Worrying early scan

[CAS77]

Hi there,

I am hoping someone might have some words of wisdom for me about early scans.

I had an early scan today at what I thought was 6 weeks 5 days. The good news is that that they saw the gestational sac, the yolk sac, the fetal pole and the heartbeat....BUT...I am a bit worried about the measurements, which looked small for the dates.

The Gestational sac was 14.5 mm
The Yolk Sac was 3.2mm
The Fetal Pole was 2.6mm

From what I've read on the internet (shouldn't do it I know but can't help it!) the gestational sac should have been around 20mm and the fetal pole around 5mm. I saw the consultant after the scan and he said he wasn't unduly worried but the scan results did put me back to 5 weeks + a few days and he wanted to re-scan in a week.

Has anyone had similar results and gone on to have a successful pregnancy? Or should I resign myself to the fact that this isn't looking too positive?

Sorry for the doom and gloom - I have a history of recurrent miscarriage and am so scared that it is happening again.

It's okay to measure up to 5 days out in early pregnancy via ultrasound. Even if you are sure of your dates and are charting, it's impossible to pinpoint exactly when ovulation, or even fertilisation (up to 24 hours after ovulation) took place, which can skew things by a further day or two. And sperm can live for up to 5 days if you don't know when you ovulated. What are you basing your dates off? LMP or sex or charting?

Fetal pole sounds more like 6 weeks size to me - DD2 was that size (with heartbeat!) and was measured as 6 weeks at 6 weeks exactly by the sonographer. Seeing a heartbeat is very important and makes a lot of difference. All the parts are the right proportions too which again is a good sign.

I think it sounds promising, but the important thing is that your doctor is going to rescan you in a week. Hopefully you will see appropriate growth and all will be well!

Hang in there - I have had two first trimester losses myself and played the repeat scan game over and over, and I know how stressful the waiting is. Keep us updated!

It is very positive that there is a heartbeat. There are some stats out there about how the risk of MC reduces if a HB is present.

I wouldn't be too worried about the measurements as babies grow at such variable speeds. Also, your consultant was worried. Maybe ask for a follow-up scan in 2 weeks.

I had 2 MCs myself and so know how you are feeling. I was given scans at 7, 9 and then, the normal 12 week one. That really helped me to get through first tri.

Good luck.

Early scans can be really inaccurate with respect to measurements/dating. My first pregnancy ended in an early mmc, so have had early scans with both of my subsequent pregnancies. For DC2, had scan at what I thought was 6+4 weeks (and my cycles are very regular around 27-28 days), there was no heartbeat just sac and pole, and I was told they measured around 5+4. Had to come back 10 days later around 8 weeks, where I saw a heartbeat, and was measured around 5 days later than based on my LMP. Then at my 12-week nuchal scan, the scan put me at just 1 day after my LMP dates (which means I would have been 6+3 at my first scan where there was no heartbeat!). I am now 32 wks pg and everything measuring bang on normal for my dates.
Seeing a heartbeat is very very good and means the risk of an early mc goes down a lot for you. But that early on, everything is so tiny that inaccuracies in measurement can be huge, which is why the 12-week scan is used for dating purposes usually. Hope all goes well for you.

Thanks for your reassuring messages - it does really help :)

I think the challenge for me is going to be how to stay positive this week! I feel a bit as if I am in no mans land - can't be happy but don't want to get in downward spiral of being too negative and writing it all off yet. It's going to be a difficult week I think...

I had similar - was sure I was 7 weeks exactly (had been on clomid) and private scan showed me to be 6+3 I think. Heartbeat present but consultant was non commital. Couldn 't go back for 3 weeks as we were going away but at next scan was exactly 3 weeks ahead of where they thought. I think measurements can be difficult at this stage because they are so tiny and it only takes a day or two to make a huge difference in size at this stage.

DD2 is almost 21 months now.

Good luck ! Its a horribly worrying time (I had this uncertainty after a m/c and then 2 years infertility and a troublesome (but successful) pregnancy with dd1).

TBH I think they got your measurements wrong. That is very very small to see a hb. As everything in there is so small anyway, there is a huge error margin. Please try not to worry and take it easy!

Hi there,

Just thought I'd post a quick update as promised about my follow up scan which I had today. Thankfully, the fetal pole has grown to 10mm, which represented a growth of over 7mm from last week, which the sonographer and doctor said was what they wanted to see! I am SO relieved - it has been a nightmare week.

They have put me at 7 weeks and 1 day, which is still about 4 days behind what I thought I was going by my dates, but, I am happy (for now) and keeping everything crossed that things continue this way!!

Almost wish I hadn't had the scan last week as it caused so much worry!