Checking FHT's?

basically they are anywhere and everywhere. If they are early pregnancy, 20 weeks and less, I have the most luck finding them right at the pubic bone, usually to the patients left slightly. If you are using a doppler, I find that sometimes just tilting it slightly will hear them in the exact spot that you didn't hear them before. In a closer to term pregnancy, I start in the LLQ, then around the umbilicus, then the RLQ.... Good luck!

Thanks! :)

Those little 16-19 week buggers are usually hanging out near the middle of the pubic bone. Sneaky little critters.

I always ask where FHTs were heard at their last OB visit, most times they can tell you and they're still in the same spot.

If they're anywhere past say 30 weeks, the mom usually knows. Just ask her. I always say, Mama always knows where her baby is!!

Bravo to you for being at least willing to check, some of our ER nurses find out you are pregnant and then every problem you have is obstetrical as far as they are concerned.

You can hardly go wrong with listening in the top edge of teh pubic hair at any gestational age. Lots of times I can hear the baby moving but never "catch" him/her and then sometimes I don't hear the baby at all but I can hear the "uterine souffle`" so we know the placenta is attached. Most of the time we end up sending them for a U/S anyway. I hate it when mom's come in and I get FHT's and a couple of hours later they miscarry anyway. So sad

Originally posted by NurseyNursey

Bravo to you for being at least willing to check, some of our ER nurses find out you are pregnant and then every problem you have is obstetrical as far as they are concerned.

Pregnancy/labor/delivery/infants fascinate me, so I'm actually glad when we have OB pts in the ED...I get to learn fun new things!

(well, sometimes fun...)