Doppler Question?

[Tiffany_PartyOf5]

Okay, this might sound stupid.. but with my doppler, I found what I am pretty sure is the heartbeat.. at about 120 bpm (its an estimate because I didnt have a real clock on hand when I did it last night) BUT I found it in 2 different places.. upper left of my belly(kinda next to my belly button) and lower right of my belly (not far above my pelvic bone but pointing the wand thingy up and angled) Okay, I hope that made sense. lol. Anyways, is it possible to hear it in different spots at the same time or have I probably not found the heartbeat yet? LOL.. My fundus is about a tiny bit above my belly. This is my 4th pregnancy (dc's are 14 months, 2 yr, and 4 yr) and Im 13w4d today (was 13w3d when I did the doppler and measured my fundus)

TIA

[Mrs.Floyd]

*I'm not a birth professional at all, but I think I might have this right! LOL*

DH and I rented a doppler for about a month, and we often found the heartbeat in more than one place (say, maybe in the bottom-right of my belly and also in the left) and believe me there is only one baby in my belly! You can hear it in different places. If you think it might be twins, you need to check for *two different heart rates* (I'm pretty sure that's what an ob/midwife would do, short of doing an u/s of course), and to do that you'd need to be pretty sure that they are accurate.

[Jane]

It's possible you're getting your own heartbeat and you were really excited (so it was 120ish). It's also totally possible to hear the baby all over with a doppler. It's not directional like a fetoscope.

[Tiffany_PartyOf5]

Thanks. I think Im going to have to have dh's help with this doppler thing lol.. we used it before with dd (but that was 3 yrs ago). Im guessing its just the heartbeat all over that Im hearing.. lolol.. Im still debating a u/s at 18 weeks.. lol.. Thanks for the replies

[birthgreeter]

When you are right over the baby's area for the heart...you will hear the heart strong and loud 'thump-thump-thump' and when you are over the area of the placenta, it will have a 'swish-swish-swish-' but will be the same beat of the heart.....and yes, you can hear it in more than one place, but there is a slightly louder sound of the heart when you are over the babys back/heart area.
hope that helps...

[MadWorldSonnet]

Also, check your pulse while you do the babies. You could be picking yours up and counting each heart sound as two beats (ie, your heart makes 2 sounds, lubb-dupp. if your heart rate was around 64, but you heard it and counted each beat as 2, that'd bring you into the 120s).

And it's totally possible, probable really, that you'd hear the fetal heart in different spots in the uterus.

[AzariaJordan]

BUT I found it in 2 different places.. upper left of my belly(kinda next to my belly button) and lower right of my belly (not far above my pelvic bone

was 13w3d when I did the doppler and measured my fundus)

A 13/14 wk fundus is usually just aove the pubic bone and is often a little challenging to find with a doppler without really trying (but would be found with the doppler very close to your pubic bone rather than anywhere near your belly button). Are you saying your fundus is to your belly button? That's typically the 20 wk mark. Sorry, maybe I'm reading it incorrectly
But yes, later in pregnancy the doppler can pick up the heartbeat from a variety of angles; make it horribly inaccurate as an indicator of position.

[yeahwhat]

Originally Posted by AzariaJordan

A 13/14 wk fundus is usually just aove the pubic bone and is often a little challenging to find with a doppler without really trying (but would be found with the doppler very close to your pubic bone rather than anywhere near your belly button). Are you saying your fundus is to your belly button? That's typically the 20 wk mark. Sorry, maybe I'm reading it incorrectly

Considering the number of children mentioned in her signature and how young they are, I think it's safe to assume that by 13/14 weeks her fundus was at least half way to her belly button and maybe even higher, especially first thing in the morning. At least that has certainly been the case for me during my 4th and 5th pregnancies and neither my midwife or her apprentice have expressed any suprise or concern about it.

[AzariaJordan]

Ah, yes, very good point - hadn't looked closely at the sig. I would still raise an eyebrow at a 13/14 week FHT found with the doppler up parallel to the belly button though

[Tiffany_PartyOf5]

Yep, my fundus height at night (after peeing) was maybe a cm or 2 above my belly button the other night (I havent checked since though but its only been like 2 days lol) I heard the heartbeat pretty much directly next to my belly button and then the other sound(heartbeat or SOMETHING lol) was on the opposite side of my belly down about an inch or 2 above my pubic bone. Im already pretty big this pregnancy as it is my 4th and my kids area all still very young. Here is a belly shot from 12w0d although its a pretty bad picture because Im wearing black standing in front of a dk blue wall LMAO (wasnt thinking) http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...n/12week-1.jpg

I guess I should at least think about getting a us done this pregnancy (the plan was to not get one done but now Im starting to worry a little that either dates are off or there maybe more than one)

[AzariaJordan]

You have a gorgeous belly

From what you said it seems like there is a pretty big discrepancy to me, even for #4. Then again, it might all even itself out and become more size=dates. Then again, there may be another reason (dates or multiples). Then again, this may just be the way this one is going to grow. Your body clearly knows what it is doing!

The earlier the u/s the better, if you are going to have one at all....sounds like you planned not to. Do you need to be accurate with dates due to your healthcare provider protocols, or do you have some leeway to just go with whatever happens?
good luck! Keep us posted!

[Tiffany_PartyOf5]

We are going UC with this baby. Ive had 1 hospital birth with a full term baby, 1 with a preemie (water broke and they talked me into inducing at 35 weeks.. I really hate that doc.. dd was born blue and not breathing), and 1 midwife assisted homebirth.. so this time dh and I can handle it unless something comes up. NOW, if it turns out to be multiples (not likely I think lol) then, we will probably go with a natural hospital birth (would love to do homebirth but I dont think midwives will attend multiples births at home?!? and Im not comfortable having multiples unassisted.. new territory)

[lisarussell]

I havea similar situation, except I am only 21 weeks- and measuring 27 cm. I grew 7cm in 3 weeks. With the electronic doppler, we got a hb of 154 a few inches down and right from my navel and then another with a rate of 153 a few inches up and left of my navel.

MW said that doppler isn't a reliable diagnoser of twins until after 30 weeks she also said sometimes identical twins will have the same rate and even sometimes be synchronized.

because of this, we're doing a 4d U/S on Sept 5th (It's only $112)

Let's keep in touch!
Lisa