Becoming a mother for the first time is indeed an amazing feeling and one can feel very excited when faced with this news. However, regardless of the excitement, a first-time mother can often feel frightened and confused.
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This can be because of the various ups and downs associated with the pregnancy itself. A first-time mother can have many concerns and questions when sudden issues arise during pregnancy.
One such issue can be the disappearance of a fetal heartbeat. Before we get into details of that, we first need to understand the idea behind fetal heartbeat.
Understanding Fetal Heartbeat:
Fetal heartbeat, as its name suggests, is the heartbeat of a fetus that is still inside its mother’s womb. It is a steady cardiac activity that includes repetitive rhythmic contractions of the fetal heart within the gestational sac. This heartbeat is an indication that the unborn child is surviving and is growing normally and constantly toward full-term birth.
Reasons for a Fetal Heartbeat to Disappear:
During the early stages of pregnancy, fetal heartbeat can disappear and it happens mostly when a mother is around 12 weeks pregnant.
It is indeed rare but happens to many mothers, making them constantly worried and anxious about their pregnancy. There can be many reasons for no cardiac activity in the fetus.
Any new mother can come up with many questions after a wrong ultrasound. One such question can be no heartbeat at 10 weeks could the baby still be alive? Let’s look at some of the reasons:
1. Wrong Ultrasound:
You might be wondering can an ultrasound be wrong about no heartbeat? Yes, it can happen because sometimes ultrasound may fail to detect a baby’s heartbeat.
But the most important thing to do when this happens is to Stay Calm! After all, it can be because of human error. Not every doctor is an expert and not every ultrasound is accurate.
This is why it is important to get a second opinion from another doctor who can do another ultrasound. This ultrasound should be done after a few days for better results.
2. The Baby Might Have Moved:
During the early stages of pregnancy, there’s a lot of room for a baby to move inside the belly of the mother. This can lead the baby toward moving to a different position that makes it difficult for the doctor to detect the heartbeat.
3. Anterior Placenta Can Come in Front:
In other cases, a mother’s anterior placenta can grow and come in front of the uterus. This is why, the ultrasound machine fails to detect the heartbeat of the baby.
Some other reasons might also be that the mother can be plus-sized. This can result in the development of more tissues between the ultrasound transducer and the baby.
A tilted uterus can also be another reason making it hard to detect a fetal heartbeat.
Factors Affecting the Chances of a Fetal Heartbeat Reappearing:
A disappearing fetal heartbeat can indeed be anxiety-provoking but it doesn’t always mean that the baby has died. There can be a lot of factors that can affect the chances of a fetal heartbeat reappearing.
Now you might be wondering can a fetus stop growing and then start again? No, a fetal heartbeat disappearing and reappearing does not mean that the baby has stopped growing and then started again.
Sometimes there is no fetal heartbeat but no signs of miscarriage. This can mean that the baby is still alive. A few more factors can be:
1. No Pre-Existing Medical Conditions in Mother:
If the mother has never faced any pre-existing medical conditions, there are higher chances of a fetal heartbeat reappearing.
2. No Chromosomal Abnormalities:
The major issue that can affect fetal heartbeat and can stop it from reappearing is any sort of chromosomal abnormality. If no such abnormality occurs, there are more chances of the fetal heartbeat reappearing.
Why is it Important to Seek Medical Attention during Pregnancy:
Seeking medical attention during pregnancy is crucial for the health and well-being of both the mother and the baby. Here’s why:
1. Regular Prenatal Care: The Ultimate Identifier
With the help of regular prenatal care doctors can monitor the progress of the pregnancy and identify any potential complications early on.
This includes monitoring the mother’s blood pressure, weight, and urine for any signs of preeclampsia. It can also detect gestational diabetes, or other medical conditions that can harm both the mother and baby.
2. Monitoring For Potential Complications:
Seeking medical attention during pregnancy also ensures that the baby is growing and developing properly. It also helps in detecting any birth defects or abnormalities that may require medical attention.
3. Guidance for Healthy Habits and Lifestyle Changes:
Prenatal care can also guide healthy eating habits, exercise routines, and other lifestyle changes that can positively impact the mother’s and fetus’s health.
Early detection and treatment of any complications such as a disappearing heartbeat can also reduce the risk of adverse outcomes for the baby.
Therefore, pregnant women need to prioritize options like hidden heartbeat ultrasound or transvaginal ultrasound.
Both of these can help the doctor in identifying the reappearing fetal heartbeat and save the mother from additional worry and anxiety.
Heartbeat Success Stories:
There are quite a lot of fetal heartbeat success stories each including the birth of a miracle baby after no heartbeat.
In this blog post, we will be disclosing one such success story from the “heartbeat then no heartbeat success stories” and it is:
“There Was a Heartbeat, But Not Just One, There Were Two”:
“At 9 weeks, a mother who had once lost an unborn baby experienced bleeding and went straight to the emergency. She and her husband waited and were afraid that they will be told that there was no fetal heartbeat.
But the doctor after doing the ultrasound looked up, smiled, and said that there was a heartbeat but not just one, there were two instead.
This meant that the mother was having twins. At 28 weeks, she was told that the twins were facing some complications.
This happened because the mother had gestational diabetes and it was hard to control her blood pressure. However, she was blessed with two healthy babies later on.
Now she is the mother of 2 beautiful boys whom she refers to her “rainbow babies made against all odds”
FAQs:
What causes a baby’s heartbeat to stop during pregnancy?
A baby’s heartbeat is detected using ultrasound and when it is detected as stopped, there can be many factors behind it including wrong ultrasound, plus-sized mother, the position of the baby, or the anterior placenta coming in front of the uterus.
Can fetal heartbeat disappear?
Yes, it can disappear and cannot be detected using ultrasound.
Is it normal to have no fetal heartbeat after seeing one?
Yes, it is normal and there can be many factors behind it.
Can stress cause the fetal heartbeat to stop?
The previous research has proved that stress faced by a pregnant woman can intervene with her heart rate and blood pressure. This can eventually affect the heart rate of the developing fetus and can even make it stop.
At the End!
Fetal heartbeat can sometimes disappear and reappear which is something not to be worried about because there can be a number of reasons behind it. However, it is important to consult a doctor or ask for another doctor’s second opinion on the condition. We hope that after reading this article, you might have gained enough knowledge about the reasons why a fetal heartbeat disappears and then reappears. We are certain that now you’re also aware about the importance of seeking medical help during pregnancy.
