18 weeks, anterior placenta, doctor unable to find heartbeat on Doppler

[MummyLou12]

Hi all, just looking to see if anyone has experienced something similar. I am under consultant led care due to a pre-existing condition. I had a regular check-up today and the doctor was unable to find a heartbeat with the Doppler. They took me for a quick scan and baby was fine, moving and the heartbeat was there. Despite the relief, it was such a terrifying few minutes and I genuinely feared the worse. I am now struggling to get that worry out of my head. So I was wondering if any other mummy’s to be with anterior placentas had similar issues with dopplers picking up heartbeat from 18 weeks? I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for future appointments! Thanks in advance.

Dopplers can be tricky even if baby and placenta are in perfect position. That’s why they advise against buying a home one. Even hcp can struggle. I’m glad they scanned you and everything was ok. I’ve only ever had a Doppler used once in each pregnancy and it was only so I could hear the heartbeat so there’s a good chance they won’t do it again

As the baby gets bigger it won’t be such an issue. Also once you can feel the baby kicking it’s very reassuring. I think I started feeling kicks soon after 20 weeks with an anterior placenta.

To be honest, a midwife would probably have been better with a Doppler. At least all is well!
I do understand your worry, though.

Thanks all, I appreciate the reassurance 🙂

@vipersnest1 I actually said this exact thing to my husband earlier. I had a midwife appointment last week, she had a good feel around first and picked up the heartbeat straight away 😅

In my trust they don’t use them until 22 weeks for this reason they can be tricky to find and cause worry. Glad your little one is okay, once you can feel kicks it’s so reassuring

Oh yes. At every appointment I hate to say. Feeling movement helped alleviate any worry. Fortunately for me, baby was a real mover and shaker once he got big enough for me to feel them.

Memorably, I was hospitalised from 36 weeks until I had DS (pre-eclampsia), so I had dopplers 2-3 times a day. I had experienced midwives struggle to find the heartbeat... Like they could pick up my heartbeat, hear the placenta wooshing away, and occasionally pick up the cord too. We knew he was fine because he'd be wriggling away in there. He was just back to back, and hiding his heart behind the placenta and cord. Little sod.

I lost my first baby at 33 weeks of pregnancy (due to a genetic condition), and when I was pregnant with my second I wanted all the reassurance I could get. I had the same midwife in both of my pregnancies, so with my second she tried to be really understanding about my need of reassurance and offered to find the heartbeat at an appointment when I was about 16/17 weeks. She actually let her student try and find the heartbeat (which I now feel was really irresponsible because of my loss), and she tried for a good 3-4 minutes without finding it. It resulted in me beginning to cry and think the worst, the student completely panicking, and my midwife also panicking and trying to keep us both calm. Once my midwife had the Doppler she did find the heartbeat within 30 seconds or so, but it was a horrific experience for those few minutes.
After that, I said I didn't want the Doppler anymore as I felt it caused more worry than reassurance.

Yes I had this in my first pregnancy although I was a bit earlier. It was very traumatic and in my current pregnancy I burst into tears when she got the Doppler out at 16 weeks. However she was really reassuring and I let her do it, I was really glad I did because it took away the fear. Just explain to them at future appointments what happened and I’m sure they will reassure you. It does get easier at the later appointments once you can feel baby move and I haven’t felt fearful since.

They had trouble at 16 weeks for me and I have a posterior placenta! I feel for you. It also made me extremely anxious.