Early scan after bleeding at 8 weeks - sac right size for 5 wks

[LollysMum1]

I am supposed to be 8 weeks today but started bleeding yesterday. It is not heavy and I have no pain or cramps. I had an early scan this morning and was told that there is a sac but it is only the size you would expect at 5 weeks and there was no heartbeat. So either my dates are 3 weeks out and there is a 5 wk old foetus in there, or it all went wrong 3 weeks ago and I am starting to miscarry. I've got to wait 10 days for another scan to see if there have been any changes. It is torture but I am trying to be realistic and think the worst. Has anyone else experienced this and am I being too pessimistic? Thanks!

Not experienced this exactly, but wanted to show support...
Don't feel bad about being pessimistic, it is such a hard situation.
Try to think- What's the point in worrying? Worrying is so pointless, but also very hard to avoid. I remember the awful feeling of helplessness before I found out for definate about my miscarriage, and it is very hard to put your mind to anything else.
How sure were you about your dates? Are you always regular?
If you are irregular or your dates are out all the worry could be for nothing...
Just make sure you are looking after yourself as no matter what your body is about to go through a lot.
My thoughts are with you
Lots of love xx

Try not to worry, hard i know, as that won't be good for either you, DP or the pregnancy should your dates be a bit awry {hugs}

Lollysmum1 similar situation for me at the moment. Had a scan this week dating me at 6 weeks but doctor not sure the pregnancy is progressing. I have to wait a week and go back for another scan. It could be that the sac and the fetal pole he could see are just small for my dates, but more likely he thinks that the pregnancy has failed. I'm small for the dates but we are pretty sure of the dates.

He did however say that all hope is not lost, it could just be small and there might be good news in a week. I doubt it though and am also expecting the worse.

Good luck for next week and fingers crossed! But don't be too despondent if it's not good news. I had an early miscarriage 3 years ago at 6 weeks (a twin pregnancy that failed to develop) and 2 months later was pregnant with my dd who's now 2. My best friend also had an early miscarriage earlier this year and got pregnant again straightaway, she's now 12 weeks.

So sorry to hear your news. The exact same thing happened to me back in May. I too was almost 9 weeks pregnant, had some very faint old looking bleeding so went to EPAU on the tuesday had scan they told me I only measured 5-6 weeks but no heart beat was detected. They said the same that my dates may be wrong so I had to try to stay positive. When I got home the bleeding got a little heavier which I thought may have been due to having an internal by midwife and an internal scan. I too had to wait 10 days to go back for another scan but by the weekend I had started to miscarry naturally. I was completely devestated and it doesn't help when people are trying to be nice but say things like 'miscarriages are so common' or 'these things happen for a reason and there must have been something wrong with the baby' or 'at least its happened now early on rather than later on in the pregnancy.' Even though all these may be true it doesn't make your loss any easier. Im not posting this to make you feel that there is no hope for your pregnancy as I do truely believe theres always hope and you may well have just got your dates wrong, but you have to try to stay positive its an awful long time to have to wait it seems as though days are more like weeks. I am now pregnant again I don't know how far gone I am as I didn't have a normal cycle before conceiving again! This is a worry as some research says to wait others say it makes no difference so I don't know what to think I'm just hoping and praying that this time things will be ok, I have an estimated 12 week scan in just over 3 weeks so I won't know til then but we are keeping it a secret from friends and family until then. I hope all turns out well for you, I will be thinking of you. Good luck.

I have had 2 pregnancies which have measured small for dates and both ended in miscarriage. Most recently I was scanned at 9 weeks but measured 7 weeks with a heart beat. I convinced myself that I must have conceived later on but if I had thought about it more carefully that would have meant I had tested positive at 3 weeks or before. When I went back there was no heartbeat and I went on to have medical management after waiting a week and nothing happening. There are lots of stories as well though of people who go back and everything is fine so you just cant tell really. Hope you have good news and find a way of coping with the wait.

Thank you all for your messages. Countryhousehotel its horrible isn't it? Although we're trying to be sensible/realistic and expecting the worst there will still be that tiny glimmer of hope when we have the next scan - which just delays the agony of actually accepting what has happened. Fingers crossed for you.

Fipep you are so right. I was only saying to my DH earlier that I don't want to talk to anyone else about it now (apart from midwives etc who can talk about things more biologically!) because everyone has their little bit of wisdom don't they? We know all that - "its nature's way" - but when we're feeling so sad and despairing you just don't want to hear it.

I keep rethinking my dates just in case there is any possible way they could be wrong but unless something really really strange has happened I don't think so...

I have had this twice and sadly both ended in miscarriage. It is very hard and I really feel for you.

On both occasions I had a scan when I believed I was 8 weeks, and the scan showed only a 5-6 week embryo. On the first occasion, 18 months ago, I'd already had some bleeding and then miscarried naturally a few weeks later. On the second, earlier this month, I had an ERPC as my pregnancy sac was still growing despite the fact the embryo had died at 6 weeks, and my body seemed determined to hang on to that pregnancy regardless!

However...to end on a more positive note...it is entirely possible to conceive a lot later in your cycle than you might have thought. My son was conceived on day 28 of my cycle - went for the 13 week scan to discover I was healthily pregnant but only 11 weeks. Had I gone for an 8 week scan with him, I'd only have shown as 6 weeks pregnant. That was a textbook pregnancy despite the dates being haywire and he is now 4.

Lollysmum, i had the exact same situation a couple of weeks ago, though my bleeding became heavy - ironically after i finally got a scan by going private.
started spotting on a thursday; no pain, but it didn't go away as i hoped it would. by sunday night it was bright red blood and i then felt pretty sure i was miscarrying. Had the scan on the Monday when i should have been 7/8 weeks and all it showed was a sac - no sign of embryo - which they dated as about 5 weeks old. as happened with you, they gave a tiny glimmer of hope and said i should have another scan in 10 days time, but by then i KNEW i'd lost the baby. sure enough, that night, the bleeding became much heavier.
personally i found the uncertainty FAR worse than dealing with the reality once i knew for sure i was miscarrying. i had about five days of not knowing and it was hell.
having that little bit of hope, at the same time as knowing it's probably against the odds, is unbearable. if there's anyway of bringing your next scan forward, i really urge you to do so. in a strange way as soon as i knew for sure things hadn't worked out, i felt a lot better. After a couple of days feeling rubbish, i became quite peaceful about it. i wish you all the best, and so understand how you are feeling
x

did you have your scan lollysmum? Been thinking about you x

Yes I did and we have lost the baby. We are OK about it now - we were very realistic and expecting the worst. We had plenty of time to get used to the idea between scans. It is very sad but we now are trying to look forward and I just want to be pregnant again. I need to get out of the "physical" stage as to be frank the bleeding is grim and like nothing I've ever experienced before. Gushing would be a good word at times - sorry TMI!
Thanks for everyone's support xx

oh I am so sorry lollysmum1. Glad you are 'ok'. wishing you all the luck in the world x x x

can any one help, i think we know the answers but i know i am 7 plus weeks pregnant and had some spotting so went to hospiatl again like everyone waited for a scan which only showed a sac, but a good lining on the womb which was to be expexted apparentle, they said either very erly pregnancy or as no heartbeat or the pregnancy hasnt progressed. I know my dates so am gutted as assuming pregnancy hasnt progressed got to wait two weekd for further scan. any ideas? or r we right grieving now xx

Sorry, dont want your message to go unanswered but as I said above to lollysmum1 when I have had similar experience it has been bad news. I know its not always the case though which is what can make it harder - you just dont know for sure until you go for the scan - but it sounds like you are sure of your dates and so something is wrong. Hope you are ok and manage to cope with the wait.

thanx for your reply, my husband works away and so that makes us very sure of both conception date and i am sure of last period date. have had loads more bleeding and like i said we are so sure there is nothing left. and its so hard cos i just want to be pregnant so much! xx