Doppler Arrived - HELP!!!

[EllieBelle]

I decided to give in and invest in a doppler............it arrived this morning and tried it straight away!

Im now worrying myself to death as I cannot find baby's heartbeat! Im just hoping that its more down to technique rather than anything else.

Anyone got any suggestions on where the heartbeat should be at around 17 weeks??

Im off to give it another go, but if you have any advice then please please let me know!

Thank you

 

[rach]

hun try not to worry when i bought mine when pg last time i couldnt find the heartbeat myself till after 20 weeks
even midwives who do it all the time struggle to find heartbeat sometimes before 20 weeks most warn you not to worry if they try at the 16 week appointment and cant find it try not to let yourself get stressed out about it xxxxxxxx

 

[glittergirl]

First of all please dont panic, its tricky to find at first and takes a bit of time.

Go very low, next to your pubic bone and slowly (as slow as poss) move the doppler over to the left then back over to the right
Sometimes tilting the doppler to a slight angle works for me, seems to pick it up a bit louder.
Work up your tummy gradually.

I still use my doppler from time to time and even at 26 weeks he is still quite low down.

Once you hear your LO you'll be hooked.

xxx

 

[XXAmyXX]

Hey my OH bought a doppler when I was 8 weeks, we thot we were hearing babs but after feeling my pulse at same time it was only my own heartbeat
Had my 16 week midwife appoinment yest and they couldnt find baba either but she said not to worry cos could jst b the way its lying. Ive decided not 2 use my doppler until the midwife has managed to find it cos I jst start worrying. Im sure u will b fine

 

[EllieBelle]

Thank you, just tried again for the last hour..........and no luck Some progress though as I managed to hear my own heartbeat in my stomach in 2 different places

I guess I shouldn't be worried as I had my 16 week MW appointment last Wed and did hear babys heartbeat then!! I know she had the doppler very low and over to the left.........wish I had taken more attention now to where she put the probe.

Ill keep trying and fingers crossed Ill find it soon (will have to put a big cross in permanent market pen when I find the right spot)....

Im off on holiday in a couple of weeks and wont be having my 20 weeks scan until I get back so would just love some reassurance before I go that everythings ok, so I can relax and enjoy my jollies!!

 

[reallyoldmum]

Ellie dont panic - I have had my doppler for weeks now and although I have been able to hear my own heartbeat and lots of woshing its only been the last week I've actually found the baby's - with mine if you go down from my tummy button in a line to the pelvic bone and then a little to the left I find my own heartbeat - just slight to the left of that (and only very slightly) if I push down hard and at an angle I can pick up the LO's heartbeat sometimes. When I had my NT Scan they told me not even to try until 16 weeks!!

Oh yes and it works better if its fully charged and I use lots of gel.....

Good luck

Jane x

 

[chickadee1976]

I heard LO's heartbeat last week for the first time at my midwife appointment.
The midwife even said not to worry if she couldnt find it becaause its hard to hear at that stage, and shes experienced doing it.

 

[CH0C0H0LIC]

Took me ages to find James heartbeat with my doppler because of my size (big gal lol) but I used to be happy enough just to listen to my placenta making the swooshing noise!

I now use it more to hear him kicking as I don't always feel the kicks so if i'm having a less battered day I use it to check movements and kicks, which is cool.

I think I was almost 20w before I got a heartbeat on my doppler tbh.

Good luck and don't worry!

Sarah xxx

 

[sally12]

Oh yes and it works better if its fully charged and I use lots of gel.....

Good luck

Jane x

Yes, dont hold back on the gel, it really helps! Good luck

 

[*CLAIREBEAR*]

try really low down almost near your pubic hair line!
i found my babys at 11 weeks with my doppler (an angelsounds one!),the heartbeat is alot lower then you would imagine!
its unmistakable when you find it as its alot stronger then your own!
good luck!

 

[Julie84]

Ill keep trying and fingers crossed Ill find it soon (will have to put a big cross in permanent market pen when I find the right spot)....

I wouldn't count on baby being in the same place the next time if you did draw a cross - they are little monkeys for moving about! My mw found baby's at 16 weeks but he was jumping about so much she could only get a few seconds at a time. The sonographer says baby is a right fidget bum too!

 

[EllieBelle]

Ill keep trying and fingers crossed Ill find it soon (will have to put a big cross in permanent market pen when I find the right spot)....

I wouldn't count on baby being in the same place the next time if you did draw a cross - they are little monkeys for moving about! My mw found baby's at 16 weeks but he was jumping about so much she could only get a few seconds at a time. The sonographer says baby is a right fidget bum too!

I can see me ending up like a large noughts and crosses board.........with more crosses than noughts

 

[lisaspoon]

I agree with the others..lots of gel helps the conduction!

Also I found I had to press quite hard and sometimes it was quite faint.....

Dont worry,..... you will find it

 

[valleygirl24]

Ive been advised to try it with a full bladder, presume it will echo the sounds better.

 

[EllieBelle]

I FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Im so so pleased now

Thanks so much for all your tips, it was a lot lot lower than I thought, slightly to the left (if you take the belly button as central) and almost on my pubic bone its so low!!! Bought one of the cheap ones with an LCD and tiglets heart beat is 143bpm.......

I cant stop smiling now

 

[Bexie]

Ooh exciting. They say a lower heartbeat indicates a boy

If I remember rightly below 150 BPM a boy and above a girl. Are you going to find out the sex?

 

[Julie84]

Ooh how exciting - so pleased for you! They are low aren't they. When baby is fidgetnig it does feel like he is trying to burrow out sometimes!

 

[Steelgoddess]

Glad you found it, it is hard to find and remember baby has space to run off and play you can't catch me mum!

 

[Melly+2]

thats wierd that as i can only find my bubs heart beat near my belly button, just below can never find it that low now, glad you found it hun

 

[glittergirl]

So pleased you found it.

xxxx