Scan at 8w - what can you see?

[IrisPurple1]

Hi all,

I am on my second pregnancy following MMC. I was offered an early scan given my history at my booking in appointment. I was booked in for 8+3 (although I suspect I conceived later in my cycle this time due to symptoms arriving later), and I was wondering if anyone else had had one at this stage and could share their experience. Is it too early to hear the heartbeat? Can it be done normally or just transvaginal at this stage?

Thank you.

Here's 8 week scan from pocket midwife app. I think it would probably have to be internal scan but not sure

I don't think you could hear the heartbeat but you could see it flickering away. Tbh it's still very small and tiny so don't expect too much just incase your dates are a bit off. Good luck though and congratulation.

Good luck! My early scan with DS looked like the picture above. I had them done at 6,8, and 10 weeks due to a previous ectopic pregnancy and they were all done normally. But the scan that showed that my first pregnancy was ectopic was a transvaginal one so maybe it depends on the hospital? The normal ones were in Scotland the other one on England. Couldn't hear the heartbeat. Congratulations

so sorry about you mmc
i had a scan at ~8w due to previous mc and bleeding in this pregnancy...

it was transabdominal (think they would have switched transvaginal if they couldn't see well enough), embryo was measuring a bit small (6w+3) by my dates which was a little worrying, but we did see a hb - just a flicker on the screen, but great to see nonetheless. It looked like a little bean - report said it was 6.8mm, so it's v v small at that point

by 12w scan, scan dates & my dates based on LMP were only 1 day out.
37w today...eek!.

good luck :)

Hi, I've just had a private scan at 7+4, it was done abdominally and we could hear and see the heartbeat easily. This is my picture. Hope that helps.

Yes you'll be able to see the heartbeat, I had a private one at 8 weeks and she put the sound on so we could hear it. Mine was abdominal. Depending on your weight/shape they may need to do it transvaginal if they cant quite see well enough.

I had one done at 8+4 and I saw a bean, yolk sac and heartbeat, it was an abdominal scan. Hope all goes well with yours :)

I had one at 8+3. I could not see the heartbeat, but DH and the sonographer could. DH has experience looking at scans. She played the sound for me because I was not convinced.

It was lovely.

Mine at eight weeks also looked like a tiny bean with a flicker where the heart was beating. I had one due to a mmc , it was really reassuring....just done in the normal way, not transvaginal. Congratulations, hope it helps you to relax and enjoy your pregnancy

It will be an internal scan and you should see heartbeat. Good luck.

I had an external scan at 8+1

I had to have an early scan at 9 weeks, and baby just looked like a little bean with a flickering heartbeat. It was also an abdominal scan which was a nice surprise, as I was told it would be transvaginal.

I'm on pregnancy number five and have had weekly scans starting from 4 weeks on all of my pregnancies. They are always internal up to around 9 weeks and then they switch to abdominal but still do an internal if they can't get a clear enough picture. At eight weeks, you should expect able to see the basic shape of the fetus and see the heartbeat. I would personally go for an internal scan every time as the difference in clarity is stark. Here are my ten week scans: the internal scan shows the baby clearly whereas the abdominal scan just shows a shape!

Yep I had a TV scan at 7+1 and saw and heard a heartbeat, it looked like a little prawn

Then on Sat at 8+5 the scan was abdominal and clearly saw and heard a heartbeat. It had started to lose its tail and we could see little limb stumps and a defined head. Looked a bit less like a jelly bean and more baby shaped

Next scan is 10w and I'm simultaneously bricking it about if we will see a heartbeat again, but also excited at the prospect of it looking more like an actual baby!

Abdominal scan at 8+5. It looks a bit like Tintin!!

Thank you all for your responses and lovely scan pictures.

I wasn't expecting to be offered an early scan so I didn't get chance to think it through. Our baby died at 8w and I didn't bleed til 10w so I'm not sure how reassured I'll be at an 8w scan. If I'd had chance to think I'd have requested it at 9w instead as that's my milestone.

If a heartbeat can be detected I'll be much happier! I'm prepared for the fetus to be snall for 8w as I'm sure I conceived later (boobs sore about cd25 compared to CD16 last time) so I'm very encouraged by those who had a heartbeat at 7w!

I'm aware that transvaginal is used where nothing can be detected via abdominal. I've had TV before but just paranoid about the scanner disturbing the baby.

bananafish I can see Tintin too! I remember you from the TTC buses, congrats on your BFP and successful scan.

Good luck everyone and I'll let you know how mine goes.

I'm so sorry to hear about your previous loss and hope that you have a happy and healthy pregnancy this time

Now I am admittedly quite blase about TV scans as having had two rounds of IVF I was having a hot date with dildocam several times a week, so Saturday was the first time I've ever had an abdominal scan (apart from embryo transfer, where I was too busy trying not to wee on the consultant as the nurse jammed the ultrasound down on my very very full bladder)

But TV scans absolutely won't disturb your bubba. They are completely safe and absolutely nothing to worry about. Certainly you will get to see much more. We got to see the heartbeat and hear it when the Dr flipped on the doppler! Magical

Keeping everything crossed for you xxx

Best of luck op
My 8 week scan attached
It was an internal scan for me on NHS
Saw it wriggling about loads and saw a hb

Another 8 week scan - at 8+3. I also had an internal scan at (I think) 6 weeks and I could see the heartbeat on screen (a little flicker)