Early scan - not so reassuring!

[Bobduncan]

Hi guys,

My doctor advised an early internal scan due to some bleeding last week. I should have been 5w +6 but the sonographer dated me as 5w exactly or 5w +1. He's put the fear of God in me saying that this may not be a good sign and I have to go back in 2 weeks. He could see a yolk sac and gestational sac measuring 5.1mm. No foetal pole though. I'm pretty certain of my dates based on some strong OPKs. Any advice?

Sorry you are going though this, I can imagine how worried you must feel. Are your cycles longer than the average 28 days, as that could affect the dating? Even if not, I believe it’s not rare to be a few days out anyway.
Also, some bleeding in pregnancy is surprisingly common.
Unfortunately it is a case of playing the waiting game now. Try to keep yourself occupied.
Keep an eye on your symptoms to see if they diminish or continue, as that is another sign.
Fingers crossed for you - let us know how you get on x

In both my pregnancies I've been fairly confident on my dates after tracking my cycle and using OPKs, but then come to the scans (both early private & NHS) I've been around 5 days to a week over their dates.

At around 5 weeks it's very early, so hopefully going back in around 7 weeks will make the scans clearer and you have more reassurance

Hi OP, you have my sympathy. This is really stressful for you. I think that less than 6 weeks is probably too early to see much anyway though, and with such tiny things to measure, and a very big margin for error with measuring scans (this is from experience- I lost count of my scans) it may just be that you need to wait and get scanned again. Not very reassuring I know, sorry. The waiting is agony.

With my dd, they picked up a big head and small abdomen and raised the alarm and had me at hospital every 2 weeks for a measuring scan. Every single one was normal apart from the first one, which they admitted was within the usual margin for error because it's so hard to get good measurements from ultrasounds. I was very grateful for the attention and care but it did cause extra anxiety.

I went for a 7 week scan recently and was a few days out. I was told anything up to a week out at the stage is normal. Fingers crossed for your next scan OP

Thank you so much for your kind messages 💐i know things may not work out, but I still want to hold onto a tiny bit of hope! Xxx

I had a lot of early scans and at my 8wk scan I was 6wks behind - I had 4 in my first 12 wks and it was only that one she was measuring 6 days behind which really worried me - I made a post on it i believe

My next scan at 11 wks she was all caught up

It's an ivf pregnancy therefore 100% on my dates but she said it's normal for a week either way

At this gestation they are so small so they always recommend waiting 2 weeks

The wait is torture so I emphasise

However nothing made me feel better than positive thinking and counting down til scan day xx

6 days behind I mean x

Please don’t worry. At this stage, trying to accurately measure the baby is difficult. Just one slight mm can alter the dates by a week (so I was told by a sonographer).

You tend to find it is more accurate at the 13 week scan.

@Bobduncan i can completely sympathise. I have had two back to back miscarriages and fell pregnant without having a period this cycle. I did ovulation test and based on them I should have been 7 weeks 1 day but i measured 6 weeks 1day with healthy heartbeat on friday during a private early scan. I'm preparing myself for it to be another miscarriage but I got told that ovulation tests aren't always a reliable way of tracking because some times you can get a peak but not always end up ovulating that time and then go on to have an LH surge and ovulate again later on in cycle.

I am going to book in for another early scan a week after my first one to see if there is any improvement.

It's so difficult isn't it.

Also have you based your dates from the day you got the positive ovulation tests because don't forget that they just mean your body is gearing up to ovulate which could happen up to 48 hours later.I based mine for 1/ 2 days later and still measured a week out 🤔
Wish you all the luck.

Thank you @Snowflakes1122 ❤️

@Stargazer89 hope all works out for you too! Interesting that your dates are also measuring a week out. Let's just hope that our bubbas are so small the measurements aren't quite right and all will be well at the next scan ❤️

Hello @Bobduncan
No advice just support here! I’m in similar situation. After two MMC I got pregnant immediately after surgical management with no period in between. I had some bleeding at what I thought was 5 weeks 5 days, went for a scan at the EPU and they saw a gestational sac and a small yolk sac. The midwife dated as very early 5 weeks late 4.
according to my ovulation date I should be 7+5 when I go for my next scan this Saturday.

I think it could go either way. What I’m really hoping for is a yes or a no, I just don’t want a situation where it’s still ambiguous.

im holding onto the fact that time will pass and soon I’ll know one way or the other. Nothing can be done to change the outcome.

when is your next scan?

That's all I saw at 5 weeks op. I was scanned by my IVF clinic due to a bleed also.
It's very early and too soon to see much.
My dates were also out afew days even though we knew down to the minute due to IVF.

Good luck @Mawitchy , I'll have my fingers crossed for you 🤞 my next scan is May 8th, so still got over a week to wait. How about yourself?

Thank you @Lem0nDrizzle for your advice. It's reassuring that your dates also were a few days out. Hope it all worked out well with you xxx

@Bobduncan mine’s 30 April.

it’s great that there are some positive stories!

Hi everyone, I just wanted to update this thread as I found alot of comfort from updates on other people's threads. Unfortunately not a good outcome for me. I experienced spotting and cramps for the past few days so was referred to EPU for an emergency scan. The scan dated me at 4-5 weeks pregnant with no fetal pole or HB. I explained to the midwife that I've already had a private scan 10 days ago which said the same thing, so this must be a case of blighted ovum. NhS cannot rely on private scans which I understand but is equally annoying as I now have to wait till May 13th for a follow up scan to confirm a miscarriage. I just want this over with now so I can move on so I'm hoping to naturally miscarry ASAP. I truly hope other people in this situation have better luck than me ❤

Wow. @Bobduncan - I am sorry to hear this. You must have been under so much stress recently.

I am in a similar situation. I went for my early 'reassurance' scan and according to the measurements I was 9 (!!!!) days behind where I should have been. The sonographer didn't really take me seriously in my concern as he thought I had my dates wrong - however I have a period / ovulation tracker and I am about 95% sure on the date of conception. The good thing is that there was a heartbeat. I'm hoping things will rectify themselves, but honestly I've been extremely anxious! I just want to know either way....

@Bobduncan so sorry to hear your update. Sending lots of strength and solidarity x

I’m very sorry to hear your sad news. Take some time for yourself and seek comfort in the knowledge that you are able to conceive. I hope you are being well looked after x

Have you ever had a colposcopy? I had some bleeding early and was told it was from the colposcopy scar because it was irritated by the cervix stretching.
Also regular as clock work and using opk but was 10 days out dc is 6 now so all worked out.

I'm so sorry I didn't read your update!

I’m so sorry 😔