Early scan: measuring 10 days behind

[jengrosve]

Hi all,

Thank you for taking the time to read this: I’ll try to keep it brief. I don’t think I’m even looking for reassurance; more examples of similar experiences and their outcomes.

By LMP, I’m 7+3 today. Booked an early scan because in this pregnancy and my last, which resulted in a healthy boy who is now 3 and a half, I have very minimal symptoms so just for reassurance.

Totally, totally sure of dates because I was tracking periods. Wasn’t and never have tracked ovulation. My cycle has always been exactly 28 days long. For full disclosure, I have been diagnosed with PCOS but the only symptom of this I ever experienced was adult acne.

I began testing on first day of my missed period but didn’t get a pos result until 3 days later.

Today at the scan, the lovely sonographer said the pregnancy was measuring between 10-13 days behind my dates. What she could see was a 5w 4d foetus with a heartbeat which she thinks started today. She has booked me in for a rescan in two weeks and said if I’d have come in saying I was unsure of my dates or had a very long cycle she wouldn’t be concerned but as I know, it is obviously a worry.

Has anyone been through or heard of similar and if so, what was the result? Thank you!

With my first I had perfect 28 day cycles and yet measured more than a week behind at an early scan. He also ended up being 15 days late so I was pregnant for almost a year 🤣

More seriously it's just scanning too early. I understand why you have done it, but the reason the nhs scans around 12 weeks is because you'll definitely see a heartbeat and they'll be able to measure and give a (semi accurate) due date.

Bodies do weird things, scans are never 100%, babies grow at different rates and early scans generally cause more worry than reassurance.

I hope everything works out for you.

We had a similar scenario and 2 weeks later baby measured exactly to my dates. Thyare measuring something mm long so even 1/10th of a mm can make an enormous difference to your dates. A heartbeat is a very positive sign.

Fingers crossed all goes well for you and the scan in 2 weeks shows a healthy baby.

@Macdo I so wish I could give yesterday me this advice. The dates thing coupled with the fact I’ve been spotting all afternoon (I imagine due to the internal scan) has made me wish I’d not bothered! But really, thank you because that’s sound advice.

@GherkinsOnToast thank you. She did mention that at certain angles the baby was measuring 5+4 and at others, 6w and that the difference wasn’t even a millimetre! I’m glad everything worked out for you.

Sort of similar here, I knew my LMP date and rough conception as we only had sex once that month!

I booked a private scan, thinking I was 9 weeks, measured 8 weeks which I knew couldn’t be right and then at my 12 week scan I measured back at my original dates and due date!

@Tilly18101 thanks for sharing. I’m so glad all worked out well for you. It’s just so frustrating; I’m dreading the next two weeks.

Very similar, booked a private scan for around 10 weeks last date or period gave me due date 21st May, turned out I was 10 days earlier pregnant - due date 31st May, NHS 12 week scan changed that to due date 30th May.

It’s really normal to gain or lose a bit of time during pregnancy, 7 to 10 days is totally normal. It’s a big part of why the NHS doesn’t date pregnancies until 12 weeks.

I’ve just had a horrendous two week wait between EPU scans for bleeding - I really feel for you. Weirdly over time, the wait got easier, and I was a nervous wreck on the way in this morning but all was fine.

You’ve even see a heartbeat - hold on to that and try to relax as much as you can.

All the best x

@TakeYourFinalPosition thanks so much. I’m so so pleased that all was good for you. I am going to try and put it to the back of my mind as much as possible over the next two weeks. I blame myself for going; really wish I hadn’t now.

Hey, I’ve been measuring a week behind since 6 weeks (I’m now nearly 12)
Went for an early scan for some reassurance and tbh I left with the opposite 😬 was supposed to be 6+2 by LMP dates however, only a sac could be seen, no heartbeat. Her words were “you’re either too early or you’re having something we call a missed miscarriage” I was like eesh, that’s not great.
I never tracked my ovulation, only my periods, as this wasn’t planned. But by period dates I should’ve been able to see a heartbeat.

Anyway, a week later I went to the EPU. My period dates again would’ve suggested I was 7+2, they scanned me and did see a heart beat (yay) but measuring only 6 weeks, so 9 days behind. I wasn’t filled will immense hope, even thought the EPU sonographer was very happy with everything and didn’t want a rescan.

Fast forward to my 12 week scan, when I should’ve been 12+2 by period dates, I measured 11+3, so caught up a bit but still 6 days behind. Again they were happy with what they saw, no concerns.

It was a scary time for me so I empathise completely, but I hope my story helps you feel a bit calmer. If you didn’t track ovulation it’s likely you just ovulated later and not at the standard 14th day. That’s what looks like happened to me anyway

Wishing you all the very best ❤️

Hi @Yikes38, thank you for sharing. That really does help. I’ve woken this morning and there’s been no more spotting, nothing else to worry me and I’m now just really hoping that this turns out to be the same as your experience! I’m so glad that you’ve come out the other side of it; congratulations!

I went for a scan at 6 weeks but measured 4 weeks. I was so sure on my dates that I was sure I was going to miscarry but my 2 week old baby is currently asleep next to me. Its hard not to worry but sometimes we just ovulate later than we think.

@jengrosve if you don't mind updating, what was the outcome here? Currently in exactly the same position and looking for a hit of truth x

Curious as to the outcome too as I’m in the same boat now. Thought I was 7+2 but reading at 5+5, with a flicker of a heartbeat. So hard not to worry.

@V1kster88 what was the outcome for you? Going through the same now

Hi @Harrjenk So sorry to hear that you are going through this.

Unfortunately the outcome wasn’t good for us. We got an appointment in our EPAU a week after our private scan and they said that baby hadn’t grown much since the initial scan and that although there was still a heartbeat they didn’t expect it to last. We were told they couldn’t do anything while there was still a heartbeat so they would scan us once a week until the heartbeat had stopped. The morning of the scan the following week I started bleeding. The week after I had already miscarried.

The limbo, knowing it would happen and not being able to stop it, was mental torture. I was almost relieved when it was all over and we could just grieve.

Praying for a better outcome for you. Whatever happens there’s a great bunch of people on here to help you through xxx

@V1kster88 thanks and sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. The waiting is indeed awful. We’ve had a complicated road even to this point.