Heartbeat at 8.5 week scan

[mummyofnone]

Hi guys - it’s me (yet again)
firstly, if you have seen my posts you will notice I’m really struggling with my anxiety. 4 years of infertility and we are finally pregnancy through PGT-M. I had the 7 week scan and all was good. Had a rubbish and stressful week and said I’d like to book a practice scan to see the little one ans get some reassurance. I went to a private clinic and they did an ultrasound (on top of the abdomen) I saw the little red and blue markings on the scan- i think to show the heart and circulation. However the sonographer (who wasn’t very friendly) clicked a button and said ‘and you can hear the heartbeat’ I didn’t ask for that as I didn’t think we could so early on but it was lovely to hear (I actually asked him to play it again which he did for another 2 secs) anyway, I went down the Google rabbit hole and so many women have said it’s dangerous and I could have hurt the baby. I don’t trust the clinic now and will call the doctor tomorrow (I also won’t do a private scan again) on other threads - there have been so many lovely and supportive women (one or two have been exceptional) I am just wondering if I’m being silly or if Iv damaged my baby

also, I know I’m struggling with my anxiety- I am having therapy and am trying various methods but I feel like I’ll have to accept the fact I’ll be scared until I get to the 12 week scan.

You were totally reasonable to post this.

You're stressed and looking for reassurance. If people are getting annoyed, they can give this thread a miss but don't even think that you've done something wrong by coming here looking for some reassurance.

I think some posters here are being really insensitive and unpleasant to someone who is part way through a really difficult and traumatic pregnancy journey. OP your anxiety is totally understandable, and as someone who had a similar journey and was also very anxious, I would like to say to you that anxiety is a perfectly reasonable, human, trauma response and you don’t deserve to be mocked for it. So ignore the bitchy little digs from people who either haven’t ever experienced anything like your fertility journey, or can’t resist the opportunity to show off about resilient and superior they are. To your actual question - I had many of these heartbeat scans in a number of different clinics during a difficult and high risk pregnancy and I was never advised of any risk. And the result of that pregnancy was very good :)

Wishing you the very luck for a smooth ride through the rest of your pregnancy and a healthy, happy baby.

I heard the HB of both of my pregnancies at 7w and have two healthy children. I have never heard it could be dangerous. I don’t recall there even being an option to decline it, as presumably it is standard practice.

im afraid to say OP it doesn’t sound like you’ll be less scared at 12w. I was scared until that baby was in my arms. Even in labour I was terrified I wouldn’t get a healthy baby.

please find some support for managing your anxiety, I know how scary all of this is.

Thank you so much for being so understanding and so kind x

Thank you so much for being a support and for being so understanding. I actually can’t understand why everyone seems to be so annoyed with me. It has been a hard few years and this is the first time after countless heartbreaks that I’m finally pregnant: part of me can’t believe it and part of me feels so scared that something will go wrong. I accepted that I would be worried so thought I would get these scans for peace of mind. I couldn’t believe that I could hear the heartbeat at 8 weeks (I didn’t even ask to) but it made me so happy. I came home and googled the process as I’m interested and I saw so many people say it’s been advised that you dont do that as the waves can basically damage the baby. I read more and more and so just wanted to ask some women who have been through the same thing to get a little reassurance - I would be devastated if I did something to help my anxiety and I hurt the baby.
Did you have your heartbeat scans early on- a really nice lady on this thread said that it wasn’t actually the heartbeat we could hear, it was a sound representation from what it could see xx
I’m so glad your pregnancy went well and that you have a beautiful healthy baby xx
Thank you again for being lovely x

Thank you for being lovely. i hope it didn’t cause the baby any issues as that’s what worried me- I just wanted some reassurance (like what you have given)
I think you’re right- I’m just so worried about this little one as it took so long (and so many medical procedures to get here) and I don’t want to harm the baby because I was anxious and worried stupidly.
i have counselling at the moment and have been through this journey but I don’t know if anything will truly help until they are here. I think my self esteem doesn’t help as I just blame myself for everything (sorry don’t mean for this to be a therapy session) but a huge thank you for your kindness xx

I don’t have anything to say about the ultrasound or listening to the heartbeat at that stage, but I just wanted to say I totally get the anxiety. I suffer with anxiety anyway, but I was a wreck my entire pregnancy, had therapy during my pregnancy, was under the specialist midwives etc. I got to 20 weeks and then was prescribed sertraline (had been told by a dr that my previous meds could slightly increase the risk of heart defects in baby so had stopped them before getting pregnant and waited until the heart had developed before accepting anything else for it).

I had so many scans but I actually found they helped for a week or two before the anxiety built to an unmanageable level again. The relief when the baby was placed in my arms crying was something I will never forget.

sorry to ramble on but wanted you to feel less crazy. I felt like every other pregnant person was so chill and enjoying their pregnancy and that there must have been something wrong with me!

wishing you a healthy pregnancy x

Oh my love! I have nothing really to add from PP, and sorry you got some insensitive comments - mumsnet should be a supportive place!
Wishing you all the best x

OP I'm not a doctor/sonographer. But my experience is that to be offered the chance to hear the heartbeat at an early 'reassurance scan' is normal and not a risky thing to do. But I think you are right that there is a detailed type of scan to do with blood flow and the heart/placenta etc specifically that in theory could cause damage (the emphasis being on could). Maybe that's what you've found when you googled. This is a very specific type of scan that would not be done without clinical need (my second pregnancy was very complicated and so I had a lot of ultrasounds that were specifically focused on the blood flow issue - these scans often took 30 mins+ , they were nothing like a routine scan. And they're certainly not just listening to the heart beat for a few seconds).

Even if they listen to the heartbeat so early on? That’s the area of concern that I have now x

thank you so much, it’s so lovely to speak to someone who understands x it’s so hard living with this and I didn’t want the hospital to think I was an unfit mother. Iv just wanted it for so long and I love the little munchkin so much already- I just don’t want my actions to ruin anything xx

Thank you - I really could use a hug right now
I just feel like a basket case and genuinely thought some mums out there could reassure me - I don’t really have anyone else I can ask and this community used to always be so kind to me
thank you though xxx appreciate your kindness x

I relate to this type of anxiety and I've found I really have to ban myself from googling anything because it really just gives you new things to worry about, it doesn't resolve the anxiety. I'm sure it will be okay. Xx

I have had 4 babies. Paid for private scans weekly for my own reassurance and got to listen to the heartbeat at 7 weeks, 9 weeks and 11 weeks with all of them. Caused zero adverse effects. As someone said above it’s the sound made by the machine to reflect the beats from the ultrasound.

you need to relax and lean in to the successful pregnancy you are carrying. Every day say “I am pregnant. I can trust my body”

Thank you so so much! Thank you for understanding. The thing I hate the most is when people say ‘think positive’ or ‘seek help’ I wish I could think positive, it’s not a switch I can turn on or off. I hate the impact the anxiety is having on me and it also impacts my poor husband too (he has spent the evening reading over these messages to help reassure me)
I really am trying to get help because I know it’s not healthy but I’m starting to feel like a lost cause x
were you heartbeat scans early on?
I really hope all went well and you have a beautiful healthy baby now xx

Thank you so much xx I do trust my body- it’s my stupid brain I don’t trust x
hating myself that I could have put my baby at risk just to reassure myself xx thank you for your reassurance- you are really kind x

Thank you xx Google is dangerous - so is my stupid brain x

Thank you so much- that’s really reassuring xxx
I hope all went well with your pregnancy and that your baby is doing well xxxx

@mummyofnone I've heard people say that 'AIBU' category attracts a certain type of people on here so whenever someone posts on it, regardless of what they post, OPs get bashed.

Never seen anything similar in the pregnancy forum so for future, I'd advise you post there if you have any concerns. Much friendlier folk there ❤️

It makes absolutely no difference whatsoever. I don't know where you read that but it's not true. "Listening to the heartbeat" is just a sound effect the machine makes to match the wave pattern.

Firstly OP, congratulations. I have two gorgeous IVF babies, and we ‘listened’ (as someone said up thread, it’s not really listening) to the heartbeat at 7 weeks. I’m sure IVF clinics wouldn’t regularly do something that risks the baby, so I hope this is reassuring. Wishing you all the best xx

Thank you- I will do. To be honest I didn’t even notice where I posted. Feel a bit to scared to post again lol but if I do, I’ll try there xx thank you heaps xx

OP, I'm so sorry you are going through such anxiety with this, but after your journey to get here, I absolutely understand why. I'm a sonographer, and you are right, we don't routinely use colour Doppler (the red and blue) or pulsed wave (the sound of the heartbeat) in early pregnancy. This is down to guidance from various societies, and because there is a theoretical risk that there can be some increased tissue heating with these modes. This will be the reason you have seen that we "shouldn't" do this on the internet. However, to actually pose risks to baby, you would have to have this mode on for a very long time, in the same spot without moving at all. I can absolutely promise you, a few seconds of hearing the heartbeat will not have posed any risk at all to baby. We often show a quick flash of colour or take a quick pulse wave, especially if people are struggling to visualise the heart movement on screen. I know that anxiety isn't a rational thing, but I hope this gives you a bit of comfort. Also, I'm sorry your sonographer behaved like he did, there are unfortunately some out there who don't deserve to be doing the job- we are so privileged to be part of women's pregnancies. xx

Hi yes, I was scanned pretty much every 2 weeks from about 4 weeks onward if I remember correctly! I can’t recall exactly when they first did heartbeat audio but from the very first moment they could they did. I hope you’ve had some reassurance from the people on this thread who have come back with experiences. And also be gentle with yourself about being worried. I remember vividly how much additional stress and upset it caused me being constantly told that I was ‘worrying too much’, that I needed to ‘think positive’, even that I was going to cause more harm with my anxiety etc. I had eventually to tell certain people in my life that they were not helping with those comments and avoid them while pregnant. I hope you’ve have good support around you. Sending hugs!

Sound doesn’t hurt your baby.

The issue with scans like this is they don’t treat the underlying problem which is your anxiety. It’s natural and understandable but there are better ways to be supported in it.