When do u hear you baby's heartbeat?

Question

Im nearly 17wks pregnant and havent heard the heartbeat yet. My 12 wk scan was fine baby growing well and the other day i had my downs test, but still have not heard the hertbeat. I have my 20 wk scan in 2wks, will i hear it then or will i have to wait untill my 25 wk appointment with my midwife?

I asked when i went for my downs test if i could hear the heartbeat and they said it would be to early to hear and i would only start to worry. I seen the heartbeat on my 12 wk scan and i was fine

Answer 1

my daughter is nearly 8 months pregnant and she didnt hear the heartbeat till she seen the MW she was about 24 weeks pregnant,so your about right hun when you say your 25 th week appointment, mind you only hear it for about 10 seconds


good luck

Answer 2

If your baby is growing well then you know there is a heartbeat there to hear. It is just a matter of having the right equipment and someone who knows how to run it. About now, you could probably pick it up yourself with one of those home doppler kits - although my dr's nurse said they can be tricky & upset some mothers when they are unable to find the heartbeat quickly. The machine they will use for my 20 week u/s will measure the heartbeat but it only takes a few seconds. The tech or dr can turn on the sound to give the parents a "show" - if they don't offer be sure to ask. Certainly your care giver knows that most women like to hear the sound of thier baby's heart.

Answer 3

If you had a 12 week scan, you could have heard it then most likely. They must have had the sound off on the ultrasound modality.

I heard my baby's heartbeat at 7 weeks during a routine ultrasound.

When you go for your 20 week scan, ask the Tech to turn the sound on, if he/she does the echo part of the exam without sound. I would tell the tech that you haven't heard the heartbeat yet and would like to. I am sure that they will be happy to do it. (And the tech will probably be surprised that you haven't heard it before.)

By now, your MW or OB can also easily pick it up via a doppler.

Answer 4

Hi, I was told by my doc that I would hear mine at 20 weeks. It was due to the fact that the machines to do this, in doc surgeries are not as advance as those in the hospitals. So rather than make women feel even more paranoid if they aren't able to find the heartbeat, they say that at 20 weeks it will be easier which is why they dont do it before then. Hope that helps. x

Just wanted to add that although people feel they are being helpful, which im sure they are, they shouldnt judge the care that you are given just because your medical practitioner doesnt do or follow the same guidleoines as theirs. I found that taking some things with a pinch of salt was better than getting myself worked up about what some classed as normal or abnormal. Your doc at the end of the day is the one who is medically trained and although they are only human and make mistakes , they will have your best interests at heart. Im not trying to say people who answer here arent telling the truth or being supportive, cause they are and have helped me loads during my miscarriage and this pregnancy but people who say "oMG, thats not right ect ect, ", just end up getting you more worried. I'll stop preaching.....

Answer 5

Sounds to me like you've got the kind of midwife i have! I dont know anything about my pregnancy as my midwife kept 'losing' my blood test results, and as long as i could feel my baby's movements i didn't need to hear the heartbeat as he was obviously alive.
You'l have to wait for your 25 week MW appntment. Make sure you speak up! You could buy your own equipment to hear the heartbeat, £30 from argos. However, will not work till about 20 weeks. or, you could just say your a little worried you havent felt your baby in a while and they will check for his heartbeat, thats if you dont mind lying though.

Answer 6

If you have an ultra-sound at twenty weeks, you should be able to hear the heartbeat then. Often the monitors a doctor or midwife uses in their office can't pick up the heartbeat as early as twelve weeks. This happened when I went in for my appointment with my son. My doctor told me I could go get an ultra-sound if I wanted to make sure everything was okay. I did and heard it then. If it was me, I would make sure that you defintely have a chance to hear the heartbeat by twenty weeks.

Answer 7

I'm somewhat shocked that you haven't heard it yet. That was how the nurse started each and every one of my appointments from 10 weeks on. They would even let me stop by between appointments and listen to the heartbeat on doppler. You should ask to hear it the next time you meet with someone, or call and ask if you can stop by and hear it.

Answer 8

with all of my children my doctor had a listen at every check (not sure if its because i have a lot of miscarriages or not though) with my first child though i a only heard the heart beat at about 22 weeks but every GP or midwife is different i would try not to worry hun you should be able to hear it at your 20 weeks scan if you cant then just ask i am sure they wont mind try not to worry and if your concerned for any reason then go and see your GP or midwife hth

Answer 9

At 13 weeks its very demanding to discover the babys heartbeat with a doppler becasue the toddler is so small, and it could have been in a position the place it become undetectable. i did no longer pay attention my babys heartbeat witht he doppler until eventually sixteen weeks, and that i did no longer pay attention it on the the two test (12 or 20 weeks) yet you need to work out it become beating, yet there become no quantity on the scanner!!!! attempt to no longer problem, she would be waiting to probable discover it next week.

Answer 10

I got to hear my baby's heartbeat at my first ultrasound at 9 weeks. My doctor also lets you listen to it with a machine she puts on your bellie every time you go in once you have reached 12 weeks... You are pretty far to have never heard it before, I would ask your doctor.