8 weeks, measuring at 6.5 weeks with slow heart rate

[Amyb123456]

Ok so… this is my 2nd pregnancy, I lost the heartbeat at 8-9 weeks in august last year (missed miscarriage with a DNC).
I have PCOS which makes me irregular with ovulation.
according to first day of my last period I’m 8 weeks. They’ve been scanning me regularly and to be fair have measured short by approx a week and a half every time.
theubscanned me yesterday and I’m measuring 6.5 weeks and not 8 weeks - not a HUGE drama because my dates have been out due to my PCOS however, heartbeat was a little slow.
sonograper wasn’t too worried and said it may just be because it hasn’t developed far enough yet and these precious weeks change so much and it’s so early to prefect and judge but to come back in 2 weeks.
then I went into a room with the EPAU nurse …. She’d already decided before she sat down that this was a miscarriage situation!!
she said to be measuring smaller than my estimated dates AND to have a slow heart rate it’s unlikely to end well! - surely if I’m only 6 weeks so heart rate is going to be slower than expected at 8 weeks?! Surely a trained EPAU nurse would be experienced with a woman with PCOS and the unpredictability of her dates or ovulation and conception?
I walked out of the scan thinking “oh ok, I’m just 6.5 weeks, no problem” but I then walked out of the nurses office thinking “I’ve lost another baby and it’s done”
obviously at this point, the baby is there with a heartbeat, albeit maybe little slow.
just not quite sure how to feel really? Thinking of having a private scan in a few days (the NHS is just some dehumanised and unempathetuc!). At least we’ll know if it’s sped up, slowed more or gone completely and get a better assessment of the size and health?

one side of me is accepting that I’ve lost another baby. But the other wise of me says you’re just earlier than you thought and all is fine!!
im exhausted!!!
anyone else had this and behave a positive outcome?! Friends have told me of positives but I guess I just need some hope and light!!
thanks you xx

This is why I lie now when I register a pregnancy. For some unknown reason our local EPU (and seemingly yours) don't seem to understand the concept that someone might ovulate later than average and then it leads to situations like this.

Unfortunately I don't have any positive stories as my two were obvious MMCs but it sounds like there's every chance your baby will be ok at a followup scan. Do you know when you did ovulate (as opposed to the CD14 they assume you did)?

Hi there. They're completely wrong about the dates. I am currently 16 weeks pregnant and I have long cycles too. I ovulated around day 29 so when I went for first private scan I said to them although from the date of my last period I would be 10 weeks, I'm only around 8 - and I was right and measuring 8w 2 days. As @TheBirdintheCave has said you can just lie about date of your last period and just say it started 2 weeks before you ovulated.

I can't really be of help with the heartbeat. Not sure if they mean slow for 6.5 weeks or 8 weeks? But I would definitely book in a private scan for the next week or so for some reassurance, it's well worth the money!

@TheBirdintheCave I think I am going to start doing that (if this one works out of course)! I literally hate them right now!
Unfortunately, due to my PCOS there is literally no way of knowing when I ovulated :( - working blind xx

Thank you @log51 this helps reassure me on the dates for sure!

I think the heartbeat is considered low for 8 , but im unsure- as a lot of the time your lucky if you can see the heartbeat at 6.5 weeks (private scanners won't even book you in until 7 weeks) because its unreliable and unpredictable - which also gives me a bit of hope!
The worst thing about all this is that they tell you this horrible stuff then you just have to go home and cant you do absolutely nothing about it! Just sitting her waiting for a miscarriage to happen basically - and well, it might not even be the case! My heads ready to implode!! xx
P.s - Good luck with your little bump of joy xx

Has the NHS nurse booked you in for a repeat scan?

Yes, sorry I thought I mentioned that! It’s in a week but I HATE the place. Obviously from the missed miscarriage last time and the trauma of all that and the surgery and going back here every 1-2 week to literally the same room where they told me I’d lost it last time it just so traumatic

This sounds really difficult I'm sorry. I really hopeful for you that everything will work out fine. This is why I don't like early scans, I think they just add to anxiety.

@shivawn they booked me in for them as soon as I said I was pregnant because of the loss last time. It’s hard because you want the early scans as you want to know everything IS ok but unfortunately, on the flip side you might find out that it’s not! 😞

Fellow pcos lady here! My two kids were the exact same, dated eight weeks but only six weeks in size. It was my irregular cycle. Both bouncing toddlers now. Pregnant again and the same situation I’m dated as eight weeks measuring as 6.5! Thankfully I didn’t have anyone saying what you got told, we lost a baby back in august so that would have really upset me. But honestly I agree with the poster that said some nurses have no idea about pcos and irregular cycles!!! I really hope things work out well for you!

@Yummymummy2020 awww that’s reassuring thank you. I’ve managed (somehow) to speak to an online midwife (conversation attached).
ok so I’m definitely not worried now about the weeks thing then as that seems to definitely be a thing! It’s just this bloody slow heartbeat that’s bothering me! But then, like my chat says, if it is only 6 weeks along then the heart rate is going to potentially be low!

@Yummymummy2020 also, you’re the same term as me then!! Lol.
I also lost one in august and now (apparently lol) 6.5 weeks along now!
sending you lots of baby dust love xx

Aw I’m so sorry about your loss in august too, that’s mad that we are both pregnant again but also lovely! I am glad you got to chat with that nurse, she seems more sensible than the doom and gloom one! I definitely think they have caused you unnecessary worry. I was really lucky with my previous pregnancies that all they really said was that the dates were off, nobody worried me and I left my scans happy and unconcerned. After the miscarriage though I was on hyper alert at this scan - on the others it didn’t even occur to me anything would be wrong so I can only imagine the fright you got hearing that! I think so much focus is put on dates and it’s like some medical people are unable to see outside the box at all and get completely thrown when things don’t match up size wise!

@Yummymummy2020 thanks babe. Yeah, it’s quite concerning really that they have they specialist EPAU centres and they STILL can’t relate, empathise or use facts to get the the reality (and heart) of it all. They should have just let me walk out of there and booked me in for a scan and just seen how it went at the next one! Rather than let me go home and wait a week of dread waiting to lose my baby - when I might not even be!! It’s crazy! I’ve booked for a private scan on Sunday 😬

I don’t have advice on the slow heart rate, but my last baby was measuring 2 weeks behind at my first scan. I thought I was 8 weeks and I was measuring 5 weeks 6 days. I panicked a lot! My baby did measure small all the way through and when born she was tiny and early but healthy. I hope all works out for you.

@Amyb123456 I completely sympathise with you I've had such terrible experience with the NHS
I had a MMC two years ago where I was in a similar position when they dated me back and then rescanned the next week (this happened for 3 weeks until they could confirm I had a MMC) so I'm really shocked she's told you that today without any follow up.
I'm currently 10 weeks pregnant and had lots of spotting around 6 weeks so I was referred to the EPU we had a heartbeat, the very next morning I bled massively (TMI but it was running down my legs, all over the bed and my PJs were soaked) I went straight to A&E and they told me I couldn't have a scan for 4 days because I wasn't a priority and basically go home and have a miscarriage so we went private
Best thing ever they scanned me that day and our little baby was still there. I couldn't believe it I was so sure it had gone. It was £150 because we went to a medically trained specialist some scan places offer reassurance but they will only tell you that you have a heartbeat ( we went to one of these last week because I lost all my symptoms and I'm so anxious)
Just remember you have a heartbeat, you have a viable pregnancy 😘
Hope your dates are just a little bit off and everything is okay xxx

Hi I’m really sorry you’re going through this. I had a situation where we were unsure if pregnancy would progress, we finally saw a heartbeat but it was slow and the sonographer said it could just be early and hopefully by the next scan it would pick up. Unfortunately that got my hopes up and by the next scan the heartbeat had stopped. I wish you a positive outcome

@Mrsstart
thank you so much for that! Some of these stories you guys are sharing are just truely shocking! The NHS is of course a fabulous (and free) service but my goodness it really is a dehumanised and I think neglectful and dangerous environment for pregnant women!
i suffer from low blood pressure and I’m sure that this can’t be great for a growing baby, I’ve mentioned it a few times now to different health care staff but not ONE has actually taken my bloody pressure yet - it’s a “not my job, not my problem” situation and just to wait until my first midwife appointment at 8 weeks!! How do people with serous health issues get on?! It’s so negligent if you ask me! I bet the drug addicts and crack heads get loads of help though! 🤨. So backwards!!
I am SO pleased you’re doing well and thank you for sharing your story with me. It just goes to show that even in REALLY scary situations like yours, the little ray of sunshine’s and just putting us through our paces and are perfectly fine in there. Well done xx

Thank you so much for sharing xx

I know we should be grateful for the NHS, and I am but I wish they would take into account people who have had previous medical conditions and MCs and adequate support be given.
Could you go to your GP for them to monitor your BP closer? I don't know if it's possible but could you call the EPU to request the BPM just so you can use it as reference to guide you? Surely it should be on your notes if they highlighted it was slow.
Do you still have your pregnancy symptoms (that is if you had any to start with) I know everyone's different and not everyone gets them xx

@Mrsstart i didn’t have many to begin with to be fair but the ones I did have, I’ve still got - headache, nausea, heartburn etc.
GP aren’t really interested, they pass me to the midwife and midwife isn’t interested until their time to shine at the scheduled appointments. EPAU will only do it if “they’re concerned”. They only seem to be concerned about HIGH blood pressure though and aren’t concerned that my BP is 96/57! Odd really xx

I have had low blood pressure with my previous two pregnancies. No one was concerned. I fainted a few times but I had two healthy babies at the end of it.

I hope the low heart rate is just due to you being 6 weeks and the rescan is positive.

That's really positive though!
With my MMC I had symptoms and then over night they all went.
This time I get so frightened when I don't experience anything but it's quite common they come and go.
Do you have another scan booked in to monitor you? X

Thank you that’s really good to know xx

Yes they’ve booked me in at EPAU for Wednesday next week but I HATE it there and I’m convinced I’ve lost the heartbeat. So, I’ve booked a private scan for this Sunday afternoon, I’d rather be there and be told I’ve lost it then at the horrible EPAU where I’ve got PTSD from the last time they told me I lost one last year! Then if I have lost it, they’ll ring EPAU and tell them so I don’t have to go through it all with them again! Xx

It’s really messed with my head this being sent away and just “waiting”.
every little twinge I think “oh, here we go”. Every little thing I think “is that new or did I have that before” urgh!! Or if I don’t feel sick the same time as I did yesterday or not as strong I think “oh looks like it’s gone then”. Or if I DO get nauseous I think “do I actually feel sick or am I making it up because I’ve lost it” - driving myself mad!