Early scan 7 weeks

[RachW88]

Hi everyone, I hope someone can help me... I am currently 7+3 weeks pregnant with my 9th pregnancy (I only have two children and a history of miscarriage). I know the exact date of conception, based on when I had sex because it’s the only time I’ve had sex in over 12 months... but I know i could have ovulated up to 5 days after that.
Anyway, I had a scan at 5+3 where they found the yolk sac and said it measured at about 5 weeks. I went back yesterday and they found a fetal pole measuring 3mm and no heartbeat. The amnion could also be see just about. The midwife said that the baby should be bigger by now and that there should be a heartbeat and I will likely miscarry before my next scan in a week. Has anyone had a similar experience?
I know the baby should be bigger by 7+2, but if I ovulated 5 days after sex, I would only be 6+4 and that means the fetal pole will have only just started developing?! My pregnancy tests are still showing strong positive and I’ve had no pain or bleeding. I’m so confused!

[sel2223]

Didn't want to read and run OP, sorry you've had such a tough time of it.

This may not be what you want to hear but I went for a scan when i thought I was 7+5 (from LMP) but baby only measured 6+1. There was a heartbeat and fetal pole present at that gestation and I'm.now 38 weeks.

Of course, everyone is different and I've heard of people not seeing a hb until closer to 7 weeks but wanted to be honest about my experience. My concern of i was you would be the growth between the 2 scans being less than 2 weeks, regardless of when you ovulated.

I really hope it works out for you but i think you should prepare yourself incase it's bad news.

[RachW88]

Thank you for replying, I’m so happy that everything worked out for you!
It has been 9+3 since my LMP, so my first scan measured 2 weeks smaller, but measured exactly right for my personal dates. I read somewhere that the fetal pole doesn’t start to grow until about 6 weeks, so I’m hoping that’s the case with me. By next week it should have grown by 5mm, so if it hasn’t, I will know for sure. Thank you again and good luck with the baby!! 💛

[Boredinthehouse12]

@RachW88 sorry to hear you’re going through this. Were your scans NHS or private?

I had a scab at what I believed to be 7+3 and I’m measuring at 6+1 so don’t know how to feel either.

@sel2223 were you concerned that you measured behind? If so did you have further scans? I’m not sure the EPU will see me just because I’ve measured behind on a private scan

[sel2223]

@Boredinthehouse12 the sonographer was really reassuring but I was definitely worried. I had a follow up scan 2 weeks later and bsby measured 8+2 so had grown proportionately.
By the time i had my dating scan, she'd caught up by a week so only ended up being 4 or 5 days out from my original LMP date.

[sel2223]

@RachW88 the embryo measured 5 weeks at your first scan, so 2 weeks later (now) would be 7 weeks? Is that right?
Or if it is 6+4 now, it would have been 4+4 ish at the first scan?
It's certainly possible but that's the bit I would be looking at....the growth between the scans being the right amount.

Did they check your hcg levels? Will they rescan you?

[RachW88]

@Boredinthehouse12 my scans were NHS, I am classed as a high risk pregnancy so I always have early scans now.

@sel2223 at the first scan they only
Saw the yolk sac and no embryo. By Thursday dates (LMP) I was 7+3, but I knew I wasn’t that far because I knew the exact date I had sex, so LMP wasn’t really relevant. The yolk sac measured about 5 weeks which fit with what I thought. So since the last scan there has been growth, because there is now a fetal pole, but still no heartbeat. I’m just hoping that by next week, I will be far enough to see something if it is there. I hope that all makes sense? (To clarify, I’m 7+4, but could be a few days out so might only be 6+5)

[sel2223]

@RachW88 fingers crossed yours is a success story too.

My early measurements were also strange as I'm in a LDR so only had a couple of days where I could have conceived that month which fit with neither the LMP date or the early scan measurements.

At the rescan exactly 2 weeks later, baby had gone from 6+1 to 8+2 so I was happy the growth was spot on but still confused by dates.

When I had my dating scan, baby had caught up by a week so was in the middle of the 2 dates which fit much better with when I could have conceived.
Apparently, it's common for measurements to be out early on in pregnancy and babies can have growth spurts at different times which is why you only get an official EDD around 12 weeks. That's what I was told anyway - they said proportionate growth between scans and/or hcg levels are a better indicator at that early stage.

Good luck!