Measured behind at early scan HELP

[TheNavyGoose]

Hi everyone,

little bit of background - I was booked in for an early scan at the EPAU today following some light bleeding and cramping I was having. I have been scanned today and they said the pregnancy is in the right place and looks good at the moment but couldn’t see fetal pole etc so got another scan next week

they said I was measuring 5+3 but I’m just really not understanding how this matches up with any of my other dates… can’t seem to get my head around it all.

LMP was 29th December 2024 but my cycles are irregular anywhere between 28-50 days but I got a positive pregnancy test on 25th January 2025 so I can’t work out how I am only just measuring 5+3… is this a bad sign?

please someone help me understand. This my my first baby so all new to me

thank you!!

I'm sorry, I've seen this go both ways in similar threads. Have they booked you in for a follow up scan? X

Yes I have a follow up next Thursday so hopefully will know more then but hate being in limbo!

im just really struggling to get my head round the dates going off my LMP is be nearly 8 weeks but I know my cycle is irregular so ovulation could of happened later than I think. But not sure how this ties in with getting my positive on 25th Jan

It could be a MMC. Or your dates could be wrong.

Prepare yourself for the worst.

I’ve had this twice and both times it was a missed miscarriage. The first time I should have been 6.5 and was measuring 5.4. Follow up scan it hadn’t grown at all. The serving time I should have been 7 weeks and was only measuring 5. Again follow up scan showed no progression so was unviable again.
There are stories online where people have caught up with dates. But for me it was never good. I’d prepare yourself just in case.

So sorry you are going through this.

The growth in an early pregnancy is well documented and it is just not medically possible to be 5+3 with positive test more than 3 weeks ago and it to be a viable pregnancy.

I am sorry about this.

I'm glad you have another scan booked, I really hope all is okay x

LMP only works for women with a regular cycle or those who track ovulation. You will need to adjust your LMP to get a more accurate read until they can measure the fetal pole/embryo at 12 week scan.

The earliest you could get a positive pregnancy test is 9DPO - so if your BFP was 25 Jan, the latest you could have ovulated on 16 Jan - working backwards. To work out a more accurate LMP date, go back 2 weeks from 16 Jan (as ovulation in a regular 28 day cycle is 14 days after first day of last period). So 2 Jan would be the new LMP to account for your irregular cycles.

So you're more likely to be 7 weeks. But even so, to be measuring 5w3d and with no fetal pole at 7 weeks would be bad news for me. It's quite a large gap. The fact they've asked you to come back in 1 week instead of the standard 2 weeks would also make me think they believe it's no viable. So please guard your heart.

I had this at EPU when i went in for cramps and bleeding - was 7w3d by LMP, measured 6w on scan with no fetal pole. Asked to come back in 2 weeks but i miscarried at 8 weeks naturally. Am so sorry.

Thanks everyone for your messages!

I am going through something similar they could see an embryo just no heartbeat. They measured at 3.7mm which is 5 weeks 4 days which is nearly 2 weeks behind what I thought I was ( 7 weeks) according to LMP would be nearly 9 weeks. Trying to stay hopeful but think it could be a missed miscarriage.