Fetal Doppler
Listening in to Baby's Heartbeat
Hearing a baby’s heartbeat can be a magical experience that brings comfort and connection for parents-to-be.
Whilst a fetal heartbeat can be detected from around six weeks on an ultrasound scan, it is our policy at Starlight not to listen in with ultrasound until at least ten weeks.
So to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time, or if you wanted a heartbeat teddy with a recording of baby's heartbeat, you would have to be at least 10 weeks into pregnancy.
At any pregnancy ultrasound scan appointment where the pregnancy is at least 10 weeks the sonographer can let you hear baby's heartbeat. It doesn't matter if you are attending an early pregnancy scan, a gender scan, a 5D bonding scan or any other wellbeing or reassurance scan.
Listening in without an ultrasound scan
From around 16 weeks into pregnancy, it is usually possible for a midwife to listen in to baby's heartbeat.
This is because for most pregnancies, 16 weeks marks a time when the baby’s heart is large enough and positioned suitably to be detected with a doppler. Before this, the baby’s heart may be difficult to locate due to the baby’s size and the layers of tissue separating the doppler from the heart.
Midwives often use a handheld device called a doppler to listen to the baby’s heartbeat during prenatal visits. A doppler is a non-invasive device that uses sound waves to detect and amplify the sounds of your baby’s heart.
Why Midwives Use a Doppler
The doppler serves an essential role in antenatal care because it gives midwives a quick way to assess the baby’s well-being. A regular, strong heartbeat is a good sign that your baby is developing as expected, and it helps the midwife identify any issues that may require further investigation. Listening to the heartbeat is also a bonding experience for the parents and gives reassurance, especially in cases where the mother may not yet feel regular fetal movements.
Fetal Doppler at Starlight
At Starlight, there is a service available for you to book in for our midwife Laura Gardner to listen in.
Whilst Laura has a handheld doppler, as she is also a clinical specialist sonographer who also offers ultrasound scans, she would offer the same service using the ultrasound probe.
This service is available if you do not want or need to book an ultrasound scan so you wouldn't see baby on the screen or receive scan prints but would hear baby's heartbeat.
What to Expect During the Listening In
When using the doppler or scan probe, the midwife will have you lie down comfortably, and a cool gel will be applied to your abdomen. This gel helps conduct sound waves more effectively. The midwife will then gently move the doppler device or ultrasound probe around your abdomen, adjusting the angle to locate the baby’s heart. It can take a few moments to find the right spot, as the baby may move around.
Once located, the doppler or scan probe will emit the sound of your baby’s heartbeat through a speaker, allowing you and any family members or friends present to hear it.
The Benefits and Reassurance of Hearing the Heartbeat
Hearing their baby’s heartbeat brings reassurance as well as joy, comfort and even a sense of closeness to the developing life inside.
An appointment for the midwife to listen in can be made online 24/7 however if you require a full early pregnancy scan, even if there is no availability showing online, please contact us as we may still be able to fit you in.
The heartbeat can be heard at any scan appointment from 10 weeks into pregnancy and you do not need to book a separate appointment if you have an existing booking.
Additionally if you require a heartbeat teddy, you can add this at any appointment without the need to pre-order. However if you simply want to book an appointment to record baby's heartbeat and buy a heartbeat bear or teddy, we do have that as a stand-alone service which can also be booked online.