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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Pregnancy

early scan. bleeding and too small for dates?

31 replies

QuestionsAnswered · 03/03/2010 14:04

Hi,

I am 6 weeks pregnant and have been bleeding lightly since Sunday, had an early scan today and measured 4-5 weeks. I am very regular 27/28 day cycle so this would be off for my dates and they said they could see only a pregnancy sac (4mm) and (no yolk?)

They think I am either having an ectopic pregnancy, ,miscarriage or am just earlier than expected. I have had blood taken today and again friday to check to see if hormone levels are rising

I feel that I am having a miscarriage as I have had no clear symptoms and the ones I thought I may be having had stopped.

I really am asking has this happened to anyone and is it most likely (as I feel) to be a negative outcome? I am also off loading a bit really as my head is spinning with it all.

Thanks.

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QuestionsAnswered · 03/03/2010 15:12

Sorry, have just done a search and realised there is a miscarriage section so will repost this there.

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AitchTwoOhOneOh · 03/03/2010 15:18

och, dear, this is rotten, but what they're doing is right wrt checking your hormone levels etc.

the doctors talk a good game but really they don't know as much as they say when it comes to early pregnancy, so their playing a waiting game is the sensible plan. i've had two ectopics so can advise about best practice if it turns out to be that, and you'll get good help if it's a miscarriage.
but there is still the chance of everything being okay, so don't give up hope entirely. your dates may be right but implantation may have taken place later than you think. hang in there, take care of yourself. it's a tough, tough time with this waiting, but it's all you can do.

QuestionsAnswered · 03/03/2010 15:23

Thanks Aitch, I am crying now because you have replied, after holding it in all day!

Just feel so sick of waiting and know in reality, there may be more ahead.

I wish that we had told people in RL, but at the same time couldn't cope with their well meaning platitudes.

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Elsa123 · 03/03/2010 16:02

QuestionsAnswered- I know we know each other on the other thread- just to let you know- been there last year. Exactly the same except my body fooled me until 10 weeks. The EPUs never say its a blighted ovum until they've given you another couple of weeks to see if a heartbeat appears. Try not to worry too much until you've had the blood test results. Its amazing how many people have this and their dates are wrong. Bratnav got a BFP at the same time as me last year, had a scan and they said dates were early and she had her baby.

If it does not work out, take it easy sweetheart, rest lots and stock up on painkillers. Also, I found that lying in the bath whilst spraying my lower tummy with the shower and breathing really deeply helped me through the pain. I'm here to talk x x x

QuestionsAnswered · 03/03/2010 17:27

Thanks for your kind words Elsa and good to know about a positive story. I am pretty resigned to getting bad news, but I suppose there will always be a little bit of hope until I know for sure.

I am sorry that you went through it last year, I truly hope everything goes well for you this time.

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AitchTwoOhOneOh · 03/03/2010 20:49

i've been thinking about you today, it's so AWFUL this waiting, i felt like i was going mad i remember. i wanted to say, though, that the chances of it being ectopic are pretty slim if they've seen a sac. (there is a cruel thing called a pseudosac that can sometimes appear in utero when an ep is nearby but it's pretty rare).

the symptoms thing is a red herring, when i was pregnant with my 2 dds my only symptom was feeling like my period was going to happen any minute, and with dd1 i had bleeding as well (and TERRIBLE hcgs, classically slow-rising ectopic etc and yet there she was in the right place the whole time).

you really may have implanted up to a week later than you think, so things might not be so bad as you imagine, i promise. i'm not wanting to build your hopes up falsely, i'm just stating the facts. until we get those first figures on friday, barring any major incident, you're still in the game.

fritata · 03/03/2010 22:49

I had a bleed at exact;y 6 weeks, dark red blood with severe pain. Had a highly sensitive pg test at Dr's came back 24 hrs still pregnant. Went for scan (internal) 3 days later and just knew it would be bad news then heard he words "There is a heart beat" was totally amazed....so please, please hold in there...just rest, dont lift anything.

I went for another scan 2 weeks later which was ok, went to a pre-planned holiday to Italy and kept feeing sick, came back and again had more scans till around 20 weeks.

I was told it could of been 2 things 1. a twin miscarring or 2. a hymatona - build up of old blood.

Please let us know how you get on - remember we understand, we will be here no matter what ... take care, sending you lots of best wishes

QuestionsAnswered · 04/03/2010 08:04

Thanks Aitch (again!) and Fritata, your messages are really helping me and it is really kind of you to take the time to answer. I am alone all day with DS today and am feeling a bit sorry for myself.

I am continuing to bleed, had the most I had seen this morning. So am thinking that is not a good sign, feels just like when my period starts, though over a longer period of time. It is mostly when I wipe rather than on to a pad though iyswim, sorry for TMI! I am wondering if it is worse or better that it is less blood, but over a longer period rather than a big loss of blood in one go?

Can you tell me what is likely to happen once they have got my results back? I have read that you can leave a miscarriage naturally or medicine or erpc, why is there different options and what is best?

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AitchTwoOhOneOh · 04/03/2010 10:17

oh dear, that is disappointing that you're still bleeding. still doesn't mean anything unequivocal but it would be easier if it stopped. steel yourself for bad news in the hope of good news, i suppose. just today to get through, things will be clearer tomorrow.

Elsa123 · 04/03/2010 13:58

Without wishing to give you TMI- with the bleeding, you will really know if its lost- put it this way, the sac isn't blood. Absolutely rest. miscarrying naturally means you have to wait for your body to clock onto whats going on and it could be a number of weeks. It may/may not be very painful and you will get a scan to make sure your uterus is all clear and if not then you may be offered the ERPC. If you go for medical management- taking a pill to help things along, you still get the scan and a possible ERPC.

With an ERPC, its all out at once- perhaps not so bad with a blighted ovum as I had than a formed fetus. You may have a local or general. I know of someone who went in for an ERPC- and the doc when doing pre-op checks saw a heartbeat. She'd conceived again while waiting for the ERPC. She had her baby last year.

I personally would opt for the ERPC. If it was refused in favour of a pill- I don't think I'd take the pill and would wait to miscarry naturally- but then again, thats all I have experience of. I hope that was helpful and not too clinical for you x x

Energumene · 04/03/2010 14:42

So sorry to hear you're going through this, but wanted to offer you some reassurance that all may not be lost.

I have a lovely 3 year old ds, and my first scan for him was at 6 weeks. They told me the same as you - small for dates blah blah. With the spotting, and with 5 miscarriages to my name, I wasn't holding out much hope, not least because they told me to prepare myself for the worst.

2 days later I fainted and got carted off to hospital because they were worried it might be an ectopic and that there was internal bleeding causing the fainting. They scanned me again to see what was going on - different sonographer - and there was my son, with a flickering heartbeat, perfectly well within dates.

The measurements we're talking about here are tiny, and it's very easy to get things wrong at this stage, especially if they're not using the latest generation of scanner. But a lot is also down to the skill of the sonographer.

Will keep everything crossed that this is how it works out for you x

QuestionsAnswered · 05/03/2010 16:16

Thanks for your messages. Just in case you come back to the thread, I got a call just now to say my HCG levels had dropped slightly from 550 odd to 520 odd. I have to go back again in 2 days to have them done again.

The Doctor said it doesn't mean anything, even though I know it does.

They seem determined to not tell me very much and had I not looked in to things myself, by now I would be feeling much more positive than I should be from what they are saying. I am upset with all the waiting and putting off the inevitable.

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AitchTwoOhOneOh · 06/03/2010 12:42

oh that's not so good, you poor thing. i wish it had been better news.

QuestionsAnswered · 06/03/2010 21:06

Thanks Aitch, am not looking forward to going back to the hospital tomorrow.

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AitchTwoOhOneOh · 06/03/2010 21:30

no, you won't be.

QuestionsAnswered · 06/03/2010 21:33

Aitch, can I ask, if I am bleeding and losing clots does that mean I won't need the erpc? I am struggling to find information about why they choose different routes for management of a miscarriage and want to be prepared so i am not pushed in to something.

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AitchTwoOhOneOh · 06/03/2010 21:38

i don't know, i'm afraid, i never really had a miscarriage (only after they gave me chemo shot for ectopic so it was a bit different). it's painful, though, ime. most people i know self-managed and it was okay, sad, sore, but okay.

lizzie9442 · 06/03/2010 21:48

questionsanswered - I am so sorry to hear what your going through. I know how you feel as I have had 4 mcs. I miscarried 2 naturally and it wasn't very nice at all. You loose lots of clots when its happens. The other 2 times I have had an erpc. In my opion the erpc is much better as you don't have to see anything or be waiting around to miscarry. I do hope there is still a chance that everything will be ok for you. Wishing you lots of luck xxxx

QuestionsAnswered · 06/03/2010 21:51

Thanks for replying aitch and lizzie. I do feel bad wittering on when I know how much more difficult it must be to have an ectopic or repeated miscarriages

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lizzie9442 · 06/03/2010 21:57

don't feel bad that is what we are all here for. I wish that there was more we could do to help you. keep us posted, thinking of you

AitchTwoOhOneOh · 06/03/2010 22:00

ach, but it doesn't work like that, does it? pain's pain, and i wish you weren't going through it.

QuestionsAnswered · 06/03/2010 22:12

It would be easier to not cry, if you could just stop being so kind

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Habbibu · 06/03/2010 22:15

think sometimes you need to cry, though. so sorry you're going through this.

AitchTwoOhOneOh · 06/03/2010 22:18

oh dear. i remember really wallowing and feeling sorry for myself when i was going through my stuff, but i've got one dd in bed beside me now (slight fever) and another in her cot in their room. and that's after two ectopics and on one fallopian tube. so it's okay for me now, that the big question as to whether or not i'll be a mum is answered. do you have a child already?

QuestionsAnswered · 06/03/2010 22:26

I do, and it is making things easier, firstly because he is 3 and takes my mind off things and gives me less time to think and secondly because he is just so gorgeous and lovely.

I am pleased for you, that against the odds, you have 2 lovely children.

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