Patient's question:
Hello doctor, may I ask, how long after pregnancy can one know if there is fetal heartbeat? I am very scared. When I was 46 days pregnant, I had an ultrasound and it showed no fetal bud and no fetal heartbeat. However, others at the same gestational age had fetal heartbeats. At that time, the doctor told me it was normal. Is it normal? Now that I am not having an ultrasound, is there any way to know if my baby inside has a heartbeat? I am now 50 days pregnant, with my last menstrual period on October 12. Please help me answer this, thank you!Doctor's answer:
Generally, the fetal heartbeat, or the pulsation of the heart tube, usually appears around week 7 of pregnancy. At week 3, the baby's movements and heartbeat can be clearly seen and heard on ultrasound, but in daily life, the movements of the fetus cannot yet be felt. It is not until after week 12 that the movements can be felt. Due to a 1-2 week margin of error during pregnancy, and because the initial fetal movements are as subtle as bubbles being expelled by a small fish, sometimes the feeling of fetal movement may occur a bit later. Starting from week 12 of pregnancy, you can lie down in bed about 15 minutes after dinner (increased blood flow after a meal can make fetal movements more frequent and stronger), quietly place your hand on your abdomen, and you may be able to feel it earlier.