Suddenly can’t find FH 9wks

[Noisysparrows]

I think I know the answer already but wanted to ask for any experiences.

I’m 9+5 today. Had been able to pick up fetal heart on home Doppler from 7+4 and heard it daily from that point until 8+4. Not heard it since despite extensive searching.

FWIW I know home Dopplers aren’t recommended etc and not looking for opinions on whether I should/shouldn’t have used it. I’m trained in using a Doppler so know what I heard was the fetal heart and I know how to use it properly.

Just want to know if anyone has had a similar experience and it’s gone on to be ok (or not). Have no pregnancy symptoms but that’s normal for me. Previously had a mmc where development stopped between 8-9 weeks but only found out at 10+ hence my anxiety that the same has happened again.

I have a private scan booked on Friday but just wondering in the meantime if anyone can share similar experiences - good or bad. I’m swinging wildly between being certain it’s all over to feeling like I’m being overly paranoid and everything is fine. Thanks x

well, this IS exactly why you shouldn't have a 'home doppler"
how are you trained to use it? are you a midwife or obstetrician?
you have been sold a device that creates anxiety

The problem is that no number of happy ending or sad ending stories are going to make a difference to what's happening with your pregnancy or how you feel.

If you're trained to use a doppler, you know how variable pregnancy outcomes can be, sadly.

I'm not criticising you for using one - you'd be anxious if you didn't have one due to your previous experience.

All you can do is try to manage your anxiety until Friday, unless there's any possibility of bringing your scan forward?

Take care and really hope that it's good news for you.

It's hard to pick the fh up this early. Just because you can one day doesn't mean you can the next.

@NoisySparrows you must be feeling so anxious because of your history and my heart goes out to you. You have every right to feel anxious. As much as I wish I could offer you reassurance, I can't. All I can say is that it is really unusual to be able to pick up FH with a doppler this early at all and your doppler cannot tell you how things are going to pan out. Do you still have pregnancy symptoms? Any bleeding?

If you have any pain or bleeding go to the EPU. If not I would honestly put down the doppler and wait for your reassurance scan on Friday. It must seem like an age away. But the doppler will not have any effect in your outcome either way. It just provides you with a way to hyperfocus and become even more anxious.

Hang in there.

I’m a midwife. I have been properly trained at using a Doppler and have eight years of experience working with them.

I couldn’t find a heartbeat on my own baby until I was 14 weeks. For what it’s worth, I’m slim built so there wasn’t any issues with bmi making it harder.

This is why you’re advised not to buy them - they only increase anxiety.

(I only looked for a fetal heartbeat as i was training students and used myself as a model. I would never try and find a heartbeat on someone less that 16 weeks in a professional capacity because it’s a waste of time - you rarely find it. I’ve seen videos of people convinced they’ve found a heartbeat and nearly all the time they’re listening to their own pulse, or their placenta)

If you're trained using a Doppler then surely you should know that it can be very difficult to find a heartbeat at this stage? So even if you was hearing it before, it doesn't mean you will always be able to find it and that baby has probably shifted position.

Thanks folks. I appreciate the sympathy over the silly situation I’ve got myself into. Because it was asked and to avoid drip feed I’m a midwife although not currently working —so should know better— and I’m more than aware of how a Doppler works and how to use it and also aware that they can easily fan the flames of anxiety (prime example right here) - but currently thinking with my less than rational pregnancy brain. I was able to find fetal heart reliably from between 8 and 9 weeks with previous pregnancies so this wasn’t without precedent.

I totally agree I was being silly to use the Doppler but that was my (questionable) decision - my post is really more asking whether anyone has gone from reliably hearing a FHR to not finding it at all. Obviously anecdotes won’t change my own outcome - I just wanted to know if anyone had found themselves in the same boat! Have put the Doppler away now and just waiting for scan.

For pp who asked - no symptoms of pregnancy but that’s totally normal for me, equally no bleeding or cramping so no reason to go to EPU.

Yes Bambamber, I’m aware finding it once, twice, several times isn’t a guarantee of finding it again. Just asking for personal experiences because I have three days left to wait for a scan that will give me an actual answer and my anxiety is firing off the scale. I guess what I rationally know and my emotional response are two different things.

I did question posting because I’m aware I’m being daft, wasnt expecting much sympathy as I know the deal with home dopplers. But we haven’t told anyone about the pregnancy yet, I have nowhere else to talk about it and it’s driving me bonkers.

@LizzieLookAtTheFlowers and @christinarossetti19 I appreciate your kind posts Friday is the earliest I can get to an appointment x

I didn't hear anything til around 14 weeks. Dh was not impresssed that I'd bought the dopppler for the exact reason you have now - in case I couldn't hear it one day. Is it possible that baby could have turned/moved or placenta could be muffling the heartbeat? It's so early so I'm not sure of the mechanics in the womb at this point. Fingers crossed for your scan.

Good luck for Friday. Ive certainly seen similar posts on here over the years and everything was ok on scan.

Wishing you loads of luck for Friday. I am 10 weeks tomorrow. My symptoms have suddenly disappeared and I am paranoid. Holding out for the nuchal scan. I had a suchorionic haematoma in last pregnancy so things were a big iffy but no losses so can't imagine how nerve wracking it is. Hope all is well for you.

Perhaps placenta has taken over making it more difficult to hear the heart beat? It took the midwife a minute to find the heart beat at 15 weeks for me, and baby was moving around (felt her move) as the midwife was trying to find her. She found her in the end and said she was still down low.

You're not 'being daft' at all. Anxiety can be completely irrational and as you say drive a person bonkers.

The only thing that I found really helped with my pregnancy anxiety was to try to take my mind off it, in all honesty. Easier said than done, but once the anxiety really takes hold, there's no stopping it.

You did the right thing by posting. Just putting worries into words and thinking about them again can help when you just need to do something.

Best of luck for Friday - really hope that it's good news for you.

I had my 25 week midwife appointment yesterday and he must have been awkwardly positioned as it took her quite a while to find the heartbeat (I wasn't worried as I had felt him kicking away moments earlier) So yes, it is very likely that you're just missing it!

I think the cardinal rule with home dopplers is to only use one if you can be in the position you are in without worrying...

I used a doppler with both my babies. With my second, sometimes I couldn't find it, sometimes I could (late first trimester, early second). I was quite chilled out about it because I knew it could happen, but if had made me anxious I'd have stopped. Baby was fine, but placenta was at the front, which masked the baby sometimes.

I am a registered nurse and I really do understand that as nurses/ midwives we are not very good at taking our own advice. Good luck for Friday.

Fingers crossed for you too @LizzieLookAtTheFlowers. Sure you know symptoms aren't a great indicator of how a pregnancy is progressing but I'm a prime example of paying no attention to accepted wisdom! Hope your scan isn't too far away and puts your worries to rest.

Thanks @christinarossetti19, you've articulated very well why I felt like it might help to post!

And @Grandmi - you hit the nail on the head!

@Hugtheduggee you're right of course, but this is an unfortunate situation in which I'd be just as anxious without having used it - unfortunately experience has given me a negative mindset.

Have managed to stay away from the doppler today, only another two days to get through until I get an answer....

My midwife couldn't even find the heart beat at 16 weeks and said she'd only check for it as long as it wouldn't worry me if they couldn't find it. She heard a lot of placenta instead!

By 18 weeks my consultant found it in seconds because those 2 weeks made all the difference.
I know it's hard not to worry, but try and rely on that rational part of your brain that knows finding the heartbeat this early is a) hard and b) inconsistent.
It doesn't necessarily mean anything at all and the stress of worrying about it won't do you any good.

Hi op I'm so sorry for your loss. I completely get your worry and being anxious. Don't think your daft for posting at all I've been through two losses myself and at that time would have done anything to try to help myself and the anxiety, i really really wanted to buy a Doppler just to try to put my mind at ease (I managed to resist). I'm sure baby is just snuggled somewhere out of reach. I hope all goes well on friday, please keep us updated.

Hope all goes well for u my doctors found the heart beat one time an really struggled at my 16weeks so maybe it's just the baby lying in a different place x

Thank you everyone for your kind messages. Unfortunately I was right and the baby stopped developing about a week and a half ago, exactly when I stopped hearing the heartbeat. Just a case of waiting for the inevitable now. Appreciated your support while I waited x

Sorry to hear that.

I'm so so sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with you noisy

Oh I am so sorry...I hope you are getting lots of TLC from your family.X