Scan - should there be an embryo or heartbeat at 6 weeks?

[pizzaqueen]

I had

[pizzaqueen]

Posted too soon ( my 2 year old did!)

I had an internal scan yesterday because I've had a little bleeding and cramping.

The sonographer dated me 6wk+4 (I expected to be more than that but it's entirely possible). She could see the sac but no embryo or heartbeat and gave me an appointment to come back in ten days. I thought by six weeks there should be some sign of a baby in the sac but it was empty?

Could anyone tell me what they saw on a scan at six weeks? I'm so scared this means its over

[TallulahBetty]

I had a scan at 6+2 and saw a heartbeat. However the sonographer said I was lucky to do so - I'd imagine therefore that It's early to see one. Good luck

[TallulahBetty]

Oh and it was a tummy scan - didn't see any baby etc, just a tiny circle with a flickering heartbeat.

[HystericalParoxysm]

I've experienced this twice. Once, it turned out to be a missed miscarriage. 2 weeks later there was still no heartbeat. The next pregnancy again there was no heartbeat at 6weeks, but a heartbeat had appeared 2 weeks later. That one's now my 2yo. Third pregnancy I refused a scan until 8 weeks when I knew id get a definitive answer as the wait between scans was like torture, worse than not knowing anything at all. Thinking of you x

[brettgirl2]

I think I would expect to see something if you are definitely 6+4, although it can depend I think on the tilt of uterus, where baby is etc. I had early bleeding with both of mine, with d1 hb @5+4 via tv and dd2 hb etc 6+5 via abdo. Sorry, not very positive :( but I'm sure someone will be along with a different story as I have definitely heard of people not seeing till later.

[BeQuicksieorBeDead]

Hi there pizza at six weeks we saw a tiny blob and the sonographer saw a heartbeat after a bit of fiddling around...it took a while. But our sonographer could only date the pregnancy by measuring the blob, and she said that certainly wasn't an exact science early on... So is yours measuring the sac? I didnt know that worked. I think perhaps you are not quite six weeks, so nothing is showing up yet, maybe on the next one the blob will have grown! It is horrible waiting to find out, happy to hand hold if you need it.

Dating is so tricky because ovulation is erratic for most of us, even if we dont realise it! Were you temperature charting or using evil ovulation sticks?

[LittlePeaPod]

Hi OP,

I didn't know whether to post as I don't want to cause further concern/worry.

I went for first scan at 10+4 and my sonogapher told me that they may not be able to see a heartbeat that early on. They prefer seeing people at about 7 weeks to ensure heartbeat is there, so try not to worry to much as everyone's experience is different. I was one of the lucky ones that saw/heard a heartbeat and had an embryo and york sac at such an early stage. But that was really early and everyone is different.

[pizzaqueen]

Thanks for your replies.

No I wasn't temp charting or using ov sticks. I have no idea when I ovulated as it was only my second cycle from coming off implaton.

First day of my last AF was 9th April and I got BFP on 15th May. My last cycle was 40 days but I don't know what's normal for me.

Going from these posts we should probably have seen something on the scan

[LittlePeaPod]

Sorry Op I went at 6+4 for first scan not 10+4..,

[chryssa]

I had an early scan on Thursday as I got pregnant while on the coil and they needed to check if the pregnancy is normal, where the coil is etc. I cannot remember the 1st day of my period, but probably late April / early May? The sonographer found a sac (and the coil next to it) but no heartbeat yet. I was really scared and asked her what that means and she said that she thinks it is too early, and booked me a second scan (next week). She said that for most people in similar situation she could find the heartbeat a week later.

[LalyRawr]

I had an internal scan at around the same time and could not detect a heartbeat. An appointment was made for two weeks later and the heartbeat was there.

Said heartbeat is now 15 months old and napping in her cot x

[TolliverGroat]

I've had an internal scan at 6+2 and they did see a heartbeat, but I was told beforehand that it would also be perfectly normal not to see one at that point.

[BeQuicksieorBeDead]

pizza it sounds to me like you are probably less than six weeks... You could have ovulated just a few days before your bfp if you used one of those super early tests. Some women get a result very early if your hormones.behave better than mine did! Try not to worry, also, if they didnt do an internal scan you are a lot less likely to see a heartbeat that early on.

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

My gp wouldn't send me for a scan untol 8wks because this happens so often & she didn't want me to worry if they couldn't see much. Try not to panic.

[beckie90]

I had one at 5+4 and there was absolutely nothing there other then a sac which at the time measured 6wks, then had a repeat at 7wk and there was a little baby with a heartbeat

[StrawberrytallCAKE]

I had a scan at 6 weeks with no hb ( just sac) and we were sent away until 9 weeks where there was a hb, both internal scans.

[pizzaqueen]

Thank you everyone for sharing. Some reassuring posts. The waiting is just so hard.

I have woken up this morning to more bleeding so that is the most worrying thing now really. I'm going to call in sick to work today. I have a bit of a commute and am worried about something going wrong far from home. I just can't wait for next weeks scan, hope hope hope we get to see a wee bean! But still trying to prepare for bad news.

[StrawberrytallCAKE]

Hope you're ok Pizza. I had bleeding too so it might not be the worst, I was really dehydrated too. Have a rest

[TolliverGroat]

Hoping for good news and preparing for bad isn't a bad approach. I'll be thinking of you -- I've BTDT and I know how stressful it is.

[thistlelicker]

I was told they can't see one until 7 weeks! Good luck

[somersethouse]

I had bleeding at 6 weeks and something (3 days?). I went in for an internal scan and there was no heatbeat. (Just a sac and a heamatoma )

They said I would probably miscarry and to take it really easy, so you are doing the right thing to rest.

Went back 10 days later and there was the heartbeat! Heamatoma eventually went also, now I have a lovely 5 yr old DD.

[somersethouse]

If it is bright red blood OP it is much better news than dark blood.

Fingers crossed for you I had a lot of blood, as I say, it worked out fine. It is quite common.

[pizzaqueen]

Somersethouse, what's the difference in the colour of the blood?

It was pink streaks to begin with and now more of a brown colour.

My DP who has been so positive since Saturday just said maybe to prepare for the worst

This is so hard.

[IcingTheCake]

No advice here but hope you get some good news at your scan.

[Beamae]

I had a 6 week scan after massive bleeding. It was a twin pregnancy and we had one heartbeat, one empty sac. They told me it was possible that one twin had miscarried, and booked me in for a follow up scan. At the follow up the sac was no longer empty and there were two heartbeats. They then said that the second twin had possibly implanted just a couple of days after the first, which is why the sac appeared empty at the 6 week scan. So even a couple of days can make a difference.