6 week scan - what to expect

[RainbowConnections]

Hi

I am approx. 5 wks pregnant, dated from MC beginning May. I've had some bleeding & cramping and been booked for a scan next Friday at 6 wks. I declined EPU referral when miscarrying, just dealt with GP, so didn't go through early scan process.

I think if I knew what to expect it would help as I wished I'd been better informed/prepared for MC.

I assume this will be an internal scan. Is it similar to smear process? (Despite having given birth to DS, still nervous re internal exam!)

I know from doing a bit of reading that I might not see a heartbeat at 6 weeks, but can the foetus/pregnancy definitely be seen, can they measure to date the pregnancy this early? Just wondering if I'll get any reassurance from this scan.

I could probably find all of this if I continued searching but would be reassuring to hear from ladies with experience. I used to be so relaxed but I seem to be stressing about anything at moment.

hi. i had an early scan at what i thought was 7 weeks to rule out a multiple pregnancy and it was a normal ultrasound scan and it picked up baby and heartbeat and dated it about 6.5 weeks so you may well just get a normal scan. good luck

They do internals at our epau. It's basically like a (apologies!) slim dildo
They cover it and use a lubricant and its inserted. No speculum and its not painful at all. Sometimes they have to move it round to get a better look. If they can't see very well (sometimes something like a tilted uterus) they might do blood samples to check your HCG and then ask you back for another scan
They cover you with a sheet and you can dress alone after and usually a toilet to clean up - that lubricant is v slippy!!

Hi I too had bleeding and cramps very early on at 6 weeks. We booked a private scan as I have PCOS and were worried about ectopic pregnancy.

We had an ordinary ultrasound which dated me to be 6weeks to the day not 7 as I thought I was. The dr outlined the baby for us and said he could just about see the heartbeat but it wasn't audible. He was happy everything was fine.

It just looked like a blank screen to me tbh. But nonetheless everything was ok and we're now at 21+2.

Hope everything if ok for you. Good luck xx

I had one at 6 weeks, it was transvaginal but it was fine compared to a smear (which always hurt for me, this didn't), much smaller, and no scraping. They put a condom on a probe, lube, and just put it in the entrance and move it a bit.

I saw a heartbeat, a rhythmic pulsing on a little blob. They dated the pregnancy from the scan and called it my official dating scan (they weren't going to offer me a 12 week scan but I went private for an Oscar anyway).

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies, especially the honest descriptions. Really helpful.

Hi I had a private scan at 6+4 because of previous mc and it was an external scan. They dated baby, checked york and we saw/heard heartbeat. Good luck....

Hi, I had a transvaginal scan at just over 6 weeks due to some bleeding. It was in Canada as I was on hols there but imagine similar experience to here, plus had to have a transvaginal as part of my 12 weeks scan as baby facing wrong way and not playing ball! As another poster say, it's a fairly slim lubricated probe, I didn't find it painful or even really that uncomfortable but yes they can move it around a bit and "press" to get the right angle. They wouldn't let me see much in the screen annoyingly, which made me more anxious (all was fine and am now over 29 weeks), but the sonographer said she could see the yolk sac and heartbeat and said the gestation was consistent with the dates of my LMP I had given them, so they must have done some measurements. They also could therefore confirm there was no ectopic pregnancy, that it was a singleton pregnancy, and checked my ovaries for cysts etc. all fine. X

Yes, they do need sometimes to waggle the "dildo cam" around a bit to get a clear view, but it's much slimmer than a speculum and easier than going for a smear.

They'll be checking that the PG is inside the uterus (not a tube) and looking for a heartbeat. If it's in the right place and beating away, then the chances of successful outcome shoot up.

It's a trans-vaginal scan at this point, which I find a lot less painful than a smear test, even completely comfortable when used by a sensitive nurse/sonographer. It's a probe about the diameter of a chunky pen.

At 6 weeks you might see just a sack (small blob shape!) or you might see a sack with a little pulsating bit (heartbeat). 6+3 or 6+4 is the earliest you'll see a heartbeat, so as you're uncertain about dates you might not see any HB even though everything could be fine. It might be worth handing on a few more days. They will also measure the sack, but at this stage it's + or _ about 5 days so won't really tell you if everything's ok.

If you do see a HB then that's a very good sign that you have a good chance of a successful pregnancy. If you don't see one then they'll probably get you to go back in a week to see if there has been growth or a HB has appeared. That will make you very anxious, but given your date uncertainty, then it's quite likely.

I had bleeding in 2 throughout the first trimester - one resulted in my daughter, and I'm at 25 weeks with the other. I was reassured that spotting is very common and often is just a small bleed in the uterus, which will usually drain, or a sensitive cervix.

I did have 2 other early pregnancy losses, in which case the spotting rapidly became heavier and painful like a heavy period.

I hope things work out for you.

Oh yes, actually with the first pregnancy I was incredibly skinny so they did a stomach u/s even at 6 weeks.

I had a tummy scan at 6+2 and saw a heartbeat. It won't necessarily be a transvaginal one that early.

Thank you all.
Worried as I am, it is definitely reassuring to be informed.

Seems appt might be a bit early as I think I'll actually be under 6 wks but my DH has arranged work so he can stay home with DS so I guess I'll need to stick with it.

Thanks again. And good luck with the pregnancies. x