Fetal Heart Rate

When will I be able to hear my baby's heartbeat?

Fetal Heart Rate

From the date of the last menstrual period, the fetal heart will begin to beat on the 22nd day of development. This means that by the 5th week of pregnancy, the heart is beating. Until week 9, the fetal heart rate will increase 3.3 beats per day. In the early stages, the fetal heart rate is approximately 80-85 beats per minute (bpm). However, by the 9th week your baby's heart beat will be in the range of 155 to 195 beats per minute. Most expectant parents say that the fetal heart rate sounds like the galloping of a horse.

Hearing your baby's heartbeat for the first time is a magical moment for most expectant parents. Although the heart begins beating around the 5th week of a 40 week pregnancy, you will not be able to actually hear the heartbeat quite so early. Approximately 9 or 10 weeks after your last menstrual period, it is possible to hear the heartbeat with a special instrument called a doppler. The doppler simply bounces sound waves off of your baby's heart to produce sounds. This does not hurt you or your baby. Hearing the heartbeat this early will depend upon several factors. If you are overweight, it might be harder to hear the heartbeat.

Even though you can not hear the fetal heartbeat until week 9 or 10, ultrasound is able to see a beating heart much sooner. An ultrasound can pick up the heartbeat as a "flicker" in the chest as early as four weeks after conception. Your caregiver will listen to your baby's heart at each prenatal visit. Checking the fetal heart rate is one of the easiest ways to monitor your baby's health and condition. Your healthcare provider will check your baby's heartbeat on one of two ways. The first method is to count the number of beats for one full minute. The second method is to count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by four. Most doctors will tell you your baby's heart rate when they are finished listening, but don't be alarmed if they forget to.

Many expectant mothers wish to monitor their baby's heartbeat at home in between prenatal visits. There are many brands of doppler-like instruments on the market and a good one can cost around $500. There are cheaper versions that are sold in department stores and most women do not have any luck with them. As nice as it would be to monitor your baby at home, you might worry needlessly about your baby if you have trouble hearing the heartbeat. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, it is possible to hear your baby's heartbeat with a stethoscope.

There is an old wives tale that supposedly predicts the baby's gender based on how fast or slow the heart is beating. Supposedly, if the fetal heart rate is above 140 you are expecting a girl. However, if the heart rate is below 140, it is supposed to be a boy. There is no evidence or statistical proof to support this theory.

Some facts

Stress-related changes in a pregnant woman's heart rate and blood pressure, along with chronic anxiety, can affect the heart rate of her developing fetus. link
Chinese researchers found that the fetuses responded to their own mother's voice with heart-rate acceleration and to the stranger's voice with a heart-rate deceleration. This also shows that your baby can already learn, remember and recognise before it's born. link
Does the fetal heart rate predict the sex of the baby? - A research by the University of Arkansas among 2500 pregnant women showed that this (old wives tale) is not true.

Comments: Fetal Heart Rate

Comments 1 to 24 of about 58.
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Dree2010 - 9 days ago.
Does anyone know if a fluctuating hb between 150 -175 ok at 25 weeks?

JaneyLou32 - 11 days ago.
I'm 12 weeks tomorrow and i found my baby's heart beat last Tuesday and Thursday but haven't been able to since, no problems to speak of, plenty of nausea still and headaches so do i need to worry or do you think baby's just hiding?

pregnantnprayin - 20 days ago.
Keri what is your cousin hcg levels?

missygirl - 28 days ago.
Had my 6 week scan today and baby is measuring 6 weeks, 3 days, heart beat was 84 and length was 4mm....we are doing another scan next week and he said I have an 80% chance of all being ok even with the low heart rate.....anyone else have a low heart rate at the first scan and everything go ok?

keri - 30 days ago.
So my cousin went in on Friday for an u/s because of spotting. They told her the baby's heartrate was 175 and she was 6w6d. Then yesterday her flow got heavy and they think she may have lost the baby. It seems so wiered that she would have lost it in one day with that strong of a heartbeat?? Does anyone have any explanations? Do you think this is one of those rare occurances that she was pregnant with twins and has lost one.... and the u/s only picked up one fetus? Anyways, she goes tomorrow for another u/s to see what's going on...

Nesha Pooh - 38 days ago.
My baby's heart rate is 150 at seven weeks. Is that normal?

readyforbaby - 39 days ago.
I was told that higher ment girl and lower for boy. That was the case for me my lil girl was always in 170s and im pregnant with a lil boy and his is always in the 140s

Madismom429 - 66 days ago.
ok ladies, I just bought a babybeat fetal doppler that runs $449 for $21.54+free shipping from Ebay and it works perfect. It was used but it is in perfect condition. Good Luck!

sarahs6th - 75 days ago.
apparently if its low then its a girl and higher for a boy so we shall see

skittles0607 - 79 days ago.
In the beg our hr was in the 170s to 180s. I'm now 20 weeks hr is 145 to in the 150s and we r having a girl

sarahs6th - 80 days ago.
Hi, my little ones heart beat was 176 at 8weeks 2days im now 9 weeks 1 day and have trouble finding it as it moves all over the place!! LOL

thinkpink - 91 days ago.
I am posting this for future reference. My babies heartbeat was 174 at 11w4d and 175 at 11w5d and so I am thinking that this is high and I am hoping for a girl but in researching this page I find myself discouraged with some women having boys at 175 and some women having girls at 180 and 139. I hope that my gut instinct that this is a girl is right!

mybabyismyheart - 113 days ago.
I'm 19 weeks ad got a stethoscope from my older brother who works in the medical field...I listen to my baby at least twice a week, especially on days I don't feel flickers. I can hear sounds, and sometimes pick up the heart but a doppler is what I really need.

5guys - 184 days ago.
AngelKISSES - YES! I'm 17.5 weeks, and my baby's heart was doing the same thing today! I'm trying not to flip out about it, but it's hard not to. I'm calling the Dr tomorrow. Did yours say anything about it?

AngelKISSES - 187 days ago.
HI EVERYONE, I'm 14 wks preg. and today I had a DR appt . he tried listening for a heart rate and still could not hear one so he done an u/s in his office the baby was really active moving his arms and legs constantly she seen the heart beating ,but it was so hard for her to keep up with him .so when we heard the heart rate she said that it was in rythem but it sounded off beat it was kinda like this, chooka chooka chew ---(pause) then started over....... it wasn't like a steady heart rate it had the same sound over and over I'm really worried has anyone else ever experienced this ? thanks for all your help ,,,,,,,,, GOD BLESS

DMH - 210 days ago.
I'm in the same position risse. I'm 6 w 3 days and FHR is only 75 bpm. Based on the description above it should increase 3.3 beats per day and by 9 weeks should be in the 150 bpm. We are also very concerned. We are now being monitored regularily with weekly u/s and blood tests as the doctors are concerned as well. This is our first pregnancy and we are hoping for the best.

TR-Baby2 - 211 days ago.
I had the same thing happen to me last year - I went in for the dating u/s and baby measured a little small, and HB was slow for gestational age - I now know that both of those things are 'signs' of a problem... Early u/s should be accurate within a day or 2 (UNLESS you are uncertain as to when you conceived) and the HB needs to be beating within a certain range. So, that's something I made sure to really pay attention to this time around. My prayers... {{{hugz}}}

risse - 222 days ago.
i had a scan and though i counted 8 weeks, it revealed 6 weeks and 1 day....and worse the baby's heart rate is only 69 bpm......i am really worried.....pls help....does anyone have the same xperience? ttnx

ShannonMM - 224 days ago.
Hi, I went yesterday for my first ultrasound and I measured to be at 7 weeks 0 days with a heart rate of 91 bpm... my OB said it was lower than normal and we needed to follow up with another U/S next week. She also could not see the yolk sac which she said she was not too concerned with that b/c it could be hiding behind the baby. I am super nervous... I miscarried 3 years ago and would be heartbroken if this happened again! Has anyone had this situation?

twilightvamp - 246 days ago.
I think maybe you should phone the midwife,just for peace of mind,I would if I were you. My baby heartbeat is between 130 and 155 the last time I did it,When the midwife did it a couple of weeks ago it was 130-145. I hired a doppler from: http://www.doppler-hire.co.uk/acatalog/Hire_a_Doppler.html xx

joyce49788 - 262 days ago.
my babies heartrate was in the 180's in the first trimester and it turned out to be a boy... i am 38 weeks now, and will be delivering my baby boy on thursday May 28th... good luck to all of you

Renegade - 262 days ago.
Does anybody know where exactly the little one is right now. I'm 18 weeks in my first pregnancy. I wondering if he'she is low down or near to the belly button now?

KayandRysMom - 283 days ago.
I got a doppler (just like the drs use) off of Ebay for about 100$

hanakalei - 283 days ago.
Does anyone know where to purchase a fetal heart rate monitor?

jenakatessa - 283 days ago.
i purchased a prenatal listenig system for $30 and im now 26 weeks and last night i got to hear my lil babies heartbeat for the first time. Before all i could really hear was kicking and stuff, i never thought it as going to work...i was so amazed when it did, mind you it was late at night and my boyfriend was going to bed so when i asked him to listen he was kinda cranky about it, so hopefully the baby is in the right position tonight so i can get him to listen to it....im suprised i actually seen him reading a baby names book today too....hes coming around..LOL