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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Oo'eck. No heartbeat.

24 replies

Skeppers · 04/03/2015 10:40

I had a MW appointment yesterday (17+2) and everything was fine, bloods came back all clear for any nasties, urine sample was a-OK, blood pressure spot on...but when she tried to listen for the baby's heartbeat she couldn't find it. She tried for a good 5-10 minutes but couldn't track it down, only picked up mine a couple of times. There were a couple of loud 'pops' on the feedback which she said were kicks, but I'm not sure if she was just trying to reassure me.

She said that there was nothing to worry about- quite often the baby is moving around, or just snuggled down too deep to get a reading, plus it's still quite small at this stage and I've not had any other negative symptoms- I was reassured initially but spent all last night worrying about it and working myself into a bit of a tizz. I couldn't sleep properly for thinking about it. It doesn't help that I've not felt any movements yet either.

Did anyone else experience something similar and all turned out OK? I'm sure that the midwife is right, but you all know what it's like...you can't help but worry!

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Boomf · 04/03/2015 10:43

I think I'd be asking for them to have another go at listening in a day or two, purely to reassure you . I'm sure they'll pick it up then. And yes, it's completely normal at this stage not to pick it up

Your midwife would have referred you to the hospital if she was even slightly concerned so do bear that in mind

juniorcakeoff · 04/03/2015 10:45

Do you know what? I would make another appointment with GP or MW or go along to your local EPAU if you can self refer. There is no point you sitting there worrying about it, just see if someone else can find it. It is common to have difficulties finding the heartbeat at this stage and many don't even try at this stage now. I've only had this problem with inexperienced doctors, I have never had an experienced MW not be able to find the heartbeat at 16-18 weeks in my pregnancies.

You will get loads of people coming on and saying MW could or couldn't find the hearbeat at this stage, but you will still worry either way.

batfish · 04/03/2015 10:47

Hi skeppers, I am only 8 weeks so am no expert by any stretch of the imagination but I would imagine that if the mw thought there was anything to worry about at all she would have had you moved straight to somewhere else for further investigations - as much as they don't want to panic anyone they do have you and baby's safety as their priority and if it was very unusual for her not to find the heartbeat then I am sure she wouldn't have just said it is fine. I however am the biggest worrier (never was until I found out I was pregnant) so it would also play on my mind - if I were you I would see if you can go back for them to have another go and put your mind at ease. I'm sure everything is fine though if the midwife seemed happy.

Roobo · 04/03/2015 10:47

Same thing happened to me! This was at about 20-25 weeks I think. I'd gone in for something else and during the routine checks they couldn't pick up his heartbeat.

They put me on the monitor and I knew DS was fine because he was still moving, but it was still very scary. They scanned me in the end and all was well

If I was you I'd go to the hospital to get checked out. I'm surprised your midwife didn't send you tbh.

Arsenic · 04/03/2015 10:49

It happened to a good friend and it all turned out fine, nearly 10lb fine, in fact

Did she not offer to send you for a reassurance scan?

Original poster

Skeppers · 04/03/2015 10:52

Nope. She just wrote it off as a no-go and said that there was nothing to worry about, sometimes it just doesn't happen.

I do carry a bit of extra weight around my tummy so thought that maybe that was why she had problems trying to find it.

Can you self-refer to the hospital for a reassurance scan? What is an EPAU?

OP posts:

Zahrah5 · 04/03/2015 10:53

Happened to me at 25w with stufent midwife.
I complained about low movements day before but just the morning of the appt I felt sime.

She was trying for 15 min. We both felt the baby moving so I was not panicking. After 15 min she found it.

XLIX · 04/03/2015 10:59

Skeppers, you must be so anxious! I would ring your midwife and request another check. 17 weeks is still very early but I'm wondering if you feel any little flutters that might possibly be reassuring to you,especially where the midwife said she heard the kicks? Let us know how you are getting on, xx

Katzenjammer · 04/03/2015 11:01

A lot of MW's won't even try to find the heartbeat at the routine 16 week appointment because it can be very difficult and cause unnecessary stress if they can't get it. My neighboring trust actually has a policy against it I believe. Anyway, I would assume it's fairly similar at 17 weeks too, so wouldn't worry (easier said than done I know!).

Arsenic · 04/03/2015 11:02

The acronym I know is EPU (Early Pregnancy Unit) the last time it was relevant to anyone I knew, it was possible to self-refer to our local one for a reassurance scan.

Try checking online?

ELA88 · 04/03/2015 11:03

My midwife wouldn't even attempt to listen to heartbeat till I was around 24 weeks. I asked because I knew women in other places had heard theirs earlier but she said no, maybe for this reason that it causes anxiety if they can't hear it. I also didn't feel any movements from baby till I was around 20 weeks, maybe more. What did midwife say? That it was all fine anyway?

Showy · 04/03/2015 11:08

They advise not listening for the heart beat at that stage as it's so easy not to find it. Our trust will NOT listen until you are 28 weeks for precisely this reason. I also think that our local EPU (referral only here) will not scan a woman because a Doppler hasn't found a heart beat in a routine check at 4 months. Alongside other symptoms/problems yes, but the heart beat thing in isolation, no.

I can understand why you are worried and I do think that speaking to your midwife is the best course of action.

nataliekristin · 04/03/2015 11:09

hi this happened to me when I was 16 weeks. my dr couldn't find the heartbeat through his stethoscope thing so referred me to the hospital for a scan. They found a heartbeat through scanning and we could all see the baby was as active as anything! turns out my placenta is at the front so it was blocking the dr being able to easily find a heartbeat. ask to be referred to your hospital or just ring them up explain and they'll more than likely ask you to come in for reassurance.
btw I'm 38 weeks now, so don't panic

blackwidow74 · 04/03/2015 11:10

Did she measure your bump and record the fundus height? If = to dates then chances are is fine as baby is right size ... However that's not going to reassure you and I would be stressing too ... phone gp and make appointment for another try this afternoon ... If they can't find it they may then refer you to epu!

nataliekristin · 04/03/2015 11:11

Oh and meant to say, I didn't feel definite movements until I was about 28 weeks. so that's all very normal, I was worried too, but again it was my placenta blocking it all out til the baby got much bigger

Original poster

Skeppers · 04/03/2015 11:19

She didn't measure the bump or anything; was just a routine check up and at 17 weeks I don't really have much of a 'bump' anyway (well not that you can see through the general flabbage in that area)

I have my 20wk scan on 26th March, think I'll just wait until then. I've been feeling some bubbly feelings in my lower abdomen for the last few days which I suppose could be movement but as it's my first I'm not really sure what I should be looking out for! It could just be wind. Plus I haven't had any other adverse symptoms; in fact thus far I've had a pretty bloomin' easy ride! (touch wood) And you're right, I think that if the MW was genuinely worried she would have got me back in / referred me.

I'll reassure myself with the fact that Junior appeared to be giving the mic a good booting.

OP posts:

juniorcakeoff · 04/03/2015 11:20

Early pregnancy assessment unit link here.

They would probably want to have a go using a doppler to find hearbeat before referring for a scan at your stage.

You can get a private scan fairly cheaply in some areas but I would always want to be in the healthcare system if I thought there was going to be a problem, so sometimes better to pay for private scan at your local hospital rather than these babybond type ones.

juniorcakeoff · 04/03/2015 11:22

Bump height not usually measured til about 26 weeks. First time mums often don't feel movement until much later. If you feel able to wait for 20 week scan then go for it, but if you can't it should be no trouble for a GP or midwife to fit you in for a quick check of heartbeat.

bronya · 04/03/2015 11:33

They couldn't pick up DDs at that age either. Same thing - kicks, but no heartbeat! She is sleeping next to me right now, so all was definitely fine!

ClaireFraser · 04/03/2015 12:16

The bubbling sounds like baby movements to me, that's exactly how mine felt at that stage, just like a big bubble bursting, and also a strange churning sensation, like when you go over a bridge too fast in the car and leave your stomach behind!

I'm 25weeks and the mw listened to the heartbeat for the first time last week. It wasn't done at the 16wk check up and she said they don't do it then for the reason that's it's often too difficult to find and it makes people worry unnecessarily.

She also said not to worry about looking for any patterns in movement or counting the kicks until I'm at 28weeks, again this is because the baby isn't big enough for you to be easily aware of consistency.

If I were you I'd ring the midwife up just for peace of mind, but she won't have been worried otherwise she would have said/done something at the time.

You have my sympathies, I know what it's like when you worry all the time that they're still still ok in there. It gets better once they're big enough to feel the movements more often, but I still find myself poking my bump to reassure myself that it's ok in there! And it doesn't help that I have an anterior placenta which cushions part of it anyway.

Slippersandacuppa · 04/03/2015 12:29

My midwife wouldn't even look for one until about 19 weeks as she said it was very tricky to find them and she didn't want to worry me unnecessarily.

Chocness · 04/03/2015 12:30

I had a similar problem which was due to an anterior placenta. It was preventing the mw from picking up the heartbeat so I was sent for fetal heart monitoring at the local labour ward. Their equipment is much more sophisticated than my mw's handheld monitor and it picked it up immediately. All was fine and I was advised that going forward, I should lie on my left or right hand side if the mw was struggling to find the heartbeat. Have not had any problems since.
I can also empathise with the bubbling feeling. The first movements felt for me as though I had wind in my lower abdomen! I know others who have described it as bubbling and popping so that appears normal. Try not to worry (I know easier said than done) but do keep contacting your mw (or labour ward) if you need reassurance.

Original poster

Skeppers · 04/03/2015 12:39

Chocness That's really interesting, because when I had my 12wk scan she told me to lie on my side/change sides because it was easier to pick up the image. When the midwife was scanning yesterday the 'kicks' she got were most definitely quite far to the right hand side. I did mention this to the midwife but she didn't tell me to shift position. Maybe that's it? Maybe my placenta is in the way?

OP posts:

Chocness · 04/03/2015 12:47

Exactly the same thing happened to me at the scan. I would go back to your mw and tell them what happened at the scan and ask the mw to see if they can hear the heartbeat when you lie on your left or right. Alternatively ring up the place where you had the scan and ask them to rescan you as you are concerned. They can normally do this quite quickly. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

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