Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

Flip

Original poster

Really nervous about my 12 week scan next week

20 replies

ZucchiniPie · 18/02/2011 14:06

I'm 11+2 weeks pregnant and due to have my 12 week scan next Wednesday. However, back in November I was 12+3 weeks pregnant, or so I thought, and it turned out when I went for the scan that I'd miscarried without any sign of it at least six weeks earlier. In other words, a MMC - but one which took a very long time to reveal itself. (In fact, the morning of the scan I started bleeding, so I was prepared for something being wrong - just not that.)

So as far as I know, this time round I am still pregnant, but I'm terrified that what happened before has happened again, because at 11 weeks last time there was still no evidence that I'd miscarried. Even though, this time I had an early scan at 7 weeks and there was a heartbeat then, that's nearly 5 weeks ago and, on the basis of what happened before, I could have had another MMC.

What would really help would be if anyone knows the answer to this: are MMCs just something to do with the embryo and sac (since that's what pumps out the hormones to tell your body you're pregnant) or are some women more likely to 'hang onto' pregnancies in this way?

I've been really stoical in not calling the early pregnancy unit every week to ask for endless scans. I'd have had to make up symptoms to get one but on the other hand my last pregnancy seemed to be going swimmingly all the way to 12+3 weeks, so now I slightly wish I'd tried to get another scan in at say 9 or 10 weeks when the chances of MC would have dropped a lot and I could trust the results more.

Anyway, not really sure what I'm hoping to hear here because I realise that all I can do now is wait and try and be optimistic for next Wednesday!

[By the way, I also realise that I'm incredibly lucky to be writing this in mid-February, having had a MC in early November.]

OP posts:

meliesmummy · 18/02/2011 14:29

I'm sorry, I don't have any answers for you. I'm going thru a mmc at the moment, picked up at 11 weeks. I know I will be feeling exactly the same as you if and when I'm in your situation, particularly as I was told I wouldn't be entitled to any extra scans next time round. Best of luck, I hope you see a little person waving to you x

Original poster

ZucchiniPie · 18/02/2011 14:34

Thank you meliesmummy and I'm really sorry for your loss. It was definitely a reassurance to see the little pulsating blob at 7 weeks (in fact it was called on the letter I had to send on to my GP a 'reassurance scan'). You might find that you can be referred to a different hospital who will agree to scan you early? It was my surgeon after the erpc who told me I could ask for it...

I guess I just need to try and think about other things for the next few days and hope for the best! x

OP posts:

harassedinherpants · 18/02/2011 14:37

I had a mmc 5 weeks ago and am just having my first af.

I have mixed feelings about ttc, so can't imagine how nervous you must be!

I must confess I've already done a bit of research in case I have to pay to get a "reassurance scan" (makes us sound neurotic!) done.

I think there is a thread on Conception board for prg mums after mc, maybe they would help more?

Good luck !

Original poster

ZucchiniPie · 18/02/2011 14:42

Thanks, I'll post something there

Re the reassurance scan, I kind of wish now that I'd waited a bit longer than 7 weeks before having it. I'd say 9 weeks is soon enough for you not to go crazy not knowing but late enough that a MC after that is much less likely (assuming you have a happy result from the scan). At 7 weeks it's still only something like 75% likely that the pregnancy will continue.

OP posts:

iloveblue · 19/02/2011 10:29

Have you thought about doing another pregnancy test?
Hormones would start to go down (from what I've read) if you'd had a MMC and you would get a much fainter line.

I'm almost 8 weeks and extremely paranoid after having a late loss in October.
My scan feels like ages away (end of March) and I have had no morning sickness at all (very unusual for me) - so POAS again yesterday just for reassurance.
I'm sure it's not an exact science but did make me feel better to see that dark line.

Good luck for Weds - let us know how you get on

GwendolineMaryLacey · 19/02/2011 12:42

Don't want to spread doom but I had a mmc four weeks ago. I was 11 weeks and baby had died at 6 weeks. The morning I went to the EPU for a scan because I felt something wasn't right I did a pg test and got an immediate, strong line. I had been doing tests all along and had always got a strong result.

On a different note, is it unusual for a mc not to have occurred 5 weeks after the baby stopped growing?

ShowOfHands · 19/02/2011 12:50

Sadly a pregnancy test won't tell you anything about the possibility of a missed miscarriage. It's just not that straightforward. You can start to get faint lines later on the first trimester in a healthy pregnancy when the hcg levels are high for example.

Gwendoline, sadly it is not unusual for mc not to occur after 5 weeks. I know several women in rl and on here who had lost their babies at around 6 weeks but didn't find out until a 12 week scan.

lucysnowe · 19/02/2011 12:58

A heartbeat is a REALLY REALLY good sign you know. I think the rate of m/c after the heartbeat's established is something like 1-2%, compared to one in five early pregnancies ending in m/c. And a heartbeat is a heartbeat, it doesn't matter when you heard it. I can't answer your q. about whether it's the mother or the embryo who causes the MMR - IYSWIM - but I think in some ways it's a good sign. Your body wanted to keep hold of the baby even when it wasn't quite right. All the best for next week.

(NB my 12 week scan is then as well, my last pg ended in a rather late m/c at 10 weeks, the baby died at 9, so something of a mmr, but complicated. I haven't had an early scan this time, so am a tad worried too. )

missnevermind · 19/02/2011 13:10

The midwife can find a heartbeat at 11 weeks if you ask. Mine did for me last pregnancy after a bleed.

ShowOfHands · 19/02/2011 13:12

Most midwives won't look for a heartbeat before 16 weeks as it's hit and miss as to whether they'd find it.

Original poster

ZucchiniPie · 19/02/2011 14:33

Thanks all, and Lucy in particular - I didn't realise the heartbeat was so clearly an indication that all was well. Only four days left to wait now so I won't contact the midwife - just try and distract myself with other things.

Best of luck at your scan too, Lucy! I'm sure all will be well :-)

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 19/02/2011 14:41

ZucchiniPie, be sure to come back and let us know how you get on. It's normal to feel so frightened, even without the history you have. It is true that once you've seen a heartbeat, the chances of anything untoward happening are a couple of percent. That's very reassuring I think.

Good luck.

Original poster

ZucchiniPie · 19/02/2011 14:58

I will - and thanks again

OP posts:

lucysnowe · 19/02/2011 19:29

Thanks Zucchini. I wanted to make sure my stats were accurate so checked the miscarriage association page.

It says: if the scan picks up a heartbeat and the baby appears to be the right size according to your dates, this can be very reassuring. Research has shown that if you see a heartbeat at 6 weeks of pregnancy, the chances of the pregnancy continuing are 78%. A heartbeat at 8 weeks increases the chance of a continuing pregnancy to 98% and at 10 weeks to 99.4%. So things could still go wrong, but as long as there is a heartbeat, the risk of miscarriage decreases as the weeks go by.

It doesn't say for 7 weeks but let's say the odds are around 95% for a positive pregnancy. That's that's a little less than I said, but still pretty low. Really hope all goes well.

Original poster

ZucchiniPie · 23/02/2011 12:41

Had the scan this morning and all is well - baby moving around like mad and all present and correct, as far as limbs, etc. concerned! Turns out it's a few days younger than we thought (probably the MC meant my cycle was a bit out still) so actually only 11+2, not 12 today - but they kept my 7th Sept due date where it was, for some reason.

Thanks again for all your lovely messages and good luck anyone who's TTC - I'm sure you'll have good news soon!

xxx

OP posts:

lucysnowe · 23/02/2011 15:05

Yay, excellent news, I'm really pleased for you. Now you can relax just a little bit! :-) Thanks for the update, zucchini.

Original poster

ZucchiniPie · 23/02/2011 21:26

Thanks Lucy - I hadn't logged on again until today so didn't see the stats that you'd very kindly looked up... but I'd found something similar myself and was feeling a lot more positive. But thanks again for doing that xx

OP posts:

lucysnowe · 24/02/2011 12:00

No worries. NB had my scan, good news for me as well.

lionmummy · 24/02/2011 22:45

Good news ZP, I have been lurking on this thread. I had a mmc at 18 weeks in the summer and am 10 weeks pregnant & only today have been to the GP to get my referral to the hospital as am afraid of going back to the ante-natal clinic with so many bad memories. I had a private viability scan at another clinic at 8 weeks and all seemed fine but yet I am so scared about resuming appointments at the hospital. Your message and all the stats here made me feel much more positive

Original poster

ZucchiniPie · 04/03/2011 17:32

Hey, great news Lucy - and lionmummy, I'm sure you'll get exactly the same result in a couple of weeks or whenever your scan is.

Weird thing is now I know it's all ok, I'm actually feeling more sad again about the MC. I thought being pregnant again would kind of wipe that slate clean, but I guess we have to acknowledge that it's a real loss no matter what comes next and maybe a pain that never really goes away.

OP posts:

Flip