A full bladder will often help with signal.

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Be sure to use enough BabySonic Ultrasound Gel between the probe and skin as this dense liquid gel helps to pick-up the sound waves and relay baby's heartbeat clearly. Make sure the probe has good contact with the skin.

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Position the BabySonic probe in line with the belly button, just above your knicker line. The wall of the uterus can be found by running your fingers lightly from the pelvic bone upwards towards the navel.

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Point the probe downwards and you should be able to hear either baby's heartbeat (like the sound of galloping horses) or the whooshing sound of the blood flow to the placenta. You may also pick-up your own heartbeat, or the sounds of baby's gymnastics as baby crashes and bumps from one side to another.

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Take your own pulse-rate with the BabySonic, this will help you distinguish whose heartbeat is whose. This should be easy as baby's heartbeat is nearly twice as fast as yours, and usually beats between 120-160bpm. At about 11-weeks baby's heartbeat is fastest around 160-50bpm gradually slowing to around 120bpm at 30-40 weeks.

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If you are carrying twins, it may be difficult to distinguish between heartbeats. It is best to count the heartbeats and find two different rates.

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Be Patient!
Move the probe slowly as any rapid movement of the probe may cause BabySonic to pass over baby's heartbeat.
The fetal heartbeat is heard best through the baby's back, so the baby must have his back facing up for the heartbeat to be detected easily.

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If you can't hear anything, then don't panic. Often, especially early on, pre 20-weeks, it can be difficult to detect the baby's heartbeat. During the early weeks of pregnancy the fetus is often a lot lower than many people imagine. In fact, it's not uncommon for the uterus and fetus to be obscured behind the pelvic bone during the first couple of months.

It is also not uncommon to have a retroverted uterus, that is, a uterus that is tipped or tilted backwards away from the belly making it very dificult to pick-up the baby's heartbeat down that low

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If you've heard or seen baby's heartbeat at the Doctor's or during an ante-natal visit, you might start listening at this spot.

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If unsuccessful, try going for a walk or doing some other activity to encourage the baby to change position. Your weight, over or under, may also affect the ability to hear baby's heartbeat clearly.

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Remember: BabySonic is not intended to diagnose baby's condition, and should not be relied upon for ensuring baby's wellbeing and safety. Should you have any concerns about baby's condition consult your doctor or heatlh professional immediately.