5 weeks 6 days slow heartbeat

[Littlemisswoody]

Hi 😊 I’m new here but after a day where I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck I feel like I need to offload.

I had been ttc for years and in the end last October I went on the pill whilst I give my well-being a rest and started new job. I then started missing my pills (due to work) and started heavily bleeding on approx 8th September for a week and then came off the pill fully on 16th September.

I then got my first v v v faint positive and positive Clearblue digital on 14th October and off I went to the midwife where she calculated as of today I’d be 10 weeks 2 days. However I knew she was going off the bleeding and not the date I came off the pill so knew I’d be a week or two out.

I’ve then had next to zero symptoms apart from tiredness and all the questioning made me book a private scan today.. where I was faced with what felt like a lifetime of silence. I was then told that the baby etc was all there, however, I was actually measuring 5 weeks and 6 days.. a while five weeks earlier?? The lady then turned round and said ‘look the heartbeat is slow, can you see that flicker it’s slow’. I was then shocked and overwhelmed and it wasn’t till I rang my mum and broke down that she asked what the heartbeat actually was. I then rang back and asked and they said ‘the baby was too small for us to measure the heartbeat it’s just slow. But we can send you a video of it’ which I can’t bare to look at.

I’ve spent the past six hours googling dates etc and my dates just do not add up how I could get a positive on 14th October and only be five weeks, six days today. All they told me was to go get another scan in two weeks.

Has anyone ever had any experience of this? I’ve googled every statistic under the sun but I don’t know what the heartbeat is actually measuring.. just that it’s slow ☹️

I’d be dubious about it all tbh, it’s very unusual for them to see a heartbeat under 6 weeks and usually closer to 7. Also measurements that early can be out that early, and rebook in a few weeks and if it was me I’d book at a different place as they don’t seem to be very good

It All Depends how slow, but their hearts are slower to start out with which would be I keeping with 5+6 weeks then start to increase with gestational Age. Are you going back at all to be rescanned?

@Littlemisswoody sorry didn’t see that your going back in 2 weeks.

Contact ur local early pregnancy unit, some u can self refer to or ask ur gp to. They would hopefully be able to shed more light on what's going on x

I wouldn’t lose hope, OP. My DC1 had a heartbeat at 5wks 6 days ( was sent for early ultrasound as wasn’t sure of dates). I was told that any sign of a heartbeat so early on was a massive positive. Try to stay calm until your next scan. My DC is now a healthy 7yo. 🌹

I know this is really easy to say, but I wouldn't worry yet. There's a heartbeat and they're so weenie at the mom that a lot of the measurements are inaccurate.

The heartbeat is a really positive sign

Thank you all for your messages, I really do appreciate it. I’m booked in for two weeks tomorrow which was my 12 week scan however my midwife has told me to keep the appointment. I did ring my midwife straight away but she was just like ‘oh I don’t really know what to say as I know nothing about early scans’. I was then at a total loss as to who to speak to. I’ve tried every calculator under the sun to work out how I got a digital positive on 14th October and can only be 5 weeks 6 days however it’s not adding up. I think that’s getting to me on top of the slow heartbeat as I’m now thinking has the baby just stopped growing? I was literally in and out and then when I burst out crying at reception she just said ‘I understand you’re upset about the timings’ they kind of made it like MC is coming.

I’m a front line emergency worker and only told work yesterday and had to go onto light duties and now one day later I just feel like I’ll be back to work in no time ☹️

I’d definitely go for the nhs scan and try not to worry until then. They will know much better than a private provider what is up and also if it’s been another two weeks it should be a lot clearer what is going on.

I’ve been at a and e all day as I have been really heavily bleeding and passing clots. They have told me I’ve got to go back for a scan in the morning just to confirm, however, I don’t want to go for this scan what so ever. My heart feels like it’s physically bleeding now and I’ve got to do it all again in the morning but to be told for definite that the baby has now gone. I think even seeing the baby’s heartbeat has made things worse. I don’t know go to go on from this.

Sending you my warmest wishes.

Just read your thread ☹️sending hugs OP

Oh love you. I have been in your position and sadly it didn't work out for me. I had a private scan at 8 weeks but was told there was no heartbeat, an NHS scan the next day found a heartbeat but measuring too small for my dates so I had a further scan the next week. At that one the heartbeat was slow and irregular with little growth and needless to say I miscarried after. I was in two minds about telling you this when you are feeling so despondent, you need to keep hope because other people have had better outcomes and there's no reason to think that you won't too. If it's not good news tomorrow though, you won't be alone on here and there are plenty of us who will understand.

I'm so sorry x

I've had 3 losses, they always hurt. Time helps. X

Thinking about you today Littlemisswoody

Thank you for all your wishes honestly it means so much to me and thank you @GigantosaurusRex for sharing your experience, my biggest hugs to you. I went for the ultrasound and the little baby is still there with it’s slow heartbeat, however, the heart is so slow they can’t calculate the beats per minute and there is a big bleed under the sac. I’ve got to go back in one week for yet another scan but obviously they’ve told me this isn’t going to be a positive outcome and give me leaflets on natural miscarriage etc. As horrible as this sounds, it’s made matters worse with the baby still being there. I’ve now just got to ride it out waiting for the baby to die. I’ve never felt my heart physically hurting like this before. I tried to sleep last night and all I experienced was horrific nightmares about it all. All my love to the women who go through this ❤️

So sorry that you are going through this Littlemisswoody. Awful to have to just wait it out.

I'm so so sorry that you aren't any closer this being "over"

From experience it is utterly tortuous.

For me , at the time, I remember thinking ",I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy" and I still think that.

So, sorry

Hi OP. I had a scan with my younger child and had a heartbeat at 5+2. They also said the heartbeat was slow but also said it was really positive to see a heartbeat that early (I was bleeding) and to come back in two weeks because it’s hard to accurately measure heartbeat that early. When I did they moved my dates forward a bit and said I was 8 weeks and the heartbeat was fine. Stop googling (although I know that’s easy to say and harder to do). Good luck!

I was in a very similar position a few months back, told by EPU to prepare for the worst and the pregnancy was likely not viable, spent 2 weeks living in fear and worry, the ball of blood had shrunk, heartbeat had increased &( I’m now 15 weeks pregnant.

I know it’s scary and not every outcome is positive but I honestly was also told to prepare for the worst.

Thinking of you x

So sorry to hear this.
I had a private early scan, due to IVF and it was not good news either.
With my other pregnancies I refused early scans after the experience I had and waited until my the NHS wanted to scan me which was at 8 weeks due to medical issues.

I hope the next few weeks go ok for you and hope for the best outcome,

Omg this is so sad.

I pray for a miracle for you, I really do x

Thank you for your warmest wishes through this darkest time ❤️ Thank you @Littlebee1990 I’m so happy for your positive outcome but I can’t imagine what the two weeks of hell must of felt like ❤️ Unfortunately my bleeding has carried on all day and I’m going through pads like a normal heavy period so I know this isn’t going to settle. It’s breaking me that my little baby has tried to fight this and is still beating away waiting to pass. I feel so guilty and that I’ve let everyone down including my partner 😔. I just cry every time I go the toilet and look down every hour.

@Littlemisswoody im so so sorry, but please don’t blame yourself. This isn’t anything you have done or could’ve prevented. I had a loss before this pregnancy and remember the awful pain on going to the toilet and just seeing blood, my heart breaks for you.

Please be kind to yourself, know that this isn’t anything caused by you but that it’s absolutely normal to feel how you’re feeling

Please allow yourself to.feel.what ever you are feeling.

It's grief , pure and simple,

There is absolutely nothing that you "did" , it, very sadly , just "is" .

I had 3 mc but 4 dcs , to this day I still think of the 3 I lost, because they were here , they mattered.