When Can You Hear Your Baby's Heartbeat? - Gestational Weeks

Fetal heart tones become detectable at different gestational ages depending on the method:

• Transvaginal Ultrasound: Cardiac activity visible as early as 5.5–6 weeks.
• Doppler Ultrasound (Handheld): Audible at 10–12 weeks; more reliably at 12+ weeks.
• Fetoscope (Acoustic Stethoscope): Usually 16–20 weeks.

Factors affecting detection: maternal body habitus, uterine position, placental location, and operator skill. Absence of Doppler tones at 12 weeks does not necessarily indicate a problem—follow‑up ultrasound confirms viability.