At what stage did you hear the heartbeat on the doppler regularly?

[weeblueberry]

Today I'm 16+5 and, until today, we've generally heard the heartbeat very strongly on the doppler (maybe 5 times?). Today though we only heard it very faintly and twice - neither time for more than 4 seconds or so.

Now I'm aware at this stage the baby can be moving around a lot and might just be further away and the heartbeat is less likely to be detected at certain times. But at what point was the baby big enough that you could hear it easily every time?

I'm 22 weeks now, and in my short experience.....Never. But I guess you would when baby ran out of room.

I found it from 9 weeks (perseverance/practise from student midwife friends) and would listen in every few days. Sometimes I would find it the second I placed the doppler on my belly, sometimes it would take a few minutes. Sometimes I would just give up.

I wouldn't worry, you'll feel baby start to kick before you know it. And then you'll forget all about the doppler. Well, I did

Had an appointment yesterday at 20 weeks with a consultant, no heart beat could be heard. I panicked. But she got the scanner out and baby is just fine. Anterior placenta apparently means heart beat is hard to find. At 12, 16 & 17 weeks the heart beat was easily heard with a Doppler, so things change. If you are worried go and see your MW, I know mine would say throw the Doppler away !!

Thanks guys. I'm not at a point of calling a midwife etc. I'm fairly sure she mentioned at my 12 week appointment that I do have an anterior placenta so I'm not concerned about not hearing anything. Like I said I did hear it, it was just faint and moving in and out so the chances are the bambino just wasn't playing ball yesterday

I have a private gender scan booked for Saturday so will obviously find out then if everything is okay.