Hearing "Extra" heartbeats with Doppler.

I bought a hi-bebe fetal doppler from one of the 3D-4D Ultrasound places around here. I felt like it was a steal at $150 since I've seen them go for almost 600 at Medical Supply stores I've dealt with. Anyway, aside from that, I use it a few times a week and tonight I was listening to who I call "Lefty" and I can clearly hear the difference between the two babies HR's. One runs around 145 and the other 160. The problem is, as I was listening a few days ago, I thought I heard "extra" sounds with the heartbeat. Like a well defined murmur or something. It sounds like 3 beats rather than 2. Is this normal for 18 weeks along? I know all about Fetal Circulation, my Peds. teacher in nursing school tested us on it EVERY day, so I know there are openings in the heart that close at different times during and after birth. I don't remember my girls heartbeats sounding like this and "Righty" is giving off the usual "lub dub" sound. I was hearing those same sounds again tonight and now I'm a little concerned. I've been on the web searching for fetal heart defect sounds, to no avail. I have an ultrasound in less than two weeks. Do you think I should show up or call the docs office tomorrow morning or wait till my ultrasound? I was also wondering at around what time you guys were classified as MoMo, Di/Di and so forth. As of this point all they've told me is there are two. No perinatologist, no extra info, just give me my money (in some cases charged twice for the same procedure) and out the door you go.

 

I would call the doctors office in the morning :hug99:

 

It could be the heartbeat in the placenta. I know when they'd use the doppler on me sometimes it was hard to distinguish the placenta and the babies.

I would call your doctor just to be sure though!

 

Fetal heart arrhythmia's are VERY common. My Baby A had one from about 20 weeks on... I freaked out the first time I heard, but after talking to several OB's/Peri's (I was in the hospital) they reassured me that it was very normal and they typically resolve themselves at birth. Sure enough, once I had the girls Kylee (Baby A) never had an issue with it again.

I would definitely mention it to your Dr if you are concerned, but try not to worry (I know, easier said than done!) GL! I didn't know that my girls were mono/di until after they were born and I got the pathology report back from the products of birth.

 

When my DR uses the doppler, she will try to find the babies and will find a blood vessel, or the placenta. This causes the babies heart to sound off or like it has a murmur. But its nothing, after a little movement she finds the baby's heart beat and we are good to go. Some times it can take upwards of 5 min. This is the exact reason my DR suggested I NOT get a doppler, you can stress your self out, because you dont know what your listening too...

I found out I was Momo at 16 weeks

If you still feel uneasy, call the dr. Im sure everything is just fine! HUGS!!

 

I'm pretty sure both my twins had this as well. I know both were born with heart murmers that cleared up by 3 months. But they really should be giving you a better u/s sometime soon to really evaluate both twins.... by 20 weeks for sure you should be having a level 2 u/s...if not at an actual perinatologist than at least with a very qualified sonographer. The main problem I've discovered is that not all doctor's offices have sonographers who are experienced enough to know what they are looking at, as far as the details of a level 2 go. Having the right equipment is only one half of the solution.

 

Could you be picking up your own heartbeat? Maybe one in the placenta?

 

Hi,
We found out that our twins were di/di at our 12 week ultrasound. . .I know the earlier the ultrasound, the easier it is to distinguish for them. . .
As far as the heartbeats go, you can also pick up kidney sounds and your own pulse through the doppler, but since you are in nursing school you would probably know more about that. . . My mom brought home a doppler (she is a nursing school teacher) for me to use and I could only find one heartbeat the 1st couple of times and that was difficult and stressful (history of previous miscarriage). . .I found that it made me a little more stressful, so I either let her do since she knew what she was doing or not to do it at all. . . Try not to worry, as hard as it is

Laura