Can't find baby's heartbeat at 14 weeks :(

[Chloeisobelle21]

I bought an angelcare Doppler and I've used it twice. It doesn't have a screen with BPM on it so I thought I hearing baby's heartbeat till I realised it was in time with my pulse and didn't seem fast enough. I've used it low to my pubic bone pushed in near my pelvis and thought I could hear it again as it sounded like a train chugging but it doesn't seem fast enough. I'm trying not to obsess and I regret buying it now. But my next appointment isn't until 2 weeks time and id be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried

[FrozenPonds]

I'd have thought that even a midwife would struggle to detect a heartbeat so early using a Doppler.

I would put the thing away, and not worry at all, it's perfectly normal to not be able to find the heartbeat with a Doppler at this early stage.

[cth1982]

give your Early Pregnancy Unit a call to discuss with them - they may just get you to come in and have a check. Hopefully all is well x

[Topsy34]

Thats why mw dont use dopplers that early in pregnancy, its really hard to find a heartbeat

[gamerchick]

Get rid of the Doppler if you can't help yourself.

Midwives don't like to try and listen to the heartbeat that early. Stop doing it or you'll stress yourself out as you've found.

[NoManJan]

Those dopplers shouldn't be sold for exactly this reason. My MW only used a Doppler from 24 weeks onwards.

[PennyHasNoSurname]

MWs only try and find a HB at 16 weeks minimum. Our MW said evrry time that its more likely they cant find it than they can at 16weeks appt so please try not to worry.

[ohidoliketobe]

My MW used one at 16 wk appointment but warned me that it's sometimes too early to be detected so not to worry if I didn't hear anything. If you look at the growth charts of foetus between 14-16 weeks you can imagine how slim a chance there is for a MW to detect one at 14 was never mind someone with no experience! Please don't worry.

[Tootsiepops]

The midwife couldn't find my baby's heartbeat on the Doppler when I was 36 weeks (even though I could feel her moving and the midwife could see her kicking). Dopplers are not very reliable.

[LittleBearPad]

It's highly unlikely you'd hear anything now - put the Doppler away for good for a month or so and stop worrying.

[BitchPeas]

Same thing happened to me twice tootsie I had an anterior placenta and DD was kicking up a storm, my belly was moving, and I had a MW and a GP standing over me with a Doppler looking all concerned!

They shouldn't sell these as they cause unnessacery worry, you could have an anterior placenta or anything, I didn't find out about mine until 20 week scan.

[wonkylegs]

As other people said you are worrying yourself unnecessarily - its too early to hear it easily at this stage which is why hospitals & MWs constantly warn against using dopplers. MWs don't generally try until 16 weeks and they know what they are listening for.
DH is a cardiologist and he could hear DSs heartbeat(with a stethoscope) way before I could, at the early stages it can be a skill to know what you are listening for and where to listen.

[Chloeisobelle21]

I agree. Thanks all. I'm not going to use it again as it cause me some panic last night but then managed to just reassure myself. Had a scan at 13 weeks and I could see heartbeat booping away. Will not use it now. Maybe when I'm much further on. Don't really want to phone the ward as I know they will just say it will be hard to detect. Thanks everyobe

[ollieplimsoles]

Dont worry op, thats really early to be using a Doppler, my midwife only uses one from 24 weeks onwards x

[Dixiechick17]

I personally wouldn't even get it out later in the pregnancy. You need to focus on movements later on and not rely on a doppler. We aren't trained to detect issues with a heartbeat. If for example you hadn't felt the baby move all day but the doppler picked up a heartbeat and reassured you, you could be getting into dangerous territory as your baby could still be in distress.

Please put it away and focus on movement from approx 24 weeks onwards. That way if irs reduced you would be getting it checked out properly.

[worrywart15]

I had one of those home dopplers, the amount of unnecessary stress they cause. My best advise is to throw it away. Firstly you need to to have the Doppler in between the baby's shoulders and you more than likely wouldn't know where this is unless you were a professional. I once saw my mw and told her how reassuring it was that I was hearing lo constantly, she told me to throw it away they are pointless, apparently they are trying to stop them on the market(so mw said) please do not panic over this. If you believe there is a problem then call mw for reassurance.

[Brummiegirl15]

Throw it away!!! With all due respect you aren't trained in using them and it will only upset you.

Even midwives struggle at 16 weeks and until you have your 20 week scan you have no idea where your placenta is ( it could be anterior) so please don't use it again, you will really frighten yourself.

I was given this example. If you watched someone collapse in front of you, you wouldn't assume they were ok just because you could feel their pulse would you?

They are awful things and shouldn't be available to buy as they only cause unnecessary stress and upset

[Chloeisobelle21]

Thanks everyone. And Dixie that's a very good point I don't think I will use it at all ever now. Just hope baby is okay. I'm not feeling any movement yet and this is my second baby so it's hard to be reassured yet. I can't get up to the hospital to see anyone. I think I'll just stop using it. But I will tell the midwife at my next appointment I couldn't find it. Still slightly anxious though.

[Chloeisobelle21]

I found my daughters heartbeat at 20 weeks with a Doppler, but that was obviously much later on.

[jellypi3]

Agree with the other posters, sell it/bin it. They are more harm than good, you aren't trained to use it and even those that are trained struggle (especially at 14 weeks, baby is what, the size of a tennis ball?).

Just focus on not stressing out. It's too early to worry about movements etc.

[Mouthfulofquiz]

Why don't you call your midwife and see if she can talk to you about how you're feeling? I agree with the other posters who have said chuck it in the bin. Home dopplers are just such a bad idea. Often bought by folk with an anxious disposition - and then it makes it worse!

[Tootsiepops]

I really sympathise with the feelings of anxiety, OP.

I had a very hard time between weeks 12 and 18 when all my first trimester symptoms disappeared, but I hadn't really felt any movement. It's a special kind of torture for pregnant women!

I ended up having a reassurance scan at 16 weeks, and that settled me for about a week a while, but ultimately you really just have to adapt to being in a state of uncertainty. It's really tough

[Luckygirlcharlie]

You'll probably start feeling movement soon as it's not your first so that should reassure you too X

[Chloeisobelle21]

Thanks everyone
I spoke to my friends as well tonight and they were like nooo don't use it. I'm not even gonna touch it, it's bad news really. I'm an anxious person in general and thought it would help but it really hasnt

[BondJayneBond]

Midwives don't like untrained people using dopplers.

DH and I mentioned using one at a midwife appointment - I was over 30 weeks pregnant at the time - and she gave us a right bollocking about it. I forget the exact words she used, but the gist of it was that we were not to use a f**king doppler and should get rid of it, we're not trained so don't know what to listen for, concentrate on paying attention to baby's movements instead, and if we're worried about baby, then call the midwives rather than mucking about with a Doppler. Repeated several times just in case it didn't sink in the first time.

Plus, as pp have said, even a midwife with tons of experience would struggle to find a heartbeat with a Doppler at 14 weeks.

[Tatie3]

Please try not to worry,there are signs in my antenatal clinic advising pregnant mums not to buy or use home dopplers as they are unreliable and cause slot of worry. With my first two babies the midwife wouldn't even try and listen for it until the 16 week appointment and I've heard some that won't attempt it until closer to 20 weeks.