Baby's heartbeat

You can listen to your baby’s heart with a doptone from 12 weeks. A doptone produces high-frequency sound waves. By absorbing the reflection of these waves, the baby's heartbeat can be made audible.

Before the 12th week, the uterus is often hidden behind the mother's pubic bone. The sound waves cannot pass through the bone, so the heart cannot be heard. In the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the baby's organs are formed. It is not known for sure what the effects of the high-frequency sound waves could be on organ formation. For this reason, the midwives at the Birth Center only use the doptone if someone is more than 12 weeks pregnant.

In the past, the midwife used a mono-aural stethoscope, or the wooden horn, to listen to the heart of the child. However, this is only possible from 18/20 weeks. Often people try to imitate this with an empty toilet roll. Actually, your partner can hear the heart best if he/she puts one ear on your stomach. Do this on the side of the baby's back, at the level of the shoulder blades. A quick, soft beat is then heard.