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Parentpedia
Heartbeat
Hearing their baby's heart beat for the first time can be the thrill of a lifetime -- at least, until the birth -- for expectant parents.
Monitoring the baby's heart rate also is an important diagnostic tool for doctors and nurses throughout the pregnancy. Doctors can monitor the baby's health by listening to his heart rate and rhythm.
Heart Rates
The baby's heart typically begins beating in the fifth week of pregnancy. It begins at a rate of 80-85 beats per minute (bpm), but speeds up to the range of 155-195 by the ninth week.
You may be able to hear the heartbeat as early as the 10th week with a Doppler, a handheld ultrasound device that amplifies the sound. Even with the Doppler, you may not be able to hear the heartbeat this early because of the baby's position or other factors, like excess layers of fat around the mother's abdomen. By the 18th week, you should be able to hear your baby's heartbeat.
By week 15, the baby's heart is pumping as much as six gallons of blood a day and beating approximately twice as often as an adult's heart. Far faster than an adult's heart rate, it sounds like a galloping horse to most parents.
According to the Society for Research in Child Development, differences in fetal heart rates can provide information about children's developing nervous systems through the toddler years.
Some people believe the fetus's heart rate indicates its gender -- above 140 beats per minute is a girl, goes the logic -- but doctors say there is no scientific evidence for this belief.
Monitoring the Heart Rate
Your doctor will check your baby's heart rate on each visit, but some mothers also like to monitor it while they're home. Up until 20 weeks, you will need a machine that uses Doppler technology to monitor the heart rate. There are many models available, but be aware that the good ones fetch up to $500. After 20 weeks, a stethoscope can pick up the heartbeat.
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