Midwife can't find heartbeat but not concerned at 16/18 weeks

[Babieseverywhere]

As above. I'm either 18 weeks pregnant by their dates OR 10 days earlier than that using my dates, i.e. 16.5 weeks.

Midwife found placenta and thought she had found the heartbeat at one point and then said she hadn't but it didn't matter as it is only 18 weeks and she wasn't meant to try until after 20 week scan, as it can worry mums to be.

Should I be worried ? I am worrying now. Another 2 weeks to wait until my 20 weeks scan.

I do have my own doppler but I refuse to spend hours scanning myself and winding myself up further, if the midwife can't find it I have no chance.

I am overweight and two previous pregnancies I have had a front placenta, maybe have another one this time ?

Maybe wait a week and try the doppler again ?

I think you have your answer, the heart is still quite small to make much noise, you have additional padding and potentially a front placenta. Just put the thoughts aside and wait for your scan.

Thanks HappyCamel.

They don't even attempt to find it until 20/24 weeks where I live because it can be so hard to find, and failed attempts lead to more worry for parents to be than not attempting at all!

honestly midwives would not be doing the false reassurance thing. If they say they're not worried, they're not. You'd be being scanned now if she was worried.

Flisspaps I totally agree, it is sensible to wait until everyone will hear a heartbeat.

"You'd be being scanned now if she was worried."

You are right, she would of referred me to the hospital, if she was worried.

I was quite relaxed at the actual appointment this morning, but it has been on my mind this afternoon and I thought I would post for reassurance on here.

Thanks guys.

mine totally refused to even try at that point in my pregnancy, and she was right not too its unfair to have you worry like that

Is she has heard placenta all should be fine as the blood is pumped around the placenta by babies heart so is effectively babies heart rate anyway.

Mine did find it at my 16 week appointment but she warned me before she did it that very often she couldn't find it so though she was willing to look i was not to worry if she couldn't as it was very common not to at this stage. She's a midwife with 20+ years experience and I completely trust her.

I also had her with dd and at 16 weeks she couldn't find heartbeat but wasn't worried which turned out to be right as 6 year old dd is now asleep upstairs.

Hope that helps

I was 17 weeks when mw tried to find heartbeat, I must have looked shocked as she said 'were you not expecting that?' and it was only because I thought it was too early and had really inappropriate underwear on !!!

Needless to say, she couldn't find it but not worried, neither was I. I thought I read somewhere they don't normally check til after 22 weeks as there is a chance they won't find it and don't want to worry patient. As it is no 2, probably the only reason I'm not concerned!!!

where I live they are now not supposed to even try until 24+ weeks as it's too hit and miss before that.

Thanks for the positive posts. I will be willing my 20 week scan to arrive quickly (2 weeks) and praying we are lucky enough to have a healthy scan.

I might try and use my own doppler next week and see if baby's grown and/or moved into a better position. But I will try and hold off as another failure to find heartbeat would worry me more, much more sensible to wait for the proper 20 week scan appointment.

My MW tried at 16 weeks but warned that she might not find the hb. In the end she did, but it took quite a while (think she was determined to find it in the end). It turned out at my 20w scan that I have a anterior placenta this time, which explains why it was so hard to find.

At the 28w appt, the (same) mw also found it hard to locate the babies heartbeat, again because of where the placenta is located (and DS2 is hiding right down in my pelvis).

As pp say, if the mw was worried, she would have booked you in for a scan asap.

I caved in and tried my doppler, now a week on from my OP.

I think I found baby's heartbeat ! 146 bpm quite low down. Also got a swushy sounding 60 bpm one too which I think is the placenta.

I will feel better assuming we get a good 20 weeks scan next week but I am feeling more positive now.

Glad to hear you've heard, babies!!! I had a consultant appointment yesterday at 19 + 2 (we must be due around the same day) best sound in the world hearing the heartbeat and 20 week scan next week!

Hurrah, twenty week scan went well. Everything found and in the right place with a lovely heartbeat

Extra scan measure of blood flow in central artery in baby came back normal, after initially giving a high reading. The consultant thought he had measured the wrong artery initially and had to recall me to rescan, which panicked me abet just for 5 minutes

Consultant very surprised that we didn't leap at the option of another scan in two weeks but as baby is measuring normal, my monthly antibodies bloods are fine, plus NO such scans where performed in my last two pregnancies. So unless a medical need develops i.e. blood titre levels raise, we're happy to stick to blood tests.

Also the hospital messed up and cancelled/didn't book consultant appointment, so after scan we just went home. Perfect.

Hopefully if the blood results stay good, we won't be back in hospital until our 41 weeks 'what are we doing about you being overdue' appointment !