Patient's question:
How is the heartbeat of a fetus usually observed?Doctor's answer:
Under normal circumstances, self-monitoring is not possible before the 15th week of pregnancy. For pregnant women between the 15th and 25th weeks, it is generally recommended to measure 2 to 3 times a day, with each monitoring session lasting about 1 minute. After the 28th week of pregnancy, as the fetus has relatively developed differentiation within the mother's body, the duration and frequency of monitoring can be appropriately extended. High-risk pregnant women with conditions such as hyperthyroidism or hypertension should be hospitalized promptly for fetal heart monitoring. Before the 24th week of pregnancy, the position for fetal heart monitoring is usually the center of the abdomen below the navel or on both sides of the midline. As the fetus grows in the abdomen, the position of the fetal heartbeat also changes. After the 24th week, the fetal heartbeat moves to the back of the fetus. Under normal conditions, the fetal heartbeat in a head-down position can be monitored below the navel, while the fetal heartbeat in a breech position can be monitored on the navel.