Hear baby with stethoscope?

[DBZ]

I was wondering about trying to listen to the baby with a stethoscope. I have an inexpensive one from my medical assistant days, so I thought I'd give it a go. I didn't hear the baby though, but I'm overweight so maybe that is a factor. Can you hear other things like kicks etc?

thanks

[Reha]

You can generally hear baby's heartbeat with a fetoscope around 24 weeks, sometimes it will be closer to 26-28 weeks. With a stethoscope, it may take a bit longer, as I don't think it picks up the very subtle beat early on. But, by the end of your pregnancy, you should easily be able to hear your baby with the stethscope.

I have never been able to hear kicks with a fetoscope.

[Ackray]

I can hear my baby moving with the stethescope but I haven't been able to find her HB.

[Reha]

You can generally find the heart beat by doing this:

figure out where you feel most of the kicks that day, and listen for baby on the opposite side and down low near your pelvis. You can hear hearttones best through the baby's upper back, so where ever the baby's back is, listen on that side, up near where you would expect the neck area to be.

It sounds sort of like a watch ticking underneath a pillow.