Is this normal?

[Rachchar88]

I know there not the best idea but I have a Doppler and yesterday I found the heartbeat quite easily but today I tried for around 20 minutes and couldn’t find anything. This has me worried because I previously had a missed miscarriage. So I was just wondering if this is normal or if I should be worried?
Also I had a private scan a week ago that all looked good with a strong heartbeat.

Forgot to mention I’m 11 weeks

You shouldn't be using a Doppler. If you have any concerns you should call your midwife. Even trained midwives can struggle to find heartbeats

Those things sometimes do cause more worry than reassurance. It doesn't mean something bad has happened as baby may have moved into a position which makes detecting the heartbeat harder however if you are worried please ring your midwife.

Be aware that sometimes on Dopplers it's not the baby's heartbeat you will detect it could be the placenta.

If worried get checked over xxx

You probably found your heartbeat not the baby's. The midwife in my old trust waited until 16 weeks. The midwife in the new one was surprised I was allowed to hear it that early.

This is why I refuse to get a Doppler....My anxiety would be through the roof.

I had my 16 week appointment yesterday and heard the heartbeat but the experienced midwife warned me beforehand that she might not be able to find it as it's still fairly early and can be hit and miss if she can find it or not (a lot of areas have even stopped listening for it at 16 weeks for this exact reason).

She also checked my pulse as we listened to the heartbeat as she said it's very easy to get your own heartbeat mixed up with baby's.

Thank you for replying everyone. I know I shouldn’t be using it really and it’s only early days I just have terrible anxiety after the missed miscarriage.

Even midwifes don’t use dopplers before 16weeks because it’s hard to find the heart beat with one before then. Your babies the size of a Lego man or a fig.. imagine how small their heart is and trying to pin point it.

Lock the Doppler away in the bin preferably. They cause nothing but worry.

Honestly it's more likely it wasn't the baby's heartbeat you picked up the first time.

My friend is a midwife and for fun she tried to find the heartbeat at 10 weeks and did, but then couldn't the week after. She knew what she was looking for and also knew me well enough to know I wouldn't worry and that it was just for interest to see if she could. So, I wouldn't be concerned that you have found it one week but not the next (if the heart beat was above 150 bpm, its very likely it was babys unless you were having a panic attack). However, I would strongly advise getting rid of the doppler, you cannot rely on it, and causes more anxiety than good.

Put it in the bin!
You’re going to freak yourself out more if you keep using it.
They should be banned for general sale.

I’m going to go against the grain here. I loved my Doppler and it gave me heaps of reassurance. It is a skill though, so yo need to be very patient. Once you know what the baby’s heart sounds like, you can’t mistake it for something else - the other sounds are quite different.
You need to start row down by your pubic bone on one side and listen from all angles with the Doppler very firmly against your skin. I used aloe Vera gel too for a good contact. Then move maybe a cm along and do it again. All the way to the other side, then go up a cm and go back across . It sometimes took 30 mins to find the hb.

I heard my twins’ heartbeats every morning and evening from 9 weeks till about 20 weeks when I could feel them all the time. It was brilliant for me.
So don’t panic - it does sometimes take a long time. A good tip is to listen online to some feral heart beats, it is quite distinctive- fast and galloppy- not whooshing gurgle or slow!

Fetal, not feral!

11 weeks is very early. I do have a home Doppler but only used under supervision from a trained family midwife. As I like yourself gave it a go once and freaked myself out.
So strictly only use it when she's there now.
My baby moves a lot and I'm 18 weeks and can take a while to find sometimes if she's gone down and tucked back, but sometimes she's literally just there.

they can be good for reassurance but if I were you I'd hold off a few weeks. You should have your scan soon? Maybe book a private one again for 16 weeks that helps break the wait up until 20 weeks. And midwife will listen in at 16 weeks so you can get an idea of the sounds as there is so much going on down there!

I totally understand why you got one tho as I had two miscarriages and the anxiety of pregnancy after loss is crazy! Good luck

Thank you for the replies everyone it’s helped put my mind at ease. I’m going to put the Doppler away and wait for my scan in 11 days time.

My midwife couldn’t find my baby’s heartbeat at my 16 week appointment. I know all is fine though as I can feel baby moving but just to show even the professionals can struggle.