When Can You Start Using a Fetal Doppler?

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When can you first hear your baby using a fetal doppler?  

The answer to that question depends on a few factors and some people may hear their baby earlier than others.

Read on to learn when you can start using a fetal doppler.

What is a Fetal Doppler?

A fetal doppler—AKA BabyDoppler—is a handheld device that you can use to hear your baby. The fetal doppler consists of a probe that attaches to a screen, which displays the fetal heart rate and plays the heartbeat sound.

Fetal dopplers are used in the doctor’s office during appointments to monitor your baby’s development. At-home fetal dopplers can be used to help parents bond with their babies in between appointments. (Note: fetal dopplers are not a replacement for doctor’s appointments and cannot be used at home to diagnose issues.)

An at-home fetal doppler is easy to use. Follow these steps to use your BabyDoppler:

• Sit down and recline back
• Apply a blob of ultrasound gel to your lower belly
• Place the probe in the gel and rock over your belly until you find the heartbeat

You can learn more about fetal dopplers by reading our guides below:

• How to Use a Fetal Doppler – The Proper Way
• What a Pocket Fetal Doppler CAN and CAN’T Tell You
• 10 Must-Know Secret Tips for Finding Fetal Heartbeat with Doppler

Benefits of a Fetal Doppler for Home

Fetal dopplers for home use have many benefits, including:

• Bonding. Many people find that BabyDopplers facilitate bonding between them and their baby. Since there are only a few ways to connect with the baby before birth, this can be a magical opportunity. 
• Family connection. Families also connect with the baby using the fetal doppler. It can be used to introduce children to their new siblings. BabyDoppler recordings can also be sent to long-distance relatives who want to hear the baby’s development.
• Tracking. You can use the BabyDoppler app to track your baby’s heart rate and how it progresses over time. Tracking provides another way to bond with your baby and feel connected to their development.
• Keepsakes. Fetal doppler recordings can also be wonderful keepsakes. If you’re creative, you can also use it to create a keepsake video.
• Send audio to doctor. If you’re ever curious about something you hear on your fetal doppler, you can record the noise and play it with your doctor or midwife during your next prenatal appointment. You can also send it via email.

When Can You Start Using a Fetal Doppler?

We recommend using a fetal doppler starting around 12 weeks. This is when the average person can hear their baby using an at-home fetal doppler. With that being said, people may hear their baby for the first time before or after 12 weeks.

A person may need to wait longer to hear their baby if they’re still too small to hear. If you don’t hear your baby at 12 weeks, it usually doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Just put away your device and try again later when your baby is a little more developed.

Doctor’s fetal doppler

Your doctor may have used a fetal doppler during a prenatal appointment. If they were able to hear the baby using their device, you may wonder if you’ll be able to hear it on your at-home device. The answer is that it depends.

Consider that your doctor is likely using a different fetal doppler model. In addition to that, the biggest factor is that your doctor is a trained professional. They have experience locating the baby and discerning the heartbeat. As someone without this experience, you won’t necessarily hear the heartbeat as soon as your doctor will on their device. So remember, don’t panic if your doctor can pick up the heartbeat and you can’t! In terms of warning signals, the most important things to look for are a loss of pregnancy symptoms and a decrease in movement.

FAQ: Hearing a Heartbeat for the First Time

Below are some frequently asked questions about when you can detect your baby using a fetal doppler.

Can I hear my baby on a fetal doppler at 8 weeks?

You may be able to hear your baby at 8 weeks using a BabyDoppler but you shouldn’t expect it. At this stage, your baby is too little to be reliably detected, so most people won’t hear a heartbeat.

The danger of using a fetal doppler too early is getting anxiety if you don’t hear the heartbeat. If this happens, put the device away until week 16 or longer. 

Can I hear my baby on a fetal doppler at 9 weeks?

Although some people may hear their baby’s heartbeat at 9 weeks using a fetal doppler, it’s still too early to reliably detect a fetus. A baby is still too small and many people need to wait until week 12 or longer.

Can I hear my baby on a fetal doppler at 12 weeks?

Around 12 weeks, many people can start to hear their baby’s heartbeat using a BabyDoppler. However, if you don’t hear your baby during this time, she may still be too small. Some people need to wait a little longer, until 16 weeks, to detect their baby and that’s completely normal.

Can a doctor hear your baby earlier than an at-home fetal doppler?

A doctor may be able to pick up your baby’s heartbeat earlier on their in-office fetal doppler. Consider that they’re also trained professionals and may be able to discern the noises more easily. Not hearing your baby’s heartbeat at home after you heard it at the doctor’s office can be completely normal.

What if I heard the heartbeat before and not now?

If you detected the heartbeat before and you can’t now, you might worry that something is wrong. In most cases, it’s normal. There may be a range of reasons why you can’t hear the heartbeat, including that your baby moves into a different position.

What determines when you can hear your baby?

There’s a wide range of factors that influence how easy or difficult it is to pick up the heartbeat using a fetal doppler.

• Size. How soon you can detect your baby is largely determined by their size. When a baby is small, they’re harder to detect. When they grow and get larger, they’re easier to find with your probe. This why some people choose to wait until 16 weeks to use an at-home fetal doppler—at this point, your baby is typically big enough to detect.
• Position. Another big factor in how soon you can hear your baby is their position. Some positions are more difficult for a fetal doppler to detect—even if you’ve detected the heartbeat before. When this happens, you simply need to wait until they move into a different position.
• Your bladder. Other factors influence how easy it is to hear your baby too. For example, using your device on a full bladder can make it easier to hear your baby. It might sound strange, but this pushes your uterus out of your pelvic cavity, making the sound easier to detect.
• Probe. In some cases, it can be more difficult to detect your baby if you’re using the wrong probe. Plus-sized women have a harder time picking up the heartbeat using a 3MHz probe, which most models come with. The solution is easy: get a 2-2.5MHz probe to attach to your device instead.

What if you don’t detect the heartbeat after hearing it before?

If you can’t detect the heartbeat now but you’ve heard it before, try not to panic! There are several reasons why this may be the case.

One reason is that your baby may still be too small to be reliably detected. Another reason could be that she moved into a position that’s more difficult to detect. 

With that being said, if you experience a loss of pregnancy symptoms or a loss of movement later in pregnancy, seek emergency medical attention. 

Summary: When Can You Start Using a Fetal Doppler?

You might be wondering how early you can start using a fetal doppler. The answer depends on a few factors, including the size of your baby and their position. Although a doctor may pick up a heartbeat earlier on their in-office device, you’ll likely need to wait a little longer.

On average, people can start hearing a heartbeat on an at-home device around 12 weeks. However, many people need to wait a little longer, until 16 weeks. Although it’s possible to hear your baby as early as 8 weeks, this shouldn’t be expected. 

Something else to consider is that you may detect your baby now but not later. This is usually normal and happens as they move and shift positions. If you ever experience a loss of pregnancy symptoms or movement—regardless of whether you can detect a heartbeat—seek emergency medical attention.

Bond with Baby Through Heartbeat. Get Your Fetal Doppler Today!