Heartbeat usually visible at 6w?

[annabelfr]

i’m going on holiday with a flight scheduled for the evening I’ll be 6 weeks and 1 day. I’ll be away for just over a week, and I know I’ll be thinking about the pregnancy the entire time. I’m considering booking a reassurance scan that morning, but I’m worried it might be too early to see a heartbeat and I’ll leave feeling more anxious than reassured. I’m too impatient to wait until I’m back. So tell me honestly—is it possible not to see a heartbeat at 6w1d and still have a perfectly healthy pregnancy?

I had a scan (vaginal probe) at 6 weeks and had a perfectly healthy pregnancy apart from hyperemisis - this does not affect the baby, only the mother.

edit: it was too early to see a heartbeat, but technology may have improved in the last 16 years.

Congratulations on your pregnancy.
To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't go for the scan that early. I've had them in 2 pregnancies and they've caused nothing but anxiety. It's rare that your dates will be exactly as you expect so even being a day out could mean you don't see what you want to. Yes, it is possible, but also not always alarming if you can't see the heartbeat.
You will think of nothing but your pregnancy whether you have the scan or not. But having the scan might cause so much worry that you don't enjoy your holiday, say for example if you measure a few days less or can't see the heartbeat.
Also worth noting that if you see a heartbeat and dates line up it doesn't guarantee anyone that everything will turn out OK.
I'd enjoy your holiday as best you can and have a scan 8-9 weeks if you really want one, much nicer and more to see.

Just to add, I’m 100% sure of the dates as it’s an IVF pregnancy

It really is too early and it may not give you the reassurance you need. An 8 wk early scan will give you far more definitives so I would enjoy your holiday and scan when home

@annabelfr
how an embryo develops can vary from case to case, so can still affect scan measurements. 6 weeks is the earliest you'll visualise a heartbeat so you'll only be 1 day past the earliest possible timeframe.

A scan cannot give you reassurance, because it can only tell you how your baby is at the time of the scan, and not what might happen after that time. I've had five miscarriages and in two of them I saw heartbeats on an early scan but they later died. I didn't bother with early scans after that as they don't help.

Sorry to be blunt, but it's really pointless having an early scan.

IVF pregnancy here and we saw a tiny heartbeat flashing away at six weeks. As others have said it’s different for everyone I’m sure but just wanted to share my experience.

Honestly I would wait. The scan won't change the pregnancy outcome either way, but if it's too soon for a heartbeat it could ruin your holiday. As someone 7 years into their journey to become a parent, enjoy the holiday and if you want an early scan book it for when you're back. It's hard feeling out of control but you do still need to live life x

I didn't see one at 6 weeks and 2 days. But did 2 weeks later and baby had a growth spurt. I would wait, it caused me more anxiety honestly.

I had a scan at 6+1 which was transvaginal and they couldn’t see a fetal pole at all and said the sac was measuring 5+5, have to wait 10 days for a rescan and it’s the longest 10 days ever!

I had an early scan in my first pregnancy where i thought i was 6w+3d but measured 5w+5d and seen a yolk sac and an embryo with a little flickering heartbeat 🙂I’ve since seen that a lot of people don’t see much at this stage so I’m not sure how I seen that so early but it was also a transvaginal scan too so maybe that played a part in seeing a heartbeat so early 🤷🏼‍♀️

I had a scan at 6w+1d and nothing was there apart form a gestational sac.. Two days later at 6w+3d I had another scan and only seen a yolk sac. I'm now 13w+3d and had my scan 2 days ago and seen a baby wriggling everywhere! Try not to worry (like I did, it makes you ill). go back in a week or two and you'll have better answers :)