When Is Your Babys First Heartbeat? + Hear It From Home

Table of Content

• Why Can I Feel My Heartbeat in My Stomach?
• How Do I Use a Fetal Doppler?
• Fetal Heartbeat By Week Chart
• Does the heart rate vary for boys and girls?
• Can You Feel Your Baby’s Heartbeat in Your Stomach During Pregnancy?
• Want to Hear Your Baby's Heartbeat at Home? There's an App for That
• How to use an at-home fetal doppler

The easiest way to find out the sex of your baby is via ultrasound. Your doctor will perform an ultrasound on you at 18 to 20 weeks. They will determine the sex of your baby by looking at the genitals on the baby’s image. Note that it is best to consult your doctor on the heart rate of your baby.

Note that there is no scientific evidence to show that eating certain foods will increase the low fetal heart rate in the early pregnancy stages. You will have to talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes. In this case, an ultrasound wouldn't pick up heart motion in the uterus because there's no embryo there. Although ectopic pregnancies are never viable, they can sometimes develop enough to have heart motion. An ectopic pregnancy is a surgical emergency that can be fatal if not treated quickly.

Why Can I Feel My Heartbeat in My Stomach?

The earlier it is in your pregnancy, the lower you'll likely have to go. Be aware that you'll also hear your own heartbeat and the pulse of an artery. The monitor can be used with an external monitor or with an internal fetal monitor. It uses ultrasound technology and requires someone to stay with the machine while it operates.

It’s possible for a heartbeat to be detected as early as 8 or 10 weeks; however, it’s less common. Since not hearing your baby this early may cause anxiety, it’s often better to wait. If the heart rate of the embryo or fetus is healthy, it's a sign that development is progressing normally. The chances of a miscarriage once you see or hear a heartbeat are less than 10 percent and less than 1 percent at 9 weeks. The desire to use a fetal doppler at home is understandable — hearing that precious little heartbeat can be magical. But it’s important to be aware of the potential issues with fetal dopplers.

How Do I Use a Fetal Doppler?

Our dopplers range in affordable prices from around $20 to $70. If you’re wondering which model would suit you best, check out our Fetal Doppler Model Guide. If there's no heartbeat when expected or if cardiac activity was detected and now isn't, this may be a sign of miscarriage.

The chambers of your baby’s heart will have developed enough to be seen more clearly on an ultrasound by weeks 17 to 20 of pregnancy. If you think something is wrong, see a doctor immediately. It’s possible for the baby to have a strong heartbeat even if something is wrong. If you are concerned about your baby’s heartbeat, talk to your doctor. Your prenatal team can keep a close watch on the heartbeat throughout your pregnancy and into labor and delivery.

Fetal Heartbeat By Week Chart

As mentioned above, if you feel the pulsing sensation, it will be the pulsing of your abdominal aorta, which will be more prominent during pregnancy. There are now hundreds of apps and devices marketed to expectant parents where you can listen to your baby’s heartbeat at home. But your doctor may warn you against using an at-home device. You can buy relatively inexpensive fetal heart rate monitors to use at home. This can be a great option if you are prone to stress and are reassured by listening to the heartbeat between visits to your doctor. However, you should be aware that these monitors are not as strong as the ones used by your doctor.

The Shell app from Bellabeat lets you hear your baby's heartbeat whenever you want. Verywell Family's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Here are a few ways to connect with your baby early on with a fetal doppler.

Does the heart rate vary for boys and girls?

At 5 to 6 weeks of pregnancy, there's a flickering of cells within the embryo's torso. Screen shows baby’s heart rate as well as the device’s battery levels. Many people buy home fetal dopplers to soothe their anxiety about their pregnancy. They might want to “check in” on their baby in between doctor’s visits. While the stillbirth might have been unavoidable, the authors say, it’s a warning to all parents that fetal dopplers can’t replace your doctor’s expertise. While at-home fetal dopplers are appealing to many parents-to-be, there are some safety concerns.

You might have heard the old wives tale that a heart rate over 140 bpm predicts a girl, and one lower than 140 bpm indicates a boy. Some mothers worry that they’ve miscarried if a heartbeat isn’t detected or heard, and that’s not necessarily true. There are better ways to monitor your baby, such as paying attention to your baby's movements and attending all of your prenatal appointments. A baby's heart is one of the first structures to form, because it's needed to deliver oxygenated blood and nutrients to other developing organs. Given that some dopplers aren’t approved by any regulatory body, they don’t have to pass any standards and some are low quality.

Can You Feel Your Baby’s Heartbeat in Your Stomach During Pregnancy?

At this point, the heart isn't the four-chambered organ we're familiar with. It's a tube-shaped structure that has a lot of developing to do. The heart tube bends and twists to eventually form the heart, including its chambers. Since babies don't breathe in utero, the lungs don't actually function before birth. Until then, your baby’s developing circulatory system relies on the umbilical cord for a steady supply of oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood. While the fetal circulatory system develops rapidly throughout pregnancy, it actually works quite differently in utero than it does once your baby is born.

Call your health care provider right away or go to the emergency room if you have any of these conditions. For some families, listening to the baby's heartbeat at home will provide reassurance between prenatal appointments. Children and partners often love this and look forward to it. Learn more about how to safely listen to your baby's heartbeat at home. Verywell Family articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and family healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.

Don't expect them to be able to pick up the sound of the heartbeat until you are in at least your fifth month of pregnancy. When there is no audible fetal heartbeat from a handheld doppler by 12 weeks or no heartbeat detected at a 12-week scan, there is a possibility of miscarriage. The doctor will take a few extra precautionary steps to make absolutely sure.