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 having a baby for the first time, are very important and each one experiences these feelings with some joy. The heartbeat of the baby indicates its vitality, the work of organs and health. That is why many expectant mothers are interested in the question: how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? Can this be done at all 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 heart?
To begin with, let’s determine: why do you need to regularly listen to the baby’s heart, is it necessary? What does it matter? There are several reasons why this is simply necessary:
- Confirmation of pregnancy. What time can you hear the fetal heartbeat for the first time? This can be done at a period of 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, just when the expectant mother first goes for an ultrasound scan. Just at this stage of development, the heart is formed and begins to actively pound. If there is no knocking, this indicates the absence of a fetal egg, and hence pregnancy. Also, silence indicates a frozen pregnancy, when the fetus stops in development and dies.
- Assessment of the health and condition of the child. Throughout pregnancy, starting with the first study, the baby’s heart is regularly heard. If the work of the heart is characterized by high rates constantly, even at rest, this indicates placental insufficiency. The reverse situation indicates a deterioration in the condition of the child and gradual death.
- Child development and diagnosis of parameters during labor. During delivery, you must 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 experience a lot of stress, so it is so important to listen to the heartbeat in order to prevent child hypoxia.
Heartbeat Listening Methods
- Ultrasound, of course, will be in the first place, with the help of which a visual assessment of the embryo and the fetus, as well as the condition of the placenta, is performed. The tone and heart rate of the ovum are studied in particularly detail. With the help of ultrasound, various infectious diseases, heart defects, as well as other deviations in the development of the baby's organs, are predicted.
- Cardiotocography, which is briefly called CTG. The second most effective method after ultrasound. With it, the activity of the fetus, the work of the heart, both at rest and during periods of mobility, are recorded. It should be noted that the first procedure is done for a period of 32 or more weeks. During this period, the phases of rest and activity of the child are formed, in which the work of the heart is easily heard.
- Echocardiography, like the previous study, focuses specifically on the heart, and not on the general condition of the child. Such an examination is done during the period from the 18th to the 32nd week of pregnancy with special indications, for example, heart disease, infections in the uterus, pregnancy after 38 years, and developmental delay.
- Auscultation. Can a fetal heartbeat be heard with a stethoscope? Definitely yes, this procedure is called "auscultation." It is used not in a conventional device, but in an obstetric one, which is more accurate and sensitive. With the help of the procedure, the position of the child and the rhythm, the frequency of the heartbeat are revealed.
All these methods can be implemented only in equipped rooms, all require consultation and assistance of specialists. Future mothers are interested in the question: how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? It is intimate and something very close that connects mom (dad) and the 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? We put in the first place precisely the doppler, which is the most common device. It can be used from the 12th week of pregnancy, purchased at a pharmacy. There are completely different models - from simple to advanced. The first option involves listening to a heartbeat using headphones, in which you can hear the number of beats. The device consists of:
- from the display, which is color in the new models, in simple copies it is not at all;
- dynamics that conducts sound and processes it, bringing to the hearing of parents;
- battery, which allows the device to work up to 15 hours.
The device allows you to hear the fetal heartbeat at home quickly and clearly, but many are wondering about its effect on the child. There is no reason to worry, so you can safely use the device without worrying that it will harm. The difficulty lies in the fact 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 had such a device at home, many still had it from their grandmothers, because before they listened to the pulse when measuring pressure, when the devices were still mechanical. As time goes on, technology changes and the question arises: is it possible to hear the heartbeat of the fetus using a phonendoscope? Of course you can, it is an analogue of an obstetric stethoscope, which, incidentally, can also be purchased at a pharmacy. Both devices are simple to use, you just need to attach them to the surface of the abdomen. The difficulty lies in the fact that in addition to the work of the heart of the child, there are other sounds - contraction of the uterus, the work of the intestines or the work of the heart of the mother. 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 of future parents is the following: is it possible to hear the fetal heartbeat with the ear? You can, but talk about specific indicators, the accuracy of the results is completely impossible. If the expectant mother is overweight, then the heartbeat will probably not be heard. Also, the difficulty is that you need to listen at a certain point, it cannot be defined in general, it is individual, it depends on the location of the child:
- If the child is lying upside down, then you need to listen below the navel.
- If the location of the child is at the level of the pelvis, then listening occurs above the navel.
- If the pregnancy is multiple, then the knock can be heard at different points.
What to do if the heartbeat is not heard?
Do not worry ahead of time. We determined how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home, but recall that all methods are inaccurate. Therefore, the work of the heart of the child 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 shell of the baby is attached to the back of the uterus, while listening through the abdomen becomes worse;
- the child’s activity and constant change of location also affect hearing.
When is the rhythm worth counting?
There are cases when you need to constantly monitor the work of the heart of a child. In such situations, you need to listen daily:
- Disease of the mother, which leads to oxygen starvation of the child.
- The increased tone of the uterus squeezes the placenta and disrupts blood circulation, as a result of which the fetus receives few nutrients and oxygen.
- Spotting and the presence of menstruation during pregnancy at any time. Allocations may indicate placental abruption, therefore, the dynamics of the heartbeat is monitored daily.
- Anemia of the future mother, in which the hemoglobin level is low, so the fetus needs more useful elements.
Reviews of future parents
As the reviews of couples who are expecting a baby show, most try to listen to the work of the heart on their own. In most cases, a conventional phonendoscope is used, which remains from grandparents.
The main thing is to constantly try and not despair, if you don’t hear the baby, it’s not at all scary, it takes time.
Conclusion
We answered the question of how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home, as well as what modern medicine is used to reflect the dynamics of the baby’s heart. If the mother wants to listen to the work of the heart of her child out of curiosity, you can use the hand tools or a phonendoscope. If it is prescribed by a doctor and you need to monitor the rhythm, it is better to use Doppler. Be healthy, may the joy of motherhood be even stronger when you hear your baby’s heartbeat!