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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

12 weeks pregnant, can't find heart beat on Doppler I bought

28 replies

Lkh2o · 15/08/2019 14:42

Am 12 weeks pregnant with my third child ( I have a 4 year old daughter and 2 year old son) and I've recently bought a Doppler to hear the heart beat but can't hear anything. Getting worried as iv tried the last couple of days to hear it but can't hear anything. I felt really sick and run down at the being of the pregnancy but from 10 weeks onwards I have felt normal. I have no sign of a bump or any hardness of my lower tummy, which I thought I'd be showing by now since it's not my first baby. Am just worrying myself that there is something wrong cause I don't feel pregnant and can't find any heart beat with the Doppler. I have a scan coming up this Monday which I feel I've waited forever for but just want to know everything is okay. Has anyone had any experience with a Doppler not finding a heart beat?

OP posts:

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readyforchangenow · 15/08/2019 14:44

Home dopplers are notoriously unreliable and 12 weeks is very very early to be trying to find a heartbeat with one. Midwives won't even attempt to find a heartbeat with a Doppler alone until you are well over 20 weeks, until then they are only checked via ultrasound. I would bin the Doppler as you are going to worry yourself ill every time you attempt using it

Hunkyd0ry · 15/08/2019 14:44

I didn’t buy a Doppler as they are difficult to use and it can be easy to confuse your own heartbeat and the baby’s. I don’t think midwives use them until later in the pregnancy either.
Hopefully Monday will be here soon.

Soubriquet · 15/08/2019 14:45

THROW THE FUCKING THING AWAY!!

Dopplers are not accurate unless you are a trained midwife

All it does is causes worry, stress and fright

Don’t do it to yourself

Lucafritz · 15/08/2019 14:45

Placenta could be hiding the heartbeat or baby could be laying the wrong way or its a faulty doppler ? Are you using it in the right place too ?

Pastaalldaylong · 15/08/2019 14:47

Throw it away. I was told that even if you hear the heartbeat this doesn't always mean everythings ok and you could actually be giving yourself a false sense of reassurance.

aidelmaidel · 15/08/2019 14:48

Home dopplers at 12 weeks are practically guaranteed not to find a heartbeat, according to my GP.

WaitingInTheBushesOfLove · 15/08/2019 14:58

Not sure what a doppler is exactly but if it's like the handheld device midwives have to check the heartbeat then i wouldn't rely on it OP, especially if you have no training!

When i was pregnant and went to see my midwife there was a midwife in training in there as well. For practice she was the one who used the device to find the heartbeat. She was looking and looking moving the 'stick/wand' around for ages ,NO heartbeat! Apart from my own. The other midwife had to do it in the end and within seconds she found the heartbeat.

Original poster

Lkh2o · 15/08/2019 15:26

Thanks for all your responses! Use have put my mind at ease a bit.. don't think it helped that I've been watching YouTube videos of women use them and saying it's dead easy to find at 12 weeks. Just want Monday to hurry up and come so I know everything is okay. Don't remember being this worried with my other two pregnancy at this stage

OP posts:

Nixen · 15/08/2019 15:30

You’d think by your third kid you’d know dopplers are a no go!

user1483387154 · 15/08/2019 15:32

it's way too early yet. even if you do use them they should never be used as a gauge to the health of your baby.

Abstractedobstructed · 15/08/2019 15:34

Dopplers are useless because:
Before about 16 weeks they are very hard to use with any degree of accuracy; if you don't find the hb it doesn't mean there's anything wrong.

After about 16 weeks, especially with a 3rd baby, you can feel it move anyway and that gives a better idea things are ok, especially once baby has a pattern of movements.

BlessedBeTheFruitCake · 15/08/2019 15:36

I wouldn't be worried at this stage. Midwives don't use Doppler's until at least 16weeks at your antenatal appointments.

Fizzpopwhizzbang · 15/08/2019 15:40

12 weeks is far too early. Unless you're trained to look for the heartbeat then it's very difficult to find with a Doppler until late pregnancy.

katmarie · 15/08/2019 15:45

My midwife struggled to find the heartbeat at my last appointment, which was my 30 week one, and she's fully trained and uses the thing every day. Personally I think they shouldn't be sold to the public at all.

Whattodofgs · 15/08/2019 15:49

Personally I think they shouldn't be sold to the public at all.

^^ This!!

They should be reserved for trained midwives.

Teddybear45 · 15/08/2019 16:20

Actually if you don’t have a bump or a full bladder then dopplers, like ultrasound, can be very unreliable before 20 weeks. It’s why most midwives don’t even start trying to check it until after that (unless they can feel the womb).

Also, no offence, women who have lost babies have also used dopplers to reassure themselves, then later realised what they were picking up was the placenta / their own heartbeat and not the baby. You should focus on movements, nothing else.

bobstersmum · 15/08/2019 16:26

As the others have said, its far too early for even a mw to try and find hb. With my last pregnancy my midwife managed to find my dds hb at 14 weeks but she is my friend and she warned me first that she'd probably not find it. With my other pregnancies they didn't even try until 16 wks plus. I have never tried a home doppler because I get stressed too easily! Good luck for your scan.

Everafter1 · 15/08/2019 16:41

Midwife wont listen to the heartbeat until 22 weeks. Not sure if its different anywhere else in the country.

I didn't hear my baby's heartbeat until a scan I had at 16 weeks.
12 weeks scan I was told by the sonographer they don't listen to it.

Your midwife will advise against using these.

VapeVamp12 · 15/08/2019 16:48

Midwife wont listen to the heartbeat until 22 weeks. Not sure if its different anywhere else in the country.

My MW listened for mine at my 16 week appt but did warn me that she may not find it and not to worry if she didn't. She did and it was so nice to hear!

Ribenaberriesgowoo82 · 15/08/2019 16:56

I was going to say the same as @Teddybear45. It has been known to cause false reassurance as you may pick up the placenta or own heartbeat.

FWIW, my midwife took a good minute to find my LO heartbeat at 16w yesterday and she was nowhere near where I thought she should be with the doppler. She was MUCH lower down.

Original poster

Lkh2o · 15/08/2019 16:57

I'll be putting the Doppler away and just waiting till Monday! I used one on my last pregnancy and heard the heart beat fine with it but not sure how far along I was when I got it.. was probably a lot further along and that's why it worked. That's for all your helpful replies, I'll try just put it to the back of my head till monday. Might be easier said then done though

OP posts:

Original poster

Lkh2o · 15/08/2019 16:57

Thanks*

OP posts:

OrangeHue · 28/08/2019 15:52

Hi @Lkh2o how did the scan go? Hope all is good with you and the baby. Xx

sanityisamyth · 28/08/2019 15:55

Check out the Kicks Count website.

Home Dopplers should be banned.

Original poster

Lkh2o · 28/08/2019 15:59

@OrangeHue unfortunately it wasn't good news. I had a miscarriage, really heart broken over it but I have my other two to keep me going xx

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