Doppler-- driving me mad!

[Sarah20109]

Anyone out there find baby's heartbeat with the doppler later rather than sooner? I have the Sonolineb and started trying to find the heartbeat at 8+5. I've only tried to find it three times all together but I've just had another go and STILL can't find it. I've read loads of posts with women who find it as early as 7 weeks! I had an ultrasound done at 7+3 and saw baby's heartbeat then. I don't have another appointment until the 15th. I'll be in a state of complete paranoia by then. I bought this dumb doppler for reassurance. Seems it's doing more harm than good now!

 

[Mummafrog]

I have the angelsounds one so it is not as powerful, but I couldn't find mine till 12 weeks. It can be to do with technique, not knowing what you're looking for, weight, position of placenta etc etc, so try not to worry too much. Remember just how tiny the foetal heart is at 9 weeks! And it is buried deep into the pelvis so your doppler has to be strong enough to send the ultrasound waves under the pelvic bone and reach the baby.
People who find it that early seem to say have the doppler at the line where your pubic bone ends and then angle it under the pubic bone towards the baby, find the wooshing sounds of the placenta and then move the doppler really slowly to different angles. It takes a lot of patience at 9 weeks hehe.
I think I couldn't find mine because I have a slightly tilted uterus, so that could be another reason.
All the same hope you find it soon, just don't worry if you don't!

 

[mara16jade]

I started searching during week 7. I finally found the heartbeat at 8w5d and that day it took me 45 mins. to find it. The next day it took me another 30 mins. to find it. And after that it got a little easier and now I can find it in under a minute.

For me at 8w5d, I found the HB about a 1/2 inch above my pubic bone. I started searching from left to right and I'd move soooooo s-l-o-w-l-y. At EACH spot I'd angle the wand in all directions before moving to another location. As soon as you hear the placenta heartbeat (should be slower) and you might here a wind/wooshing sound, you should be close to the baby.

Now at over 12 weeks the baby is midway between my pubic bone and my belly button.

Start in the evening when you're relaxed and have a pretty full bladder. Don't be afraid to press firmly (like pretty hard). And use plenty of gel.

 

[pandi77]

Agree with mara16jade on everything. I was looking too high at first(12weeks). I had to go just a hair above my pubic bone and aim the wand down so that it was pointed almost behind my pubic bone! Baby was waay down there. I started dead center like this and moved very slowly while just ever so slightly changing the angle of the wand but still pointing mostly down.

I finally found it and it was fast like a train but didn't register beats per minute on my sonoline b. it can be confusing because on either side if your uterus there are major arteries and you can get your own pulse if you aim too far left or right. Even when I did find it I can lose it just as easy by simply inhaling and my abdomen would rise-exhale and there it is again lol. Now I can find it straight away so it does get easier.