Heartbeat at 16 weeks

[SassyPants87]

Has anyone heard their baby's heartbeat at 16 week midwife appointment?
I asked my midwife about it when I saw her a couple of weeks ago and she said they normally don't but because I'm of small build she can give it a go
I don't know if it's a good idea or not as I know it can be hard to find the heartbeat at 16 weeks and I think it would stress me out if she couldn't find it

I heard my baby’s heart at my 16 week appointment.

I’m also small build, and even so the midwife did struggle for a good 5 mins. She eventually found it but baby had other ideas and kicked the Doppler and moved, and she couldn’t find it again! So it must be difficult at that stage.

Are they still doing your 16 week appointment face to face? I know lots have been cancelled now due to Covid.

I did hear the baby's heartbeat at my 16 week appointment but I know a lot of trusts no longer do it as it can be so hard to find and just causes more anxiety for mums to be.

Midwife did mine at 16 weeks, I didn't realise it wasnt common practice and would definitely have worried me if she couldn't find it.

The midwife did for me but she did say she might not find it. Luckily she did find baby's heartbeat quite quickly, but I can imagine why some trusts prefer not to do due to the anxiety it could cause for no reason.

My midwife did find the heartbeat at my appointment but took her a while. I had read that some do and some don’t do the heartbeat.

I'm very slim and they found it straight away, but they did warn it can take a while but that was normal.

It used to be the norm but it is a hit-and-miss process at 16 weeks which was causing a lot of unnecessary worry and referrals for unnecessary scans. It's usually the case that if your midwife does try then she will give you the caveat first that she can't and won't send you for a scan if she can't find the heartbeat.

I'm not of small build and my mw did it and found it!

My 2 previous pregnancy’s I heard the heartbeat at 16 weeks, in fact pretty much every pregnant woman I know did. I am not small build and have never heard this was an issue. This time I will not have a 16 week appointment so won’t hear it (I am currently 16 weeks pregnant).

My midwife checked at my 16 week appointment, she approached it with a "let's see if baby is being cooperative and will let us hear its heartbeat" to temper my expectations.
She found it straight away and I was hugely relieved as we had been in a nasty car accident a few days earlier and A&E refused to check.

Midwife found mine at 16 weeks, I'm not slim build and took her about 5-10mins, I started panicking when she had to put more gel on as it was taking so long, that was my first and it was only after she found it she told me that can only pick it up by the baby's neck at this stage so it takes a while! This time my app was over the phone I would be very surprised if you had one face to face at the moment

I've not had my 16 week appointment yet but I heard baby heart at 13+3 with my consultant.

My midwife did heartbeat at 16 weeks for me also, she did struggle at first but did find it. I have a front placenta which was found at my 20 week scan so think that also make it more difficult to find

Thanks for the response everyone

My midwife is still having face to face appointments, they've put really strict measures in place for these still to go ahead which I'm really thankful for!

I think I will go ahead with checking for the heartbeat as it'll probably bug me if I don't go ahead with it too. There's just no satisfying me haha!

I'm not slim built and she checked and heard mine. Did take a few minutes to find and come with a pre warning that she might not be able to hear. Personally reassured me until the 20 weeks scan but I know it would have panicked me had she not been able to find it x