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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

doppler problems when should i hear hb HELP PLEASE IM DESPERATE

26 replies

wayzee · 03/05/2007 18:09

have i ds had missed mc last october 12 weeks 3 days pg today so for reassurane i bought bf510s doppler which states can hear from as early as 10 weeks & having a nightmare can anyone give me some advice please i use the doppler as instructed & at different points on my tummy i hear different beats & the bloody thing picks up different readings which is v confusing i also read that main artery runs through abdomen so doppler can pick this up so i wish now i hadnt bought the bloody thing as not reassured at all i can hear whoosing sound which i think i placenta but then all these different beats cant be my baby ive tied after food full bladder & all kinds please can someone help were at this stage should i place doppler on my tummy & is there anyway i can know if ab y heart beat cos according top this my hear beat is about 120+ which is high PLEASE HELP ME IM DRIVING DH ROUND TWIST.........

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FioFio · 03/05/2007 18:10

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Piffle · 03/05/2007 18:11

take your own pulse normally and that is your hb, calm down too, I hate these home test things as they make you more worried in my opinion. 120 is hugely high for you, are you sure thats not the babies hb?
Ask to see your midwife for a hb check.

PinkTulips · 03/05/2007 18:12

a 12 weeek feotus would be very low down in your pelvis AFAIK.

you should be able to tell if it's the baby as it's a much faster hb than yours, about 140 bpm.

i would suggest just leaving it and waiting a few weeks but somehow i doubt you will

PinkTulips · 03/05/2007 18:13

just read last line, i doubt very much your hb is 120, check at your wrist and see, if not then thats your baby

ShowOfHands · 03/05/2007 18:14

Yes I second what Fio says, a midwife won't even try before 16 weeks. What you need to remember is that you might hear a hb sooner.

If you must persist with trying the hear the hb (and I know how desperately you want the reassurance) then lie in a reclining position and start low down. Very low down, right by your bikini line and in the middle. Move very slowly from right to left and keep tilting the doppler to different angles.

Please try not to panic if you can't find the hb yourself yet, even professionals struggle at this stage. And your hearbeat is very high because you're frightenend. Please, please try and relax.

ShowOfHands · 03/05/2007 18:15

Or obviously the 120bpm might be the baby!

CorrieDale · 03/05/2007 18:19

Slow and steady did it for me - take your time. Don't panic. You'll end up darting the doppler around and you'll keep missing the hb. If the baby is awake, it'll be active and you'll have no chance of finding the hb so early. Even if it's asleep, it's tricky to get the hb at this stage. But 120 sounds as though it could be your db - IIRC, DS's hb was around that when he was asleep.

If you're still being driven mad by it in a couple of weeks, get rid. Unless you crack it, it won't bring you reassurance, it'll just drive you bonkers. Seriously. I used mine a few times early on with DS, then I found that just knowing it was available was enough to stop me worrying. So I kept it up until the end of the pg, but I hardly ever used it. So it worked for me. But if it had only given me something else to worry about, I would have ebayed it.

Bear in mind that when you start feeling your db moving, you won't need the doppler anyway.

mears · 03/05/2007 18:19

I hate home monitors for this reason - they can cause more angst than reassurance.

Do not attempt to listen to the HB before 16 weeks - it can be really difficult to find. You need to check your own pulse at your wrist to make sure it isn't your own heart beat that you are picking up.

FioFio · 03/05/2007 18:21

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lulumama · 03/05/2007 18:23

what mears said!

experienced midwives can have problems picking up a heartbeat before 16 weeks!

i can see why you have bought a doppler this time, but has it actually done anything to relieve the anxiety you are feeling?

i think these things play on expectant mothers; anxieties, and i really don;t like them being marketed as being useful before about 20 - 24 weeks !!

your baby is still really low down in the pelvis, behind bone, and very small, and moving constantly , please try not to worry x

lemonaid · 03/05/2007 18:26

It can be heard as early as ten weeks... if you are very slim and the placenta is attached in a convenient place and the baby is in a convenient place and you position it just right, etc., etc. It doesn't mean that you should be able to hear it that early. With DS I didn't even try until 14 weeks and it was tricky to find then.

In terms of technique, start very low down, lower than you think you can possibly need to go.

lemonaid · 03/05/2007 18:28

I did find mine useful, though, in the bit between around 16-23 weeks, before I could feel any movement and when I could easily convince myself that something terrible had happened.

Original poster

wayzee · 03/05/2007 18:34

thank you all for your kind words and advice wish i hadnt bought it its def my hb ive put it on my heart and gives same reading but made me question whether its actually working right cos when i count i dont get that many beats per minute & i have underactive thyroid which when pg with ds was told can make my hb slower there is def something going on cos i can hear all these different noises just hope its the right thing id advise anyone not to bother i just dont want to think its all ok & go for scan & something have happened im going to take all your advice & try one last time tonight & if no success im just going to wait for my scan next wed just seems so far away cant believe theyve given me a lae scan when im so anxious anyway ladies thanks again ill just try to be positive & picture its little heart beating & it bouncing about in there

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JodieG1 · 03/05/2007 18:38

I found my baby's heartbeat at about 11 weeks but I knew where to hold it and am quite slim so was told it would be easier for me. It did take a while though. Just keep trying and you'll find it, maybe in a week or so. I was trying from 8 weeks I think but it took a few weeks to hear it.

Original poster

wayzee · 03/05/2007 18:44

thank you im not overweight bmi is 21 i could have heard it can hear various beats i just dont how do yo know if its def baby and not my pulse or artery omg...

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JodieG1 · 03/05/2007 18:50

It sounds like a galloping horse. When you hear something stop and listen and try to work out if it's you or the baby. If you think it's from you then move it slowly until you find the heartbeat. The thing I did was lie down somewhere quiet and took my time. Press fairly hard, slow movements and aim downwards. Position it very low down and use lots of gel. Hope that helps for you and you find the heartbeat.

Original poster

wayzee · 03/05/2007 19:10

thanks again i wish id got one without the reading on cos that is making it more complexed if it wasnt for that i would be convinced id heard it i can hear one of the beats which sounds fast but faint just above my pubic bone in line with my belly button & then i can hear whoosing like wind blowing thr trees which i think is placenta but machine doesnt pick a reading up so then i question myself as u do

OP posts:

JodieG1 · 03/05/2007 19:12

If it sounds like the hb then I would think it is, might be too faint to pick up a reading. Mine didn't have a reading on it so I just went by what I heard.

Original poster

wayzee · 03/05/2007 19:15

i know i was all set to get angelsounds & then shop sold this one with reading & i thought would be better as i would def know id found hb if only... it is really faint but IT IS there when not so much whoosing going on i can hear it better ee what are we like im just trying to be positive

OP posts:

jabuti · 03/05/2007 19:49

we have a hand doppler at home too, we were able to hear baby's hb at 11 weeks. but:

my partner always did the hunting for me, i found it quite hard doing it on my own
i am slim. opps, i was slim

my tips:

search around just above your pubic area, the baby is incredibly low at this point
he always pushed 'hard'
swoosh sounds are more likely to be your placenta or artery
the best thing ever for us to know it was the baby's hb and not my own was that i always kept one hand on my own pulse so i could tell that the really fast one wasnt mine.

geez, im all about numbering today!

hope this helps wayzee.

Original poster

wayzee · 03/05/2007 19:52

thank you again im going to have one last try tonight then put it away if i cant find it

OP posts:

whomovedmychocolate · 03/05/2007 19:53

I found a heartbeat at 10 weeks BUT:

(1) I also was slim (not anymore ).
(2) I lay down completely flat
(3) The only spot you could find it was right down in my pubic hair (yes that low down).

But it depends entirely on how you are built if you know what I mean. My uterus for example is inverted and never flipped so it was much easier for me.

I'm sure your little one is fine.

josta · 03/05/2007 20:08

Good advice from everyone.
I bought the same doppler ( I think ) at 10 weeks too. I heard the heartbeat straight away, but then couldn't pick it up for about 10 days, by which time I was ill with worry. After about 12 weeks it still took me a good 5 mins to find the hb. Remember your baby is still teeny and very well hidden, I'm sure he/she is fine and I do understand your worry.

Take care x

jabuti · 05/05/2007 12:20

i was wondering how you are getting on wayzee? as a paranoid lady myself, i do sympathise with people that want to check on their babies more often than its offered by nhs.

Ettenna · 06/05/2007 16:39

I rented a HiBaby doppler early on and on balance I suppose it was more reassuring than not but it gave me several huge scares too. There's nothing worse than NOT hearing the baby's heartbeat! I also had a missed MC and so was paranoid about keeping a check on this lo whilst he was in the womb! My placenta was anterior which didn't help and quite often I would get a very unclear baby hb or nothing at all. OR the hb would seem much too fast (over 170) or I would just get blood swooshing sounds or my own hb. Actually, I don't think I would do it again!! Try to not worry; obviously these things are notoriously difficult and unpredictable. ( I'm a hypocrite for saying not to worry - I did!! But I'm sure you will be OK - my lo was fine this time) x

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