should i be worried about this?

[tink28]

i hired a doppler which arrived tuesday and after a good hour of trying with it, the only HB i could find was my own.

i was initially really worried and had a bit of a breakdown, but after reading some stuff online i reassured myself that its not always easy to find at 15 weeks and that chances are everything was fine. i returned it the next day as didnt want to keep it for a month and be tempted to use it again and make myself more anxious.

anyway went onto ebay to leave feedback for it and there are loads of positive comments from people saying how great the doppler was and how they found the HB so easily, some as early as 10 weeks. not one person had commented that they were unable to find it like me. it was a professional model, hi bebe.

this has now worried me all over again and im convinced something has gone wrong. i have a MW appt on monday so will mention it then but ive heard they dont normally check for HB at 16 week appt now. so i guess i will have to wait til my next scan for reassurance, which will be a private one at 19 weeks, cant afford another one before then.

am i worrying for nothing? sorry but u ladies are the only ones i can talk to

 

[frsttimemommy]

don't worry honey. i have a doppler and at 32 weeks i still can't find the darn heartbeat! but i can hear him kick anywho, i wouldn't trust dopplers you buy offline, unless of course it's like a hospital model! i wouldn't worry too much. i didn't hear Trystin's HB till 16 weeks and he was perfectly fine. don't stress yourself out!

 

[tink28]

thank u hun- just stressing as everyone seems to have found it with this model apart from me!

 

[frsttimemommy]

don't always believe them though. for the longest time i thought i was hearing his, turned out it was mine! or it was him just moving around. when i finally do find it, it's extremely faint and sort of sounds like a horse galloping around! they say to try it 3-4 hrs after you eat, be relaxed and be in a very quiet room.

 

[Aunty E]

Wher are you looking for it? And it can be difficult to find if your placenta is in the way. I think I've got another high anterior placenta as I can still only find the HB right down on my pubic bone. I don't know what the sound controls are like on yours, but you need to have the sound turned right up on mine to hear anything and use TONS of ultrasound gel, it really does make a difference. If you go hunting again, look right down on your pubic bone and press in firmly, not enought to hurt of course, and move around really slowly. My baby's HB and Imogen's, were always under my knicker line until I was around 20 weeks.

 

[miss h]

Hi there - I bought a second hand Hi Bebe bt200 doppler on ebay. Because I had read so many doppler posts here I knew that it could take ages to find the heartbeat and I was prepared to be disapointed.

At 16 weeks I was lucky and found it within 10 minutes. HOWEVER, what I have noticed is that when the baby is active the heartbeat is only audible in the same location for about 30 seconds and then moves. It is literally a case of chasing the baby. I try nearly everyday, sometimes I can find it easily, other times I give up because it takes too long. I was also surprised at how low down baby is still (right near the pubic bone).

BTW - it took my midwife a lot longer to find the heartbeat!

Please don't worry - I am sure everything is fine and that the baby is just being shy!

 

[katy1310]

Don't worry The heartbeat can be really hard to find. I always found that I had to look much lower than I expected - right down at the bikini line and I had to angle the doppler and also press quite hard till I found it. I always used to find away down at the very left side right down by the pubic bone.

The thing that helped me find it was looking at videos on You Tube - helped me to know what I was looking for. I was still never 100% convinced I'd found it but DH always insisted that was it!

 

[Jojo-Mummy]

I didnt find mine until 16 weeks, everyone is different and bubs has a lot of room to move about x

 

[EmyDra]

I thought midwives always checked for heartbeat at 16 weeks? That was basically all that happened at my 16 weeks appointment!
I never got a doppler because it would only worry me, the midwives warned me not to be alarmed if they couldn't find a heartbeat at 16 weeks so goodness knows if I could've found it!
Try and relax and restict yourself on how much you use it as you'll only freak out even more.

 

[tink23]

hun don't worry about it the baby was probably lying in the wrong direction or somethin. I sometimes can't find bubs heartbeat straight away, it might've been an idea to keep it a little longer and try again. I normally have to havea full bladder to find it. Don't worry hun I'm sure all is fine

 

[Fabby]

Dont worry, I have borrowed a friends and a bit like someone else said, sometimes i am not convinced i have found it but my husband says i have. I haven't used it much but the last 2 times when i 'think' i have found the hb it as only lasted for like 10-15 seconds and then i have just switched it off so that i am not searching for ages again. My womb is tilted back so would be difficult to get anyway. My mw insisted for me not to get a doppler because of the very reason of if ever i couldn't find it. I actually want to give this doppler back because now i know it can cause unneccessary stress. xx

 

[pinkycat]

Iv got the hi bebe one. I find it very hit and miss, one day i find it really easily then the other day i couldn't find anything for 3days, then found it instantly when i next tried
My midwife warned me not to get one and said if i couldn't find it not to worry xx

 

[tink28]

aww thank u so much ladies u have really helped reassure me, dont know what id do without this forum!
auntye- i did try quite low down as my consultant had found it the day before at my appt so i looked in the same place which was right below my knicker line like u said. it was a wooshing noise and definite heartbeat but was only 98bpm as i had a doppler with lcd display. i wondered if the display was wrong so i counted it myself but it was right so i knew that must be me not baby. i tried all over after that following most of the advice id heard but nothing i know it sounds crazy to say this about a consultant but i think it was my HB he found as he literally only listened to 2 or 3 beats and took it off, and it sounded exactly the same as what I found.
emydra- im not sure if all midwives check for the HB at the 16 wk appt now, this is my 1st pregnancy so i didnt know but there was a thread on here where a lot of ladies said it didnt happen at their 16 wk appt,basically cos of the stress caused if they couldnt find it because it can be hard to find at 16 wks. which kind of gave me some reassurance about me not being able to find it but im still a worrier
thanks again everyone

 

[brunette&bubs]

Don't worry, dopplers are pretty tricky.
I started using mine at 8+5 and after about 9 weeks I have been able to find the heartbeat within 2-3 minutes because he/she is still laying in the same spot.
The key to the doppler is taking a good amount of time to just search for the heartbeat. Then once you find it never forgot where you found it because you will be able to find it easier from then on.
They can lay in the weirdest spots too...mine is SOOO far over to the left side like practically on the bikini line.
I always do mine just when waking up, no food maybe some water. Make sure you don't go to the bathroom, keep your bladder full.
Use TONS of the gel on your belly too!
Were you able to hear the placenta by chance? I always hear that first then I know the heartbeat is near.
Lately, when I pick up the babys h/b it also mixes with the placenta sounds and sounds CRAZY.
Don't stress, it takes practice. but once you get it, you will be able to find it everytime

 

[Mizze]

Wher are you looking for it? And it can be difficult to find if your placenta is in the way. I think I've got another high anterior placenta as I can still only find the HB right down on my pubic bone. I don't know what the sound controls are like on yours, but you need to have the sound turned right up on mine to hear anything and use TONS of ultrasound gel, it really does make a difference. If you go hunting again, look right down on your pubic bone and press in firmly, not enought to hurt of course, and move around really slowly. My baby's HB and Imogen's, were always under my knicker line until I was around 20 weeks.

Don't worry The heartbeat can be really hard to find. I always found that I had to look much lower than I expected - right down at the bikini line and I had to angle the doppler and also press quite hard till I found it. I always used to find away down at the very left side right down by the pubic bone.

The thing that helped me find it was looking at videos on You Tube - helped me to know what I was looking for. I was still never 100% convinced I'd found it but DH always insisted that was it!

hun don't worry bout it the baby was probably lying in the wrong direction or somethin. I sometimes can't find bubs heartbeat straight away, it might've been an idea to keep it a little longer and try again. I normally have to havea full bladder to find it. Don't worry hun I'm sure all is fine

Can I second what the ladies have said
1) The HB will most likely be on your knicker line - I always try mine on my hair line (tmi!) when I first got my angelsounds at 15 weeks I couldnt find the HB either - from various threads I knew it could be hard to find so I posted on here and got some great advice.
2) Turn the sound RIGHT up

3) Use LOADS of gel

4) DO NOT PANIC! The reason SOME midwives dont look for it at 16 weeks is because if they cant find it (with their medical grade dopplers) they dont want to worry the Mums - some people do find it ridiculously early but mainly they dont. The baby is still very small and has LOADS of places to hide.

5) I always found it better with a full bladder because apparently it pushes the uterus up a bit so the HB can be clearer.

Dopplers are brilliant but you need to be aware they are unpredicable. Try again when you are ready but dont stress if you can find it.
Your MW might well check the hb at your 16 wk appointment - many do - ask if you want the reassurance.

Mizze x

 

[tink28]

thank u so much- u have all given such good advice.
i think the reason ive been so worried is cos i did try everything thats been suggested- full bladder, loads of gel, sound turned up etc, id read alot on here for tips and advice. and i spent a whole hour but still nothing. so im hoping bubs was just hiding.
i will ask MW if she will check for me at my appt on monday, but ive decided to steer away from dopplers now as the anxiety its caused me has been horrible xx