Measured small at 7 weeks

[SylvanianFrenemies]

So.. I had a routine (for me as diabetic) first scan yesterday at 7+3. Sonographer easily found foetus, yolk sac and strong heartbeat. However she measured me as 6+1 or 6+3. It was an abdominal scan.

Neither sonographer nor the midwife I was after were concerned. They said I could have dates wrong (though I'm confident of when I conceived), or measuring could be off as margins of error so tight at this early stage.

I was reassured - and then I googled. Saw lots of negative stories. Now I'm worried. I've already had 2 healthy pregnancies, but had a miscarriage at 5 weeks earlier this year, which doesn't help.

Looking for some reassurance to calm me down, this worrying has taken the shine off of seeing baby and hearbeat.

I’m sure over the tummy when that early does mean a week out could be an error.

Take heart that actually they saw a heartbeat and that’s a brilliant sign!

Baby is so small at that stage.
Best of luck

Are you having another one ?

It could be as simple as you ovulated late this month or it took a while to implant. Dating from lmp is not 100% accurate and it isn't unusual for a scan to show you are due on a different date than you thought.

Thanks @brightonmam and @stormwhale

I'm having another scan in 5 weeks. Seems like ages!

Ah I see - that's your '12 week' dating scan.

After I had a miscarriage, I was advised by friends against early scans but if I were you - and I don't mean that menacingly I mean if I actually was you - I'd go again in 2 weeks privately.

I had th opposite problem I didn't know where I was as irregular cycles I thought I was 7 weeks and actually was 13!

I'm at the obstetric clinic again in 2 weeks so will maybe ask then.

Abdominal scan is definitely less accurate for measurement at that early stage as the probe is quite a lot further from the baby and the margin for error is greater - a bit like zooming in with a camera rather than being closer to what you’re taking a photo of.

Strong heartbeat and everything looking as it should is reassuring.

I've heard that your dating scan is the 12 week scan, I've had a few early ones and I've been put back almost a week now. Your due date will change possibly at every scan as the bigger it gets the clearer they can measure it.

I had my "12 week" scan today and was told it looked about 9+3. There's a heartbeat and the sonographer didn't seem remotely worried, just put it down to irregularity in cycle or ovulation. I've to go back in 3 weeks for them to actually determine the dates with another scan. I got home a bit worried in case maybe it just isn't growing though, so it's reassuring to read your post and the responses.

I hope it all works out for you - fingers crossed for you in 5 weeks' time!

Hi, at my 12 week scan I was put back a week when I was sure of my dates etc. At our 16 week scan she was measuring 1-2days behind my due date depending on angles. Try not to worry, I know it’s easy to say but so hard not to. I’m sure everything will be okay and as others have said seeing a heartbeat is really positive

My daughter had a private 'reassurance scan' (abdominal) at 7 weeks. Everything looked fine, but they put her dates back a week. Went for her 12 week dating scan, and she was dead on 12 weeks. So yes, I think the abdominal scans can be less accurate during the early stages.

I had 3 early scans at 7, 9 and 11 wks due to previous mc's. At the 7 wk scan baby measured 6+2, at the 9 wk scan baby measured 8+2 and at the 11 wk one baby was 10+6. At each appointment my consultant was reassuring and told me that at the early stages the measurements aren't very accurate and that they look mainly at the growth and that seeing a heartbeat was good. She said that babies can easily catch up at this stage. At the 11 wk scan the consultant even admitted she was having a difficult time getting a accurate measurement.

By my 12 wk scan (which was on the day I should have been 12 wks exactly) baby had caught up and was dated at 12 wks.

The main thing is not to worry, every baby and pregnancy is a bit different and babies don't all grow on the same curve!

Just wanted to hopefully add some reassurance! I went for an early scan which dated me at 8+4, I've recently been for my 12 week scan and they've put me 3 days ahead based on my earlier scan. So there is definitely margin for error on their part and you'll probably find you've caught up a good few days by your 12 week!

Thanks everyone, these stories are really reassuring.

I think most people measure a few days ahead or behind at six to eight weeks because the margins are so so small and the baby is so so tiny. I know I measured four or five days out at my 7 week scan. I’m 37 weeks today!