8 Week Ultrasound?

[Kaitnbugsmom]

Never had one before. The earliest I've ever had one was 17.4 weeks with my youngest dd. So what's it like? The baby's roughly the size of a kidney bean right now if I remember my newsletter thing from earlier today correctly. So what should I be able to see/not able to see?

[Debstmomy]

Just thought I would pop in. I did have early ultrasounds with my DD. I was threating miscarriage that is why. Now sure of the exact week, but I remember it was a vaginal ultrasound. She could not be seen via an abdominal ultrasound. Saw a sac with a tiny HB. That was about it. Oh & where it implanted.
Just FYI. Congrats on your "little Kidney bean".

[nym]

a 8.5 week fetus wont be recognisable as a baby. It will be a fetal pole and a sac. But, the early u/s are the best for dating.

[Kaitnbugsmom]

Originally Posted by nym

a 8.5 week fetus wont be recognisable as a baby. It will be a fetal pole and a sac. But, the early u/s are the best for dating.

Q? Why do the books all show it as a tiny human-looking fetus at this stage if it's only a pole in reality?

[ktmama]

Just a curious question....why the US this early? I pretty naive about them in general. If you are trying to estimate your due date are there other ways? Are there any risks of doing an US at this stage? I didn't have one with my dd, but I'm planning on a very late stage US this time.

[nym]

well, I imagine if they had a really good vag ultrasound machine it might look more like a little human. But I have had lots of 8 week u/s and I have never seen much more than a large blob, even with a vag u/s

[the_lissa]

I had a U/S at 6w6d, and all we could see was a yolk sac and heartbeat as I recall. (I had a few at first because of problems, so I don't know if I am remembering them correctly.)

[~Megan~]

I had one at 7 wks and we could see a little body with moving arms and legs with dd.


And to answer the question there is some research that points to the number of ultrasounds and the earlier they are the more likely there is to be damage.

[Momsteader]

http://www.visembryo.com/baby/ Awesome site for checking out what your little bean looks like

My U/S last week was 6w2d and we saw a little blobby things, beating hearts, and yolk sacs.

[Jaimep]

we had one at 8 weeks

It was a vaginal US and we could see a little body with arm bud and leg buds. It looks like a miniature person. It was better than I expected. My Dr. did them to date pregnancy.

[Kaitnbugsmom]

Originally Posted by ktmama

Just a curious question....why the US this early? I pretty naive about them in general. If you are trying to estimate your due date are there other ways? Are there any risks of doing an US at this stage? I didn't have one with my dd, but I'm planning on a very late stage US this time.

they are doing one to check the status/viability of the baby. I had some bleeding/loss of fluid and cramping about two weeks ago and have had an extreme loss of symptoms...

[chiro_kristin]

Our babies have hearts, nervous systems, arms, legs, brain, spinal cord, the cartilagenous precursors to spinal vertebrae. Just b/c you can't see it on u/s doesn't mean they aren't there!

Isn't that so awesome! Our little kidney beans are so complex already!

[Mindy70]

At my 8 weeker I saw a little tiny jumping bean with a heart beat and buds for legs and arms, and I saw the baby moving around. Not a "blob"

[TCC's Mom]

We're having one at 7 weeks because we were working with a fertility specialist. Last time I had one at 10 weeks (because they had mis-dated the due date due to my irregular periods and thought I was 12 weeks along and couldn't hear the heartbeat). It looked like a baby then, but that is of course "much" farther along (30% more!!!)

[TCC's Mom]

Heartbeat!

We saw a baby shape and beautiful heartbeat yesterday at the 7 week 3 day US. Super-cool -- makes it seem much more real (and all the nausea definitely worth it!!!)