If they don’t have their back pointed your way, you will have a tough time finding it. Once your baby has come full term at 37 weeks, you might be able to listen to their heartbeat with a stethoscope.īaby’s Position - Even though your baby is quite big for your belly at full term, they still might not be in the proper position for you to be able to hear their heart. Gestational Maturity - In order for you to be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat with a stethoscope, your pregnancy will have to be on its last legs.
There are a couple of factors that need to line up just right for you to hear a heartbeat in this manner. While you might be able to listen to your baby’s heartbeat with a stethoscope, it is not merely as straightforward as sticking it to your belly and listening in. Can You Hear Baby’s Heartbeat With A Stethoscope? The earliest that a heartbeat can be detected with this method is about eight weeks. You may be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat earlier if your caregiver decides to do an ultrasound.
This pulse will usually be measured using a fetal doppler, which is a handheld ultrasound designed to listen to fetal heartbeats. You may have to move it around a bit to find the heartbeat. Simply place the stethoscope on your belly and listen. When you are between 18 and 20 weeks pregnant, the heartbeat should be strong enough for you to listen to with this method. You will usually first get to hear your baby’s heartbeat about 10 or 12 weeks into your pregnancy. A basic stethoscope is one of the easiest ways to listen to the fetal heartbeat at home.
