Heartbeat not detected at 11 weeks with doppler...normal?

It's not uncommon.....did she ask you to come back in a week to try again?

She didn't actually. I guess she just wants to do it at our next visit in 3 weeks...that seems so long to wait.

my midwife won't even try to get fht before 12 weeks. it is perfectly normal, but if you are worried call her and ask to come in nexr week for a check

yep, we "lost" ours for a bit too....showed it on a viability U/S at 8 weeks (I had the appearance of an empty sac at 6 weeks, so had the ultrasound done again at 8 wks to check viability)....so it was visible at 8 wks, then at 11-week visit we couldn't hear it on Doppler, so we waited, it WAS an excruciating 3 weeks, but at 14 weeks it was back, strong as ever as has been easy as pie to find ever since.

Anything is possible, and I know your mind goes all sorts of places NOT knowing, and it's so hard to wait. See if maybe she'll try again in 2 weeks, instead of 3 maybe?

i think its normal, because i had bleeding at 9 weeks, and when my midwife tried to check for tones, she told me NOT to freak if we couldn't hear them, because a lot of time you just can't hear them that early. She did say i could have an US to check if i was really that stressed, but luckily, we did hear them.

It's hard not to be able to hear the reassurance of the heart beat... this happened to me, too, in my pregnancies... once after I heard the heartbeat previously... in my case it turned out to be the instrument and not the baby.

Maybe you can drop by someplace that has a doppler if you get too worried?

Thanks everyone! I feel a lot more reassured now that this may be normal and my baby is doing fine! I actually made an appt. this coming Thurs. for a prenantal screen with an OB (state law that I have 2 appts. with an OB for a homebirth) and hopefully she'll have a better doppler and I'll hear my little baby!

At my 16 week appt, we couldn't find the hb with either fetascope or doppler. Is it possible you mw has a doppler that isn't super strong? I had previously heard the hb so I wasn't worried, but if you need to ask for her to meet with you so that you can be reassured.

I had a client who was told at her 9 week ultrasound that she had a fetal pole but no baby, and her doctor scheduled her for a D&C for the following week. Luckily, she listened to her gut and didn't show up for the D&C. Her son turns 2 in a few weeks. It can be difficult to find the FHR, especially this early on- I wish you all the best!

If I remember right they couldn't get DS's heartbeat by doppler until 14 or 16 weeks. My midwife said sometimes it takes a little longer if you have a retroverted uterus (which I did).

Just chiming in to add to the "it's likely normal" stories. With my current pregnancy, we didn't hear the heartbeat on dopper at 10w, but did hear it a 14. And, so far all is well here at 35w. I'm sure it will be the same for you.

Peace,
Kel

We couldn't hear the hb at 11 weeks either w/my current pregnancy and everything's fine. Agreed that it's normal!

When I was pg with my dd, my OB tried to hind her HR at 9 weeks with a doppler. After about 15 minutes of roughly manipulating my uterus, he found it. It was really hurt and I threw up afterwards.

I wish that he had just said "We'll wait a few weeks" Four weeks later her HR was really strong and easy to find.

Not only is that normal, but with this last baby, there were several visits, even at the end, where they had trouble finding him, he just liked hiding!!