Many women are interested in whether it is possible to hear the fetal heartbeat at home and from when. If a mother places her hand on her belly, she will not feel the baby’s heartbeat at any stage of pregnancy. Even if you feel a pulsation in the abdomen, you should not mistake it for fetal heartbeats. Most likely, this indicates that the pressure in the aorta is increased due to hormonal changes in the woman’s body due to pregnancy.
There are several ways to listen to the heartbeat of an unborn child, but this is difficult at home. As you know, heartbeats appear in the fifth week, but at this time an ultrasound will be required. You can hear the baby’s heartbeat at home at a later date, but without special equipment this is not easy to do. Fortunately, today it is not a problem to purchase such devices for home use.
You can learn more about fetal heartbeat from this article.
Fetal Doppler
This device can be used from 12 weeks. It is sold in a pharmacy or specialty store. There are different models of Dopplers available: ones that are simpler for listening to heartbeats in headphones and those that count the number of heartbeats. They may differ in appearance, display quality, and set of functions. The main components of most devices:
- Display. It comes in different sizes and is most often colored. The simplest models do not have it; only a sound speaker is provided.
- Speaker. Sound quality varies depending on the sensor and signal processing.
- Battery. Allows the device to operate continuously from 3 to 15 hours, depending on the model.
Before purchasing such a device, many parents have a question about whether they will harm their unborn child if they periodically listen to the beating of his heart. An ultrasound device is considered harmless, but it is possible that the fetus feels it and can move in the other direction when trying to listen. In this case, it is better not to torture the baby and wait until the time when he is calm. To avoid stress in the fetus, you do not need to listen to its heartbeat for a long time. Doctors recommend not to delay the procedure longer than ten minutes.
If there is such a device at home, mothers feel calm, having the opportunity at any time to make sure that everything is fine with the child
These portable ultrasonic detectors are in great demand today due to their convenience. Among the obvious advantages of the device, the following should be highlighted:
- ease of use;
- the ability to hear the fetal heartbeat at 12 weeks;
- an opportunity for the expectant mother to hear how the baby’s heart works, without assistants.
It also has disadvantages:
- quite high price;
- restrictions on use (doctors advise not to use it for a long time and often).
How to operate the device
In the early stages, it is very difficult to check the fetal heartbeat at home. You need to start listening to it from the 12th week. During this period, the sensor is placed in the lower abdomen, right next to the pubic bone. As the fetus grows, the listening position will shift towards the navel.
Before starting the procedure, you need to apply a special gel to the area where the sensor is placed. It is advisable to keep the bladder full. The sensor must be moved slowly. To better catch the signal, you need to properly fix the handle of the device.
The heartbeat should be loud, the heart rate should be twice as fast as that of the mother - up to 160 beats per minute. Heart rate may vary throughout the day and depending on the activity of the fetus.
We recommend reading: Rapid heartbeat during early pregnancy
Methods of listening to the heartbeat
- In the first place will, of course, be ultrasound, which is used to visually assess the embryo and fetus, as well as the condition of the placenta. The tone and heart rate of the fetal egg are studied in particular detail. Using ultrasound, various infectious diseases, heart defects, and other abnormalities in the development of the baby’s organs are predicted.
- Cardiotocography, which is briefly called CTG. The second most effective method after ultrasound. With its help, the activity of the fetus and the work of the heart are recorded both at rest and during periods of mobility. It should be noted that the first procedure is done at 32 weeks or more. During this period, phases of rest and activity of the child are formed, in which the work of the heart is easily audible.
- Echocardiography, like the previous study, focuses specifically on the heart, and not on the general condition of the child. Such an examination is performed between the 18th and 32nd weeks of pregnancy for special indications, for example, heart disease, infections in the uterus, pregnancy after 38 years, delayed development of the child.
- Auscultation. Is it possible to hear the heartbeat of a pregnant fetus with a stethoscope? Definitely yes, this procedure is called “auscultation”. It uses not an ordinary device, but an obstetric one, which is more accurate and sensitive. Using the procedure, the position of the child and the rhythm and frequency of the heartbeat are determined.
All these methods can only be implemented in equipped premises; all require consultation and assistance from specialists. Expectant mothers are interested in the question: how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? This is intimate and something very close that connects mom (dad) and child. Therefore, many future parents want to hear their baby not only in the presence of a doctor.
Obstetric stethoscope or phonendoscope
On the one hand, this method is available to everyone: you can buy this tube at any pharmacy for little money. On the other hand, it is not easy to count heartbeats using this tool at home. For this you need an assistant, because you can’t do it alone. At the same time, he must have skills that he most often does not have. Moreover, you need to listen to tones at certain points. Correctly counting the number of beats will be interfered with by extraneous noises (mother’s heartbeat, contraction of the muscles of the intestinal walls and other sounds), which you need to learn to distinguish from the fetal heartbeat.
Before 25 weeks, it is unlikely to be possible to hear the heart of an unborn child at home.
What to do if there are deviations from the norm
When using a device to listen to the fetal heartbeat at home, it is necessary to correctly interpret the results obtained in order to react in time and take action if problems arise.
The characteristics of the fetal heart rate include frequency, rhythm, filling and tension. Tachycardia is considered to be an increase in heart rate above 170 beats per minute, bradycardia is a decrease in heart rate below 110. Normally, the baby’s heart sounds are clear and rhythmic.
Changes in these indicators arise due to many reasons: from the banally stuffy room in which a pregnant woman is located, to intrauterine fetal hypoxia. Therefore, if deviations in the child’s pulse occur, be sure to seek help from a doctor for a scheduled consultation. Only he will find out the cause of this condition and help keep the baby healthy. For this, the expectant mother undergoes additional studies (Holter and ECHO-CG (24-hour ECG monitoring)).
Putting your ear to your stomach
This is the simplest and most accessible, but also the most ineffective way. Difficulties are possible if a woman is overweight. You need to listen at a certain point, which depends on how the fetus is located in the uterus:
- beating below the navel if the fetus lies head down;
- the heart can be heard above the navel if the presentation is breech;
- if the pregnancy is multiple, the heartbeat of each fetus can be heard in different places.
You can listen to the heartbeat of the unborn baby by placing your ear to the stomach only in the later stages (more than 30 weeks)
Established heart rate standards
The normal fetal heart rate by week is more accurately determined, but on average the fetal heart rate is 120-160 beats. Some fluctuations of 10-15 beats in one direction or another per minute are acceptable.
It all depends on the position and activity of the fetus at one time or another. Particular attention is paid to heart rate during labor . It is normal for the number of contractions to increase as the uterus contracts.
If at this moment there is a decrease in heart rate, this may be evidence of possible hypoxia, fetal or placental insufficiency, and can also be observed in full compliance with the standards if the child simply has a pelvic position.
Studies of cardiac activity using a variety of methods are carried out both throughout the entire period of pregnancy and during labor.
This is an ideal opportunity to assess the general condition of the baby, as well as begin treatment as early as possible if a possible pathology is detected.
When is it necessary to calculate fetal heart rate at home?
There are situations when it is necessary to monitor the contractions of the unborn child’s heart every day.
- For bloody discharge at any stage of gestation. The most common cause of this phenomenon is placental abruption. Strict fetal monitoring is usually necessary throughout pregnancy.
- The uterus has increased tone. In such a situation, the blood vessels of the placenta are compressed, and this can lead to impaired blood circulation in it, while the fetus does not receive sufficient oxygen and nutrition.
- If there is a threat of miscarriage, you need to constantly monitor the fetal heartbeat at home in order to seek medical help in time.
- For anemia in a pregnant woman. In this case, the mother usually has low hemoglobin, which means that the fetus does not receive the required amount of nutrients that are carried by the blood.
- In case of illness of the expectant mother, which can cause a deficiency of oxygen and nutrients.
Stethoscope: types, applications
The history of this design goes back several centuries. In medicine at that time it was not possible to examine the patient’s body in any other way: there were no MRI, ultrasound, or CT machines yet. The abdominal cavity, lungs and heart were listened to using a stethoscope.
The device in its classic version is also used in modern medicine - in gynecology it is used to obtain a clear picture of the condition of the fetus.
Its second, new name is “obstetric stethoscope”.
Obstetric stethoscope
What does an obstetric stethoscope look like? This is a hollow tube made of wood (birch), which expands towards the end, taking the shape of a funnel. It is this wide side of the device that is applied to the pregnant woman’s tummy, and the opposite side to the doctor’s ear.
It is worth remembering that a woman will not be able to cope with even such a simple device on her own, so you need to resort to the help of a loved one. It is not easy to hear the necessary sounds in a woman’s abdominal cavity.
Phonendoscope and stethoscope
After a certain amount of time, a membrane was added to the standard stethoscope tube, amplifying the sound - this is how the phonendoscope appeared. This is an updated device, which consists of the following parts:
- tubes that conduct sound;
- the device that receives this sound;
- tabs at the end of the tubes that act as headphones.
Many homes have both phonendoscopes and blood pressure monitors. However, it is impossible to measure the baby's heartbeat with them. During examinations of pregnant women, a stethophonendoscope is now actively used - a device in the hands of a therapist or gynecologist (as well as a pediatrician).
The sound receiver is equipped with both a membrane and a classic funnel. Depending on the purpose of the examination, the doctor uses one side or another of the device. The expectant mother can hear the sounds and heartbeat of her baby using the funnel-shaped head of the device.
A more convenient and modern option is an electric stethoscope, which is called a “fetal doppler”. The device is created using new technology for noise suppression and sound amplification. But among the people (and even by doctors themselves), this device, regardless of its modifications, is called a stethoscope.
Electronic stethoscope for pregnant women: what is it for?
The device allows the expectant mother to hear:
- baby's heartbeat;
- hiccups (it happens quite often to a baby even in the womb);
- sounds of movement;
- processes occurring around the baby.
The ability to be aware of what is happening with the baby at any time calms many pregnant women and improves their mood. But it is worth observing the measure: do not conduct the study for more than 10 minutes and more than once a week.
An electronic stethoscope will help you not only hear, but also record sounds in order to send the audio file to your family or listen to it later, after the baby is born. Also, a mother can record the sound of her own heart, so that this “melody” in the future will help calm the anxiety of her newborn baby. After all, he will associate the beating of his mother’s heart with safety and comfort, which means it will relieve emotional stress, help him calm down and fall asleep sweetly.
Most psychologists have long agreed that the sounds of nature or gentle classical music not only increases the comfort of the baby in the womb, but has a beneficial effect on its development, both mental and physical. That is why women read or sing to their unborn child and talk to him. Some models of electronic stethoscopes allow your child to play a suitable audio recording in good quality.
Along with the device, the kit includes headphones (sometimes 2 pairs - for mom and dad), batteries (usually the usual AA batteries) and a cord for copying recorded files.
Manufacturers claim that stethoscopes for pregnant women are absolutely safe, because they do not use ultrasound, alternating current or radio waves to operate.
Electronic stethoscope for pregnant women: reviews
Forums for expectant mothers are full of reviews about how useful such a “toy” is for young parents: at any time you can make sure that everything is fine with your child, even if the baby is not active. This is especially useful for women who have previously experienced a frozen pregnancy: they feel more confident and less anxious between visits to the doctor.
In the third trimester, mothers use a stethoscope less and less: the baby can already be heard well and many, without additional devices, can distinguish not only his movements, but even his mood.
If you want to buy a stethoscope for pregnant women, you may find that some pharmacies have never even heard of this. Therefore, you will have to monitor the assortment and prices of different online stores.
Obstetricians and gynecologists, in turn, say that such home listening to a baby is a double-edged sword. Some women use the device incorrectly and, as a result, receive distorted data. Some, according to doctors, may confuse the pulsation of their own veins or the work of the intestines with the rhythm of the child’s heart. This is followed by misinterpretation, worry and stress.
Therefore, it is better for suspicious women who want to monitor the behavior of the baby in the womb, having purchased the device, ask for advice on its use from the attending physician: after all, each pregnancy is unique and individual, and general advice heard from friends may not be effective. And it’s definitely not worth engaging in diagnostics or identifying pathologies. Just put on your headphones and listen with pleasure to how the little heart beats inside you.
