Today I am 10w5d. My last u/s was 9w4d. I don't expect I will have another u/s until 12w3d. While I'm not going crazy (yet....), I have gotten very comfortable with weekly ultrasounds to peek at baby to make sure everything is alright. I've found it difficult to step away from that feeling that the infertility shoe of doom is going to fall at any minute (yes, I know that this is not entirely rational at this point and that statistically, the odds are in my favor. Rationality does not not seem to matter to my infertile brain though).
So, I got a doppler. I know it is early for a doppler, but I was hopeful that it would provide some reassurance going forward. The first few days I could only get a reading that was in the 70's, which had to be me. Today I got a 164, but it only stayed on the digital monitor for 2 seconds literally and then I couldn't get a reading again. I can't hear anything recognizable as a gallop as I understand the heartbeat should sound like. So, humor me and tell me that any reading in the 160s in that region of the body has got to be the baby's heartbeat... Right?
Parenting and anxiety
5 years ago
Fear not: that 160 reading would have to be baby's heart. Plus, it's not unexpected that you would have a problem getting a reading easily this early in the pregnancy. That doppler will probably provide you with a lot of comfort in the second trimester, but for you can blame its inconsistency on how small the baby is... But judging from that 160 you caught for a moment, the baby's doing awesome!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry. And probably a week or so from now, you'll be a pro with that gizmo and it'll make you feel a lot better. :)
I would absolutely say that a 160 has to be the baby - and I've heard that it can be hard to keep it on the monitor for more than a couple of seconds. I think you found it! (And I heartily concur - heartbeat monitors are the way to go for those of us who are, well, less than confident pg ladies....)
ReplyDeleteUnless you were running on the treadmill or a spin bike while you took the reading, that has GOT to be Baby's. For sure. Have you never heard the HB?! Youtube search it, it's kind of like a "woosh woosh woosh". Good luck! How much does it cost to rent a doppler anyway, and where did you order it?
ReplyDeleteWe heard the heartbeat via ultrasound but not via doppler. I rented mine from Babybeats at $45 a month. Like your dh said, once you've got the initial investment made, what's another $45 or $50? :-)
ReplyDeleteI think if it's reading at 160 at ALL then that's the baby! I just went for my 11 week u/s and the doctor had to zero in on one of the babies a couple times before he got the heartbeat. Once he just got it for like 2 seconds. So I think you're in the clear!! I know what you mean though ... I waited from 9w2d to 11w1d and it felt like AGES.
ReplyDeleteNo way in hell was that anyone's heartbeat but the baby. I had to search for a while to find my baby's at 13weeks, so I'm not surprised it took a while and was fleeting. They're active little buggers in there, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds about right, as I first got my doppler at 11 weeks and had a similar experience. You get the heartbeat for about 2 seconds, and then it's hard to find it again.
ReplyDeleteI find mine right at the pubic bone, with the doppler pointing at a 45 degree angle down. With LOTS of the clear goo.
I still only find them for a few seconds.
I'm trying to only use mine about once a week because the genetic counselor said that they emit much higher waves than the ultrasound machines at the practice.
It is defintely nice to have it though! I have to wait 3 weeks until my next appointment and it's gonna drive me nuts.