The baby's heart starts to beat at around 6 weeks. You may be able to hear – and see – your baby's heart beat for the first time when you're about 8 weeks pregnant if you have an early ultrasound exam. 
 
 Otherwise, you'll probably first hear it with a fetal Doppler at a regular prenatal care visit. Your caregiver may be able to find it with the Doppler as early as 10 weeks, but it's more common to hear it at 12 weeks. How early the sound can be picked up depends on your baby's position in your uterus, your weight, and the accuracy of your due date. 
 
 Checking your baby's heartbeat will become a regular part of every prenatal visit. Here are a few other things you may want to know: 
 
 What is a fetal Doppler? The fetal Doppler is a handheld ultrasound baby heartbeat monitor that your caregiver can use to find your baby's heartbeat. She'll cover it with ultrasound gel and move it around on your belly until she finds a spot where the heartbeat can be detected. The Doppler sends and receives sound waves that bounce off your baby's heart. In this way the fetal Doppler makes your baby's heartbeats loud enough for you to hear. 
 
 The fetal Doppler is a handheld ultrasound baby heartbeat monitor that your caregiver can use to find your baby's heartbeat. She'll cover it with ultrasound gel and move it around on your belly until she finds a spot where the heartbeat can be detected. The Doppler sends and receives sound waves that bounce off your baby's heart. In this way the fetal Doppler makes your baby's heartbeats loud enough for you to hear. Can I rent or buy a fetal Doppler? Yes, you can rent or buy a Doppler for home use. However, some experts think a home Doppler isn't a good idea, because it can take considerable training and practice to find and correctly identify a baby's heartbeat. 
 
 Yes, you can rent or buy a Doppler for home use. However, some experts think a home Doppler isn't a good idea, because it can take considerable training and practice to find and correctly identify a baby's heartbeat. What does my baby's heartbeat sound like? Many women say that the beating of their baby's tiny heart sounds like the thunder of galloping horses. Hearing it for the first time can be very moving. The heart rate of a healthy baby in the womb ranges from about 120 to 160 beats per minute. A heartbeat that's much faster or slower than that may signal heart problem. 
 
 Inside pregnancy: Weeks 1 to 9 
 
 Learn more: 
 
 Baby development in the first trimester 
 
 Talk about your baby's heartbeat with other BabyCenter parents ||||| COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Senators, mostly along party lines, voted Tuesday to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually about six weeks into a pregnancy. 
 
 Republican lawmakers inserted the anti-abortion "heartbeat bill" language at the last minute into a bill revising state child abuse and neglect laws. The bill previously cleared the House, so it will not receive additional hearings. 
 
 The House is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday night. If signed by Gov. John Kasich, the legislation would make Ohio's abortion laws the most restrictive in the nation. But the bill has split abortion foes. 
 
 Critics, including Ohio Right to Life, have long said they're sympathetic to the effort, but assert it would not survive a constitutional challenge. 
 
 For that reason, the Senate previously declined to act on the heartbeat bill. Senate President Keith Faber told reporters numerous times that the legislation would be found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. 
 
 What changed for Faber? 
 
 Donald Trump was elected, Faber told reporters after session, and he will have the opportunity to appoint at least one conservative justice to the U.S. Supreme Court. 
 
 "He's changed the dynamic and there was a consensus in our caucus to move forward," Faber said. 
 
 The bill was approved in a 20-10 vote, with Republican Sens. Gayle Manning of North Ridgeville and Bill Coley of Liberty Township voting with Democrats against the bill. 
 
 Ohio Right to Life, the state's largest anti-abortion lobby, has opposed the bill because of concerns about constitutionality. Kasich said in 2014 he shared those concerns. 
 
 Federal courts blocked similar laws in North Dakota and Arkansas. The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld those lower-court rulings. 
 
 Democrats, abortion rights advocates oppose bill 
 
 Sen. Kris Jordan, an Ostrander Republican, offered the amendment to a bill that updated state child abuse reporting laws. 
 
 "We in this chamber discuss the opportunities for children all in the context of education, medication and infant mortality," Jordan said on the Senate floor. "But through our inaction we ensure that some children won't have the most important opportunity of all -- the opportunity to live." 
 
 Sen. Capri Cafaro, Hubbard Democrat, said government should not make medical decisions for women. 
 
 "We have no way of anticipating the reasons why women and their families and their doctors and their gods come to the decision they make about their body to terminate a pregnancy," Cafaro said. 
 
 Iris Harvey, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, said legislators are wasting taxpayers' money by passing bills that will not hold up in court. 
 
 "To slip it in at the last minute where there's no comment and no opportunity for people to really voice their opinion says we can't trust our legislators," Harvey said in an interview. 
 
 A pair of abortion bills 
 
 The heartbeat language effectively bans abortion six weeks into a woman's pregnancy, before many women find out they are pregnant. The language provides an exception for when the mother's life is threatened but does not provide exceptions for victims of rape or incest. 
 
 The heartbeat bill cleared the House in March 2015, in a 55-40 vote. It never had a hearing in the Senate. 
 
 Meanwhile, a 20-week abortion ban cleared the Ohio Senate in June 2015 but hasn't moved in the Ohio House. Faber said an agreement had been reached with the House to pass that bill. 
 
 Current Ohio law bans abortion after 24 weeks gestation, and less than 1 percent of all abortions conducted in 2015 happened after 21 weeks gestation. 
 
 Both could be on Kasich's desk at the same time. 
 
 The child abuse bill contains an appropriation, so Kasich would have line-item veto power when signing the bill containing the heartbeat language. 
 
 Last-minute maneuver 
 
 Senate Democrats protested the amendment's late filing and relevancy to the child abuse bill. Faber insisted the amendment was filed according to Senate rules, which require amendments to be filed at least 90 minutes before session. 
 
 Democrats said they were notified of the amendment at 12:24 p.m. and that it had been filed at 12:10 p.m. Session was scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m., but didn't convene until closer to 1:41 p.m. 
 
 Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni said he asked Faber and other leaders at 11:15 a.m. whether there was anything new for discussion and was told no. 
 
 Divided advocates 
 
 Janet Porter, president of Faith 2 Action, said supporters sent more than 25,000 emails and flooded lawmakers' phone lines urging action on the bill. Porter said Tuesday that she's confident Trump will appoint several, anti-abortion justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. 
 
 "It's a brand new day and we believe that by the time this Ohio heartbeat law gets to the Supreme Court it will be upheld in its entirety," Porter said. 
 
 Ohio Right to Life President Michael Gonidakis disagreed, noting Trump will only have one justice to replace when he enters office. Adding a conservative justice would take the court from a 5-3 split to a 5-4 split supporting abortion rights. 
 
 "You have to be cautious in your approach and if you overreach the courts will set you back and be very fierce against you," Gonidakis said. "Of course we want to save every baby with a beating heart, but we have to deal with the U.S. Supreme Court that is not in our favor." ||||| Roe v. Wade: The Constitutional Right to Access Safe, Legal Abortion 
 
 Despite persistent attacks by anti-women's health politicians, support for Roe v. Wade and access to safe, legal abortion is at a record high. 
 
 Roe v. Wade affirms the constitutional right to access safe, legal abortion. The case was decided by the Supreme Court on January 22, 1973. More than 40 years later, Americans overwhelmingly support the decision. 
 
 Today, 72 percent of Americans — including a majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans — don’t want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. The data is clear: Despite attacks on our rights, Americans support Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to access abortion. 
 
 Abortion Access: Then & Now 
 
 Roe wasn’t the beginning of abortion in America — rather, it allowed people to access abortion legally and prevented people dying from unsafe, illegal abortions. 
 
 In 1965, illegal abortions made up one-sixth of all pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths. A survey conducted in the1960s found that eight in 10 women with low incomes in New York City who had an abortion attempted a dangerous self-induced procedure. 
 
 But now that abortion is a legal right thanks to Roe, it’s become one of the safest medical procedures in the United States — with a safety record of over 99 percent. Also, because abortion is legal, people who decide to have an abortion can receive support throughout the process from medical professionals. 
 
 Attacks on Roe v. Wade 
 
 The right to safe and legal abortion has been the law of the land for more than 40 years, and is a part of the fabric of this country. Roe v. Wade is clearly established precedent, and it shouldn’t be up for debate. And yet, opponents of abortion have made it increasingly harder for people to access — and these threats are not slowing down. 
 
 Brett Kavanaugh's Confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court 
 
 Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court dealt a huge blow to our right to access safe, legal abortion. Kavanaugh was nominated by President Trump, who had previously made a clear promise to nominate judges who would "automatically" overturn Roe v. Wade. Kavanaugh's nomination was widely celebrated by anti-abortion groups as an opportunity to do just that. 
 
 Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Kavanaugh had a long record of ruling to limit access to safe, legal abortion: 
 
 Just last year, he tried to use his judicial power to prevent a young undocumented woman in U.S. custody from accessing a safe, legal abortion. 
 
 He praised a dissent in Roe v. Wade, calling the constitutional right to abortion a "freewheeling" reading of the Constitution. 
 
 When the Senate asked Kavanaugh whether Roe v. Wade was decided correctly or whether he recognizes the right to privacy, he repeatedly dodged the question. 
 
 Recently leaked emails show that Kavanaugh doesn't consider Roe v. Wade to be settled law — or consider it safe from being overturned. 
 
 There are currently 13 abortion cases that are one step away from the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh would likely have the chance to rule on one of these pivotal abortion cases as soon as his first year on the bench. His rulings could limit our access to safe, legal abortion for generations to come. 
 
 With Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, access to abortion across the country is at risk. Twenty states are poised to ban abortion should Roe v. Wade be overturned, threatening access for more than 25 million women — or a third of all women of reproductive age in this country. learn more 
 
 Looming Abortion Restrictions 
 
 As part of a broader effort to chip away at Roe v. Wade and ultimately ban abortion nationwide, anti-abortion politicians have been pushing a variety of bills in Congress that would restrict access to abortion at any point during pregnancy. That includes efforts to pass a harmful nationwide ban on all abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy. 
 
 Existing Federal Abortion Ban 
 
 An abortion ban that became law in 2003 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007 criminalizes certain abortion procedures in the second trimester of pregnancy — procedures that doctors say are often the safest and best to protect women's health. 
 
 State Attacks on Roe v. Wade 
 
 In Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that the U.S. Constitution protects a person's right to make their own medical decisions, including the decision to have an abortion. In the more than 40 years following that landmark ruling — in decisions including Casey v. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt — the Supreme Court has never wavered from this principle. 
 
 Despite this precedent and Americans' consistent support for Roe v. Wade, anti-women’s health state legislators continue to attack abortion access through ballot measures and legislative restrictions. 
 
 Since 2011, politicians have passed more than 400 new state abortion restrictions that shame, pressure, and punish people who have decided to have an abortion. In the first quarter of 2018, 37 states introduced 308 new abortion restrictions. Many of these laws blatantly flout Supreme Court precedent — such as in Missouri, where politicians are trying to enforce abortion restrictions nearly identical to the Texas laws that were found to be unconstitutional just two years ago. 
 
 Currently, 20 states are poised to ban access to abortion should Roe v. Wade be overturned, threatening access for more than 25 million women. That's more than a third of women of reproductive age in this country. It includes: 
 
 More than 4.3 million Hispanic or Latino women 
 
 Nearly 3.5 million Black or African American women 
 
 More than 800,000 Asian women 
 
 Nearly 300,000 American Indian or Alaska Native women 
 
 These 20 states a risk of overturning Roe v. Wade are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 
 
 Some of these states have existing pre-Roe abortion bans or trigger laws that could ban abortion immediately if Roe's overturned. These are also states with anti-abortion politicians in power and an established history of passing abortion restrictions. 
 
 Americans Support Roe v. Wade and Don't Want it Overturned 
 
 Support for access to safe, legal abortion is at a record high. 
 
 72 percent of Americans don’t want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. 
 
 That's the highest rate since the case was decided more than 45 years ago, and it includes people who voted for Trump. 
 
 Across the political spectrum, Americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade. 
 
 Support for Roe v. Wade by political party includes: 
 
 53 percent of Republicans 
 
 76 percent of Independents 
 
 86 percent of Democrats 
 
 Moderates overwhelmingly support Roe v. Wade. That includes: 
 
 71 percent of self-described moderate Republicans and liberal Republicans 
 
 82 percent of moderate and conservative Democrats 
 
 Roe v. Wade has strong support from Catholic Americans. 
 
 Six in 10 Catholics support the decision. 
 
 Young people are especially supportive of Roe v. Wade. 
 
 And their approval is higher than ever. Eighty-two percent of 18-29 year olds support Roe v. Wade. 
 
 People of color overwhelmingly support Roe v. Wade. That includes: 
 
 79 percent of African Americans 
 
 71 percent of Latinxs 
 
 74 percent of Asians/Pacific Islanders 
 
 Americans simply don't believe that politicians or judges should be making personal decisions for people about their pregnancies. 
 
 Ensuring That Women Have Health Care, No Matter What 
 
 Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care. Planned Parenthood’s expert health care professionals are dedicated to offering all people high-quality, affordable medical care. 
 
 One in five American women has chosen Planned Parenthood for health care at least once in her life. Planned Parenthood knows firsthand why it’s so critical that everyone have access to a comprehensive range of reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. ||||| CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Ohio lawmakers have approved a bill that bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. If this bill becomes law, it could be one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the United States. USA TODAY 
 
 Protesters from both sides of the abortion debate lined up in front of the Hamilton County Courthouse in downtown Cincinnati in this 2014 file photo. (Photo: Liz Dufour, The Cincinnati Enquirer) 
 
 COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio would have the country's most restrictive abortion laws under a bill sent to Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday, as leading Republicans were emboldened by the anticipation of Donald Trump's upcoming federal and Supreme court appointments. 
 
 If signed by Kasich, the so-called "heartbeat bill" would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks' gestation. The proposal would not exempt pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, but does include an exception for an abortion to save the life of the pregnant woman. 
 
 The change would put the state in violation of current constitutional standards for abortion rights. 
 
 For years, Kasich, leading Republican senators and Ohio Right to Life have cited its unconstitutionality as their reason for opposing the heartbeat measure. Federal courts have struck down similar laws in North Dakota and Arkansas. 
 
 Senate President Keith Faber, a Republican from Celina, Ohio, even suggested last year that supporters of the heartbeat bill ultimately were undermining efforts "to save babies." 
 
 On Tuesday, Senate Republicans changed course. Faber cited Trump's election to the presidency as justification for his change of heart, saying the effort could have a shot in the courts with Trump's appointees. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that states cannot prohibit abortions unless a fetus is viable outside the womb, generally accepted as 24 weeks' gestation. 
 
 Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis was skeptical of Faber's logic that Trump's presidency would dramatically change the heartbeat bill's chances. The abortion-opponent group instead favors passage of a ban on abortions after 20 weeks' gestation as the vehicle for overturning Roe v. Wade. 
 
 "Everyone is swept up in Trumpmania, but let's be realistic," said Gonidakis. 
 
 Republican Sens. Bill Seitz and Bill Coley were among the three Republicans who voted against the Senate's decision to add the abortion ban into a separate bill, which would make changes to the way child abuse and neglect are reported. 
 
 "The sad reality of this bill passing will be that we spend millions of taxpayer dollars on attorney fees for a bill that has zero chance of becoming law," said Coley, who voted against the bill. "My biggest fear is that some of the great work that we have done in protecting life here in Ohio will be jeopardized." 
 
 But newly elected Rep. Candice Keller, a Republican from Middletown, said she was sent to Columbus to pass legislation like the heartbeat bill. "I have waited years for this bill," said Keller, who runs the Community Pregnancy Center. 
 
 Democrats railed against the last-minute changes. "You might as well call me a baby killer," said Rep. Teresa Fedor, a Democrat from Toledo, who had revealed her rape and subsequent abortion. "There’s no (rape) exception to this legislation and you know it." 
 
 Others found fault with Faber's change of heart. "The president-elect has not taken office. The president-elect has not selected any Supreme Court justices, and there are not enough vacancies to make a change," said Sen. Charleta Tavares, a Democrat from Columbus. Still, the amended child abuse bill passed the Senate 21-10. 
 
 Late Tuesday, the House passed the bill, 56-39, sending the ban to the governor. Seven House Republicans opposed the bill and two Democrats voted for it. 
 
 Kasich must decide whether to veto the abortion ban. The child abuse legislation contains an appropriation of tax revenue, so Kasich would have the authority to line-item veto the heartbeat bill if he wanted. Lawmakers plan to pass a 20-week ban as well, so Kasich could veto the stricter abortion ban while still tightening Ohio's restrictions on abortion. 
 
 The Republican governor opposes abortion, but has voiced doubts about the heartbeat bill in the past. 
 
 "I share the concerns of Right to Life about this bill and about potential litigation," Kasich told reporters last year. He declined to comment Tuesday through a spokeswoman. 
 
 Follow Jessie Balmert and Chrissie Thompson on Twitter: @jbalmert and @CThompsonENQ 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2gTbYf0
– Gov. John Kasich has a new bill on his desk, and if he signs it, Ohio will have the toughest abortion laws in the US, USA Today reports. The "heartbeat bill," which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is found (sometimes as early as six weeks), doesn't allow for rape or incest exceptions, though abortions to save the mother's life are OK. Per Cleveland.com, the bill was unexpectedly shoehorned Tuesday into child abuse and child neglect legislation, with Kasich able to veto just that item or refuse the entire deal. Ohio Republicans, including Kasich, had previously balked at such a bill, feeling it wouldn't stand up to constitutional challenges—Roe v. Wade makes it illegal for states to ban abortions before a fetus is viable—but some feel empowered by the coming Trump presidency and a future Trump Supreme Court pick. "[Trump has] changed the dynamic," GOP state Senate President Keith Faber told reporters, per Cleveland.com. Not surprisingly, abortion rights supporters are speaking out against the development, including Democratic Rep. Teresa Fedor, who last year spoke about her rape and abortion. "You might as well call me a baby killer," she says, per USA Today. Others take issue with the bill's 11th-hour passage. "To slip it in at the last minute where there's ... no opportunity for people to really voice their opinion says we can't trust our legislators," Iris Harvey, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, tells Cleveland.com. One GOPer still not sure this bill is the way to go is Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis. "Everyone is swept up in Trumpmania, but let's be realistic," he tells USA Today. He'd prefer a ban on abortions after 20 weeks' gestation, a bill Kasich could approve instead of this one when and if such a bill ever makes its way to him. (In Texas, fetal remains must be cremated or buried.)