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Whenever you use a doppler, you’ll hear a variety of sounds depending on where it’s placed. A “whooshing” sound usually indicates either placenta or movement. Some people also describe the noise as similar to that of blowing trees. This should not be mistaken for a baby’s heartbeat.
How Often Are Fetal Doppler Tests Done? Your doctor may use the Doppler often to listen to your baby’s heartbeat during routine checkups, starting at about 8-10 weeks.
If you’re trying to use your fetal doppler without gel, you may try some coconut oil. Although it’s not a widely used alternative, one trial found that it worked just as well as standard gel as a coupling medium in therapeutic ultrasound (a treatment often used in physical therapy).
The earliest you can hear a baby’s heartbeat is 6 weeks, but you probably won’t be able to detect it until about 7 1/2 to 8 weeks. It’s not recommended to use at-home fetal dopplers or apps to hear the heartbeat yourself.
If your provider did not find your baby’s heartbeat with a handheld Doppler and you have not yet reached 12 weeks, have patience because it may just be too early. There are a variety of other reasons for not hearing a heartbeat with a baby Doppler, too.
The heart rate around this time is at least 130 beats per minute, and it may be as high as 160 beats per minute. From this point on, a normal heart rate can range anywhere from 110 to 160 beats per minute. The heart rate decreases gradually throughout the rest of the pregnancy.
If you are past seven weeks pregnant, seeing no heartbeat may be a sign of miscarriage. But there are many exceptions to the “heartbeat by seven weeks” rule. You’ve likely heard of people who were certain they had miscarried or were not pregnant, and then went on to have a normal pregnancy.
This is called an anembryonic pregnancy, which is also known as a blighted ovum. Or it may be that your baby started to grow, but then stopped growing and they have no heartbeat. Occasionally it happens beyond the first few weeks, perhaps at eight weeks or 10 weeks, or even further on.