What will I see?

[tummytickler]

Hi all
I am 6+1 weeks pregnant, and have been bleeding red blood on and off since Sunday, only when I wipe. I also have a crampy tummy, but I have had that non stop since a couple of days before I found out I was pregnant, so trying not to worry about that.
I phoned EPU this morning, adn they cannot see me until Thursday. I am assuming I will get a scan (although they did not say I would).
What would they expect to see at a scan at 6+3 ish
Any happy stories of similar would be much appreciated too I am feeling pretty rubbish about it all. It's also half term so dc are home, so can't lay in bed asleep!

Hi there tummytickler

At 6+3 (or 6+5) they should be able to see the sac, but it would be early days to see a heartbeat. They might be able to but if they can't, it might just be too early, so try not to worry.

Bleeding in early pregnancy is horrible but doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong, as I am sure you know! Lots and lots of people bleed and their babies are absolutely fine. Fingers crossed for you.

If you are absolutely sure of your dates and you are nearing 7 weeks and everything is viable you will see a gestational sac, a small bean-shaped baby and a flickering heartbeat.

But only a couple of days out and you may see very little at all. They develop so rapidly in the early weeks that it's possible to see only a sac and nothing else or a sac and a fetal pole and then only days later a tiny baby with flickering heartbeat.

Depends on the accuracy of your dates, the machine used and the skill of the sonographer.

I really hope it works out for you. Bear in mind that they might not be able to tell you anything ie that they will ask you to come back again if you're in that hiatus between a positive pregnancy test and something visible via ultrasound.

See here for an image of a 6 week scan.

I bled on-and-off all the way through with DS in both early and mid pregnancy, at 24 weeks it was heavy enough for them to admit me to hospital and warn me that they were prepared to deliver early if it didn't stop. DS is now 21mo and full of beans.

I've also had two mcs, one at six weeks. The bleeding wasn't on-and-off and it got steadily heavier without stopping. I'm not saying that to be scary, just to say that it's a good sign that it's on-and-off and that it's only on wiping.

With this pregnancy I had bleeding early on and I'm now 25 weeks.

Bleeding is never classed as "normal" but it's very, very common and loads of women experience it and go on to have a healthy baby at the end of the pregnancy, it's not always a bad thing and at this early stage it can be as simple as implantation bleeding or irritation to the cervix or even blood displaced by the growing sac.

At 6 weeks they'll be able to see the sac and yolk and check that it's growing in the right place. They may or may not be able to see a heartbeat depending on position and exact gestation (it's really hard to pinpoint exact age this early), don't feel downheartened if they can't see a heartbeat or if you're not as far on as you thought. With DS I thought I was 12 weeks and when I went for a scan there was just a blob, they said either I wasn't that far or the pregnancy had stopped growing. I went back six weeks later (with instructions to go to EPAU if I bled in the meantime) and had a 13 week old baby in there.

You never know what's going to happen. Fingers crossed everything turns out okay for you xx

If you are 100% certain of your dates then you may well see a heartbeat but what they can see depends on where the sac is and the tilt of your uterus. I've had early bleeding with both my pregnancies (I'm currently 8+5 and have a 2 year old daughter) and have been personally pretty lucky with early scans but there are many stories of people who have not. This time I saw heartbeat and foetal pole at 6+6 through abdominal scan. Also if you could have ovulated late then you may not be as far on as you think and at that stage it would have a major effect on what is visible. Good luck, bleeding in pregnancy is just so stressful.

With both my sons I bleed quite a bit a 6 weeks and then again a various points throughout the pregnancy and they are now 8 and 9. Unfortunely I also had 3 mcs before them, one of them I didnt even bleed with it. Bleeding is horrible but it doesnt always mean bad.
At six weeks you should see the sack, it maybe possible to see baby and a heartbeat, but at this stage just a matter of days can make a difference in what you can see. Dont be surprised be you dont get definite answers on Thursday if they cant pick up a heartbeat and they tell you to come back in a week for a rescan. Its horrible waiting and felt like the longest week of my life.
Fx for you, hope everything ok

Thanks so much for the encouraging words and stories, and the link to the scan picture.
Hopefully all will be fine. I know i have to just wait it out, but all the time it is not getting heavier I will try to remain positive. Dh has a few days off work from tomorrow (meant to be a few family days over half term!), so I will try and have a few lie ins! I still feel exhausted, and have waves of nausea, so hopefully these are good signs.
Thankfully the dc are engrossed in a game upstairs (time travel - stuff everywhere!) , so i am sitting on my bum for half an hour and eating coconut cake - will think about the mess later!
Thanks again.