When Can You Use Stethoscope to Hear Baby Heartbeat

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Hearing your babe's heartbeat for the first time is a miraculous and exciting moment. Listening to the heartbeat can requite doctors important data about your babe's health. As a mom or dad to be, hearing the heartbeat can provide assurance that the baby is growing as they should. There are several ways to listen to the fetal heartbeat. Some of them yous can do at home and others volition be performed in your doctor'south office. Make sure to check with your doctor before trying any at-dwelling house methods.

1. 1

   Use a stethoscope. A basic stethoscope is one of the easiest ways to listen to the fetal heartbeat at home. When yous are between 18 and 20 weeks meaning, the heartbeat should be stiff plenty for you to heed to with this method. Simply place the stethoscope on your belly and mind. You may accept to motility it around a bit to discover the heartbeat. Be patient.

   • Quality does thing, so make sure to purchase a stethoscope from a reputable seller. You lot can find a wide multifariousness of brands at your local drugstore, and fifty-fifty at a shop selling function supplies. Or borrow one from a friend or family member in the medical field if you can.

2. 2

   Download an app. New technology tin can brand information technology very easy to listen to your baby'due south heartbeat wherever you are. At that place are several different apps that you tin purchase and download to your smartphone to heed to the heartbeat. Some will even allow you to tape the sound of the heartbeat and then you tin play it for your friends and family.^[1]

   • These are most reliable later in pregnancy.

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3. 3

   Go a monitor. You can buy relatively inexpensive fetal heart rate monitors to apply at home. This can be a great pick if y'all are prone to stress and are reassured by listening to the heartbeat between visits to your physician. All the same, you should be aware that these monitors are non equally strong equally the ones used by your dr.. Don't expect them to exist able to pick up the sound of the heartbeat until y'all are in at least your 5th month of pregnancy.^[2]

   • Make sure to consult your dr. before purchasing an at-dwelling house monitor. In one case you have ane, follow the instructions advisedly.

4. four

   Learn the factors that bear on the sound. Even when yous are using the proper tools, there are many reasons that yous may not exist able to find the fetal heartbeat yourself. It'due south of import to know that things such as the baby's position and your weight can touch on whether or not you will clearly hear a heartbeat. If you feel there is reason to be concerned, make sure to contact your healthcare provider right away.^[3]

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1. one

   Communicate with your doc. The relationship between y'all and your doctor or midwife is very of import. When you are pregnant, make sure that y'all are working with a healthcare professional whom you lot trust. Talk to your doctor almost your baby's development, and the best ways for you to hear the heartbeat, both at dwelling and in her office. Choose a doctor who thoroughly and patiently answers all of your questions.^[iv]

2. 2

   Prepare for your visit. Inquire your doctor when you can first expect to hear the heartbeat. Well-nigh physicians will schedule for a prenatal exam in your ninth or tenth week. Earlier your visit, make sure to gear up a list of questions to inquire your doctor. The moment will be fifty-fifty more special if yous understand what is happening and what to expect.^[v]

   • This will be an exciting and emotional visit. Inquire your partner or a close friend or family fellow member to come up with you to the appointment to share in your excitement.

3. 3

   Experience the fetal doppler. Talk to your doctor about what type of exam he volition use to hear the heartbeat. Typically, you volition outset hear the audio when your dr. or technician uses a fetal doppler, which uses sound waves to amplify the heartbeat. You lot will prevarication down on an exam table and the md volition move a pocket-sized probe on the surface of your breadbasket. This is a painless process.^[vi]

   • While your md tin commonly detect the infant'south heartbeat at ix to 10 weeks, sometimes it takes until 12 weeks to easily detect it.

4. 4

   Have an ultrasound. If your doc schedules you for an early ultrasound, you may exist able to hear the heartbeat through ultrasound as before long as your 8th calendar week of pregnancy. This is typically performed early if you have some elevated hazard factors in your pregnancy. Otherwise, the doctor volition typically expect until you are at least 10–12 weeks along. ^[7]

5. 5

   Know the unlike tools. Be aware that your doctor might be able to apply a stethoscope to listen to your baby's heartbeat. However, this instrument is not as powerful as others, so he likely will non practise this until you are well into your second trimester. Your doctor or midwife might also use a fetoscope, which is specially designed to heed to fetal heartbeats.^[8]

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1. 1

   Learn about fetal development. When you are pregnant, information technology is important to know the stages of your baby's evolution. That way, y'all will know when you can logically expect to hear the heartbeat, and you can correlate this information with other development milestones. For example, information technology'southward good to know that yous can expect that your doctor tin normally discover the babe'southward heartbeat by weeks 8, 9, or 10. ^[nine]

   • Remember that formulation dates are not ever precise. Don't immediately exist alarmed if you recollect your baby hasn't adult fast plenty — your conception appointment may be off past a week or two.

2. 2

   Keep the heart salubrious. There are many things y'all tin can do to aid your baby'southward heart to abound potent and healthy. During your pregnancy, avoid booze, smoking, and recreational drugs. You should usually take folic acrid supplements to help your baby develop.^[10]

   • Eat a healthy nutrition and avoid caffeine.

3. three

   Know the risks. Fifty-fifty though you volition be anxious to hear the fetal heartbeat, make certain that y'all know there are risks involved when using at home fetal heart monitors. The chief drawback is that hearing a healthy heartbeat can lead to a false sense of security in expectant mothers. For example, if you are not feeling "correct," simply can hear the heartbeat, you might put off going to the doctor. Make sure to listen to your body and contact your doc at the first sign that something is wrong. Do not rely besides heavily on at dwelling monitors.^[eleven] In fact, having a monitor may actually increment your stress level.

4. 4

   Bail with your infant. If your physician agrees, go far a habit to be in tune with your baby'southward heartbeat. This feel can be a neat fashion for you to bond with your baby crash-land. To become into a relaxed state, effort taking a warm bath and talking to your belly. When you are far along in your pregnancy, the babe will begin to answer to your voice and moods. Your baby tin start to hear sounds at effectually 23 weeks.^[12]

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• Share this experience with your partner. This should be an exciting experience for you.

• Consider trying a few different methods to discover the i yous are well-nigh comfortable with.

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• Consult your md earlier attempting to mind to your baby's heartbeat.

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About This Article

Commodity Summary X

To hear your babe's fetal heartbeat, start by purchasing a stethoscope from a drugstore or borrowing one from a medical professional. And then, place the stethoscope on your belly and listen for a heartbeat, starting at around xx weeks. Alternatively, download an app on your phone that allows yous to hear and record your infant's heart shell. If yous can't find the heartbeat, try moving the stethoscope around a scrap. Y'all should also speak with your doctor near other factors, like the baby'southward position, which can also make information technology hard to detect the heartbeat. For more communication from our Medical reviewer, including how to keep your infant'south middle healthy during your pregnancy, read on!

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