How to self-test for fetal heartbeat and embryo

Fetal heartbeat is actually a symbol of fetal life. When the test tube embryo in the belly begins to grow, there will be fetal heartbeat. So, how long does it take to test the fetal heartbeat? How to measure the fetal movement of the fetus? What is the reason if the fetus has no fetal heartbeat? What symptoms will appear if there is no fetal heartbeat?

How long can I test the fetal heartbeat during pregnancy?

Generally speaking, the fetal heartbeat can be measured by instruments as early as the 10th week of pregnancy. At present, the more widely used high-sensitivity Doppler instruments can detect the heartbeat like horse hoofbeats when the fetus is 10 or 12 weeks old. However, some hospitals may use general auscultation. In that case, it will take until 17-18 weeks to track the baby's voice. There is also a situation that in the early stages of pregnancy, due to the position of the fetus, or many other influencing factors, such as the mother's excessive body fat, even with extremely sophisticated instruments, the fetal heartbeat cannot be heard.

The method of counting the baby's fetal movements is: from the 7th month of pregnancy (28 weeks of pregnancy) to delivery, the pregnant woman herself counts the frequency of fetal movements. Record the number of fetal movements once in the morning, noon, and evening every day, and record each time for 1 hour. Add up the number of fetal movements recorded three times in the morning, afternoon, and evening, and multiply it by 4, which is equivalent to the number of fetal movements in 12 hours.

The number of fetal movements is generally 30 times within 12 hours, which indicates that the fetus is in good condition in the uterus. If the frequency is 20 times or the number of fetal movements within 12 hours is 50% lower than before, it means that the fetus is lacking oxygen in the uterine cavity. You should see a doctor first and do not wait for the fetal movement to subside before going to the hospital for a physical examination. The disappearance of fetal movement indicates that the fetus is seriously lacking oxygen in the womb and will soon die. If you go to the hospital for treatment at this time, it is usually too late to save the baby and the fetus has already died in the womb.

Normal fetal movement: At 18 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus moves about 200 times a day and night; at 28 to 32 weeks of pregnancy, the peak value is 550 to 600 times / 24 hours. However, after 32 weeks of pregnancy, especially after the fetal head enters the pelvis, the frequency of fetal activities decreases relatively, about 280 to 300 times a day and night. Normally, pregnant mothers can only feel fetal movements 3 to 5 times per hour.

What's going on when there's no fetal heartbeat?

The fetal heartbeat usually appears around 7 weeks of pregnancy. If you find no fetal heartbeat in the early stages of pregnancy, you should calm down and go to another hospital for a check-up, or wait another week or two before checking again. If there is still no fetal heartbeat, it means that the embryo may have stopped developing. There are many reasons for fetal growth retardation, including contact with harmful substances, exposure to radiation or large amounts of electromagnetic radiation, taking drugs that affect fetal development, smoking or drinking, etc. It is recommended to find out the cause and then use medication for treatment.

The sudden absence of fetal heartbeat in the middle and late pregnancy may be caused by fetal hypoxia, such as fetal umbilical cord disease: umbilical cord torsion, umbilical cord prolapse, etc.; fetal factors: malformation, intrauterine growth retardation, infection, multiple births, etc.; maternal diseases: post-term pregnancy, pregnancy-induced hypertension, cardiovascular disease, toxic shock, etc.; embryonic factors: placental abruption, placenta previa, etc. The above reasons all result in insufficient oxygen production in the embryo, causing the fetus to die from lack of oxygen. It is recommended that pregnant women go to the hospital for a physical examination and receive corresponding treatment as soon as they find it.

The absence of fetal heartbeat means that the embryo has stopped developing. There are many reasons for the embryo to stop developing, including genetic factors, infection, contact with radioactive elements, harmful organic chemical traditional Chinese medicines, taking medicines that are contraindicated for pregnant women, high temperature, excessive stress, etc. In most cases, early fetal arrest or miscarriage may be caused by problems with the sex chromosomes themselves.

There are generally no obvious symptoms when there is no fetal heartbeat. There may also be some symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, disappearance of pregnancy reaction, and lower body temperature, but they are generally impossible to detect. You can do a B-ultrasound examination to check the embryo, fetal heart rate and fetal heartbeat. After the B-ultrasound examination, you can determine whether there is still a chance of keeping the fetus.