first appointment question

ashleyherling

My first appointment with my midwife is this Tuesday, (yay!!!) When I initially talked to her, she purposely scheduled me for the six week mark stating we will be able to hear the heart beat then. Last week she called to touch base with me and said she's not sure if we will hear the heart beat but we sure can try.. I know she doesn't not do U/S. Only at the 20 weeks, and even then she writes a script to go to a U/S place. My question is, knowing she doesn't have access to a U/S, what would she use to hear the heartbeat? Im a FTM, and not familiar with all of this!

henderson1026

they will use a doppler at all your appts to listen for the heartbeat.  It is very hard to pick up this early.  It gets better at 12 weeks and by 16 weeks it should be easy to find, but depending on the machine and the nurse it sometimes takes them forever to find the HB.

JSS1002

She'd use a dopplar, but 6 weeks sounds REALLY early.  I think I heard it at 9-10 weeks last time.

chusum

A Doppler? Which would be pretty much impossible at 6 weeks. My OB won't even try a Doppler until 13 weeks I think. I know some people that have gotten a HB on a Doppler at home at 9 weeks, but that is the earliest I've heard. An u/s is the only way to hear (and it isn't even audible at that point, they use waves to replicate the sound) at 6 weeks that I know of, and even 6 weeks is hit or miss.

roashem2008

I agree with PPs. If your not getting an ultrasound, she would be using a Doppler. Which you will get at all your appointments as you get further along. If it were me, I might ask if I can forego even trying until you are a little further along. Six weeks is super early to hear a heartbeat, and there is no sense stressing about it for a few weeks until you get your ultrasound if she can't find it. I didn't hear the heartbeat until my first ultrasound at around 11-12 weeks last time.

LTMama

Yeah I think 6 weeks is too early to hear it on a Doppler.  My OB does a doppler at 9 weeks, and even then it takes a while to find it and can be scary while you fish around for it. 

ashleyherling

Thanks ladies! She did mention we will definitely be able to hear it at my next appointment, which I will be 10 weeks. So im assuming I will just get blood work then?