in calories burned, then you don't need all the second-by-second data that some monitors capture.

You should also consider ease of use - is it wrist-based or chest-strap-based - ease of data analysis and cost. Finding one that works well for you with regard to comfort during activity and ease of use is more important than a specific brand. You will find that the best heart rate monitor will be the one which suits your needs and requirements according to cost, information, ease and reliability of the data collected.