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Is it possible to listen to the fetal heartbeat at home? How can you hear the fetal heartbeat at home? Home listening options

I'll tell you the backstory.
Last summer my son suffered from pneumonia. A mild form, a small area (as the doctor put it), the temperature was 37 and 5 on the first day, 36 and 9 on the second, then 36 and 6. By the way, I immediately had a cough, but it was somehow strange and not the same as usual, that I immediately rushed to the doctor and she sent us for an x-ray, then we went to the hospital. It doesn’t seem to be a big deal, but now every acute respiratory infection I’m afraid it’s pneumonia. And our local doctor is a big fan of antibiotics. I usually refuse, but sometimes she persuades me using intimidation) I try not to go to the clinic again. Now my son is sick again, last night he began to cough with great difficulty, out of fear I gave him an antibiotic and today we went to the clinic. Our doctor was replaced by another. She said that there was no need to give an antibiotic, there was nothing wrong, the lungs were clean.
Our doctor usually prescribes antibiotics right away. And when he listens, he almost always hears something. For example, if the cough is about to start and it turns out to be a kind of wheezing in the chest, but then there is free coughing, she begins to lament that oh-oh, what a terrible cough. This kind of cough doesn’t scare me, but I’m still not a doctor, I don’t know what it’s like “inside”, but I don’t trust the doctor completely either.
Now I would like to ask you, mommy, if anyone uses a phonendoscope at home on their own? I googled it, it seems like it’s quite possible, especially when you practice on a specific person and you get used to their breathing and begin to understand it.
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The heart rate of a baby as it develops in the womb is an important indicator. It allows you to find out about the state of his health and assess the degree of its development with high accuracy. The fetal heartbeat is calculated week by week by an experienced doctor using special medical equipment. Already in the third trimester, the expectant mother can independently listen to and count her baby’s heart rate.

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Formation time

As a rule, fetal heartbeat appears within 30 days after successful implantation. The fact is that of all organs, the heart is one of the first to form. Its formation occurs already from 21 days after conception. At 3-4 weeks, the heart muscle is a small hollow tube, which, however, is already capable of contraction. It becomes a full-fledged four-chamber organ at the 8th week of pregnancy.

To hear the heartbeat, a woman needs to visit an ultrasound specialist.

Note! Determine heart rate at early stages only possible using a transvaginal sensor.

Starting from the third month of pregnancy, examinations can already be performed abdominally.

The number of contractions during normal childbearing should be at least 80-100 and no more than 200 in one minute.

The time when the fetal heart begins to beat is usually the same for all women.

However, if at the first time it was not possible to hear it, but the fertilized egg in the uterus is visualized, you should not get upset prematurely.

The fact is that the period of conception may be set incorrectly and the heart muscle has not yet had time to fully formed. The doctor will definitely prescribe a repeat test in 7-14 days. When the fetal heartbeat is heard on an ultrasound, we can confidently say that pregnancy is not frozen.

It is worth noting that during the first ultrasound examination, the doctor may not hear what kind of heartbeat the embryo has if the study is performed on an old device. Therefore, it is best for a woman to go to a good clinic with high-quality medical equipment and experienced specialists.

When can you hear a heartbeat? As a rule, in the middle of the second month after implantation, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin reaches 7200 IU/l. With this indicator, you can already see the fertilized egg in the uterine cavity, and distinguish the beating of the heart muscle that is not yet fully formed. Knowing at what hCG the heartbeat is heard, you can choose the right day to visit the doctor, who, using modern equipment, will confirm pregnancy.

It is important to measure heart rate within first trimester. The fact is that it is in the first three months that congenital defects can occur in the embryo. As a rule, pathology appears due to bad habits expectant mother, taking antibiotics, hereditary predisposition, severe stress and infectious diseases.

To try to prevent abnormal heart development in a child, it is recommended plan conception in advance. A few months before pregnancy, you should completely get rid of bad habits, stop taking medications that can be toxic to the baby, eliminate coffee and tea from your diet, and try not to be nervous or worry about anything.

Measurement methods

The fetal heart rate is measured using modern hardware methods, which include

  1. Ultrasound is one of the most common ways to determine the duration of pregnancy, the size of the baby, examine the heart muscle and listen to its tones. You can already listen to the frequency of contractions on an ultrasound examination at 5-7 obstetric week . When the fetal heartbeat is heard on an ultrasound for the first time, the woman feels true happiness, since she is now sure that the baby is developing normally.
  2. A stethoscope is a medical device that can be used not only by specialists, but also by people without medical education. A stereoscope can be used closer to the third trimester.
  3. Cardiography to determine whether the heart muscle is working properly. With high accuracy, this method can detect oxygen starvation, thanks to which the doctor is able to take the necessary measures in a timely manner. The first time is carried out in the middle of the third trimester . Cardiography may be prescribed earlier. This is done if other hardware examination methods have given dubious results.
  4. Echocardiography is one of the highly informative methods of ultrasound examination. Echocardiography is prescribed at 18-28 weeks, if the doctor suspects that the embryo has developed a heart muscle defect.

Each of the above methods is informative and highly accurate. Hardware research methods not only make it possible to calculate the fetal heartbeat by week, but also to promptly identify abnormalities in the development of the embryo.

Can you feel the beat through your stomach?

Regardless of the stage of pregnancy, a woman can't feel the heartbeat of the unborn baby.

What she mistakes for heartbeats is only the pulsation of her own aorta, which occurs as a result of increased pressure in this vessel.

A surge in blood pressure occurs due to serious hormonal changes occurring in the female body.

If a woman feels through the stomach something similar to a heartbeat, it is imperative to contact a gynecologist, who, after a thorough examination, can refer her for a consultation with an experienced cardiologist.

Is it possible to hear the fetal heartbeat yourself at home? It is quite difficult to do this without the help of specialized medical equipment. Fortunately, today you can purchase devices that will allow you to hear the heartbeat of your long-awaited and already beloved baby already in the third trimester.

How can you listen to the beat yourself?

If you are interested in how to listen to the fetal heartbeat at home, you should know that you can do this early impossible on your own. In the first and second trimesters, this can only be done by a specialist using special equipment.

Popular methods for listening to the fetal heartbeat at home:

  • Fetal Doppler, which can be used from the second trimester. This ultrasonic detector provides sufficient exact result. However, the cost of such a device is high.
  • Starting from the third trimester, the expectant mother can independently listen to the baby’s heartbeat using a stethoscope. However, in some cases this cannot be done. For example, hearing the frequency of the beats may be difficult due to a thick layer of fat on the mother's abdomen or a large belly.

All of the above devices are absolutely harmless to the embryo. However, the baby often feels the radiation emanating from the device and always tries to move away from its rays. If a woman feels the baby is restless, it is best to postpone the measurement until the baby calms down. The measurement time should not exceed 10 minutes. Longer use of the device causes stress in the child.

Norm

The frequency of the rhythms directly depends on the period of gestation of the child. Modern doctors have established normal heart rate fetus by week, which allows you to control the development of the embryo.

The fetal heart rate by week is presented in the following table.

Why is it important to know what the normal fetal heart rate is by week?

The fact is that having seen deviations in the child’s heart rate in a timely manner, can be warned spontaneous miscarriage and the development of a dangerous illness in the embryo.

However, with a slight deviation, the diagnosis is usually not made.

Too much fast beat heart in the embryo may be associated with:

  • Severe stress experienced by the expectant mother.
  • Chronic.
  • Lack of oxygen in rooms where the expectant mother often spends her time.
  • Anemia.

A mandatory point during childbirth is to measure the baby’s heart rate, since during delivery the baby experiences severe stress and lack of oxygen. The runout rate is 140 beats per minute. However, in some cases this figure can reach 160.

Important! By monitoring the frequency of contractions, the doctor can determine when placental abruption occurs or notice compression of the umbilical cord.

Useful video: fetal heartbeat by week

Conclusion

Thus, at 5-7 weeks of pregnancy, when the fetal heart begins to beat, you can begin to monitor the development of the unborn child. The fetal heart rate should be measured throughout the entire period of waiting for the baby and even during labor. Thanks to regular visits to the doctor and knowledge of what week the heartbeat appears, you can promptly prevent spontaneous miscarriage and the appearance of any pathology in the embryo.

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Young mothers listen to their body and analyze all the changes that occur in it. The first signs of pregnancy, especially if a woman is carrying a child for the first time, are very important and everyone experiences these feelings with a degree of joy. The baby's heartbeat indicates his vitality, organ function and health. That is why many expectant mothers are interested in the question: how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? Is it even possible to do this and how not to harm the child? We will answer this and other questions that concern future parents.

Why is it important to listen to the work of the heart?

First, let’s determine: why do you need to regularly listen to the baby’s heartbeat? Is it necessary? What does it mean? There are several reasons why this is absolutely necessary:

  1. Confirmation of pregnancy. What time can you hear the fetal heartbeat for the first time? This can be done at 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, just when the expectant mother goes for an ultrasound for the first time. It is at this stage of development that the heart forms and begins to beat actively. If there is no knock, this indicates the absence ovum, and therefore pregnancy. Silence also indicates a frozen pregnancy, when the fetus stops developing and dies.
  2. Assessment of the child's health and condition. Throughout pregnancy, starting from the first study, the baby's heart is regularly monitored. If the heart function is constantly high, even at rest, this indicates placental insufficiency. The opposite situation indicates a deterioration in the child’s condition and gradual death.
  3. Child development and diagnostics of parameters during labor. During the period of delivery, it is necessary to constantly listen to the baby’s heartbeat, because in the process there is a lack of oxygen and strong pressure on the fetus. The heart and blood vessels throughout the body are under heavy load, which is why it is so important to listen to the heartbeat to prevent hypoxia in the child.

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, as well as other deviations in the development of the baby’s organs.
  • 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.

Fetal Doppler

How to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? Let's put the Doppler in first place, which is the most common device. It can be used from the 12th week of pregnancy, purchased at the pharmacy. Completely released different models- from simple to advanced. The first option involves listening to the heartbeat using headphones in which the number of beats can be heard. The device consists of:

  • from the display, which in new models is color, in simple copies it is not at all;
  • a speaker that conducts sound and processes it, bringing it to the ears of parents;
  • battery, which allows the device to operate for up to 15 hours.

The device allows you to hear the fetal heartbeat at home quickly and clearly, but many people wonder about its effect on the child. There is no reason to worry, so you can safely use the device without worrying that it will cause harm. The difficulty is that the child can feel the operation of the device and change the location, which will change the indicators and affect the result.

Phonendoscope

Surely every family has such a device lying around at home; many have it left over from their grandmothers, because they used to listen to the pulse when measuring blood pressure, when the devices were still mechanical. Time passes, technologies change and the question arises: is it possible to hear the fetal heartbeat using a phonendoscope? Of course, you can, it is an analogue of an obstetric stethoscope, which, by the way, can also be purchased at a pharmacy. Both devices are easy to use; you just need to apply them to the surface of the abdomen. The difficulty lies in the fact that in addition to the work of the child’s heart, there are other sounds - contractions of the uterus, the work of the intestines, or the work of the mother’s heart. It is very difficult to count the number and rhythm of contractions; you need help and qualifications, which are often not available.

Using the method manually

The most common question from expectant parents is: is it possible to hear the fetal heartbeat with your ear? It is possible, but it is absolutely impossible to talk about specific indicators and the accuracy of the results. If the expectant mother has excess weight, then the heartbeat will probably not be heard. Another difficulty is that you need to listen at a certain point, it cannot be determined in general, it is individual and depends on the child’s location:

  • If the child is lying upside down, then you need to listen below the navel.
  • If the child is positioned at the level of the pelvis, then listening occurs above the navel.
  • If the pregnancy is multiple, then knocking can be heard at different points.

What to do if you can't hear your heartbeat?

Don't worry ahead of time. We have determined how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home, but let us remind you that all methods are inaccurate. Therefore, the child’s heartbeat may not be heard. There are several reasons for this phenomenon:

  • excess weight of the mother, in which the fat layer interferes with hearing and creates interference;
  • the baby's membrane is attached to the back wall of the uterus, while listening through the abdomen becomes worse;
  • The child's activity and constant change of location also affect audibility.

When should you count the rhythm?

There are cases when it is necessary to constantly monitor the child’s heart function. In such situations, it is necessary to listen daily:

  1. Mother's illness that leads to oxygen starvation child.
  2. Increased tone The uterus compresses the placenta and impairs blood circulation, resulting in the fetus receiving little nutrients and oxygen.
  3. Bloody discharge and the presence of menstruation during pregnancy at any stage. Discharge may indicate placental abruption, so the dynamics of the heartbeat are monitored daily.
  4. Anemia expectant mother, in which the hemoglobin level is low, so the fetus needs more useful elements.

Listening to the heartbeat of your unborn baby for the first time is an important, significant moment for any mother. How to listen at home? At what time does this become possible? These are the questions that concern all women expecting the birth of a child.

Why is it necessary to monitor fetal heart rate?

The tiny heart of the fetus performs the most important functions: it transports nutrients and oxygen throughout the developing body; the slightest disturbance in its functioning can lead to serious complications in the future.

The number of heartbeats helps indirectly detect problems at an early stage of development. These include:

  • disorders in organ development;
  • pathologies of placental development;
  • fetal hypoxia;
  • pathology of membrane development.

An incorrect rhythm indicates a problem that can only be dealt with by a qualified doctor. Frequent or slow beats are an alarming signal for a pregnant woman.

Any woman expecting a child should know about the norms of the embryo's heartbeat relative to the timing of pregnancy in order to compare them with the indicators obtained by measuring at home.

Pathologies in which it is necessary to constantly monitor the heart rate of the unborn baby:

When can you hear the first heartbeats?

The first heart sounds can be heard already in the early stages of fetal development. Using an ultrasound machine (using an abdominal sensor), the doctor can listen to the heartbeat in the fifth week of pregnancy; using a vaginal sensor allows one to recognize the beats in the third week, almost immediately after the first heartbeats of the embryo.

The frequency of the beats varies depending on the timing:

  • from the sixth to the eighth week it does not exceed 130 beats per minute;
  • up to the eleventh week it can increase to almost 200 beats per minute;
  • later fluctuates in the range from 140 to 160 beats per minute.

In the middle of the term, you can easily listen to the baby’s heartbeats yourself, using different techniques.

Ways to listen to your baby's heartbeat

A woman expecting a child should definitely visit a doctor who will monitor the proper development of the pregnancy.


A qualified specialist will explain to the expectant mother when the first heartbeats of the unborn baby can be heard, and what listening methods should be used at home.

IN antenatal clinic Gynecologists often listen using special equipment already in the early stages of pregnancy to eliminate possible errors and pathologies.

The first listening should be done in the antenatal clinic, where the doctor will be able to explain in detail how to listen to the fetal heartbeat, what heart rate norms exist at different dates How to perform the procedure yourself.

Ways to listen to the heart at the doctor.

  1. Fetal Doppler.

You can listen to the first sound of a small heart at a doctor’s appointment if you use a device called a “fetal doppler.” This is a device created on the basis of sound waves that enhance the beating of the embryo's heart.

The examination is carried out as follows: the expectant mother takes a vertical position on the examination table, the specialist brings a special sensor to the woman’s stomach, and moves the device over it with light movements.

The procedure is completely harmless to the fetus, precise and painless. You can hear the heartbeat using the device in the early stages of pregnancy; the heart rate of the unborn baby can be clearly heard after the ninth week.

In the early stages, you can hear the heartbeat using ultrasound; such a consultation is prescribed in cases where there are certain risks for the woman or baby. At proper development pregnancy ultrasound is prescribed for more later.

The development of pregnancy begins from the moment the egg is fertilized by a sperm. After conception, on the 21st day, the embryo’s brain and bone marrow are formed, and by the 5th week the fetal heartbeat is already audible.

Why and when are heart beats measured?

Often expectant mothers are interested in how long this check is needed. On days 14-21 of pregnancy, a heart is formed, initially similar in shape to a tube.

By the middle of the 2nd month, a septum is formed between the atria, and the organ becomes three-chambered. Then the heartbeat first appears as a pulsation.

Listening to it allows you to:

  • verify the fact of pregnancy;
  • assess the condition of the unborn child.

The baby's heartbeat is used to monitor the baby during labor. When listening to an organ, the dynamics of development can be traced, which helps to avoid negative aspects.

It is the heartbeat that is an indicator of the child’s vitality and changes in any unfavorable situation.

When you can hear your heartbeat

By the end of 4-5 weeks, when examined with an ultrasound diagnostic device, the heart rhythm of the embryo can be heard. But even earlier, on the 21st day, a specialist detects contractions of the heart, which is the size of a poppy seed, during a diagnostic examination using a transvaginal sensor.

A little later, at 6-7 weeks, a beating can be heard during a transabdominal ultrasound examination.

Norm of strikes by deadline

One of the most important criteria for the good condition of the fetus is the compliance of heart contractions with physiological norms. They are shown in the table by week of baby development.

As the embryo grows, the rate of impacts changes. Listening to the rhythm, the doctor pays attention to the heart rate (HR), whose acceleration or deceleration often indicates the presence of pathology.

Normal beats are rhythmic, neither rapid nor infrequent. In addition, there should be no extraneous noise, and the heartbeat can be heard clearly.

Ways and methods of listening

The doctor determines the fetal heartbeat in several ways, the choice of which depends on the purpose of the examination and the stage of pregnancy.

  1. Auscultation is based on the use of an obstetric stethoscope, the simplest and most common device used in ancient times and which is a hollow tube, one end of which is wider than the other. With its help, the heartbeat can be heard no earlier than 18 weeks. If the expectant mother is obese, there are any abnormalities in the course of pregnancy (little or polyhydramnios, the position of the placenta on the anterior uterine wall), it is almost impossible to determine the fetal heart rate using a stethoscope.
  2. Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) allows you to hear the heartbeat in the early stages of pregnancy, when other methods are ineffective. In addition to the heartbeat, it allows you to evaluate the development of almost the entire baby’s body.. In the second half of pregnancy, an ultrasound scan determines where the heart is located in the chest. The use of a four-chamber slice technique allows one to discern the correct structure of the cardiac ventricles and atria, which makes it possible to identify congenital pathologies of the organ at an early stage.
  3. Cardiotocography (CTG) is a method in which the heart rate is recorded on film, while uterine contractions are determined. The use of the latest devices equipped with special sensors makes it possible to analyze the activity of the fetus, and sound devices enable the woman to hear the baby’s heartbeat. The method is used at the beginning of the second half (21 weeks) of pregnancy.
  4. Echocardiography is used from the 18th to the 28th week if there are suspicions of abnormalities in the development of the cardiovascular system. The method shows the structure of the organ and blood flow. The results of the study are recorded, and in the future the image can be enlarged on the monitor for more detailed examination and analysis.

In a critical situation, when serious pathologies are suspected and a detailed study of cardiac activity is necessary, cardiointervalography is used. All data goes to a computer where it is carried out full analysis obtained indicators.

How to listen to the heartbeat

To determine the normal heart rate of the fetus, the beating of the organ is listened to in different ways:

  1. Using the auscultation method, applying a stethoscope with a wide funnel to the belly of a pregnant woman. Through the opposite end, the doctor listens to the heartbeat and evaluates the fetal behavior. The beat is heard through the abdominal wall, while the woman is on the couch in a supine position. With this procedure, an experienced doctor is able to recognize the position of the baby's body in the uterine cavity. Using this method, the doctor distinguishes the nature of the blows - clear or dull. In the first case, no deviations from the norm are observed, in the second, fetal hypoxia is possible.
  2. During ultrasound, heart rate is assessed using special sensors, and the image is displayed on a computer monitor.
  3. The cardiography method allows you to listen to the heart rate of the embryo, as with ultrasound, using sensors located on the pregnant woman’s abdomen. All information is recorded on a special film and output to a printer. The process lasts at least 40-60 minutes, depending on the activity of the baby - he is moving or in a sleeping state, which affects the heart rate readings. According to the doctor's decision, the sensors are left on the surface of the abdomen and beyond. long time, for example, for a day. To ensure reliable information, the pregnant woman should lie on her side so that the uterus does not put pressure on the vena cava located underneath it. The device is equipped with a special remote control, which is in the hands of the pregnant woman, and she herself presses the button when she feels the baby moving. This makes it possible to determine which disturbances in rhythm occurred during the period of activity, and which ones occurred during the period of fetal rest.
  4. Listening using echocardiography is an examination in which all attention is focused only on analyzing the functioning of the cardiac system. It uses the usual two-dimensional viewing and other options - Doppler mode, one-dimensional. Typically, such a study is prescribed if the pregnant woman is over 38 years old, has cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, there are children with congenital defect heart, there are suspicions of a delay in embryo development.

All these methods make it possible to adequately assess the fetal cardiac system, and every woman should undergo the necessary examination as directed by a doctor.

Reasons for deviations

Sometimes some violations are heard that do not correspond to the generally accepted norm. Additional examinations are prescribed to determine the factors that caused negative deviations. Some of them provoke a rapid heartbeat, others cause a slow pace.

Reasons for causing the rhythm to be too fast (more than 200 beats/min):

  • presence of anemia;
  • low hemoglobin level in a child;
  • placental insufficiency, disturbance of uterine blood flow;
  • placental abruption causing bleeding;
  • inflammatory processes in the amniotic membranes;
  • high intracranial pressure, fetal hypoxia.

Taking certain medications by a pregnant woman, the presence of high temperature from the expectant mother.

Factors leading to slow beating:

  • high potassium content in maternal blood, which can cause bradycardia;
  • a pregnant woman lying on her back for a long time (for example, medical indications), which causes compression of the inferior vena cava;
  • formation of a knot on the umbilical cord or its compression.

A muffled heartbeat indicates placental insufficiency, low or polyhydramnios. This is possible if the fetus lies in an inverted position (buttocks forward), if the mother is obese.

Sometimes the rhythm is not heard.

If this is observed in the first 3 months of pregnancy, which happens most often, then the doctor diagnoses a non-developing pregnancy.

When undergoing an ultrasound, situations are possible when the presence of a fertilized egg is detected, but there is no heartbeat, which indicates the absence of an embryo (it died much earlier), and this is called “anembryony.”

The absence of strokes in the later stages (by the 19th week) indicates intrauterine death of the fetus, which is the reason for artificial birth.

Difference in heart rate at different times

Deviation of fetal heartbeats from accepted standards indicates the risk of developing pathology. A rapid heartbeat up to 9 weeks indicates both the restless state of the woman herself and the occurrence of hypoxia in the baby, which provokes various complications - pathologies and malformations in the development of the child, the umbilical cord or the placenta.

A weak heartbeat in the early stages often indicates a threat of premature termination of pregnancy. A similar condition in the second half of gestation indicates prolonged hypoxia of the baby.

A slow heart rate (maximum 120 beats per minute) occurs after tachycardia, and often this condition is the reason for urgent surgical delivery.

Listening to heart rate at home

The expectant mother is able to independently listen to the baby’s heartbeat at home if she is not able to go to the clinic or for additional monitoring.

Often, when pregnant women feel a pulsation in the lower back or stomach, they mistake it for a heartbeat. But in fact this speaks of high blood pressure in the aorta, provoked by hormonal changes during pregnancy. It is impossible to feel the blows simply by placing your hand on your stomach; special means are needed for this.

  1. The use of an obstetric stethoscope or a conventional phonendoscope will be effective no earlier than 22 weeks. A pregnant woman should try to distinguish the heart rhythm from extraneous noises and sounds generated in the abdominal cavity and uterus. Due to the fact that the baby's beats are almost twice as frequent as the mother's, she will have to simultaneously read her pulse. It is impossible to do this alone, therefore, an assistant is needed.
  2. Purchase of a special device - fetal doppler. It is a portable ultrasound detector that works on the CTG principle, but does not produce a graphic image. Using headphones (included), you can hear your baby's heartbeat. The sensor can be used from 2 months until birth.

When normal, the knocking sound is clearly audible from the left or right side under the navel, depending on which way the baby’s back is turned. When placed transversely, the rhythm is felt at the level of the navel or on one of the sides - right or left of it. When the fetus is in the breech position, the heartbeat is clearly audible above the navel.

When multiple pregnancy heart rate is determined in different parts of the uterus.

It is especially convenient to use this method for your spouse, placing your ear to your stomach. But this method will not be effective if the pregnant woman has a significant layer of fat on her stomach.

Is it possible to find out the sex of a baby by heart rate?

There is an opinion among mothers that it is possible to recognize gender by heartbeat. There is a version that the heartbeat in boys is more rhythmic and clearer than in girls, in whom it is more chaotic and does not coincide in rhythm with their mother’s.

According to others traditional methods, rhythm helps determine gender - boy or girl. Boys can clearly hear the blows from the right, and girls can hear them from the left.

Traditional medicine, based on scientific data, refutes all such methods that supposedly make it possible to determine the sex of the baby.

The rhythm is influenced by many factors: the level of health of the mother, the duration of pregnancy, the development of the embryo, the position of the fetus in the uterine cavity. But none of them indicates the gender of the unborn child.

Importance and purpose of heart rate control

Monitoring the heartbeat is very important, since it is this indicator that allows you to assess the development of the fetus, its viability, and see the overall picture of its body and health, because the negative changes that appear affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the heart rate is controlled throughout the nine months of pregnancy, during labor and childbirth.