what to expect at early ultrasound?

[Blanca78]

Hi All,

I just got a BFP today. My last (and only other) pregnancy was molar, which puts me in a higher risk category for the first trimester. Hence, my doctor wants to do an ultrasound at six weeks to make sure it's not a repeat molar (it would be a little later but I'm going out of the country the next day).

I'm just really curious: if any of you had ultrasounds at six weeks or even earlier, what did you see that was reassuring? I know fetal pole and even heartbeat are possible, but I wasn't sure if these things were givens. I ask because we are going to Europe right after that and I am hoping to avoid spending the whole trip sick with worry (if not literally sick, heh).

TIA!

[MaerynPearl]

at six weeks they will see the amniotic sac and yolk sac. They may even see a fetal pole and if you are SUPER lucky, a heartbeat (though no heartbeat can also be totally normal... its all so very tiny and that is around when the heart starts beating!)

Of course, if you see a heartbeat, do not be worried if it seems very slow (even 90bpm) or very fast (like 170bpm) as it starts out slow but works up to beating much faster (my 9w ultrasound DDs heartrate was 180!... but at 6 weeks would have been way slower)

[Stayseeliz]

I had an u/s at around 5/6 weeks with DS because they wanted to rule out at ectopic pg. We saw a sac and that was about it. 2 weeks later they could see a hb.

With DD2 I saw her hb at 6w4d. It was amazing!!

[CherryBomb]

I've had 2 6 week u/s. With dd3 the fetal pole and hb were very clear. With this baby, we could see the yolk and sac but the fetal pole and hb were very difficult see (it was even hard to get the hb on audio). So try not to stress if they can't get a hb! It's common, and doesn't necessarily mean it's not a viable pregnancy. If they can't see a hb or fetal pole yet, they'll probably have you come back in a week or two and check again.

It is really amazing! I had the u/s at 6w with dd3 because I had been bleeding very heavy, I totally bawled when I saw her little heart beating away!

[Jenne]

It depends less on the baby and more on how good the ultrasound machine is. We were able to see a sac, the fetal pole, and the heartbeat. Our ultrasound tech even recorded the heartbeat for us so we got to hear it for 5 seconds or so. I was a nervous wreck due to previous losses. Make sure you have someone with you who can celebrate your joy!

I wish you a happy and healthy 40 weeks!

Jenne

[Blanca78]

Thank you all! Please keep these stories coming--they are so helpful and reassuring. I'm just trying not to be a nervous wreck right now--my only other pregnancy was the molar so I'm spooked. Plus I really wish my BFPs were getting darker. ICs are faint but visible and pink. Answer was pretty darn clear this morning (10DPO) but I wish the ICs would get darker--no change from last night to this morning.

(p.s.--Jenne--I'm holding off a couple more days to use your lovely French test--but I plan to bring back some replacements from Europe to spread the love!)

[Sihaya]

I've never had an early ultrasound, but was wondering the same thing about the u/s I'll be having at 8-9 weeks. I found this site helpful because it describes what you could expect each week and has sample pictures too.

[Jenne]

IC are just that--cheap! They can only spend so much on dye...you may have already maxed that out...

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm thrilled for you!!!

Breathe.

Relax.

I cannot tell you how much the pregnancy after loss hypnosis track off the internet helped me to feel calmer. I can't wait to see your lovely ultrasound pictures!!! In case you leave before I get a chance to say it, have a wonderful, wonderful trip!!!

Jenne

[Blanca78]

Originally Posted by Jenne

IC are just that--cheap! They can only spend so much on dye...you may have already maxed that out...

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm thrilled for you!!!

Breathe.

Relax.

I cannot tell you how much the pregnancy after loss hypnosis track off the internet helped me to feel calmer. I can't wait to see your lovely ultrasound pictures!!! In case you leave before I get a chance to say it, have a wonderful, wonderful trip!!!

Jenne

Ooh, I will totally have to "track" (ha) that down. And thanks for the reassurance!

Sihaya--thanks for the link! I still love reading the personal stories but it's nice to have something more official to look at, too.

[baby3in2011]

i thought your "name" looked familiar, we chatted about our molar pregnancies earlier this year. so glad to hear you are pg again i am as well, i had my first u/s at 6 weeks going by lmp but baby was measuring in the 5th week and the heartbeat was real slow, the baby didn't look like much at all, kind of a clump. u/s pic from that day i then went back at 8 weeks and we saw a more developed baby (bigger clump) and a good heartbeat although we weren't able to heart the hb with a doppler. u/s from 8 week u/s At my almost 13 week appointment we heard the hb on doppler and didn't get an u/s.

good luck

lisa (lab80)

[Blanca78]

Originally Posted by baby3in2011

i thought your "name" looked familiar, we chatted about our molar pregnancies earlier this year. so glad to hear you are pg again i am as well, i had my first u/s at 6 weeks going by lmp but baby was measuring in the 5th week and the heartbeat was real slow, the baby didn't look like much at all, kind of a clump. u/s pic from that day i then went back at 8 weeks and we saw a more developed baby (bigger clump) and a good heartbeat although we weren't able to heart the hb with a doppler. u/s from 8 week u/s At my almost 13 week appointment we heard the hb on doppler and didn't get an u/s.

good luck

lisa (lab80)

Yes! I've been wondering how you were doing! Sorry I'm not so hot at keeping in touch. My doctor had me wait the whole agonizing six months, but I feel so fortunate we seem to have gotten pregnant again quickly. I'm so happy to hear your news, and thanks for the pics and ultrasound stories!

[baby3in2011]

going in for that first u/s was terrifying for me. all i could think of were the similarities the pmp and current pregnancy had and i was so convinced it was another one, and i was ready to accept it (well i'd like to think i was) but then we saw what we saw, but i was still paranoid until the 8wk u/s and saw something even better, the h/b...but still i was paranoid until the 13wk and we heard the strong hb and now i think i finally can enjoy the rest of this pregnancy. before now it's been really hard to let myself get attatched due to how devistating the pmp was. but that's my experience, i hope you can enjoy your pregnancy from the begining, i really wish i had tried harder to since this will be our last baby.

[Blanca78]

Originally Posted by baby3in2011

going in for that first u/s was terrifying for me. all i could think of were the similarities the pmp and current pregnancy had and i was so convinced it was another one, and i was ready to accept it (well i'd like to think i was) but then we saw what we saw, but i was still paranoid until the 8wk u/s and saw something even better, the h/b...but still i was paranoid until the 13wk and we heard the strong hb and now i think i finally can enjoy the rest of this pregnancy. before now it's been really hard to let myself get attatched due to how devistating the pmp was. but that's my experience, i hope you can enjoy your pregnancy from the begining, i really wish i had tried harder to since this will be our last baby.

It's hard. That's what I'm trying to focus on, just being happy that I am pregnant, as far as I can tell. But of course it's so early--anxiety is coming in waves. I'm glad you've been able to relax more lately!

[~Adorkable~]

OK first of all, wwoooooohhhhooooooo Yipppppeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

i just jumped out of my seat when i saw that you posted over here!!!!!!!!

Congrats lady!

ok down to business, i have my u/s at 6w4d and saw both babies and saw heartbeats, but they were happily surprised about he heartbeats, you can see pictures at http://www.adorkable.me

my RE dod not listen for the heartbeat and only looked for a second, because they felt it was not best to focus the u/s on such a tiny heart so early in the game, i only saw hb for the first 2 scans and only heard it at t he 10 week mark.

please tell us how it goes, have a great trip and welcome again !!!!!!

[karmab]

my only pregnancy i knew about before 8 wks i had an u/s at 6 wks (because ex-dh is an ob/gyn and he just wanted to look for fun,) and it looked like a lil bean sac with a lil blobby fetal pole in it, and a heart beat fluttering.

[Blanca78]

Originally Posted by •Adorkable•

OK first of all, wwoooooohhhhooooooo Yipppppeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

i just jumped out of my seat when i saw that you posted over here!!!!!!!!

Congrats lady!

ok down to business, i have my u/s at 6w4d and saw both babies and saw heartbeats, but they were happily surprised about he heartbeats, you can see pictures at http://www.adorkable.me

my RE dod not listen for the heartbeat and only looked for a second, because they felt it was not best to focus the u/s on such a tiny heart so early in the game, i only saw hb for the first 2 scans and only heard it at t he 10 week mark.

please tell us how it goes, have a great trip and welcome again !!!!!!

Thanks, you're such a sweetheart! I have a huge grin as I type this. I was thinking of you when I asked because I thought I remembered you'd seen heartbeats that early! p.s. I canNOT believe you're that far into the second trimester already! Time flies (at least when you're not the pregnant one!).

That would be so wonderful to see a heartbeat; my trip would be that much easier. She has me lined up for an 8 week ultrasound a couple days after I get back, and in a way I wish I weren't going for the 6-week because then if something IS wrong it won't be hanging over me. At this point I just have to hold onto the armrests and pray, I guess.

My apt. is at 6 weeks on the dot (couldn't be any later because we have a flight to Europe the next day!), so I doubt we'll see anything but from what I understand there should be at least a gest. sac and yolk sac? If there's that much, I think I'll be happy.

[kellybell]

I had a sono this morning at 6 weeks. There was a gestational sac but no fetal pole. They said it was normal, as everyone above has said, and are having me back next week to try again!

[~Adorkable~]

Blanca, please do whatever you can to be at peace, think positive thoughts and enjoy your trip. i know that is so much easier said than done. I'll be sending all my good thoughts your way.

Yeah time seems to fly when you are preggo as well, at times. This week my tummy seems to grow by the day so things feel like they are moving fast, a month ago when i did not look even a tad preggo things felt like they were so ssslllllloooowww!


please keep us in the loop, look forward to hearing your great news in a few weeks!

[Jenne]

Blanca, I had an idea for you. Why not call whoever is doing your ultrasound and ask them when they *routinely* see sac, pole, and heartbeat? They should know the relative level of imaging that their machine does and should know if they are regularly having women have to come back in a week or two.


Anyway, when I had to schedule my first ultrasound I made sure that we were beyond the having to come back window which for my office was prior to 6 weeks. They were confident that at 6 weeks or later we would be able to see what we needed to see.

Anyway, keeping you in my thoughts!

Jenne

[Blanca78]

Thanks, Jenne--I guess I did kind of ask the nurse that. She was really helpful. She said the doctor wanted me in at six weeks because she knew at that point there would be *something* that would tell her it was a normal pregnancy. I asked about the heartbeat, if was didn't see one was that bad? And the nurse said no, absolutely not--it wasn't unusual not to see one, but it was still possible. She called it a bonus. So that made me feel better. I wish I could go in a few days later but travel plans don't allow.