When should I see my baby's heartbeat on ultrasound?

Ultrasounds give you a window into your baby's world. More and more women are getting ultrasounds very early in pregnancy. These early ultrasounds provide comfort and reassurance to the expectant mother. They also help with dating your pregnancy properly and getting an accurate due date.

When is the earliest you can see a heartbeat on ultrasound?

At about six weeks into pregnancy (four weeks from conception), you should be able to see your baby's heartbeat on ultrasound. The typical heart rate at this age is about 100 beats per minute. As your pregnancy progresses, your baby's average heartbeat will be between 120 and 160 beats per minute.

What if I don't see a heartbeat?

Your doctor will not only be looking for a heartbeat, she will also be looking for a gestational sac. She will measure the size of the baby. This will help her to determine your baby's age. If your baby's size is smaller than expected, your due date may be off. It is important to keep in mind that a due date is an estimate based on the start of your last menstrual period. If your cycles are irregular or you ovulated late in your last cycle, this increases the chances of your due date being off. Performing an ultrasound just a few days earlier than six weeks may not yield a visible heartbeat. If your baby is measuring smaller in size, your doctor will likely perform a repeat ultrasound in a week or two and order lab work to check your hCG levels.

If your baby is measuring six weeks or beyond and you do not see a heartbeat on ultrasound, your doctor will discuss the likelihood of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. She may order lab work including hCG levels. Due to possible errors in dating or possible equipment errors, she may also order a repeat ultrasound in three to five days.

5
Average: 5 (2 votes)
 

2 comments

Most recent See All

By zcredman on 07/30/09 at 5:32 pm

you can go to walgreens to get prenatal vitamins. you'll be fine, prenatal visits are schedule anywhere from 6-10 weeks.

By mommy 2 be on 07/11/09 at 10:11 pm

Question I don't know how far i am right now because i need to see a doctor real bad so i can get my prenatal vitamins for me and my baby and i want my   ...

Sign in to leave a comment!

Today on JustMommies

Pilgrims Unit Study

In this unit study you will learn about the Pilgrims' voyage from England to America on the Mayflower.

Cloth Diapering Basics: Beginner’s Guide to Cloth Diapering

If you are thinking about starting your baby off with cloth diapers, you may have lots of questions on how to get started.

Fertility Boosting Herbs

Long before modern medicine developed the drugs and high-tech procedures we’re all familiar with today, practitioners treated many ailments with herbal remedies, including infertility.

Castor Oil to Induce labor

So you've reached 40 weeks of pregnancy and baby has not arrived. You had hoped to go in labor on your own and the idea of a medical induction does not appeal to you.

Article Tools

Print this article

Email this article

RSS

Bookmark and Share

From the Message Boards

March 2009 Playroom

My Pal Violet/Scout

Are any of you getting this? We bought one for Jena today, It was either on sale or marked down at...

Pregnancy Loss

I guess I'll be joining you

Gosh, I never thought I'd be posting here, but here goes. I'm Melissa (28) and DH (30) and I have be...

August 2009 Playroom

Update on us:-)

So i've been pretty MIA for a while thanks to my little Diva Child lol...she's pretty needy (but so...

February 2009 Playroom

Size Check!

What size clothes are your babies wearing? If you're buying clothes for Christmas, what sizes are y...

August 2009 Playroom

Wanna see some cute toddlers in costume?

Then come vote in the March 08 PR Costume Contest......

» Check out the friendliest message board for moms and moms-to-be!