When did your OB start fetal dopplers?

ecb3588

Hey ladies! Question for you all: Tomorrow I have my OB follow up. I will be 12w3d. I swear at our first appointment they told me they won't start doing the fetal doppler until the 2nd trimester.  How early did your OB start this? If they don't do it tomorrow, I won't be back for another month which means baby won't have been checked on for 8 weeks!?! I am NOT comfortable with that! I don't wanna be *that* patient, but I need some sort of assurance!

KidShrink

I'd be surprised if they didn't, but it for sure is still hard to pick up around that time. I got a doppler at home, and it was very hit or miss still at that point (I also have an anterior placenta).

emsmama15

My OB used the doppler for the first time at 14 weeks and easily found what sounded like 2 heartbeats - but I'd also had an ultrasound that week and the heartbeats were exactly the same, so who knows.  This is why I get a quickie ultrasound at each appointment.    I feel like with my first, she found her heartbeat at 12 weeks though.  Good luck.  I hope you get to hear your little one.  

ecb3588

Turns out I had nothing to worry about.  The midwife had the doppler with her when she came in and she found the heart beat, no problem!

NenaMommy

What is the difference between hearing the heartbeat when they do an u/s and with a Doppler? Newbie question here.

ecb3588

Hey @NenaMommy! When you "hear" the heart beat on an US it is really just an automated noise synced up with the heart beat that can be seen, so it's not really the sound of the actual beat you hear. When they listen externally with a fetal doppler, you are hearing the actual heart beat!