Compared to ultrasound heartbeats, listening to your baby’s heartbeat at home come comes a little later. Obstetricians use special instruments to listen to the heart. However, at around 18-20 weeks, you can easily listen to your baby’s heartbeat at home with an ordinary stethoscope. There are locations and positions you should be in for clear heartbeats. For that, we have a guide on how to hear baby heartbeat at home with stethoscope.
How to Lie Down When Feeling Your Baby’s Heartbeat
Typically, you get to hear your baby’s heartbeat when you visit your doctor at around 5 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. You lie on your back, and using a special fetal doppler; you can hear the heartbeats. To listen to the heartbeat at home, you have to wait a few more weeks.
At around 20 weeks of gestation, most mothers can hear their baby’s heart. Using a cardiology stethoscope, you get to know that your baby is growing as it should.
Emphasis is on Comfort!
Remember that when you are pregnant, comfort comes before anything else. You do not want to be stressing your baby or your body organs when you lie in a specific position. So, when you are about to listen to your baby’s heartbeat, first sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
Also, find a quiet environment to hear the heartbeat.
There might be times when you might not be getting a clear heartbeat. In such situations, it is best to get a heart ultrasound and request your gynaecologist for the proper course of action in this regard. Do not panic, if you spot something unnatural. It might just happen that the baby is moving around in the mother’s womb.
How to Hear Your Baby’s Heartbeat at Home With a Stethoscope:
The baby’s heartbeat is loud and clear when heart from the back. So, when you are using the best stethoscope you have, you need to locate your baby’s back.
To do so, pat down on your abdomen, and look for an area that feels firm. According to obstetricians, babies lie upside-down after 28 weeks and left of the abdominal mid-line, which means that their backs will be to the lower left side of your navel.
Once you locate the back;
- Insert the earpieces, and place the bell concave on your abdomen
- Listen in for as long as you like, but the average count should be somewhere between 120 and 160 beats per minute
- If you notice a heartbeat below 100 beats per minute, do not panic, that is the mother’s heartbeat. You just need to readjust the location of the stethoscope and listen again
- While you are at it, listen to the mom’s heartbeat. Remember, she is bearing another life, and her health is of utmost importance.
Which is the Best Stethoscope to Use?
There are several ways to listen to a baby’s heartbeat. While some people use specially designed fetoscopes, a stethoscope can do the job. Besides, they are easier to use and a lot less expensive compared to these specialized tools.
Now, which is the best stethoscope to use when you want to hear your baby’s heartbeat at home?
Rose Gold Stethoscopes
When listening to a heartbeat at home, you get to avoid formalities you would rather encounter in the hospital. So, even the stethoscope you use can be as colorful as you want. And if you are one to enjoy using flashy, unique, and comfortable tools, Rose Gold stethoscopes are precisely what you need.
These come in many colors, with a golden bell and earpieces.
Why go for Rose Gold?
- The stethoscopes feature 100% stainless steel that is acoustically superior
- You get a lifetime warranty, and if you are allergic to latex, you do not need to worry
- The headset comes with an anatomically pre-angled fit
- With the dual-leaf spring in its construction, you enjoy twice the durability of other stethoscopes
- The Rose Gold stethoscopes also have safety-lock ear-tip adaptors that protect your eardrums from puncturing.
- The stethoscopes are also light in weight and come in almost every color, from silver-sunflower to bright blue, pink, and black or white.
- If you are all about sparkle, then you can also get your stethoscope with glitters or prints.
Tips to Remember When Listening to the Baby Heartbeat at Home
Now that you have the best cardiology stethoscopes, below are some things to remember when hearing your baby’s heartbeat:
- Baby heartbeats become loud enough to be heard through the stethoscope at 18-20 weeks of gestation. So, if you cannot hear your baby’s heart at this time, do not panic. If you feel fetal movements but cannot hear the heartbeat, it means that your baby is just taking its time.
- Try waiting a few more weeks, then try listening to the heartbeat again. The heartbeat becomes easier to identify and more distinguishable as your baby grows.
- How well you can hear your baby’s heart depends on a lot of variables. The position you place the stethoscope is one of them, but the placenta’s position and the mother’s weight are other factors to consider.
- Finally, how loud your baby’s heartbeat is dependent on your stethoscope. A faint heartbeat means that the tools you use have a different sound transmission than others. The best way is to find the best stethoscope, and Rose Gold stethoscopes are an excellent choice for that.
A baby’s heartbeat is an indication that your baby is growing as it should. And now that you know how to hear baby heartbeat at home with stethoscope, you can listen in and report any abnormalities to your obstetrician. Be in a quiet environment, use the best cardiology stethoscope you can get, and hear how your baby is doing.
If you notice a slow heartbeat than expected, confirm it is the mom’s heart, then try again in a different spot.