Your baby’s heart begins to form approximately three weeks after conception. Starting from the fourth week, your baby’s heartbeat can be detected transvaginally. Starting from 12th week your doctor can detect a baby’s heart beating via a Doppler device, although many doctors wait longer to use a Doppler, as it’s quite difficult to find a heartbeat at such an early gestation.
It’s physically impossible to feel your baby’s heartbeat without the use of an outside device – your baby’s heart is a tiny organ buried inside its own body, then covered by layers of amniotic fluid, amniotic sac, uterus, muscle and skin. If you can feel a regular beat, it’s much more likely that:
- It’s your own heartbeat.
- It’s baby kicks or hiccups.
- If you have an anterior placenta, you may be able to feel the placental beat, in rare cases.
As a woman’s blood flow increases to cover her baby’s developmental needs, she can feel how her own blood pulsing in her lower abdomen. She can often feel the pulsations of her own aorta through her belly, as it is pushed closer to the surface of her belly with the changes in her body.
Want to hear your baby’s heartbeat? There may be some risks associated with frequent use of dopplers and ultrasounds. However your partner may be able to use a pinard horn or you can use a stethoscope to locate the fetal or placental heartbeat.
You can test to see that these rhythmic movements aren’t your baby’s heartbeat. Your baby’s heart works faster than your own – up to 160 beats per minute. Now feel the pulse on your neck or on your wrist and compare the rate with the pulsations you feel on your lower belly.
If you do plan to buy your own handheld Doppler, keep in mind that it should be used only for personal interest, not medical information. Finding a baby’s heartbeat takes a lot of practice and if you can’t find it, it’s not usually a sign of a problem, just that baby has moved away from the monitor. However if you stop feeling baby move and kick anywhere between 25 weeks and the end of pregnancy, you should always contact your doctor. Some studies indicate that too frequent use of sound waves (such as with a doppler or ultrasound) may cause issues for baby’s health, so use with care.
Monitoring baby’s heart rate is helpful in diagnosing such problems as baby’s anemia (decreased amount of red blood cells or haemoglobin in baby’s blood), poor oxygen supply, and even abruption of placenta. However medical monitoring of your baby’s heartbeat is usually best left in the hands of professionals. The most common signs of an issue with baby include any severe pain, bleeding, spotting or lack of movement (once baby starts moving regularly.)
It’s awesome
Hey while I have a problem I’m 7 weeks pregnant and couple days ago I starting to spot like first pinkish then brownish color. I had it for at least 2 days in half but the first time I got it all over my underwears then the next day only when I wipe my butt it would come. Help
Did you ever find out what that was because I have the same problem but don’t know if I’m with child or not
Every time I take a pregnancy test it come out negative , But when my boyfriend put his hand on my belly he feel two heartbeats .
Most likely you will probably need a blood test instead of a pee test. good luck!
I have the same problem, i have gone to the doctor and every altralound shows negative and i took 11 self test and also negative but i feel heart beat my i put my hand on my belly and sometimes i see my neval going in and out, moving a lot.
I took 3 pregnancy tests within 2 months and they all came back negative (pee on a stick) but i had a feeling i was pregnant so i made the doctor do a blood test specifically for pregnancy and it came back positive . I was 12 weeks at the time so the home ones aren’t always right but your blood is 🙂
I dont know whether i am pregnant or not, but i felt something like.a heartbeat in my stomach, what can that be?
If you’re not pregnant most likely is a muscle spasm. especially if you carry a lot of weight in your midsection. either way to go good luck!
if your not sure after doing a home pregnancy test find a hospital that will do some blood work to see if you are pregnant.
So I’m a Lil over a month and last night I kept getting very sharp cramps in my abdomen I’m kinda worried what could that be
It’s your ligaments & your uterus stretching making room for the baby. Good luck!
you can try taking a nice warm bath throught the day when you start hurting and see if that works. if it dont work then go to the hospital and see whats going on with the baby.
So I’m a Lil over a month and everyday I kept getting very sharp cramps in my abdomen I’m kinda worried what could that be
Were same… i feel that also
My discharge change to white thick I’m 15 weeks pregnant not smelling
I don’t know whether I’m prego or not . I got positive pregnant test then few days I got my periods they wasn’t normal though they didn’t even last for a long time, after they finished I went to the clinic to check if things was okey with the baby . I did another test it came out negative. Now I’m confused I don’t know whether I’m pregnant or not
Hi, My period is 16 days late and I have tested twice but both were negative . Today I started to spot soft pinkish and it’s only when I wipe it comes and goes . I’m very nervous to find out if I’m pregnant any suggestions anyone ???
Hai Zaira. Maybe the implantation took longer than usual. after the bleeding, get a UPT test kit and do it again. I think you gonna get positive test.
Anyone ever get negative test but use a Doppler an find a high heart rate?
I just found out that I’m pregnant yesterday and today and looking at my stomach and I can see a heartbeat and this is my second pregnancy so I think it is possible to see something beating on your stomachthe first time I found out I was pregnant I was in the shower and I saw the same heartbeat and rig I knew I was pregnant so right then , I went to the doctor and I was pregnantnd I was pregnant! I don’t know how many weeks I am yet I will find out Monday
I took a home pregnancy test it shows positive . I feel sick before I took it that’s why I took it. But I don’t think am pregnant.. I think its all in my head.. But I do feel sick. Don’t know how far I am if am really preggo. But I do feel a pulse when I touch my belly