IDENTIFYING THE FETAL SOUNDS YOU WILL HEAR
You will hear kicks, hiccups, nutrients passing through the placenta, and, of course, the heartbeat. Each one is distinctive and being able to identify them will significantly enhance your experience.
The best way to describe each sound is as follows:
Heartbeat: A very soft rapidly beating drum or a galloping horse Kicks: A series of uneven thumps
Hiccups: Two rapid, soft drumbeats Nutrients: A whooshing sound
A fetal heart beats from 120 to 180 times a minute while the heart of a pregnant woman beats approximately 100 times a minute. Knowing this should help prevent you from confusing your own heartbeat with that of your baby's.
WHEN YOU WILL HEAR THESE SOUNDS
The fetal heartbeat, kicks and hiccups may be heard from the beginning of your third trimester. You will need to listen very carefully for your baby's heartbeat as it may be extremely difficult to hear it over the beating of your own heart. The sound of your own bowels may also interfere with your ability to hear the heartbeat. While the Prenatal Heart Listener® is specially designed to tune out these sounds, they can still get in the way. This is why the best time to listen is 3 to 4 hours after a meal and when you are relaxed and have a slower heartbeat.
Remember, as your baby grows and gets stronger, so do the sounds she creates. You will also become more familiar with the sounds so they will be easier to identify.
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