What does the fetal heart sound like?

The so-called fetal heart rate is the heartbeat of the fetus. In order to understand the status of the fetus in the uterus, fetal heart rate monitoring is often performed in medicine. If the fetal heart rate is within the normal range, at least it means that the fetal heartbeat is normal. During the pregnancy of women, there are many reasons that cause the fetal heart rate to become abnormal, including two major categories: maternal factors and fetal factors. If you don’t know what the fetal heart rate sounds like, let’s learn more about it below.

What does the fetal heart sound like?

That is the heartbeat of the fetus.

During the 18th to 20th week of pregnancy, the fetal heart sounds can be heard through the pregnant woman's abdomen. They are double tones, like the "ticking" sound of a clock.

The normal fetal heart rate should be 120 to 160 beats per minute. If it exceeds 160 beats, you should be alert to hypoxia. If it is lower than 120 beats, it is more dangerous. If the fetus is hypoxic, the heartbeat will first speed up and then slowly slow down, so fetal heart monitoring is very important. (Most boys have a slower and more stable fetal heart rate, with little fluctuation; while girls have a larger fluctuation. For example, if the fetal heart rate is 130-140, it is more likely to be a boy, and if it is above 150, it is more likely to be a girl.)

After 28 weeks of pregnancy, the test should be listened to once a day for one minute each time to monitor the health of the fetus.

When listening to the fetal heartbeat, be careful to distinguish it from the mother's heartbeat and bowel sounds. The fetal heartbeat is fast and the mother's heartbeat is slow.

Twins can also be distinguished by fetal heart sounds, as the heartbeats of the two fetuses are not exactly the same. Two fetal heart sounds are heard in different parts of the body, with a difference of more than 10 beats per minute, or there is a soundless zone between the two fetal heart sounds.

Fetal heart rate monitoring is the abbreviation of fetal heart rate, fetal movement and uterine contraction chart. It uses an electronic fetal heart rate monitor to record the fetal heart rate curve and uterine contraction pressure waveform for clinical analysis. It is the main detection method to correctly evaluate the condition of the fetus in the uterus. The fetal heart rate of fetal heart monitoring is regulated by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. The curve of the monitoring chart formed by the signal tracing the instantaneous fetal heart rate changes can be used to understand the reaction of the fetal heart during fetal movement and uterine contraction, so as to infer whether the fetus in the uterus is suffering from hypoxia.

Precautions for listening to fetal heart sounds

1. Find the correct position of the fetal heart. Before 24 weeks of pregnancy, the fetal heart is often located in the center or slightly to the side below the navel; after 24 weeks of pregnancy, the fetal heart sound is clearest when heard on the side of the fetal back.

2. After 28 weeks of pregnancy, it is best to listen once a day for 1 minute each time to monitor the health of the fetus.

3. When listening to the fetal heartbeat, be sure to distinguish it from the expectant mother's heartbeat and bowel sounds. The fetal heartbeat is fast, while the expectant mother's heartbeat is slow.

4. If you find that you can't hear the fetal heartbeat in the original position, but you can feel the fetal movement, it means that the baby's position has changed. You should go to the hospital to check whether the fetal position is abnormal.