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Fetal Heartbeat
by Cynthia Flynn, CNM, Ph.D.
Q.I am 16 weeks along, and at my previous check-up (when I was 12 weeks) the fetal heartbeat was heard for the first time and was documented at 168 beats. At this past check-up 4 days ago the heartbeat was 150 beats. What could be the cause of this?
A. The reason the heartbeat is lower is that you have a normal baby. The heartbeat is usually pretty fast when the baby is small and slows down when it gets bigger. You will all notice variations in the heartbeat rate depending on whether the baby is active (fast) or sleeping (slow) when the rate is taken.
