Fetal heart rate

Fetal heart rate is a common method to check whether fetal development is normal. Fetal movement is the first objective sign of fetal life. It can be measured at six to eight weeks of pregnancy, but it is generally not until the first four and a half months of pregnancy that the pregnant woman can feel the fetal movement for the first time. The fetal heart is the heartbeat of the fetus. Generally, the fetal heart can be heard in the abdomen with a general stethoscope at 17-20 weeks.