Low 16 week heart rate

[Positive21]

Wondered if anyone has had similar and could reassure me 😅

8+3 was 181
12+2 was 179
16+2 on Doppler was 120

It just seems like a large drop and I know 120 is supposedly inside the healthy range but I’ve hardly seen anyone with a rate that low.

My midwife didn’t say anything but I might ask her for some reassurance anyway.

Dopplers are a snapshot in time of a few seconds heartate varies massively - my twins were constantly monitored on the proper machines in the hospital for up to an hour or more at a time so I know that the rate changes hugely in that time - in fact they are supposed to accelerate and decelerate depending on what the baby is doing in there. - it's likely he/she was just asleep x

@4amstarts That's what I'm hoping. But she said baby was bouncing about which is why I thought it seemed low if baby was moving. I've text my midwife anyway, I'm sure it's all good, just an anxious FTM. Thank you x

Hi! The heartbeat is faster very early on, those are all very normal rates. Pregnancy is a worrying time isn't it? With my daughter I did a quick doppler check everyday from 8 weeks, so I observed her hb go from the high 180's down to the 130's near full term. A couple of times it was slightly under 120 and she's fine (pulling my hair as I type this!)

Please try not to worry, if your midwife was concerned she would have said

My babies heart beat was really fast at first at around 189 at 8 weeks, and every scan I've had since the heart rate has dropped, and is now at a steady 135/140.

Really worried me at first but it's actually normal for the heart rate to drop off as the weeks go on x

Thank you both, I really appreciate it. I'm sure everything is fine, I am a very naturally anxious person so when everything is going ok I just look for things to go wrong 🤦🏼‍♀️

I wouldn’t worry about that. It’s within a normal range. The baby was probably asleep. I have a Doppler and the heart rate seems to range between about 120 when it’s not moving to 170 when it’s active.