Does the chance of mc decrease once a heartbeat has been seen on early scan???

[bluebell82]

I am worrying myself about not having loads of symptoms.. I had a early scan last Monday at 7+4 and the heartbeat was seen flashing, I heard somewhere that when the heartbeat has been seen the chances of miscarriage decreases.. has someone spun me a line or can I use th fact to slightly sedate me??

Yes it is true, miscarriage risk does decrease if a heartbeat is seen. Try not to worry to much. Have you had a m/c before?

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Yes. There are stastics showing that the risk of miscarriage decreases after seeing a heartbeat and then again after hearing it. Some women don't get symptoms. Good luck with your pregnancy.

yes I was told this as well- I think its because one of the main causes of m/c is because the heart does not develop properly and so the body m/c and so if the heartbeat has been seen then its a very good sign!! Although I am very negative too and this only placated (sp?) me for about 10 mins before I began to worry about something else.

yes I had one in oct and an ectopic 5 years 4.5 years ago... I am just worrying because I am not being sick, sometiumes feel a bit sick but eat something and I am fine

bluebell - the risk of mc does decrease after you've seen a heartbeat - and the later you see the hb, the less risk there is of a mc - however, it's quite normal to carry on worrying!
On the pregnancy after miscarriage thread we talk about it - come and join us ... we're experts at knicker-checking, symptom-spotting and general worriting!

I had an EP too last year and so I understand how anxious a time it is! Please be assured though that symptoms do come and go, I had the same and my DP thought I had gone mad when he found me blubbering one morning cos I didnt feel sick!

thanks for your post and the link to the thread.. I know I am worrying about something that hasn't happened and hopefully won't

this site has loads of info about early scans & I used it extensively in both pregancies (early bleeding with both & early scans)

it says

" The presence of an embryonic heartbeat is highly reassuring. When visualized by Low Resolution Abdominal sonography, more than 90% of pregnancies continue. Visualization by high resolution vaginal sonography is associated with a 70% continuance rate. The apparent discrepancy is because the heartbeat is a stronger positive sign in the larger more advanced embryos seen by transabdominal scanning.
The rate of pregnancy loss with positive heartbeat varies with gestational age and the presence of vaginal bleeding:

-Heartbeat at < 6 week., With bleeding 33% are lost, 16% are lost if no bleeding present

-Heartbeat at 7-9 week., With bleeding 10% are lost, 5 % are lost without bleeding present

-Heartbeat at 9-11 week., With bleeding 4 % are lost, 1-2% are lost without bleeding present.

The prognosis for the living embryo improves as gestation proceeds."

So the odds are greatly in your favour that everything will be just fine

Thank you so much for that site such a relief, I don't know why I worry myself .. I slept better last night though, I think my hormones have turned me into a nervous wreck..!

don't want to be voice of doom but I have one DS but since then have had two mc's both missed mc at 11.5 and 10 weeks. 2nd one had heartbeat at 7 weeks, first one not sure as no scan but suspected that it did also as it died around 10 weeks. I assumed with second one baby that I would definately be having a baby after the seven week scan as they told me 97% chance of viable pg. This information is what made the mc all the more difficult to cope with.
That is the reason I am telling you my story not to worry you but to just speak a word of caution. There are always exceptions to the rule and I am one of them and the stats they gave us were in fact emotionally quite damaging for us. Just be a bit wary of these kind of figures, but think that the odds are very good for you and try and wait until your 12 week scan.
Good luck . By the way I am pg again and having 6 week scan on Friday. Here we go again.

Oh no that is awful news, good luck with your preg this time, fingers and toes crossed.. I know it wasn't meant to but I am more worried now than ever, I really appreciate you telling me though I think I have to be realistic. We want this baby so much it is horrible having this cloud looming, my next scan is not until 16th July I don't know how I am going to cope waiting for over 3 weeks! I have already lost two little ones and I know how horrific a loss it is.. so fingers crossed for us all!

bluebell

try not to worry too much (easier said than done I know)

All the stats I've seen are similar to the ones I quoted from that site

so 95 out of a 100 women in your situation will have a viable pregnancy. Unfortunately 5 out of a 100 won't and it's awful for those 5, but the odds are greatly in your favour that things will be okay, so try & stay quietly optimistic. There are no cast iron guarantees in this game, but there is no point worrying yourself into a frazzle over something you have no control over, nothing you do or don't do will change the outcome... (and I speak as someone who's been in a similar position)

It's awful being in limbo-land [hugs]

fingers crossed everything is okay for you. (and for you taichimum)

I am a nightmare did a pg test at lunch I don't know what I thought it would say, obviously bfp so don't even understand my logic.. it is awful bnut I have to remember I am not the only person going through this and definitely won't be the last!!!

Glad to have found this link, i am 8wks4days - had no scans first scan 19/7. Am 35 this is our first. Have felt very very rotten for the last 4 weeks, nauseous, off food, very tired but the last two days i have felt almost ok and am now worrying that something is up and everything is going wrong.

Are there are any signs i should be lookng out for??

I have done 2 tests just to make sure that i had not in fact contracted some horrible illness!

This thread just reminded me how I cried all over the midwife who found the heartbeat with little hand held listening device when I was 12weeks with 2nd preganancy. Ist pregnancy the year before had unfortunately ended at an early scan when there was no heartbeat and I was terrified it would happen again. Then I cried at every consecutive scan (I had 6 in all) everytime we saw the heartbeat flashing! I know a lot of people that had hardly any symptoms and I was always very envious as I puked for 9 months with both babies!

i should have counted my lucky stars - vomitting back with a vengeance on sunday - if it goes away again i will simply say thank you !!

Me toooo!! How funny is that... so wished I had kept my mouth shut, feel absolutely dire and have since sat!