Today I read on an app that from 20 weeks you should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat using a basic stethoscope. So I bought one off Amazon as I thought it would give me a bit of reassurance. However it has now had the opposite affect as I can't hear anything! I can hear my own heart eat and my husband's using the scope but placing it on my bump no matter where I put it I don't seem to be able to hear the baby's. Does anyone have any experience with this? Could it be the stethoscope or is it just too early? Feeling really anxious as I'm not really feeling movements yet either and I'm 20 weeks today. I'm a little overweight so also wondered if it might just be I'm not feeling/hearing it because I have an extra layer of belly fat? Any ideas?
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Hey, I’ve just started feeling flutters and kicks (20 weeks today) but still can’t hear baby boys heartbeat with a Doppler or the heartbeat apps so don’t be disheartened if you can’t find it! If it does bother you, you can always book a reassurance scan but the heartbeat devices etc. don’t always pick up little ones heartbeat and would deffo cause me more anxiety! X

I have a doppler which I don't use for reassurance just had it for a bit of fun with my son. I tried to find babies heartbeat yesterday and managed to eventually but it took a long while and wasn't easy at all! I honestly wouldn't worry and please don't use a stethoscope/doppler for reassurance. If your worried book a reassurance scan as it's so easy to confuse you heartbeat/placenta etc with babies heartbeat

I've got my 20 week scan next week so I'll just wait for that. I'm just worried 😫

I bought a fetal stethoscope. The "head" is in a different shape. I'm 21 weeks, tried for the past week to find my boy's heartbeat with no success. Don't worry. We are no specialists. We don't have knowledge of how to medical equipment. Extra layer is my thing too 😉 it's probably the reason we can't find the heartbeat yet ❤️

As someone who has been trained to use a stethoscope, I can tell you it’s actually stupidly hard to use. It looks like such a basic bit of equipment but it’s really really not 😂 to get the most out of a stethoscope it also needs to be a pretty decent one. Mine was way over £200.
Please don’t use it for reassurance, and please don’t beat yourself up for not finding the heartbeat. It’s actually really difficult.
Unless your body has given you a reason to believe baby is not fine, chances are baby is fine. Hang in there. You’ve got this 🙌🏽

This is why home dopplers and stethoscopes aren’t recommended, they are hard to use and lead to more anxiety if you can’t hear the heartbeat x