I first heard the heartbeat at 14wks at my first hospital appointment with a midwife. The heartbeat may have been able to be detected on a doppler earlier but I never had one put on me to find out.
we have one (bought it rather than hiring - was about 200 off ebay with delivery) - they say you can pick up babies heart beat at 10 weeks but it's a bit of a stretch - MAYBE if baby has it's body against the front of your uterus and MAYBE if you have a full bladder, and MAYBE if you're a small person you might get it - but definitely not all the time. i'm 18 weeks now and i find that i can pick the heart beat up each time we use it, but have to go searching sometimes (though today when DH tried, he put the probe on my tum and got HB immediately!). there is a lot of added stress if you can't find the heart beat - i wouldn't recommend, if you're going to hire, that you get it before 14 weeks - any earlier and you'll just add stress to yourself kwim?
having said that - when you DO have one, and you can hear your baby - it's a great thing - and makes you smile every time - you just have to remember bub is small and has room to move, so you have to go looking sometimes - and be patient - sometimes you'll get a few beats and bub will say "bugger off mummy" and move, then the hunt begins again... (or maybe that's just my little gremlin...)
I have one. Have used it twice...since 16 weeks. Have the gel with it too. It works perfectly and there is a second headphone jack which you can connected to a computer/recorder/whatever to record the heartbeat if you like.
Will have a quick check with DP...we may be willing to sell it on.
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