Interesting Facts 

When can you hear the fetal heartbeat on your own. When you hear the fetal heartbeat for weeks. When does the fetus have a heartbeat?

The heart of the embryo begins to contract already at the end of the third week of embryonic development. Moreover, the ventricle is reduced first, and a little later - the atrium of the embryo.

At this stage, these structures are still not divided by partitions into right and left sections, and they function as a single whole.

Of course, using modern diagnostic equipment, it is possible to hear the fetal heartbeat from the very moment when the small heart begins to pulsate. With the help of an obstetric stethoscope, you can also hear your baby's heart, but a little later - from 18-20 weeks of pregnancy.

Listening to the sounds of the fetal heart is a great joy for the mother. Auscultation (listening) is also important for assessing the state of a developing organism.

What the baby's heart rate can tell us about will be said a little later. First, let's look at the normal heart rate (HR) numbers of an embryo.

What should be the heart rate of a developing organism?

The fetal heart rate varies with gestational age. Below we provide you with a table in which the normal fetal heart rate numbers for specific gestational ages are written.

Having studied this table, you probably noticed some regularity. The fetal heart rate gradually increases, reaching a maximum by 9-10 weeks of pregnancy, and then decreases and is fixed at the level of 140-160 beats until the end of intrauterine development.

Development of the heart in the fetus

After registering cardiac activity or auscultation, you can get slightly different numbers. With what it can be connected? Many factors can be involved here, such as the active phase of the fetus or the general condition of the mother. However, if a deviation from the norm is detected, it is first necessary to exclude the pathology of the mother or child.

Division of the heart into chambers

Why is intrauterine auscultation of the heart performed?

There are three main reasons for the need to listen to the heart of a child in the womb.

Now let's return to the main question - about the possibilities of stethoscopes for auscultation of the heartbeat of an organism that develops in utero. We also want to tell you about more sophisticated equipment that is currently being actively used for the above purpose.

Methods for recording the heart activity of the embryo

  • Auscultation.


  • ultrasound.


  • Dopplerography.


  • Cardiotocography (CTG).


There are different options for registering CTG. The whole procedure usually takes about an hour. This time is sufficient for the device to register both the activity phase and the sleep phase of the embryo.

It is possible that the detector is attached to the belly of a pregnant woman for a whole day and then the overall picture of the activity of the embryo is analyzed.

There is also a portable CTG machine, which, by analogy with a portable ultrasound device, the doctor can bring with him to the patient's room, take it to the exit, and so on.

A portable CTG device is often tried on in modern clinics, because it allows you not to “tie” a woman to bulky equipment.

In addition, a modern CTG device allows you to record how your baby moves. For this purpose, a separate detector is used, which is fixed on the mother's abdomen.

Moreover, such devices provide for the possibility of changing the position of the detectors by a woman. To do this, there is a special button, by pressing which the change in the position of the sensor is ensured, as well as its fixation. Who knows better than a mother about where the baby usually “beats” and “knocks”?

However, the CTG method is informative already in late pregnancy. The first such study is carried out only after a 32-week period. After all, from this moment a clear relationship is established between the movements of the fetus, as well as the activity of its heart.

As a rule, women undergo this study twice - at 32 weeks, and then immediately before childbirth.

But if there are indications, CTG can be performed more times, because the procedure itself is absolutely safe, as well as harmless.

Moms' experience of trying to listen on their own

Anna K., 25 years old: “During the first pregnancy, I really wanted to listen to how my baby’s heart works. But all attempts were unsuccessful. There was no cause for alarm - after all, every day I felt how the baby was moving and, of course, I was regularly shown to the doctor. As it turned out later, the reason was that I used a regular stethoscope from a blood pressure monitor. Such a device, unfortunately, will not be able to listen to the heartbeat of the child.

Victoria D., 20 years old:“When I was preparing to become a mother, I often wondered if it was possible to hear the heart of the child that is in my stomach. After all, doctors constantly use some kind of complex technique, special methods, which are not so easy to understand. And sometimes I so wanted to hear the heartbeat of my child in the evening, sitting at home on the couch with my husband. But we had an ordinary stethoscope at our disposal and with it we were able to listen only to intestinal noises.

The development of pregnancy begins from the moment the egg is fertilized by the sperm. After conception, on the 21st day, the formation of the brain and bone marrow occurs in the embryo, and on the 5th week, the fetal heartbeat is already heard.

Why and when to measure heart beats

Often, expectant mothers are interested in how long this check is needed. On the 14-21st day of pregnancy, a heart is laid, initially similar in shape to a tube.

By the middle of the 2nd month, a septum is formed between the atria, the organ becomes three-chambered. Then the heartbeat manifests itself for the first time, as a pulsation.

Listening to it allows you to:

  • verify the fact of pregnancy;
  • evaluate the condition of the unborn child.

The baby's heart rate is monitored during childbirth. When listening to the organ, the dynamics of development can be traced, which makes it possible to avoid negative aspects.

It is the heartbeats that are an indicator of the viability of the child and change in any unfavorable situation.

When a heartbeat is heard

By the end of 4-5 weeks, when examining the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, the heart rhythm of the embryo is heard. But even earlier, on the 21st day, the specialist detects contractions of the heart, which is the size of a poppy seed, during a diagnostic examination using a transvaginal sensor.

A little later, at a period of 6-7 weeks, the beating is heard during transabdominal ultrasound examination.

The rate of strikes by deadline

One of the most important criteria for a good fetal condition is the correspondence of heart contractions to physiological norms. They are shown in the table by weeks of baby development.

With the growth of the embryo, the rate of beats changes. Listening to the rhythm, the doctor pays attention to the heart rate (HR), whose acceleration or deceleration often indicates the presence of pathology.

Normal beats are rhythmic, not rapid or infrequent. In addition, there should be no extraneous noise, and the beat of the heart can be heard clearly.

Ways and methods of listening

The doctor determines the fetal heartbeat in several ways, the choice of which depends on the purpose of the examination and the gestational age.

  1. Auscultation is based on the use of an obstetric stethoscope, the simplest and most common device used in ancient times and which is a hollow tube, one end of which is wider than the other. With its help, the heartbeat is heard not earlier than the 18-week period. If the expectant mother has obesity, there are any abnormalities in the course of pregnancy (low or polyhydramnios, the position of the placenta on the anterior uterine wall), it is almost impossible to determine the heart rate of the fetus using a stethoscope.
  2. Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) allows you to hear the heartbeat in early pregnancy, when other methods are ineffective. In addition to the heartbeat, it allows you to assess the development of almost the entire body of the baby.. In the second half of pregnancy, ultrasound determines where the heart is located in the chest. The use of the four-chamber cut technique makes it possible to discern the correct construction of the cardiac ventricles and atria, which makes it possible to identify congenital pathologies of the organ at an early stage.
  3. Cardiotocography (CTG) - a method in which heart rate is recorded on film, uterine contractions are simultaneously determined. The use of the latest devices equipped with special sensors makes it possible to analyze the activity of the fetus, and sound devices enable the woman herself to hear the sound of the baby's heart. The method is used at the beginning of the second half (at 21 weeks) of pregnancy.
  4. Echocardiography is used from the 18th to the 28th week if there are suspicions of abnormalities in the development of the cardiovascular system. The method shows the structure of the organ and blood flow. The results of the study are recorded, and in the future the image can be enlarged on the monitor for more detailed consideration and analysis.

In a critical situation, with suspicion of serious pathologies and the need for a detailed study of cardiac activity, cardiointervalography is used. All data is sent to a computer, where a complete analysis of the obtained indicators is carried out.

How to listen to the heartbeat

To determine the norm of the fetal heart rate, the beat of the organ is listened to in different ways:

  1. By auscultation, applying a stethoscope with a wide funnel to the abdomen of a pregnant woman. Through the opposite end, the doctor listens to the beat of the heart and evaluates the behavior of the fetus. The beat is heard through the abdominal wall, while the woman is on the couch in a supine position. With this procedure, an experienced doctor is able to recognize the position of the baby's body in the uterine cavity. Using this method, the doctor distinguishes between the nature of the blows - clear or deaf. In the first case, no deviations from the norm are observed, in the second, fetal hypoxia is possible.
  2. On ultrasound, heart rate is measured using special sensors, and the image is displayed on a computer monitor.
  3. The method of cardiography allows you to listen to the heart rate of the embryo, as well as on ultrasound, using sensors located on the abdomen of the pregnant woman. All information is recorded on a special film and output to a printer. The process lasts at least 40-60 minutes, depending on the activity of the baby - whether he is moving or sleeping, which affects the heart rate readings. According to the decision of the doctor, the sensors are left on the surface of the abdomen for a longer time, for example, for a day. For the reliability of the information, the pregnant woman should lie on her side so that the uterus does not press on the vena cava under it. The device is equipped with a special remote control, which is in the hands of a pregnant woman, and she herself presses the button when she feels the baby move. This makes it possible to determine which disturbances in rhythm occurred during the period of activity, and which - at the moment of rest of the fetus.
  4. Listening using echocardiography is an examination in which all attention is focused only on the analysis of the work of the cardiac system. It uses the usual two-dimensional view and other options - Doppler mode, one-dimensional. Usually, such a study is prescribed if a pregnant woman is over 38 years old, she has cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, there are children with congenital heart disease, there are suspicions of a delay in the development of the embryo.

All these methods allow you to adequately assess the fetal heart system, and every woman should undergo the necessary examination as directed by a doctor.

Reasons for deviations

Sometimes there are some violations that do not correspond to the generally accepted norm. Additional examinations are prescribed to determine the factors that caused negative deviations. Some of them provoke a rapid heartbeat, others cause a slow pace.

Causes that cause a too fast rhythm (more than 200 bpm):

  • the presence of anemia;
  • low hemoglobin level in a child;
  • placental insufficiency, impaired uterine blood flow;
  • placental abruption causing bleeding;
  • inflammatory processes in the amniotic membranes;
  • high intracranial pressure, fetal hypoxia.

The intake of certain medications by a pregnant woman, the presence of a high temperature in a future mother can influence the increase in heart rate in a child.

Factors leading to slow heartbeat:

  • high levels of potassium in maternal blood, which can cause bradycardia;
  • the presence of a pregnant woman in a supine position on her back for a long time (for example, for medical reasons), which causes compression of the inferior vena cava;
  • the formation of a knot on the umbilical cord or its compression.

A muffled heartbeat signals placental insufficiency, low or polyhydramnios. This is possible if the fetus lies in an inverted position (buttocks forward), with maternal obesity.

Sometimes the rhythm is not heard.

If this is observed in the first 3 months of pregnancy, which happens most often, then the doctor diagnoses an undeveloped pregnancy.

When undergoing ultrasound, situations are possible when the presence of a fetal egg is detected, but there is no heartbeat, which indicates the absence of an embryo (it died much earlier), and this is called "anembryony".

The absence of strokes in the later stages (by the 19th week) indicates intrauterine death of the fetus, which is the reason for artificial birth.

Difference in heart rate at different times

Deviation of heart beats in the fetus from accepted norms indicates the risk of developing pathology. A rapid heartbeat up to 9 weeks indicates both the restless state of the woman herself and the occurrence of hypoxia in the infant, which provokes various complications - pathologies and malformations in the development of the child, umbilical cord or placenta.

A weak heartbeat in the early stages often indicates a threat of premature termination of pregnancy. A similar condition in the second half of gestation indicates prolonged hypoxia of the baby.

Slow heart rate (maximum 120 beats per minute) occurs after tachycardia, and often this condition is the reason for urgent surgical delivery.

Listening to heart rate at home

The expectant mother is able to independently listen to the baby's heartbeat at home, if it is not possible to go to the clinic or for additional control.

Often, feeling a pulsation in the lower back or in the abdomen, pregnant women mistake it for a heartbeat. But in fact, this indicates an increased pressure in the aorta, provoked by a change in the hormonal background during pregnancy. It is impossible to feel the blows by simply placing your hand on your stomach; this requires special means.

  1. The use of an obstetric stethoscope or a conventional phonendoscope will be effective no earlier than 22 weeks. A pregnant woman should try to distinguish the heart rate from extraneous noises and sounds generated in the abdominal cavity and uterus. Due to the fact that the baby's beats are almost twice as often as the mother's, she will have to read her pulse at the same time. It is impossible to do this alone, therefore, an assistant is needed.
  2. Acquisition of a special device - a fetal doppler. It is a portable ultrasound detector that works on the principle of CTG, but does not produce a graphic image. Headphones (included) allow you to hear your baby's heartbeat. You can use the sensor from 2 months until childbirth.

Under normal conditions, the knock is clearly audible from the left or right side under the navel, depending on where the baby's back is turned. When positioned across, the rhythm is felt at the level of the navel or on one of the sides - to the right or left of it. With the gluteal position of the fetus, the heartbeat is clearly audible above the navel.

In the case of multiple pregnancy, the heart rate is determined in different parts of the uterus.

It is especially convenient to use this method for your spouse, putting your ear to your stomach. But this method will not be effective if the pregnant woman has a significant fat layer on her stomach.

Is it possible to find out the gender of the baby by heart rate?

There is an opinion among mothers that it is possible to recognize gender by heartbeat. There is a version that the heart beat in boys is more rhythmic and clearer than in girls, in whom it is more chaotic and does not match the mother's rhythm.

According to other folk methods, rhythm helps to determine the gender - a boy or a girl. In boys, blows are well heard on the right, and in girls - on the left.

Traditional medicine, based on scientific data, refutes all such methods, supposedly allowing you to determine the sex of the baby.

Rhythm is influenced by many factors: the level of health of the mother, the duration of pregnancy, the development of the embryo, the position of the fetus in the uterine cavity. But none of them indicates the gender of the unborn child.

The Importance and Purpose of Heart Rate Control

The control of the heartbeat is very important, since it is this indicator that allows you to assess the development of the fetus, its viability, to see the overall picture of its body and health, because the negative changes that have appeared affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the heart rate is controlled throughout the nine months of pregnancy, during labor and childbirth.

Young mothers listen to their body and analyze all the changes that occur in it. The first signs of pregnancy, especially if a woman is carrying a child for the first time, are very important and everyone experiences these feelings with a share of joy. The beating heart of a baby speaks of his vitality, the work of organs and health. That is why many expectant mothers are interested in the question: how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? Is it possible to do this at all and how not to harm the child? We will answer this and other questions that concern future parents.

Why is it important to listen to the work of the heart?

To begin with, let's define: why do you need to regularly listen to the work of the baby's heart, is it necessary? What does it matter? There are several reasons why this is simply necessary:

  1. Confirmation of pregnancy. What time can you hear the fetal heartbeat for the first time? This can be done at a period of 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, just when the expectant mother goes for an ultrasound scan for the first time. Just at this stage of development, the heart is formed and begins to actively beat. If there is no knock, this indicates the absence of a fetal egg, and hence pregnancy. Silence also indicates a frozen pregnancy, when the fetus stops developing and dies.
  2. Assessment of the health and condition of the child. Throughout pregnancy, starting from the first study, the work of the baby's heart is regularly listened to. If the work of the heart is constantly high, even at rest, this indicates placental insufficiency. The opposite situation indicates a deterioration in the child's condition and gradual death.
  3. The development of the child and the diagnosis of parameters during labor. During the delivery period, it is necessary to constantly listen to the baby's heartbeat, because in the process there is a lack of oxygen and strong pressure on the fetus. The heart and blood vessels throughout the body are under great stress, so it is so important to listen to the heartbeat in order to prevent the child from hypoxia.

Methods for listening to the heartbeat

  • In the first place, of course, will be ultrasound, which is used to visually assess the embryo and fetus, as well as the condition of the placenta. The tone and heart rate of the fetal egg are studied in particular detail. With the help of ultrasound, various infectious diseases, heart defects, as well as other deviations in the development of the baby's organs are predicted.
  • Cardiotocography, also known as CTG for short. The second most effective method after ultrasound. With the help of it, the activity of the fetus, the work of the heart, both at rest and during periods of mobility, are recorded. It should be noted that the first procedure is done for a period of 32 or more weeks. During this period, the phases of rest and activity of the child are formed, in which the work of the heart is easily heard.
  • Echocardiography, like the previous study, focuses specifically on the heart, and not on the general condition of the child. Such an examination is done between the 18th and 32nd weeks of pregnancy for special indications, such as heart disease, infections in the uterus, pregnancy after 38 years, delayed child development.
  • Auscultation. Can you hear the fetal heartbeat with a stethoscope? Definitely yes, this procedure is called "auscultation". It uses not an ordinary device, but an obstetric one, which is more accurate and sensitive. With the help of the procedure, the position of the child and the rhythm, heart rate are revealed.

All these methods can be implemented only in equipped premises; for all, consultation and assistance of specialists is necessary. Expectant mothers are interested in the question: how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? This is intimate and something very close that connects mom (dad) and the child. Therefore, many future parents want to hear their baby not only in the presence of a doctor.

fetal doppler

How to hear the fetal heartbeat at home? In the first place, we put the Doppler, which is the most common device. It can be used from the 12th week of pregnancy, purchased at a pharmacy. Completely different models are produced - from simple to advanced. The first option involves listening to the heartbeat using headphones, in which the number of beats is heard. The device consists of:

  • from the display, which in new models is color, in simple copies it is not at all;
  • a speaker that conducts sound and processes it, bringing it to the ears of parents;
  • battery, which allows the device to work up to 15 hours.

The device allows you to hear the fetal heartbeat at home quickly and clearly, but many are wondering about its effect on the child. There is no reason to worry, so you can safely use the device without worrying that it will harm. The difficulty lies in the fact that the child can feel the operation of the device and change the location, which will change the performance and affect the result.

Phonendoscope

Surely every family had such a device lying around at home, for many it remained from their grandmothers, because they used to listen to their pulse when measuring pressure, when the devices were still mechanical. Time passes, technologies change and the question arises: is it possible to hear the fetal heartbeat with the help of a phonendoscope? Of course, you can, it is an analogue of an obstetric stethoscope, which, by the way, can also be purchased at a pharmacy. Both devices are easy to use, you just need to attach them to the surface of the abdomen. The difficulty lies in the fact that in addition to the work of the child's heart, there are other sounds - the contraction of the uterus, the work of the intestines or the work of the mother's heart. It is very difficult to count the number and rhythm of contractions; help and qualifications are needed, which are often not available.

Using the manual method

The most common question of future parents is the following: can you hear the fetal heartbeat with your ear? It is possible, but it is absolutely impossible to talk about specific indicators, the accuracy of the results. If the expectant mother is overweight, then the heartbeat will probably not be heard. Another difficulty is that you need to listen at a certain point, it cannot be defined in general, it is individual, depends on the location of the child:

  • If the child is lying upside down, then you need to listen below the navel.
  • If the location of the child is at the level of the pelvis, then listening occurs above the navel.
  • If the pregnancy is multiple, then knocking can be heard at different points.

What to do if the heartbeat is not heard?

Don't worry ahead of time. We have determined how to hear the fetal heartbeat at home, but we recall that all methods are inaccurate. Therefore, the work of the child's heart may not be heard. There are several reasons for this phenomenon:

  • excess weight of the mother, in which the fat layer interferes with hearing and creates interference;
  • the shell of the child is attached to the back wall of the uterus, while listening through the stomach becomes worse;
  • the activity of the child and the constant change of location also affect audibility.

When should you count the rhythm?

There are cases when it is necessary to constantly monitor the work of the child's heart. In such situations, it is necessary to listen daily:

  1. Mom's disease, which leads to oxygen starvation of the child.
  2. The increased tone of the uterus compresses the placenta and disrupts blood circulation, as a result of which the fetus receives little nutrients and oxygen.
  3. Bloody discharge and the presence of menstruation during pregnancy at any time. Allocations may indicate placental abruption, so the dynamics of the heartbeat is monitored daily.
  4. Anemia of the expectant mother, in which the hemoglobin level is low, so the fetus needs more useful elements.

The human heartbeat is very informative, and is used in the diagnosis of various abnormalities in the life of the body. It is especially important to examine the fetal heartbeat to identify it, insufficient hemoglobin content in its blood, or malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system.

Listening to the heart rate of an unborn baby allows the doctor to observe the anatomical development of the heart itself, and draw a conclusion about the potential viability of the fetus

If the obstetrician, when monitoring the heartbeats of the unborn child, detects a pathology, adjustments are promptly made to the management of pregnancy, increasing the chance of birth.

When it appears

The human heart begins to form very early, from the second week of embryonic development. The expectant mother may not yet be aware of her condition, but her child already has a heart of her own!

Of course, the heart is still tubular, but after two weeks the tube bends, forming a sigmoid heart.

After five weeks of embryonic development, a septum appears between the atria, forming three chambers in the heart. From the moment of such a transformation, the organ begins to contract on its own for the first time.

At what week can you hear the fetal heartbeat on ultrasound -? In principle, as early as five months of intrauterine development. Only at such an early stage, it is very difficult to detect a weak heartbeat of a newly formed heart; an ultrasound examination with a highly sensitive ultrasound device is necessary.

In addition, there is usually no need for such an early listening to heart beats due to the principle of exclusion of all early ultrasound studies of embryonic development.

In order to more safely monitor the course of pregnancy in the second month, the blood is laboratory tested for the content of chorionic gonadotropin. This is a hormone of pregnancy, the level of which normally doubles every two and a half days, until the onset of ten weeks of intrauterine development.

Methods

In medicine, methods for reliably determining the fetal heartbeat have been sufficiently developed, each of which is used for specific diagnostic purposes.

How can you listen to the heartbeat of an unborn baby? The clinic usually uses the following methods for determining the fetal heartbeat:

  • listening with an obstetrician's stethoscope;
  • ultrasound research.

Each of these methods of research is used at certain periods of development of intrauterine life, and has its own characteristic advantages.

Auscultation with a stethoscope was used by ancient obstetricians! The stethoscope is an ordinary funnel, flat and most of which experienced obstetricians press against the bare abdomen.

This method of diagnosis is possible only in the later stages of bearing a child, not earlier than the twenty-seventh week.

Overweight and swelling of the walls of the peritoneum () also postpone this method of listening to heart beats for two weeks in terms of terms.

Cardiotocography, used from 22 weeks of fetal development, an ultrasound sensor is used:

  • The sensor is attached to the anterior wall of the peritoneum, treated with gel with special strips of elastic material.
  • Data from the device are displayed on the monitor and printed as a graphical representation of the heart rate.
  • Thanks to the dynamics, a pregnant woman hears the baby's heartbeat during cardiotocography.
  • The study is safe, it can be carried out for a long period, due to which a more complete picture of the cardiac study is obtained.
  • However, on average, the study takes at least forty minutes to be more informative.
  • Simultaneously with listening to the fetal heart, an additional strain gauge scanner examines the tonic state of the uterus.

ultrasound

This method of listening to the fetal heartbeat at 13, 20 weeks is based on the sonographic principle of the study. It is successfully used in the earliest stages of pregnancy, being at that time the only possible way to study the heartbeat.

If the pregnancy proceeds without complications, an ultrasound examination is performed once in each trimester of pregnancy:

  • from 10-12 weeks;
  • at 22 weeks;
  • no later than 32 weeks.

Cardiointervalography

This unusually informative method is resorted to only if a thorough study of heart rhythms is necessary, especially if complex pathological changes in the fetus are suspected.

The study is also performed by ultrasound, but it is longer, from one hour. All information from the scanner is transferred to the operating system of the computer, which performs its thorough analysis.

Cardiointervalography receives the following data from the child's heart:

  • heart rate;
  • change in rhythm (variability), - with a monotonous, without periodic jumps, rhythm, there is a suspicion of hypoxia;
  • the speed of blood movement in the vessels of the child;
  • detection of heart rate accelerations;
  • the relationship between the movement of the child in the amniotic fluid and the change in the frequency of heart beats.

At home

Many future mothers want to know how to listen to the fetal heartbeat at home. This can be done with some experience. In addition, it is necessary to wait at least the twenty-seventh week of pregnancy, and stock up on a special stethoscope used by obstetricians.

It must be borne in mind that, without knowing the location of the child, the heartbeat when using a stethoscope may not be heard.

An easier and more convenient way to listen to the fetal heartbeat and other ultrasounds at home is to use an electronic device specially designed for this purpose.

Again, you can confidently hear the heart of the child, knowing how it is located in the pregnant uterus:

  • when the fetus is across the abdomen, the heart is listened to on the navel line, and depending on the location of the head on the right or left;
  • when the child's head is located down to the pelvis, the fetal heartbeat is heard in the right or left side of the abdomen below the level of the mother's navel;
  • with pelvic diligence, heart sounds are heard on the left or right of the abdomen, but above the woman's navel.

When listening to the heartbeat of the fetus, the specialist focuses on the established physiological norms corresponding to a particular week of intrauterine development.


Fetal heart rate table for 13 - 20 weeks

The heart of an unborn child has no gender differences, and both boys and girls beat in exactly the same way! So the definition of the heartbeat of the fetus of a boy or girl is not possible in principle.

The fetal heart rate by week of pregnancy is as follows:

  • 5 weeks - the number of heart beats per minute is from 90 to 110, in laboratory studies, strictly according to indications, a highly sensitive ultrasound machine is used;
  • from 6 to 7 weeks - from 100 to 130 beats per minute, using a conventional ultrasound;
  • from 8 to 9 weeks - from 130 to 150;
  • from 10 to 11 - not less than 130, but not more than 160;
  • from 12 to 13 weeks - from 140 to 170;
  • from 14 to 15 weeks - no more than 180 beats per minute;
  • from 16 to 17 weeks - no more than 170 strokes;
  • from 18 to 19 weeks - from 130 to 170 strokes;
  • from 20 to 21 weeks - from 140 to 170;
  • from 22 weeks to 23 - at least 130 beats, but not more than 160. The heartbeat is already clearly determined using cardiotocography (CTG);
  • from 24 weeks until the birth of the baby, the fetal heart rate ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute, and is confidently determined even with an obstetric stethoscope.

Violations

The heart rhythm of an unborn child may go astray and not fall within the established normative values. There are several reasons that cause atypical heart palpitations, or, conversely, a significant slowdown in its frequency.

Tachycardia

Make the fetal heart beat faster than it normally can:

  • pregnant woman;
  • anemia in the child;
  • pathologies in the uteroplacement blood flow;
  • increased intracranial pressure in a child;
  • inflammation of the membranes of the fetus;
  • pathology of the placenta, including its partial detachment;
  • drug therapy: drugs such as atropine and ginipral cause both the mother and the child.

Bradycardia

The heart of the fetus of a child beats much more slowly than the established norm when:

  • pressure on the inferior vena cava when a woman lies on her back for a long time;
  • violation of the fetal metabolism, pathology of the acid-base balance of the blood, etc.

By the heartbeat of the child in the uterus, the gynecologist can determine whether the baby is receiving enough oxygen and what his general condition is.

By the heartbeat of the child in the uterus, the gynecologist can determine whether the baby is receiving enough oxygen and what his general condition is. In the early stages of pregnancy, the baby's heartbeat can only be heard with the help of special devices, while from the middle of the second trimester, the doctor listens to the heart with a wooden tube with an obstetric stethoscope.

Young expectant mothers are concerned about the question, when does the heartbeat appear in the fetus? The pulsation of the heart in the unborn child begins already on the 21st day after conception, the frequency of its contractions differs in different weeks of pregnancy.

Fetal heart rate at different stages of pregnancy

With each week of embryo development in the uterine cavity, its heart rate also changes, which is caused by the progressive development of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the functioning of the heart. Below is a table of the fetal heart rate by week of pregnancy.

At the 5th week of gestation, the heart rate of the unborn child is approximately the same as the mother's heart rate, that is, 80-85 beats / min. Within a month, this indicator increases by several beats every day, thus, by the end of the 1st trimester of pregnancy, the heart rate of the child is 170-175 beats / min.

Starting from the 15th week of pregnancy and until the end of the entire gestation period, the gynecologist regularly checks the work of the child's heart in the womb at every appointment in the antenatal clinic - by listening with a stethoscope through the anterior abdominal wall, using ultrasound, portable Doppler. From the 15th week of pregnancy, the number of fetal heart beats per minute should not exceed 160-170 beats / min, if these figures are higher, then the onset of oxygen starvation in the baby can be suspected, and if the heart contracts less than 130 beats / min, then they speak of acute hypoxia, which can threaten the development and even the life of the child. Strict heart rate control is also necessary for the baby during delivery, especially at the time of contractions and attempts, normally 140-160 beats / min. There are indications that require continuous monitoring of the baby's heartbeat during childbirth with a CTG device, these include:

  • delayed intrauterine development of the child against the background of severe hypoxia;
  • multiple pregnancy (natural birth of 2 or more fetuses);
  • stimulation of labor activity with a dropper with oxytocin;
  • epidural anesthesia for a woman in labor;
  • delayed pregnancy;
  • childbirth that began before the 37th week of pregnancy;
  • chronic diseases in the mother, disorders in the functioning of the nervous system.

What should be paid attention to when listening to the fetal heart?

The formation of the heart in the embryo begins at the earliest stages of embryogenesis, and the work of this organ is an important indicator of the development of the unborn child and his state of health. Listening to the heart rate of the fetus is necessary throughout pregnancy and during childbirth, since it is these indicators that suggest various pathologies of the child's body at an early stage of their development.

When can a fetal heartbeat be heard on an ultrasound? Despite the fact that the pulsation of the rudiment of the heart in the embryo begins from day 21, on ultrasound, you can listen to heart beats only at 6-7 weeks of gestation, since at this time the hollow tube begins to turn into a full-fledged four-chamber organ with two ventricles and two atria.

When listening to the heart of an unborn child, pay attention to the following indicators:

  1. Heart rate - heart contraction more than 185 beats / min is called fetal tachycardia, less than 100 beats / min - bradycardia. Both of these conditions are not indicators of the norm and require clarification of the cause. The fetal heart rate should not exceed 170 beats / min in the second and third trimesters.
  2. Heart sounds are normal in a healthy child who develops fully in utero, heart tones are clear and sonorous, in the presence of defects or developmental anomalies, contractions are not heard clearly and blurred.
  3. Heart rate - in a healthy fetus that develops according to the gestational age, myocardial contractions are repeated rhythmically at regular intervals. In acute hypoxia or anomalies in the development of the heart valves, arrhythmia, the "gallop" rhythm, is heard.

Methods for listening to heartbeats in a child in the womb

There are several ways to listen to the heartbeats of the fetus in the uterus, depending on the gestational age.

ultrasound

Starting from the 5th week of pregnancy, it is possible to evaluate the work of the heart in an unborn child only with the help of an ultrasound sensor - transvaginally and transabdominally. In the early stages of pregnancy, ultrasound is used to determine whether there are contractions of the heart, whether the embryo is developing, how many beats per minute the myocardium pulsates. From week 12 to week 20, the doctor evaluates not only the heart rate, but also the location of the organ, the presence of all chambers, and the operation of the heart valves. It is at these gestational ages that most of the heart defects are detected in the fetus.

Stethoscope

An obstetric stethoscope is used to evaluate the parameters of the contraction of the heart muscle after the 20th week of pregnancy. At each appointment in the antenatal clinic, the doctor first determines the location of the baby's head and its position in the uterus, and then attaches the tube to the mother's anterior abdominal wall and listens to the fetal heart sound. From the second half of pregnancy, you can also use a stethophonendoscope, but it is rarely used in obstetrics. In childbirth, the heartbeat is listened to with an obstetric stethoscope every half an hour, while paying attention to the heart sounds before the contraction and immediately after it.

Cardiotocography (CTG)

From the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy, the parameters of the fetal heart rate are evaluated by CTG at least once for each pregnant woman. During childbirth, this is a mandatory procedure that shows not only the number of heartbeats per minute in a child, but also registers the reaction of the fetal heart muscle to each contraction.

Listening to the heartbeat of a child by week

At what week of pregnancy can you calculate the number of heart rates in the fetus? The only way to do this in the early stages is only with the help of an ultrasound machine. If at 6 weeks there is no heart pulsation on the monitor screen, then there is a possibility that the pregnancy has stopped. In such situations, the woman needs to be re-examined on another device.

At what week is the heartbeat heard in the fetus through the abdominal wall? You can hear how the baby’s heart contracts through the mother’s belly from the 20th week of pregnancy by attaching an obstetric stethoscope to the anterior abdominal wall, only first you need to determine the position of the fetus in the uterus and its position in order to know which side and at what height to put the tube in otherwise, nothing will be heard.

Sometimes with the help of an obstetric stethoscope it is not possible to listen to the baby's heart - this may be due to some conditions:

  • multiple pregnancy;
  • polyhydramnios;
  • heart defects in the unborn child;
  • overweight and edema in a pregnant woman;
  • attachment of the placenta along the anterior abdominal wall.

In such situations, a different way of listening to the parameters of the fetal heart is used. If during an ultrasound examination the doctor suspects heart defects in the unborn child, then an additional fetal echocardiography is prescribed, the procedure will be informative from the 20th to the 28th week of pregnancy. Echocardiography allows you to study in detail all parts of the heart in a child, evaluate blood flow and valve function, this procedure is a mandatory study for expectant mothers over 35 years of age and for those pregnant women who already have children born with heart defects.

Starting from 28-30 weeks, all expectant mothers are prescribed the CTG procedure, a special sensor is attached to the anterior abdominal wall, which records the parameters of the heartbeat of the fetus for a certain period of time. Repeated performance of such a procedure is required for women with a complicated pregnancy, namely:

  • late toxicosis;
  • the presence of scars on the uterus after surgery and caesarean section in the past;
  • aging of the placenta ahead of time;
  • chronic diseases in the expectant mother;
  • decrease or increase in the amount of amniotic fluid;
  • intrauterine growth retardation;
  • pregnancy over 42 weeks.

CTG indicators are evaluated on a 12-point scale: 9-12 points - the child's normal condition, he receives enough oxygen and develops fully, 6-8 points - there are signs of oxygen starvation, CTG should be repeated every other day and, if necessary, prescribe treatment to a pregnant woman , 5 points or less - there is a threat to the life of the child, he suffers from acute hypoxia, the woman needs to have a caesarean section. When conducting CTG, the basal rhythm and its changes during the movements of the child are determined. Normally, the first heart rate indicator should be 130-160 beats in a calm state of the fetus and up to 190 beats with movements. Rhythm changes show how the heart rate parameters deviate on average from basal indicators, normally in a healthy fetus no more than 5-25 beats / min.

How to listen to the fetal heartbeat on your own at home?

Many pregnant women are interested in whether it is possible to listen to the baby's heart on their own at home? This is quite difficult, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Starting from the 25th week, a stethophonendoscope can be applied to the abdomen, so the mother can hear her baby's heart beating. The future dad can hear the baby's heartbeat from the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy, putting his ear to his wife's stomach. In the first trimester, a woman can independently listen to the baby's heart with the help of modern fetal dopplers.

How to determine gender by heartbeat?

There is a theory that by the number of heartbeats per minute in a baby in the womb, you can determine its gender - as if the heart beats less often in boys than in girls. This fact has not been scientifically confirmed in any way, although the ultrasound did indeed reveal that in the male fetus the heart beats evenly and rhythmically, while in girls it is somewhat chaotic. The heart rate can change with the movements of the baby, changes in his body position in the uterus and stress in the mother, therefore, by counting the number of heartbeats of the child, one or another gender can only be assumed.

Evaluation of the parameters of the heart rate of the child in the womb is an integral part of monitoring the normal course of pregnancy. By the nature and frequency of heart attacks in a child, the doctor may suspect violations in his development and the presence of complications in the expectant mother.