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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

no fetal heartbeat at 7 1/2 weeks

53 replies

BumblBeee · 08/01/2008 16:12

I am being advised to take drugs to expel the fetus but wondering if I should wait another week and have another scan?

Anyone with any thoughts or experience here?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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MrsEi25 · 09/01/2008 22:04

i hope you get a good result from your scan but if the news is not so good i hope you make the decision that is right for you xx
xx ei xx

Original poster

BumblBeee · 09/01/2008 22:17

thanks ei

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berolina · 09/01/2008 22:20

Was your scan abdominal or transvaginal?

This waiting thing is horrible. Thinking of you.

Original poster

BumblBeee · 09/01/2008 22:24

Transvaginal.

It seems likely that they are right about the heartbeat but what gets me is when I asked if they were 100 percent certain the baby was dead they said 'no'.

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LynetteScavo · 09/01/2008 22:24

I had a scan at 8 weeks, after heavy bleeding, & loss of clots and was told they couldn't see a heart beat that early anyway. That was three years ago, so maybe technology has moved on.

FAWKEOFF · 09/01/2008 22:30

i am actually surprised that they have told you to have the drugs, it seems quite unethical to not advise you to wait. when i suffered my last miscarriage i actually pushed for the D&C because theyhad me going from 5 weeks until 11 to make sure there was no heartbeat....i had to express the emotional distress that i was suffering and asked for the procedure to be done.I think that you should wait it out a little longer to be completely certain x good luck x

Original poster

BumblBeee · 09/01/2008 22:33

Some things I've read say you should see one at 6 weeks others 8 weeks.

It is kind of confusing.

OP posts:

Original poster

BumblBeee · 09/01/2008 22:35

I am tempted to not take the drugs this Friday and let nature take its course either way.

Only worry is that DH is away on business end of next week and I may suddenly need help with DD.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 09/01/2008 22:38

Oh, good luck Bumble. Do make really sure there is no heart beat.... sorry I don't know what it's like to take the drugs. Thinking of you.

paulayatesbiggestfan · 09/01/2008 22:44

bumble i do hope things work out for you
from my own experience i would advise d and c...i took the drugs and tbh it was not nice and went on for days
i would take the medical option hth x

StarlightMcKenzie · 09/01/2008 22:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

berolina · 09/01/2008 22:55

I have had a blighted ovum and knew as soon as I saw the scan (it was my third mc, you get an instinct for it ). The doctor wanted me to wait a few days/have blood tests as the assumed gestation was really on the borderline for definitely seeing a heartbeat. She did also say it is important to wait until you are really sure for yourself that the pg is over.

I do hope your scan on Fri brings good news. If not , another vote here for a D&C. I have had two, recovered well physically from both and it vastly reduced the physical traums.

Original poster

BumblBeee · 09/01/2008 23:07

I have just read that you have an increased risk of blood transfusion with the pills.

I have had a few operations over the past year though and worry if it is safe to keep having anesthesia?

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 09/01/2008 23:22

I'm just sorry you're going through this, Bumble.

I was in your shoes early last month.

For me, however, at the third scan - the second transvaginal one - there was no growth at all over the course of a week, and no heartbeat, of course.

I went for the D&C because for me, it was really the best course of action.

My body was NOT expelling hte pregnancy.

I also live in a rural area and if something goes wrong out here, the consequences could be severe.

BUT, that being said, I'm glad there was that wait between teh two transvaginal scans, because at the second one, I saw the screen and I knew my baby hadn't made it.

The GYN who did my D&C wanted to be sure, maybe for his sake, it didn't matter. So I said, 'Sure, do another scan. But I don't want to see it.'

And yes, the baby hadn't made it.

I just hope things work out differently for you and if not, then I hope you make a decision that's best for you and know that you can come here for support.

(((HUGS))

SpacecadetOnADiet · 09/01/2008 23:34

its possible that you could be a week less pregnant than you think you are and that would be enough to make it difficult to see a heartbeat.
i was scanned at 7 weeks with my dd2 and told there was no fetus at all..just an empty sac..but blood results indicated a molar pregancy..10 days later I was scanned again and there was a fetus with a heartbeat, measuring 6 weeks and 4 days, so i had been way out on my dates.

Kezza7779 · 09/01/2008 23:51

Well there truly has been some stories on MN that would suggest that sometimes the professionals get it wrong.... I hope this is the case for you.
In the event o it being bad news...Like others though i would recommed the D&C. I had a blighted ovum and i waited for 4 long weeks to miscarry naturally and nothing happened. its very difficult to get closure and move forward when its all going on. I opted for the D&C in the end and it was over in half a day. Not only that, causes of endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are / can be a result o fragments of pregnancy being left behind so i think to hve a good clean out is helpful. Apprantly you are very fertile afterwards too....

trish12 · 09/01/2008 23:54

i would wait and have another scan, can you imagine how you would feel if you take docs advice but everything was ok, ud never forgive urself, for the sake of a week id wait!! stuff the docs, they have been known to make mistakes. and if they are right, then at least its not on your shoulders.

mehdismummy · 10/01/2008 00:10

dunno what to say. Just that your in my thoughts

spugs · 10/01/2008 09:02

good luck for your scan tomorrow bumble, i hope they have got it wrong or you at least have some definite answers.
the fetal pole is the baby (at my scan it looked like a white line). theres a few threads about the tablet treatment over on miscarriage i think and it seems that people have haD mixed experiances. for me physically it was fine the worst part being 2 internal exams i had (not everyone has them) emotionally though it was very draining.

mumofk · 10/01/2008 09:23

Bumble, hope you're coping ok.
I can't answer a lot of questions you've posted, so hope everyone else can help, but about when to see the heartbeat on a scan: on top of the tummy (TA scan- transabdominal) things are seen later than with an internal (TV scan) scan. Generally at 6 weeks (+/- 5 days coz scans can never be that accurate with dates) should see a heart beat.
However, the order things are seen in the gestation sac is this- 1st you have to see the gestation sac (black hole where pregnancy develops), then yolk sac (little circle inside the black hole) then the heart beat. The movement of the heartbeat means you can see it before you can actually see/measure the fetal pole. Therefore, if you can see and measure a fetal pole there really SHOULD be a heartbeat and if its not seen its quite unlikely things are ok.
If no fetal pole or heart beat seen, then thats a little different and after a week/few days things can look very different and be ok.
Now, every scan does depend on the equipment used and the expereince/expertise of the person doing the scan.
Finally,in a pregnancy that is developing normally the fetal pole doubles in length each week in the early weeks. So, if things were ok the scan should look different even after 3 days.
If you aren't sure about having the scan 3 days after your last one- DONT. Wait until you feel YOU can be sure of the scan findings- its pointless if it'll only mean the medics will put you under pressure to do something you aren't ready for.
Take care,
mumofk

Original poster

BumblBeee · 10/01/2008 14:05

Thanks everyone really good advice.

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LynetteScavo · 12/01/2008 12:14

How are things, BumblBeee?

Original poster

BumblBeee · 14/01/2008 13:51

I went for the scan Friday. They said the baby had shrunk from 11 to 9 and there was still no heartbeat so I felt certain that it had passed away.

I ended up having D/C surgery the same day. No one had very much positive to say about the pill method.

I think the surgery went ok. Interestingly there is no medical reason for you to have general, it is mainly for the surgical teams' convenience they told me.

I think I will go get drunk next week and maybe play tennis. I have been pregnant four months in a row just about and need to do some normal things again for a while.

Thanks aeveryone for all the support.

OP posts:

dustystar · 14/01/2008 13:53

I'm so sorry it wasn't good news bumblebee {{{hugs}}}

spugs · 14/01/2008 16:06

sorry it was bad news

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