Reassure me please, early scan didn’t go as expected.

[Josmae]

Hey I am just coming on here for some reassurance/someone to chat to as I’m feeling really disheartened and upset.
So for context this pregnancy was unplanned, came as quite a shock but me and my partner are really happy and excited. I did a clearblue test on august 2nd, it said i was 2-3 weeks. I booked an early scan for today which would be 6 weeks 4 days, not based on LMP because I’m very irregular. The scan went horribly, they cant find an embryo and I’m measuring at 5 weeks 6 days. There is a visible yolk sac and gestational sac. They told me that I’ve either gotten my dates wrong or the pregnancy has stopped developing. My dates can’t be wrong, if i was only 5 weeks and 6 days it means i would’ve had a positive clearblue 2-3 weeks test at 10DPO, which seems impossible, unless i have crazy high HCG levels. They’ve told me to come back in 2 weeks, but I’ve got my booking appointment on Tuesday so im going to see if i can get a scan with the NHS. Is there any way that the pregnancy is developing okay and it’s just a little slow? Or should i start preparing for the worst? I haven’t had any bleeding or any cramps, just some nausea, sore boobs, a uti, all the common symptoms really.
sorry for the waffling, I’m just really concerned and i need some reassurance.
thank you x

Hi, I've had early scans as I've had fertility treatment for all of my pregnancies. My son (whose now 6 months) was incorrectly measured and the sonographer was awful.

Basically we knew EXACTLY when I ovulated due to scans and monitoring. So I was booked for my early scan at 6+4. I measured 5+5 and the sonographer said my dates were wrong or its likely not going to end well. I told her my dates were exact and I wasn't wrong. I was sobbing, after 3 years trying and 3 biochemical pregnancies I was a mess. Hubby consoling me and telling me it would be ok and her saying "it doesn't look good".

Fast forward a week and baby was measuring 7+3 (one day out) and all was well...the irony is he was born at 10lb 0.5 ounces so that must have been the only small measurement of him EVER 🤣🤣

The songoraphers who did the 7 weeks scan were really annoyed she had said what she did as babies measuring like 4mm can be hard to find and equally hard to measure. There's still hope xx

Sorry you're stressed OP - essentially it really is a case of wait and see until your next scan. I had early scans in both my pregnancies (sadly both ended in missed miscarriage). First pregnancy scan I had I was 7 weeks, measured fine and there was a good heartbeat, but then next scan at 10+4 it was bad news. Second pregnancy the scan I had at 7+4 showed growth at 7 weeks, but the actual worrying thing was a really slow heartbeat (had 2 further scans, second one a week later showed zero growth so that was when I knew it was bad news). For the future, the private clinics I've gone to don't recommend going for a scan before you are 7 weeks (and that's if you are sure of your dates) as before that it's incredibly inaccurate and even at that stage there's a huge range of what will/won't be ok.

NHS EPAU will usually only see you if there is something wrong, like bleeding or heavy cramping, so you might have to wait until your next private scan I'm afraid. Hope the time passes quickly for you and that all is good news when you have your next scan.

In future pregnancies I'll still be going for early scans as I wouldn't want to wait until the 12 week scan to just get bad news (after 2 losses my EPAU has been brilliant and offered me early scans there which I will be so grateful for), but I think I'd wait until I was around 9 weeks and things were a big more progressed/easy to see x

Hi, my LMP was June 23rd because i have really long cycles so have been told not to base it on that

Wow we're almost exactly the same haha. I thought i was 6+4 today but came out only 5+6, no visible embryo. It would be impossible for me to be 5+6 because there's no way I'd be getting 2-3 at 10DPO! But as lots of you guys have reminded me, clear blue digitals can be unreliable, and so can early scans. I'm so afraid of losing this pregnancy and I'm trying to stay positive but it's so hard. I've got my booking appointment on Tuesday so I'm going to speak to an actual midwife about all of this then and see what she recommends. I've turned into a bit of a mad woman googling everything today, but i know it won't help and it's just a waiting game. Im so glad your pregnancy had a happy ending, and im holding out hope that mine will be the same. Thank you for your reassurance, i need it!!! X

Thank you for your response this has reassured me that i have a chance of being okay. The sonographers can be so dismissive! I was also told that I've just gotten my dates wrong. Like I'm not obsessively checking my dates everyday!!!!! Being told that felt like a kick to the teeth, it would be impossible for me to be 5 weeks 6 days, as that would mean i got my 2-3 weeks BFP at 10DPO!!! I know the clearblue tests can be unreliable but surely not that bad....
Would you recommend waiting 1 or 2 weeks for a next scan. I feel like I'm going to go crazy if i have to wait 2 weeks. But if I'm measuring at 5+6 now as they think i am, surely there'd be something there in a weeks time. Maybe I'll hold out for 10 days to be on the safe side. I said i wouldn't go back to an early scan but i cant resist. I just need to know baby is okay.

I don't know if waiting until 12 weeks is a good idea if there's a possibility of a MMC. I only found out my baby had stopped developing at a private early scan. I'd had no bleeding or anything. Still had strong symptoms. I'd much rather know than be devastated at 12 weeks. I was scanned at 7 weeks and it had stopped developing at 5. I'm glad I found out and could deal with it rather than potentially finding out 5 weeks later.

I honestly think that these early so-called "reassurance" scans should be banned.
I see thread after thread on here with similar stories to yours.

The thing is aswell, although you may know ovulation nobody knows exactly when they implant either, there can be timelines but nobody ever knows for sure the science of it.

Like my tests were faint with my daughter at 16dpo, yet very positive eith my 2nd daughter at 13dpo. Honestly, try not to worry too much, I remember feeling exactly the same so it's easier said than done I know x

Just to say even then, (Ie if you do have some bleeding) that’s not necessarily anything to worry about some spotting is common

@TheShellBeach I completely agree with you. These private early scans should be banned. It's far too early to scan and just puts women into a spin. It just seems like a very cruel money-making scam to me.

Didn't want to read and run. Just wanted to let you know that I got a crazy early 2-3 on a digital for some reason. Also had an early scan and it dated me 4 days out. Which was confirmed at the 12 week scan the other day. Both the digi and early scans arnt reliable and cause more stress than they are worth. Hang in there and stay positive I'm sure all will be fine

I think early scans should be banned

Pregnancy is sooo unpredictable! Nobody warns you about this sort of stuff! Thank you for your reassurance. I'm keeping everything crossed for my next scan x

A cruel money makinf scam that unfortunately a lot of us fall for:( I'm in 2 minds whether to book one for 2 weeks time or to just hold out until my 12 week scan. I think I'll go crazy either way

You're only measuring 5 days behind OP, try not to worry too much, it's not entirely accurate. Did you have an internal or external scan?

I was absolutely sure of my dates (was charting temps and using ovulation sticks), and measured 4 days behind at an early private scan at roughly the same gestation as you. A couple of weeks later I was measuring 5 days ahead of my dates.

It's a stressful time, I'd love to tell you the worry eases but think it's early prep for the toddler years where your child is intent on harming themselves!

I had an internal scan, did you get to see your baby at your scan or was it too early? My main concern is that I'm like 100% sure I'm not 5 weeks 6 days, and we should at least be able to see a glimpse of a fetal pole at this point. But maybe it is just too early to see. I know these scans are different for everyone.
It seems the worrying never stops haha, that's what everyone keeps telling me. It's just hard when it's so small and things are still so uncertain

A lot of it depends on the skill of the sonographer.
Also, (and I'm not trying to make you feel bad) this is why the NHS doesn't do such early scans. They are so inaccurate.

A lot of it depends on the skill of the sonographer.
Also, (and I'm not trying to make you feel bad) this is why the NHS doesn't do such early scans. They are so inaccurate.

If it's just been the digital test informing your dates though they're so inaccurate.

I went at 7+0 and measured 6+3, so could see a fetal pole on the internal scan but nothing on an external scan at all (not even gestational sac. The sonographer warned us we were unlikely to see anything under 6 weeks though.

@Neurotic90 but if i got by the dates the scan told me i was (6 weeks today) then i would've tested positive at 10DPO, and getting a 2-3 that early seems impossible

Your own guesstimate and the scan estimate are only 5 days different. As you have said yourself your periods are irregular / long cycles so I really don’t think it’s a cause for concern. Obviously things may go wrong but the dating itself doesn’t sound overly worrying. With both my pregnancies I went in thinking I was 7/8 weeks and scans showed me as 6 weeks plus a few days. Both turned out ok and I categorically didn’t have sex at the times that would have made those scan dates 100% accurate. Fingers crossed it’s the same for you.

@Iamonholiday
Thank you🫶 this is very very reassuring to here, i think I'm just so worked up over it because I'm yet to see a fetal pole or heartbeat or anything so I've convinced myself it's the worst case scenario. I'm trying to be positive and hope that soon enough my dates have sorted themselves out, i know they can be changed a few times through different scans.

I went at 7+4 and was measuring at 6 weeks and the heartbeat was very slow. The pregnancy ended up going completely normally and my daughter is now 2.5. The early scans are notoriously unreliable.

@Josmae - Re this: "I would've tested positive at 10DPO, and getting a 2-3 that early seems impossible"

The clear blue tests are not that accurate. I wouldn't base any concern on this at all.

The difference in measurements for 5 days difference is literally mm's depending on the experience of the sonographer and how clear a scan they could get it's very easy at this stage to get it slightly out, in addition to what others have said that the weeks indicators are also variable in their accuracy and 5 days out for dates is really common, despite knowing when I ovulated as I was tracking my due date was still moved by 6 days and everything was fine. Gently, there's a reason the NHS don't offer routine early scans and I really think they often cause more anxiety than they cure. Fingers crossed all be well for you and little one is feeling sticky, but what you've said so far definitely wouldn't make me assume it's all over yet 💐