No heartbeat

[CityGirl]

The hb midwife came over yesterday for our first official prenatal. I'm 11 weeks, and she could find no heartbeat with the doppler. She says this is normal and that I shouldn't assume anything is wrong, but I feel... I don't know, not scared, but just sure that it's the worst. Has anyone else been unable to detect a heartbeat around this many weeks?

[2tadpoles]

This is kind of personal, but are you very heavy? If there is a lot of fatty tissue between the doppler and the uterus, it's possible not to hear the heartbeat.

Also, are you sure of your dates? Is it at all possible that you're less than 11 weeks pregnant?

Sometimes if the uterus is tipped backward instead of forward, that could be a problem, too. A percentage of women have their insides arranged that way. In that case the weight of the baby eventually pulls it forward.

[Finnsma]

Also, how long did she try? At 11 weeks I had a heck of time finding the heartbeat even though I'd found it before with the same doppler. I know had I been at the docs they'd have given up.

Hang in there!

[ladyelmo1]

I went last week (at 10 weeks) and the MW couldn't find it, and she tried for quite a white. I'm going back this weds to try again.

I had the same problem with my dd. They said at that time that she was just so far back in the uterus that they couldn't hear it. Sure enough, the next visit it was there.

I'd never heard about the uterus being tipped backwards. That's interesting.

I'm trying to not be nervous about the whole thing, too. Though I guess the amount of time I spent crouched over the porcelin (sp?) god today should be encouraging!
-Melissa

[lavendermama]

They couldn't hear my kiddos at 11 weeks either. I am sure all is fine. Hang in there

[Trishy]

Pardon me for trampling into y'alls due date club but I just wanted to say that at 11 weeks my midwife could not find a heartbeat either. Here I sit 30 weeks later with an active little overdue boy in my gy-normous belly.

[srain]

They couldn't find my daughter's with doppler at 11 weeks either, but I'm at 28 now!

[CityGirl]

I'm so glad I asked!! Whew, so it is normal and doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.

No, I'm not heavy--I haven't weighed myself since before I was pregnant but probably 135 lbs? The midwife really tried for a long time, too. I thought she was so patient, tried lots of goop, lots of different angles... she just said that my uterus is still in my pelvis and baby could have been all the way at the bottom or back.

I feel guilty about this, but... part of the reason I can't stand the idea of losing the baby now is that this trimester has been so incredibly miserable--I don't know if I could ever stand to go through it again. And I don't want to feel like I went through it all for nothing. Ugh, I know so many of us are going through that and it just breaks my heart. No one should have to go through morning sickness without getting a baby in their arms at the end of it all!

[TOmomma]

I have a retroverted uterus and they couldn't find ds' heartbeat at 11 weeks either - I have no idea if these were related. Haven't yet tried to hear this one.

[luvmy3boyz]

Just wanted to add that they couldn't find my babies heartbeat at 12 weeks this last friday. I haven't been nervous because my morning sickness is still full blown yucky.

Kylie

[crayon]

we had one doppler with DD#1 at 12 weeks and we were unable to hear anything and then I realized it did more harm than good to worry myself and I read up on dopplers so I never used it again. She was alive and vital! So I would not worry much.

[CyndiN]

More details are part of the post I just made to the weekly thread. But I had a doppler on Monday which put me at 11 weeks, 3 days. I am positive of my dates and while I do have extra fat on my tummy, much of the heartbeat hunting is near the public bone.

Anyway, no heartbeat. The midwife said the chances of hearing it at this date are 50-50. She said I can worry if we don't hear it at my next appt in 4 weeks. She also said I can come by to try again in another week or two if I feel the need.

[sm3247]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I went in for my first visit today - 10 wks 3 days and no heartbeat. I've had this fear for the last week that something is horribly wrong and I just don't know it yet. I don't have any symptoms, but that hasn't stopped me from crying all the time. I know it's still early but It would have really helped to hear the heartbeat. Hopefully in a few weeks we'll all know that we have healthy, active babies.

[aprildawn]

hi. poking in from the april due date club. with my first the mw couldn't find a heartbeat at 11 weeks. at the time she was in a practice with a bunch of obs. they did an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok and we saw a perfect little heartbeat. more than likely, there's a heartbeat in there you just can't hear it yet.