Low embryonic heart rate

[Maude04040106]

I had an ultrasound yesterday @ 6.3 weeks. It showed the baby's development a couple of days behind, as well as a low heart rate. My hcg levels are fairly high, so the ob is not sure what to think. I go back in a week for another scan - but as of right now it's 50 / 50 on whether the pregnancy is viable.

Anyone with experience w/ low embryonic heart rate?

[organicpapayamama]

yes I did. When I had my son at my first ultrasound they said he was measuring small and the heart rate was a bit slow for the gestation based on lmp. (I think it was 140 or so) she said it could be a number of things and to come back in a week. That night when I went home I started spotting beige colored cm and started to freak out. I called my dr in a panic and she told me to rest and stay off my feet. She said she couldnt be sure what it was... if the baby was indeed too small and weak and sick and not going to make it or maybe from the ultrasound or something else.

I got a call back from the dr the next day after reviewing my blood work and levels and she said it looked normal and that my progesterone was up and not a risk of miscarrying based on progesterone. she said just to take it easy. At my next appointment they determined that I had just ovulated later than thought and there was nothing wrong with the baby. my son is now 17 months old.

thought i would mention the first ultrasound was done around 6 weeks as well.

[Maude04040106]

Thanks for the positive story! Although I am surprised that your dr thought 140 was low @ 6 wks. I found a study that was done recently that said anything under 110 @ 6 wks is low. I have a call into my dr to see exactly what the rate was yesterday - I was too frazzled to even know what questions to ask!

[firewoman]

I bet anything that this will all end up being fine, especially considering your HCG looks good. Not to worry!

[organicpapayamama]

Originally Posted by Maude04040106

Thanks for the positive story! Although I am surprised that your dr thought 140 was low @ 6 wks. I found a study that was done recently that said anything under 110 @ 6 wks is low. I have a call into my dr to see exactly what the rate was yesterday - I was too frazzled to even know what questions to ask!

i could be off on the numbers, it was a while ago lol but maybe it was closer to 110.

[brooklyn_warbler]

Originally Posted by firewoman

I bet anything that this will all end up being fine, especially considering your HCG looks good. Not to worry!

i think so too. my guess is you ovulated later than they think. do you know when you ovulated or is your edd based on lmp?

[Katie Ever]

How stressful! I really hope its nothing. The normal HCG levels sounds very promising to me. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you

[JorgieGirl]

It's *very* common to have a slower heartrate with a young pregnancy. It doesn't speed up til a bit later in the first tri for most embryo's/fetus'.

Here's a tidbit:

The normal fetal heart rate usually varies somewhere between 120 and 160 beats per minute (bpm) throughout pregnancy, but in the early part of the first trimester, the baby's heart rate can be slower. A 1996 study established the following as the minimum normal heart rates in early pregnancy ultrasounds, with the size varying by the size of the fetal pole:

* 2 mm embryo: 75 beats per minute
* 5 mm embryo: 100 beats per minute
* 10 mm embryo: 120 beats per minute
* 15 mm embryo: 130 beats per minute

I wouldn't worry one iota about the heartrate at this point.

[shugarbabies]

I have heard of that. I am on another forum and another mama is experiencing problems with low HB.

[NullSet]

During my last pregnancy there was a mama that had an early u/s and had the same thing happen to her. Everything was fine. At some point the baby's heart begins to beat and it doesn't start off super-fast. It takes a while to get up to speed. So if you have an u/s in that time you'll see a slower heart rate. I bet when you go in next time it will be faster.