7w2d Scan - No Fetal Pole or Yolk Sac

[Msmercer]

Hi guys,
I’ve just had an early 7 week scan and it’s not looking good. Sonographer showed a retroverted uterus, gestational sac measuring 15.49mm so 6w 4d.

No fetal pole or yolk sac, 33mm anterior wall fibroid and traces of free fluid.

She’s told me that it’s not looking good and to think the worst. Does anyone have any stories where this happened and it was ok?! I don’t want to think about losing this baby but it’s looking that way :(

I'm so sorry you're going through this @Msmercer. I had a similar experience and also have fibroids and a tilted bicornuate uterus.

Was it an abdominal scan? I had my scan under the epu and had a transvaginal scan and was asked to go back 2 weeks later. They did eventually find a foetal pole and yolk sac but the dates didn't match for me.

Are you sure of your dates? If your cycle is longer or you ovulated late, that may explain the difference in dates.

It's an awful things to go through and the waiting in limbo is really tough. Be kind to yourself

@venusstarr hey! I had a transvaginal scan and the gestational sac measured 6w4d but nothing in there at all :(

I’m so sorry :(

Did they tell you what the next steps are? Another scan?

Is it possible your dates are out, and you ovulated later than mid-cycle?

If the gestational sac is 25mm and there’s no yolk sac they diagnose a MC straight away, so the fact your sac is smaller than that indicates there’s a chance that your dates are off and when you go back it might become visible.

@EmeraldRubyShark because I paid for it privately they now have to refer me to the NHS who will give me a call and book me in for another scan next week I think.

I don’t know my DOC but my LMP was 10.05.1999.

Ah, what made you go private? Did you have some concerning symptoms?

Maybe you ovulated a week or so late or something. But I’d trust the sonographer primarily and take heed of their advice that it’s not looking good. Really depends how you think you’ll cope best, personally I would tell myself it’s over and try to start getting my head around it so I can start to heal, knowing that if it is in fact okay that’s an amazing bonus. Rather than telling myself it’s gonna be okay and delaying the grief.

But of course there’s the middle ground of just waiting and seeing... but not many people can manage that.

Not sure the NHS will offer an early scan just because the early private scan showed that the yolk isn’t developed yet or the dates are wrong. I’d imagine you’ll just be treated like any other NHS pregnancy and have to wait for the twelve week scan unless you pay privately again. I know my trust doesn’t offer extra early scans based on a private scan when they’ve not been able to tell you anything conclusively either way. But maybe yours will.

Do you have long cycles usually? @Msmercer

I got through by hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Have you had any spotting or cramps?

Hope that the epu can see you. If not, then book in with your GP.

Sorry this is happening to you xx

I paid for a private scan at 7 weeks and they said I was measuring 5+5 with no fetal pole, I then had another private scan a week after to see if any improvement she said I was showing at 5+6 still no heartbeat or improvement and I should expect the worst and referred me to EPU I went 5 days later and the hospital scan was much more clear and there was a little baby with a heartbeat, it really put me off going for early private scans it put my dates back 3 weeks!!! But EPU said everything looked normal and I must have just ovulated really late!!! Please try not to worry and let the hospital scan you, I had already gone over all the options of missed miscarriage.... the hospital said a lot of private scans are not as sensitive and they often do miss a lot of things!! Do you have an appointment with EPU? I know exactly how you are thinking I was so upset and expecting to see blood every single time I went to the toilet but I'm now officially 7 weeks (although my dates say 10) and just waiting until my 12 week scan

Try to stay positive
As of right now you ARE pregnant just keep remembering that xx

If you aren’t sure about dates you could be wrong about how many weeks you are. The only way to know for sure is if you only dtd one time and the. You could pin point more accurately. Especially if you know your cycle. This can go either way. Some women go on to have healthy pregnancies and were just wrong about their estimated date for conceiving (they ovulated later then they thought). And then some unfortunately the pregnancy doesn’t progress. The waiting is the toughest part. Hope it goes well for you. Good luck.

How are you doing @Msmercer ?xx

@SamRwl I’m doing ok thank you. Just been to the EPU who advised that I’m not 7weeks pregnant I’m 5weeks pregnant and the sonographer should’ve known that. He said everything feels normal and my cervix is still tightly closed. Going back in 48 hours to see what my HCG levels are like x

@Msmercer exactly the same as what happened to me! Let me know how everything goes xxx

who advised that I’m not 7weeks pregnant I’m 5weeks pregnant and the sonographer should’ve known that.

That seems unfair on the sonographer or a misunderstanding, they can only go by the dates you’ve said and tell you where your progress is at depending on that. Obviously you could just ovulate late and then as you progress further it’ll be clear that’s what happened as the pregnancy will continue to develop. But at these early stages if you’re 7 weeks and measuring 5 that can also indicate a pregnancy failing to thrive as the sonographer advised might be the case. You can’t for example just scan someone who’s ten weeks from their last period and see a sac the size of a six week pregnancy and say ‘oh, you’re only six weeks they should have known that’

Hoping it works out for you OP, just didn’t want anyone else in a similar situation reading the thread and getting false hope based on what you were told today x

@EmeraldRubyShark hey! Yeah but the doctor also said that pregnancy isn’t measured by LMP anymore and date of ovulation/conception. I didn’t ovulate until 26th May which I told the sonographer, implantation wouldn’t have happened for 5 days so after telling that to the sonographer she should’ve known I wasn’t actually 7 weeks x

In scotland they always go by date of last period & my dates have never been off even though my periods are always late & i have small babies,im on baby no.6. Guess diffrent places tell different information
I did have a early scan with this baby 5+1 just a sac 7+1 heartbeat so if u are 5wks then that would be why nothing was seen for u x

I've not heard them changing to date of conception to date a pregnancy @Msmercer. I guess if you have long cycles and ovulate late in that cycle then it makes sense.

Are you having another scan or just hcg bloods?

Really hope it all works out for you. It's such a stressful time being in limbo xx