Heartbeat & early scan

[emma94]

Hi everybody!
I am really anxious and paranoid so I want to pay for an early scan but I'm only 6.5/7 weeks pregnant. Will the heartbeat be detected at this stage? I feel like it would give me some peace of mind.
Thanks, Emma xx

I had a heart beat detected at just over 5 weeks, but they said I was really lucky. I think you should be able to get a heartbeat from about 6 weeks. The early scan really settled my anxiety, although baby was measuring slightly earlier than dates based on my LMP, so i'm hoping this is fine when we check next. I am paying for the Harmony test as I think being told ratios (risk of syndromes/trisomies) will just trigger my anxiety, but private scans/test are an expensive habit to get into, when ultimately they aren't going to change anything, .

Between 7&8 weeks is the safe spot for a HB.

Was advised by one private place that they don't see women before 8 weeks for that reason and my epu won't do reassurance scans before 7+ weeks.

I had one at 6+3 privately and another at 6+5 (due to bleeding) and a heartbeat could be seen on both.

I thought for peace of mind the midwife puts in a referral so you don't have to pay correct me if I'm wrong 🙈

If your dates are correct, yes, you should see a heartbeat at 6.5-7 weeks, but possibly only on a vaginal exam. I had one at 7 weeks with this pregnancy and she could see it easily abdominally, but a week later I had one at 8 weeks and I was constipated enough (!) that they couldn't really see anything without doing a vaginal scan. But yes, definitely you should be able to somehow.

I'd be really wary of any private scan less than 8 weeks and private scans not at hospital before 10 weeks. There's much more than 'just' seeing a heartbeat. There's how fast it's beating and if it's measuring small they won't know or do another test to check it's still developing.

I actually found my early scan (NHS due to risk of ectopic) ok but it didn't stop me worrying.

Once measuring 8 weeks and with a strong fast heartbeat it's much more likely you'll carry to term, so try and wait if you do get one.

If your dates are right you’ll see a heartbeat. Be aware this isn’t 100% reassurance, you can still miscarry. I learned this sadly after thinking heartbeat meant safe.

I’ve had I’ve detected at 6+2, 6+5 and 6 exactly with different pregnancies for reference.

Mine was 8 weeks. At 7 nothing x

Midwife unlikely to refer just for peace of mind otherwise we'd all be there every week.

They'll refer if you have history or if there is reason for concern.

The NHS is struggling enough without carrying out unnessary procedures (although very comforting a s nice to see still not needed medically) just so that you don't need to pay.

Uh, the OP clearly said she was planning to pay zaalitje

OP, I had a private reassurance scan at 8 weeks. They advised me that they don’t like to do them earlier than that as, even with a healthy pregnancy, there is often no heartbeat. I saw DD2s heartbeat at 8w 2days.

Uh Fayjay I was replying to the poster who said the midwife will refer so she doesn't have to pay think it was Markygirl

Honestly I’d try really hard to hold out atleast another week if I were you. I had a scan when I was 7 weeks. A heart beat was detected but

Sorry posted too soon
A heartbeat was detected but it was very faint, and the sonographer said that the size of the baby was more like someone 4-5 weeks. She also said the heartbeat wasn’t fast enough. I’m now 22 weeks and baby is totally fine and has continued to grow at a healthy rate from that 7 week scan.

zaalitje I find your response rude, I did state I'd be paying for this if you read my post properly.

Thanks everybody for responses.
Emma x

Emma if you do get referred for NHS scans, you are not wasting money. Ignore that person. Good luck x

@zaalitje the doctor told me that if I had any worries or anything I should be concerned about to get request a scan. At my local hospital they start scans at 7 weeks and dating scans if referred by the doctor. There's no need to be snappy.