# Earliest you can hear heartbeat with fetoscope? 12 wks?



## sqoya (Feb 13, 2004)

My friend lent me her fetoscope to use during my pregnancy, which was really great of her! She said she was able to hear the HB of both of her children at about 12 weeks, although it was a bit difficult to make out. Everything I've read online say 20 weeks is the earliest.

So, was anyone able to make out a heartbeat before 20 weeks? I probably shouldn't worry if I can't hear something until 20 weeks, right?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## mommy2be (Mar 6, 2004)

hello,
dh and I rented a doppler and were able to hear babys heartbeat at about eleven weeks, it was very hard at first to find, its easy to confuse with your own. My ob listens at 12 weeks routinely for every patient. She said not to worry if I didn't hear it on my own until 16 weeks. She said at this time, everyone should be able to detect it. I'm not sure how far along you are, but I do know that different types of dopplers do differently. We also played around with the bebe sounds fetal listener, and it never really worked until very late in my pregnancy. I wouldn't worry until sixteen weeks, and then, just ask your doctor or midwife to check for you if you are worried. I hope this helped?


----------



## mcsarahb (Aug 25, 2003)

I know with the fetoscope it's much later than the doppler, like you said about 20 weeks or even later. I definitely wouldn't worry about not hearing it until then. Any midwives out there who can help? Mandi, you might want to try posting this question to the midwives and doulas board, too.

I know my mws didn't try with the fetoscope until about 28 weeks, but they had been using the doppler at my appts until then, so I had been hearing the hb since 11 wks.

Sorry not much help-

Sarah


----------



## MistyD (Jan 14, 2003)

My midwife heard Kai very, very faintly at about 16 weeks and only for about 10 seconds. She said that was the earliest she'd ever heard it with a fetoscope. We didn't hear it again until 19/20 weeks.


----------



## kama'aina mama (Nov 19, 2001)

I actually did ask this in the midwife forum just a week or two ago. Only got one answer, 18-20 weeks. There were over 40 views, though... so either lots of people were curious or a number of other midwives looked and agreed with the answer, hence no further discussion.

mommy2be... A fetoscope is very different from a doppler. A doppler uses ultrasound which some of us are trying to avoid. A fetoscope is a specialized stethoscope.


----------



## mommy2be (Mar 6, 2004)

kama'aina mama--thanks for clearing up the difference there. As i read other mama's posts, I was getting ready to post the question of what a fetoscope was! I had never heard of one. Why do you avoid doppler? I have heard that theyre not FDA approved yet, but I actually haven't done any research....can you all help? maybe I should post this in a new thread...


----------



## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

I have some hearing loss, so for me, around 21-25 weeks is usually about right. I definitely can hear in the third trimester.


----------



## Lucysmama (Apr 29, 2003)

mommy2be- check out this thread about doppler and ultrasound.

Many mamas here avoid u/s and doppler usage because it has not been proven safe for fetuses. Research has shown that it can potentially cause cell damage. The FDA just warned against having too many ultrasounds, and dopplers give you more u/sound exposure than an ultrasound, because the sound wave is continuous. (1 minute of doppler=30 minutes of ultrasound) Ultrasound has now been linked to miscarriage. One study done showed a delay in speech of up to 9 months in children who had only one ultrasound in utero.

There are other reasons, too...if you do an MDC search or a web search you will have a more concise answer!


----------



## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

The earliest I have heard of even the most skilled midwife getting anything on a fetoscope it 18 weeks. They can pick up placental sounds and kicks before that.

With a good doppler 11 or 12 weeks depending on the size of the mom and poosition of the baby. Certainly shouldn't stress if you don't here it at 12 weeks.

A babys heart beats about 130-160 times a minute (2-3 times a second ) and adults does about 60. It is pretty hard to confuse the two.


----------



## sqoya (Feb 13, 2004)

Thanks everyone!!! I'm 14 weeks, so I'll just set aside the fetoscope and wait another month! I don't want to worry that I can't hear a heartbeat in the meantime!

It's kind of funny, because I guess by the time I hear a heartbeat, I'll probably feel the baby moving!

Thanks, I'm definitely reassured everything's fine!


----------



## blessed2bamommie (Feb 3, 2003)

Quote:

_Originally posted by Mandi_
*

It's kind of funny, because I guess by the time I hear a heartbeat, I'll probably feel the baby moving!

*








I thought about that too as I hold out for it!


----------



## adventuregirl (Nov 22, 2002)

My mw tried the fetascope at 16.5 weeks and couldn' t detect a hb yet. But I have been feeling movement since a few days before that, so I know for certain there is a heart beating in there. I'm hoping to hear it at my 20 week appt.


----------



## anothermama (Nov 11, 2003)

My midwives didn't hear my babe on the fetoscope until close to 20 weeks.


----------



## Defenestrator (Oct 10, 2002)

Hearing the heart yourself with a fetoscope is a lot harder than it is for a midwife. The length of the tubing can make a difference in how loud the sounds are, and you can't use a short-tube fetoscope on yourself. Many models also have a platform of sorts for you to put your forehead and the sounds are amplified through your skull bones. The way it is designed, it would be impossible to do that on yourself. Your partner or other helper could probably listen, though, and make a report










I do have hearing loss (too many rock concerts I guess) and can hear usually at about 25 weeks on clients, but it took until about 34 weeks until I could hear on myself. The position of the baby makes a big difference as well -- posterior babies are harder to hear because their backs are further away from the surface of the belly. I also have a nice pad of fat on the front of my belly, so I have better luck listening from the sides where things are a little less muffled.

Fetoscopes are cool. I love using them on midwifery clients because I can hear so much more detail than with a doppler and get a much better sense of baby's position, etc.

Good luck!


----------

