When Can You Hear Baby’s Heartbeat?

The first patter of your baby's heartbeat. 🥹

It’s a big, tear-jerking moment.

And it makes sense that you’re eager to get there.

So when can you hear baby's heartbeat?

While babies tend to hit key developmental milestones at similar times, when you actually hear their heart beating depends on when you get your first ultrasound.

And possibly just how your babe is feeling that day.

In this article: 📝

Can you hear a heartbeat at 5 weeks?

The development of a baby’s heart usually starts at about 3 weeks into your pregnancy.

By 5 weeks, their little heart will start beating by itself. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to hear it this early, though.

Is it normal not to hear a heartbeat at 6 weeks?

Your doctor might have called you in for a first-trimester ultrasound to get a visual of baby, see how many babies you’re actually carrying, and confirm your due date.

They’ll want to check for the fluttering of cells that signifies a baby's heartbeat while they’re there.

But don’t panic if you can’t hear or even see anything — it’s still very early in your pregnancy.

Is no heartbeat at 7 weeks normal?

Don’t worry, mama.

There are many reasons that your doctor might not be able to find your baby’s heartbeat during a first-trimester ultrasound, or even when checking later in your pregnancy.

These little ones can be shy!

It could be that:

• It’s too early in your pregnancy. Your doctor will have estimated the length of your pregnancy so far from your last period. But if your periods are a little irregular, this can make their guess less accurate, meaning you’re not as far along as you might think. Or baby might just be too small and far away!
• Something is blocking detection. If you have a tilted uterus, the Doppler might not be able to do its job. Or if you have a higher BMI, a layer of abdominal fat might be blocking the heartbeat from being detected.

Can you hear a heartbeat at 10 weeks?

Let’s jump to the second trimester of your pregnancy.

It’s normal to not have had an ultrasound at all yet.

Because it can be so hard to find baby’s heartbeat while they’re still small — which causes mamas to worry unnecessarily — your first check-up might not be until week 12.

The equipment used to do this is called a Doppler. This odd-sounding device works by creating an audible simulation of your baby’s heartbeat via a loudspeaker or earpiece.

Your doctor (or midwife) will likely be able to find a steady heartbeat by week 12.

How fast should a baby’s heartbeat be?

On average, your baby’s heart will beat at 120 and 160 beats per minute.

It could be higher in your first trimester.

If your baby’s heartbeat is a little irregular, your doctor may want to monitor things more closely.

This condition (also called fetal arrhythmia) can be caused by a number of simple things like caffeine or nicotine consumption, or changes in the size and shape of the heart in the second trimester.

If your doctor is worried about congenital heart defects, they’ll let you know right away and keep monitoring the situation.

Remember, these conditions are very rare.

While hearing that first thump thump thump of your babe’s heart is reassuring, it’s fairly common not to hear your baby’s heartbeat until weeks 9-12 of your pregnancy.

You might not have your first ultrasound until the beginning of your second trimester.

But either way, hearing that first soft patter is definitely a moment you'll never forget.

Sniff. Pass the tissues! 🥹