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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

no heartbeat at 8 (or 7 week?) scan

15 replies

cs2012 · 21/02/2015 08:54

Hi everyone

I had an early scan at 6 weeks and was told that all was in the right place but that it was a bit small based on my dates - they thought size of baby was approx 5 weeks. I went back for a follow up scan yesterday and there had been growth since the last scan which looked normal but they couldn't find a heartbeat.

Trying to get any information from the sonographer was like pulling teeth and all she would say was "I am not saying that you have had a miscarriage. The embryo is small so it may be too early to detect a heartbeat". I have to go back next week for another scan.

I am desperately trying to hope for the best but fearing the worst as even at 7 weeks they should be able to detect a heartbeat. Anyone else been in a similar situation (too much googling I making me go loopy Confused)? X

OP posts:
bakingtins · 21/02/2015 09:00

How far apart were the scans? If it was 2 weeks was there 2 weeks worth of growth (1mm a day)? HB should appear between 6-7 weeks so if you think you are 8 weeks, particularly if that's 4 weeks since BFP rather than 8 weeks since lmp ( which could be out if you have long cycles) then I'm sorry it doesn't sound good. As a veteran of 4 miscarriages I don't find it helpful how non committal the sonographers are. Being in limbo is shit. Flowers

Original poster
cs2012 · 21/02/2015 09:08

Thanks for replying bakingtins.

There was two weeks between the scans and the sonographer said the growth was normal growth since the previous.

Not sure if my dates are out but completely agree limbo is awful! X

OP posts:
batfish · 21/02/2015 09:29

cs I am no expert but I think there should be a heartbeat at 8 weeks - however I have read that sometimes the position of the foetus means that they can't see the heartbeat? If there was normal growth for 2 weeks then I would hope that is a good sign. But like I said I am no expert, I am only 7 weeks myself but was lucky enough to see heartbeat at 5+5. Still hasn't stopped me stressing that it's all gone wrong since then however! Sounds horrible how matter of fact the sonographer was, leaving you to google is never a good thing as leaves you imagining allsorts. Fingers crossed for your next scan and I hope that things are OK

doobeedee · 21/02/2015 12:23

I had a scan at 8+2 and it took AGES to find the HB so it still can be difficult to find at that stage.

JugglingChaotically · 21/02/2015 12:35

Was it a internal scan?
I had same. Small for dates at 8 weeks. Thought I'd miscarried. Booked for D&C but on pre op scan (diff hosp and consultant scan) they saw small for dates but HB - was monitored closely for a while but she's now 16!
Odds against it - but sometimes.
It was horrible though.

batfish · 21/02/2015 12:49

Oh my goodness juggling that is scary how close you came to the op and just shows why people are right not to be quick to give up on their babies

RL20 · 21/02/2015 13:14

Hi cs2012,
I had an emergency scan at around 7 weeks due to bleeding (which turned out to be a haematoma which was described to me as a blood blister).
Very very tiny little bean but a heartbeat was detected.
Because of how small bean was I'm guessing that perhaps if I had gone for the scan the week before, they may have not been able to see a lot on the screen.
So please don't lose hope, I'm currently 31 weeks now, nearly 32 and thankfully everything has been and is going ok.
Wishing you lots of luck for your next scan x

Original poster
cs2012 · 21/02/2015 14:57

Thanks everyone. It was an internal scan and it felt like she hardly took any time taking measurements so who knows if we had waited a bit if a heartbeat could have been found.

The uncertainty is killing us to be honest. Torn between praying for the best but knowing that we need to prepare for the worst.

OP posts:
JugglingChaotically · 21/02/2015 17:57

If she was quick then that's odd.
Poss she just didn't take care or was inexperienced.
It's really hard but hold on for a little longer.
Thinking of you.

RL20 · 21/02/2015 19:25

I sympathise with you with having to wait. I only had to wait 2 days from going to the doctors for booking me in for my scan (which she said at the time was very unusual for the to have spaces so soon) but it felt like weeks. How long are you having to wait for? x

ZingTheGreat · 21/02/2015 19:36

it really depends. you may not actually be as far as 7 or 8 weeks pg yet, in which case there's simply no heartbeat yet, which is normal!!

heartbeat isn't always detectable even at 8 weeks, so please try and stay calm somehowThanks Thanks Thanks Thanks

so sorry you are really worried, but it is truly too early to tell either way and there's every reason to believe that you have a perfectly healthy baby and it will be all good.

fx all will be ok and massive hugs in the meantime
((((hug))))

Original poster
cs2012 · 22/02/2015 13:25

It will feel like an eternity until our scan on Friday (it already does...) but it really helps to know that other folks have been through a similar experience and had a positive outcome x

OP posts:
laura825 · 22/02/2015 13:37

I was in a similar position to yourself in august last year. I thought I was 8 weeks pregnant when I was sent to the Early Pregnancy Assessment for a scan, i had an internal scan which showed i was more like 6 weeks, which could of been correct as i had only come of the implant 2 weeks when i thought i must of conceived. They told me to go back in days for another scan to measure any growth. Unfortunately in that time i lost every pregnancy symptom i had and i think i knew what had happened. On the morning of my next scan i went to the toilet and found i was bleeding, so at the scan they confirmed i was abput to miscarry. I'm sorry to share my sad story but i wanted you to know that for me i felt i had some time before to come to terms with what was happening rather than just going to the toilet and realising.

However your scan has shown some growth which from my experience i would say is really positive and your dates could just be a bit out which is perfectly normal.

I am now 20 weeks pregnant today and so far all is going well with this pregnancy! Sending you lots of positive thoughts!

laura825 · 22/02/2015 13:40

*sorry back in 10 days

Lucy61 · 22/04/2015 15:44

Can we have an update op. I'm going through exactly the same and have my third scan on Friday. The limbo is dreadful!

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