Frightening 16 weeks midwife appointment experience

[momofasweetboy2018]

I had my 16 week midwife appointment yesterday. All went well until midwife decided to check how my baby is doing.. using a doppler. She spent nearly half an hour trying to find a heartbeat but unfortunately it did not happened. I was terrified to say the least. Thankfully, she booked a scan for me at the same day at our local hospital and I was seen within 5 min of arrival and I saw a flickering heartbeat and happy baby on the screen. So, I just wanted to share my experience with those who are awaiting their 16 week scan.. if midwife can not find heartbeat immediately or even within half an hour.. it does not mean all is bad! As I was told by the lady who was doing my scan.. Babies are still very tiny at 16 weeks and they can be in awkward position.. so it is not that easy to detect their tiny heartbeat with doppler xx

• 16 week appointment

At my trust they would never try and get the heartbeat at that gestation.
I’m so sorry you had to go through that, it must have been so scary x

I'm glad that the scan showed everything was ok.
It is not unusual to not be able to pick up the heartbeat at the 16 week appointment, I have heard that some trusts don't check as it's so hit or miss that you hear the heartbeat and it just causes unnecessary stress and worry for the mother.

Our trust don't even check until 25 weeks for this reason.

Glad the scan was ok. My trust don’t do the 16 week heartbeat for this exact reason

I had this happen at my 32 week appointment so it can happen at any time! Luckily all was fine

It seems like there are different policies in different trusts/ hospitals.
The worst thing is, that midwife even did not warned me that it might be difficult to find heartbeat.

My trust offer it from 16 weeks (I'd make my own judgement call if the woman had a really large BMI though) but I always make it extremely clear beforehand that I might not find the heartbeat and that it doesn't mean there's anything wrong. I then give the choice of whether they want me to try or not. So sorry you had to go through that, it must've been truly terrifying.

I'm sorry op, that is scary.

I had this twice, both community midwife, 32 and 38 weeks. Using Doppler, found heartbeat but was concerned about it. The later one she advised me to go and get dh and my bag and go to labour ward. Baby was fine, I was not.

Home was half and hour away, then an hour in other direction to hospital. Worst drive of my life.

Doppler makes me very anxious, hate it.

This is why most midwives done try to do the heart beat until your 25 week appointment now as 16 weeks the baby is still very small and hard to locate for a heart beat x

I had a similar but less severe experience - it probably took about 10 minutes to find the heartbeat (but then it was clear and strong). My midwife was so lovely and reassuring but it was alarming at the time.

So glad everything is ok for you!

My midwife checked my baby’s heart with a Doppler at my 16 week appointment. She did however say before she started that I shouldn’t panic if she couldn’t find it as it could just be the way the baby is positioned.