How to Find a Baby's Heartbeat

Finding an unborn baby's heartbeat can be done with relative ease when using a fetal doppler machine, which is available in big-box child retail stores like Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby and Target and Wal Mart. The doppler machine allows you to hear the baby's heartbeat, and does not affect the unborn fetus in any way.



In addition, you can also locate your newborn baby's heartbeat by locating some key points on the body. This allows you to monitor the baby's heart rate if he or she is sick or if you are concerned about the baby's well-being at any time.

Things You'll Need

• Fetal doppler

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Instructions

• 1

  Purchase a fetal doppler machine. These can range in price from $50 to $100 depending on the model you purchase. These are small devices with a probe attached to a speaker.

• 2

  Sit down in a comfortable chair that allows you to stretch out your lower body, or lie down on a comfortable surface.

• 3

  Place the fetal doppler probe on your belly just below your belly button toward your pelvic bone, point side down so it can read your baby's heartbeat. Make sure you power the doppler device on, and gently move the probe around your belly, starting at the belly button area and working your way outward until you hear the heartbeat sound. You can begin to hear the heartbeat with most doppler models after the 12th week of pregnancy.

• 4

  Keep the doppler probe in contact with the skin at all times. You also need to gently press down with the doppler probe to be sure it can accurately pick up the heartbeat in the womb.

• 5

  Search for a heartbeat on the pressure points of your newborn baby. Once your baby is born, you can monitor the heartbeat by checking the pulse on the wrist or neck. Take your index and second fingers and place them just below the lower portion of the palm of the baby's wrist. Hold the wrist and your fingers still, lightly pressing down until you feel the baby's blood pulsing.

  Alternatively, place your index and second finger on the right or left side of the baby's neck, but not both sides at once, just below the jaw line. Push down lightly, until you feel the blood pulsing continuously. You may need to move around slightly until you find the pulse.

  You can similarly find the pulse in the groin area, back of the knees, temple or inner or top portion of the foot by following the same method.

• 6

  Count how many beats you feel in 10 seconds. Multiply this number by six to get your baby's heart rate per minute. If the heart rate is over 160, or less than 100 in infants (under the age of 1), or over 120 and less than 70 in children (1 to 10 years old), you should seek medical attention immediately for your child.