A fetal Doppler test is completely safe and painless with the ultimate reward of hearing the pitter-patter of your womb.Ĭan I buy a fetal Doppler to hear my twins’ heartbeats at home? However, it is common in diamniotic (fraternal) pregnancy to rely on the fetal Doppler test during the first and second trimesters. An identical twin pregnancy may have more frequent ultrasounds. This is to ensure the babies’ heart rates are strong and normal. Beginning with your 10 to 12 week prenatal appointment, your care provider will perform a fetal Doppler test with each check-up. This device works like an ultrasound as it uses sound waves to detect a baby’s heartbeat. What is a fetal Doppler?Ī fetal Doppler is a monitoring tool used by your doctor or midwife as part of your routine prenatal care. As your babies grow, you will eventually get a listen, likely around 12 weeks of pregnancy. Don’t freak out if you don’t hear that sweet sound at 10 weeks. Sometimes, the babies play hide and seek or their positioning is too far from the Doppler. For example, a tilted uterus, an anterior (front-facing) placenta, or extra weight around your abdomen can make it harder to hear the heartbeat early on as there are barriers between the Doppler and the womb. That said, sometimes you have to wait a bit longer to hear one or both of your twins’ heartbeats. Around week 20, the heartbeats can be heard through a stethoscope. Finally, around week 10 the babies’ heartbeats are usually strong enough to hear with a fetal Doppler or ultrasound. As the heart chamber develops, a flickering beat can be seen by transvaginal ultrasound as early as 3 to 4 weeks gestation, and a regular ultrasound between weeks 6 and 8. Did you know we have a FREE Facebook group just for expecting twin parents? Hurry and join today to find support from expecting twin mamas who get it! How early can twins’ heartbeats be detected?Ī baby’s cardiac muscles begin to develop between weeks 3 and 5 of pregnancy.
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