16-week MW appointment and she didn't look for heartbeat

[AppleyEverAfter]

This happened last week, and before I went I just thought the MW would look for a heartbeat. She didn't so I asked why not, and she said until 24weeks it can be difficult to find and she didn't want to panic me. Then she asked me if she should try and I said no, didn't want to cause a fuss or get panicky if she couldn't find it.

But since then, 2 friends of mine said their MWs automatically checked at the ir 16wk appointments. Did yours? Should I have insisted? She did urine and blood pressure, which were both fine. And I'm starting to feel the odd flutter, which is reassuring.

My community midwife won't check till after 18 weeks. The hospital midwife did but said not to panic if she couldn't find it as it was early days.

I think it can always be hard to find a heartbeat, but I do think midwives usually try(mine did) Maybe she had had a bad experience of a woman becoming very upset when she couldn't find it.

mine did but I dont think they all do.

It will vary from MW to MW for the reason given - it can be difficult to find, if the MW can't find it, you will be anxious and probably have to go to hospital to see if hospital can locate/scan for well being. So, some MWs will offer whilst others prefer not to. NICE guidelines don't actually recommend regular listening in until (I think) 36 weeks.

My MW did at my 16w appointment, but did warn me that she may not find anything. She didn't but I didn't panic because she said it's perfectly normal to not find one that early on. Really depends on your MW.

If it's any consolation I had a GP appointment at 21w and he dug out and dusted off his doppler and didn't find anything either. I had a squirmy baby early on who liked to hide from medical professionals!

Now (I'm 40+5) MW finds HB right aaway and it's always strong! If you are worried, call you MW and ask if she will check for you, but really your situation doesn't sound that out of the ordinary to me.

Good luck!

With Ds, 2.11, the MW checked the hb at 16wks. With Dd, 6mths, the MW ( different one ) didn't. They said they didn't check any more incase they couldn't find it. I had to wait til 24wks.

It does just depend on where you are and the mw in question.

I had my 16wk appointment at 17 weeks and the midwife felt my stomach and could feel the baby kicking away (s/he's very active and easy to feel) and said due to being able to feel the baby so high out of the pelvis she would confidently listen to the hb but usually she didn't at 16wk appointments. Sure enough, she found it straight away. The baby was kicking the doppler though in protest.

NICE guidelines say there is no need to routinely listen to a fetal heartbeat.

Mine did check at my 16 week appointment although I was only 15+3 and she found a heartbeat straight away but she did say if she couldn't find it not to panic as it is not easy to find straight away this early on. I think it all depends on your midwife, I don't think it's anything to get concerned about, but if you are worried you can always phone and ask if you can go for a quick 'listen'.

Mine did but only because my GP had been able to find one at 14 weeks after I'd gone to see him with abdominal pain, it is apparantly rare for them to find one so early because it's still tiny and they have to obviously have the doppler in exactly the right place. :)

Sounds totally normal to me - In my area midwives don't routinely listen for a heartbeat until 24 weeks - that's our first midwife appointment after booking in around 12 weeks anyway. Don't worry - she is right, not to say that other midwives are wrong for listening in, of course they're not, but it is easier to locate accurately past 20 weeks. Totally depends on the area, probably more so than the individual midwife, like I say we have no 16 wk check here. Sounds like she would try and listen in if you insisted though so maybe if you're really wanting her too you can just say next time.

Thanks everyone, looks like it's just me being paranoid as per usual. And sounds like the MW is totally right, not just trying to fob me off!