# Significance of seeing heartbeat?



## Pinoikoi (Oct 30, 2003)

So what is the significance of seeing/hearing the heartbeat? Is it just because the parents know that there is significant organ growth or does it suggest a more viable pregnancy? If it does signify a more viable pregnancy how much does it affect odds of miscarriage? I was excited to see the heartbeat, but I have read quite a few comments where mommas take that as a signal to tell people about their pregnancy, so I am wondering if there is more to it?


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## gbphoenix (Oct 19, 2009)

It is obviously a good sign that things are actually forming and that you don't just have a chemical pregnancy or a blighted ovum (where just the gestational sac forms but with nothing in it). But I think the heart starts beating around the 5 week mark, and as a general rule of thumb many people wait until they're out of the first 12 weeks to start telling people, because that is really where your chance of miscarriage drops pretty significantly.

Personally, I started telling people I was pregnant as soon as I saw the heartbeat at 7 weeks. We figured, hey, he's got a heart, what can go wrong now?! Then at 11 weeks I started bleeding...I was kicking myself because now it was going to be really hard to go back and tell all our friends that we lost the baby when everyone was so excited for us, particualrly our parents who were as excited about becoming grandparents as we were about becoming parents. It occurred to me, crap, this is why people wait until the 12 week mark, why were we so impatient, this is way worse!

Anyway, long story short, everything was fine, but it was a scary two weeks. Next time, I will definitely be waiting until the 12 week mark, maybe even 14, just because of how difficult it would have been to share the news of a MC with people that really don't need to know that much about my life, you know? But it's a very personal decision, if you're a very open person and don't mind the thought of sharing that kind of info later on just in case something goes wrong, then spread the word. Congrats on your pregnancy by the way!! *girl dust*


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## wendimarie (Jul 5, 2005)

I know for me I saw the heartbeat at 7w6d and miscarried the following day. The heartbeat was strong. I normally do not do early u/s so I wouldn't have known except I was experience bleeding that was bright red and I was away from home with my cheer squad at camp so I went in. While I think it did give me false hope I am so glad that I was able to see the heartbeat and the baby before I lost him/her. I have the picture and that memory of my little one forever. I would take it as a very positive sign if there were not any other indicators of possible problems - bleeding, etc.

What is interesting is with the pregnancy that I lost we had not told anyone yet. Normally we would have said something by that point but for some reason we didn't. I conceived immediately after the miscarriage and we told people right away. It was like some how deep down I knew something was wrong and we kept quiet.

I guess also with telling people, if you would tell them about the miscarriage anyway why not share the news. I ended up talking to a lot of mama friends about mine for support but I never told my family because it wasn't something I could deal with.


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## MiracleMama (Sep 1, 2003)

Yeah, normally, if you see a hb, everything is fine. However, in my case I saw a hb at 7 weeks, then went for another u/s 4 weeks later and the baby had stopped growing and no longer had a hb. So in my subsequent pregnancies we waited until 14-15 weeks to share the news, until we were sure everything was ok.


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## Lauren31 (Feb 25, 2008)

I told people around 7 weeks after I saw the hb, I think the risk goes down significantly but not completely away. You know? I would have felt more comfortable telling people closer to 12 weeks but eh, what can you do my MIL and parents were BAD at keeping secrets. Plus, I did not drink and it was a dead giveaway at all the summer BBQs and weddings I was attending lol. I had no morning sickness or symptoms at ALL so I was freaked out the whole first trimester. I hope you can just enjoy this time and keep the faith the baby is ok


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## CorasMama (May 10, 2002)

once you see a heartbeat, the risk of miscarriage goes down to about 5%.


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## Mandynee22 (Nov 20, 2006)

My OB told me that hearing/seeing a HB after you hit 8 weeks brings your MC risk way, way down


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## AliciaP8 (Dec 15, 2005)

My RE told me that there was a 3-5% chance of miscarriage at 12 weeks which is why they often say 12 weeks is the wait time to tell people. He also said that a healthy heartbeat at 8 weeks makes the risk about the same. So for us, we told after our 8 week appointment.

The only reason we would wait would be to avoid taking back the news. Since the chnaces weren't about to change in 4 weeks we went ahead.


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## chicagoml (Feb 26, 2009)

9 weeks


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## edwardsmom (Jun 14, 2006)

I think that it's different if you see the heartbeat by u/s than if you hear it by doppler. Usually you can't hear it by doppler until the 10 to 12 week mark, so by then the risk of m/c is very low. But you can see it by u/s much earlier, so the risk is still higher. You know that you don't have a blighted ovum, but there is still a higher chance of m/c that early on.


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## horsecrazy100 (Nov 12, 2009)

My last pregnancy I had an ultrasound at 9.5 weeks and we saw a strong, healthy heartbeat. I began bleeding at 12 weeks and when the ultrasound was done to check for a viable pregnancy, I was in the process of miscarrying but the baby had stopped growing just a day or two after the first ultrasound. So for me, seeing the heartbeat on ultrasound is not reassuring.


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## judybean (Jul 8, 2004)

The significance for me (though I've never seen a heartbeat early on) would simply be seeing life. No heartbeat = no life. But somehow seeing that beautiful, beating heart would at least give peace of mind for the time being.

Of course things can happen at any time, but I'd rejoice in that moment anyway.


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