When can one see baby’s heartbeat on ultrasound? – Dr. Nupur Sood

Pregnancy is a time for lot of joy and anxiety. We are anxious to know if all is going fine with the baby. The heartbeat of the baby through the mother’s tummy can be checked only as late as 14 weeks of pregnancy. The earliest it can be picked up is at 5 weeks of gestation when the fetal node and the yolk sacs appear which are parts of the growth of the baby. But that can be picked up only on a transvaginal scan which is a scan done from the lower part of the system. If you prefer doing an abdominal scan then you have to wait till 7 weeks of pregnancy and usually if it is a healthy pregnancy the heart beat should appear by 7 weeks of gestation that is around one and a half months of pregnancy on the ultrasound. The doctor can make you hear the heart beat of the baby on the Doppler when the ultrasound is done.