If your ears are already straining to catch the precious patter of your baby’s tiny ticker, hold on just a bit longer. In our discussion today, we’ll decipher the timetable answering, when is it possible to hear a baby’s heartbeat? helping you anticipate the thrilling echo of your newborn’s first heartbeats.
------Advertisement-----
If you just got a positive pregnancy test, you may have a lot of questions. You’re probably wondering things like, “When will I feel my baby kicking?” and “When does morning sickness end?” But if you’re worried about when you’ll hear your baby’s heartbeat, you shouldn’t worry.
------Advertisement-----
Your baby’s initial heart activity can be heard as a “whoosh whoosh” by the doctors. It is possible to detect this early heartbeat with a vaginal ultrasound as early as 5 1/2 to 6 weeks.
From when you’ll be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat to how it’ll be monitored, it’s all here.
How Early Can a Heartbeat Be Heard in a Baby?
About 22 days after conception, the cells that will eventually form your baby’s heart begin to beat (a process called “cardiac activity”). Even though it is currently beating an average of 110 times per minute, this first “heartbeat” will be undetectable for some time. But ultrasound technology has made it possible for your doctor and you to listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
How Early Can You Hear Your Baby’s Heartbeat?
Doctors can detect a baby’s heartbeat between five and six weeks of pregnancy. At this stage, an ultrasound scan can be used to visualize the “heartbeat” rather than a Doppler to listen to it. The doctor will need to use an ultrasound to detect the electrical activity in your tiny baby.
------Advertisement-----
You can see the quick fluttering of heart cells talking to each other, and you can hear the sound the ultrasound machine adds so you can hear it.
Don’t freak out if the monitor doesn’t pick up a heartbeat the first time around. If your menstrual cycle is longer than average, you may have underestimated your pregnancy’s progress, and it may still be too early. This widespread problem is why many pregnant women wait until they are farther along in their pregnancy to visit their doctor for an ultrasound.
How Do Doctors Keep Tabs on Baby’s Heart Rate?
A baby’s heartbeat can be detected and/or monitored in a number of different ways. Transvaginal ultrasounds are commonly used in the early stages. These wand-like devices do a full body scan, including an examination of the uterus.
Doctors increasingly use fetal Dopplers as pregnancies advance. Even at an early gestational age of 8 weeks, various factors (including whether you carry any weight around your midsection and the position of your uterus) may make it difficult to detect your baby’s heartbeat using one of these handheld devices. However, fetal heart tones can usually be heard between 10 and 12 weeks.
A baby’s heartbeat can also be checked with ultrasounds at regular intervals.
Is a Stethoscope Capable of Picking Up a Fetal Heartbeat?
The immediate answer is “yes,” yet “no” is more accurate. Prior to the 18th or 20th week of pregnancy, a stethoscope will not pick up a baby’s heartbeat. Because stethoscopes are designed to enhance sounds coming from the heart and lungs, they can be used to listen to a baby’s heartbeat. It is more difficult to detect a baby’s heartbeat using this method than with a fetal Doppler. Time and tolerance are also required.
Does Anyone Know about a Baby Heartbeat App?
Apps like My Baby Heartbeat and BabyDoppler can let you monitor, track, and record the sound of your baby’s small organ, even though a fetal Doppler is the best way to measure a heartbeat. It’s important to remember that no computer program can guarantee 100% accuracy. No app can substitute seeing a doctor, so make an appointment with yours before trying anything else.
Articles you might like: 8 Ways Partners Can Get Closer to the Baby While Pregnant, Is It Safe to Use Baby Powder, A Guide to Tipping for Babysitters and Childcare Providers