I am 16 weeks and 4 days and I have been trying with the stethoscope for the past two or three weeks but haven't heard anything. My doctor said that by 20 weeks I should be able to hear it with the stethoscope. I will let you know when I do.

when I was pregnant with my first daughter I bought a heartbeat monitor from walmart it was like $20. I first heard it when I was about 15 weeks.

It just depends...every woman is different. I heard my baby's heartbeat for the first time when I was 7 weeks pregnant. It was at the doctor's office with one of their dopplers though. I have a home heart doppler and it was like my 25th week before I could hear it on it one of those so...I never tried with a stethoscope though. Good luck to you and your pregnancy.

Oooh I should pull out my stethoscope and see if I can hear mine soon! I just started week 19. I bet it would be a really cool way to relax to fall asleep!

I was also wondering this. I almost 10 weeks, and I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he told me it was too early to hear the heart beat.
I guess everyone is different. And I was also wondering about the home heartbeat monitor.

I just tried it and didn't have much luck, but I think I might have heard it for a second or two! Unless it was really rhythmic creaking from my hands. *L* I'm guessing the little guy didn't like me pushing on him so much and just scooted out of the way.

My midwife couldn't hear the baby's heartbeat even with a Doppler until 13 weeks. And even now, at 20 weeks, she still can't hear it with a stethoscope.

I have heard that many women rent dopplers so they can hear the heartbeat at home, but it's not an easy thing to find. That heart beat is so overshadowed by your heart beat and regular noises inside of you, that it can be quite tricky to hear the baby. I never got one because I didn't want to constantly be hunting down a hard to find sound. So I just wait until my monthly appointments and then totally enjoy the wsh wsh wsh sound!

I got one and heard it at 8 weeks! You have to be REALLY patient (it took me 2 days to find it) and you have to go REALLY low, like on or below your hairline to find the little devil!

You can go to beelybeats.com and rent a monitor for like $14 a month. You can return it any time, and it's usually the same monitor your doctor will use. It's great for a piece of mind (that everything is okay) until you start to feel the lil one move!

britters...thank you for the website. I checked it out and I couldn't find one for $14 but there were ones for $25 and $45 and the website is bellybeats.com they also let you buy them there (about $450-600) I just called and regular shipping is 3-5 business days which is free and they also offer overnight for $20. thanks a lot...this is a wonderful option to have available. I am going to get the heart monitor they have at walmart/target/etc and see if that works and if not I might rent one for a month. I'll be sure to let you know how it works. Good luck.

the doctor can sometimes detect the babys heart beat from 13 weeks but it isnt always possible, you can hear it yourself with a stethoscope anywhere from 20+. sorry i find it hard 2 believe ure friend heard it early on