Baby Measuring 6 Weeks at 10 Week Scan

[mom0f2]

Hi,

I went in for a scan at what should have been 9.5 - 10 weeks of pregnancy, however, baby was only measuring 6 weeks (barely), but did have a heartbeat of 115. I'm wondering what others experience was like with this? It's really just a waiting game at this point which is so hard! I am almost certain of my dates, which is how I know I should be around 9.5 - 10 weeks depending on when exactly ovulation happened.

I don't know the answer. However, if it were me in this situation, I'd be emailing/calling my midwife for reassurance!

What exactly do you mean by 'almost certain'? Ovulation can be delayed in a given cycle, so unless you confirmed ovulation with either temping or ultrasound, you can't be sure of your dates. Or unless you only had sex once in the last three months I suppose.

Obviously it's quite a big difference in gestation, so if you did do temping I think it may be more likely that it's not good news. But if you didn't temp, it really is a waiting game unfortunately, and either outcome is possible.

Thank you for the reply!

We have an appointment with our midwife again on Tuesday. We are getting blood work drawn this week to see if HCG is doubling or not. Hopefully, the midwife will give us a referral for another scan. I also feel like my symptoms are going away, only had mild nausea and fatigue but those have subsided - this is my 3rd pregnancy and that never happened with the others.

Thank you for the reply!

Yes, we only had sex once that month which is how I know my dates can't be off by that much.

I think I am mainly confused because baby did have a good heartbeat (115) for 6 weeks, but the dates are definitely off. I can't seem to find any posts where other moms had this experience as well and whether or not the outcome was good or bad.

Okay, that does seem like a long time to wait though!

I'm so sorry OP, I think I would be bracing myself for bed news 😔

If you had a positive pregnancy test 5-6 weeks ago it's unlikely this pregnancy will be able to continue to progress, the gap between dates is too big.

I had something similar happen a couple of years ago.

That is what I am thinking. Did your baby also have a heartbeat but stopped growing, or were they not able to find a HB at the early scan?

I know, they basically told us wait a week and see if baby continues to grow or stays at the same size since baby did have a heartbeat.

I think I would prepare for bad news since you’re quite far off, I’m sorry. I was in a similar situation last year, dates being more than a week off although I was certain, and at my next scan it was confirmed that the pregnancy didn’t progress. Everyone told me to be positive and that dates can be off, but I rather had someone preparing me for the news I got.

I'm very sorry, OP but I'd be expecting bad news in this scenario.
Dates can be out in scans, but not generally by this much.

(BTW to quote people you just click on Quote underneath what's been written)

Thank you - yes I think given we know the date that we last had sex and that the gap is around 4 weeks on the scan that it's likely it won't be good news. The ultrasound tech was just confused because the baby did have a good heartbeat.

Ah, thank you!

Thank you for your reply. In your case, were you able to get a heartbeat at an early scan? I think that is what's confusing me the most because baby did a good heartbeat still but clearly is not growing.

Could you have had a chemical pregnancy 10 weeks ago, not realised and then fell pregnant the following month?

No I was traveling for work the month of May and did not have sex which is how I am certain on my dates.

Okay, so if you had sex on 30th Apr, and ovulated on 4th May (being generous here), you would still be 8.5 weeks pregnant. So I'm afraid I agree with the others in that you should prepare yourself for bad news. I'm sorry.

Yes, although they think the heart did stop at about 9.5 weeks but weirdly the baby kept growing with no heartbeat. Apparently this can also happen. It's all so confusing. My symptoms also trailed off like yours as well around the same time.

When I discussed with friends who had also had miscarriages, we talked about signs that our baby was perhaps not well earlier on and being small for dates despite a heartbeat was something a couple of us had experienced.

Thank you so much for the information. Despite there being a lot information online I was not able to find anything specific to my situation. Having to just wait to find out if baby is ok or not is the absolute worst!

I had an ivf pregnancy, so definite dates, that measured a week behind. So went for my 6+3 scan and no heartbeat and measured 5+3. Then went for 7 week scan and it measured 6 but had a good heartbeat. Went back a week later and no heartbeat. The nurse was very much you have a 50/50 chance although my dr at the other clinic was pretty clear that she didn't think I should get excited (from heartbeat)

The symptom thing I wouldn't factor in. They can just come and go anyway. Good luck.

I'm so sorry OP I agree with the others about preparing for it not to be okay. If you had a scan at the EPU they should have offered you a follow up scan. I had a similar experience in January where I should have been 7.5 but measured under 5, then everything grew by a week but I just knew by my dates it didn't make sense and sadly it wasn't. However I didn't have a hb on the Scan ever.
I don't want to be full of negatives but I was given a fair bit of false hope even though deep down I knew. Whatever the outcome I hope you're doing okay right now

Hoping you are holding up. The waiting is so hard.

Hi OP, I had something similar at the end of last year, unfortunately I was measuring 5-6 weeks at what should have been 11 weeks and it was a missed miscarriage, although the hospital couldn’t/wouldn’t diagnose it officially until they’d scanned a week apart with no growth/change. But I was given all the miscarriage information at that first appointment because the measurements meant things were unlikely to progress or catch up. I’m really sorry.

The waiting is the very worst part, I agree with PP. Thinking of you, take care 💐 x

This has happened to me I'm afraid - I had several scans from 6 weeks so I could see the baby's growth falling behind in 'real time' as it were. It did have a heartbeat for a while and everyone was keen to say that maybe my dates were wrong, but basically it got to the point where if its dates were actually right for its measurements, I'd have got my BFP before I even conceived.
So sorry I can't tell you better news. At the time I was under consultant care and even she couldn't say for sure whether the outcome would be a normal healthy pregnancy or not. She did encourage me to book in with the community midwives so there must have been a fair chance in her experience of things being OK.

So sorry not to offer more hope. I've been through this scenario twice and I know it is pure hell. I really hope things go better for you than they did for me.