Heartbeat at how many weeks????

[Felicitymom]

Hi Ladies... my SIL is 8 weeks pregnant and TOTALLY freaked out!!! Her OB has already performed a sonogram (don't know why so early) and has said she is very worried that she can't hear the babies heartbeat... she has ordered my SIL for some "special" sonogram,but the poor thing is out of her mind because of what the Dr. has already said.

Isn't 8 weeks a little early to hear the heartbeat????? Let alone to get a sonogram!!!! MY SIL will be traveling over seas for the next 10 weeks and my only guess is that the doc wanted to get it done early for some reason.

Anyway, I reasured her that 8 weeks is too, too early to hear a heart beat and that she needs a new doc... what do you say.
Nancy

[Stephig]

Here's a link that I looked up pretty quickly. I haven't checked the bg on it, but it seems accurate:
http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,9851,00.html

[messy mama]

I'm pretty sure you can usually see the heartbeat @ 8 weeks w/ a sonogram. I keep hearing that it is becoming more and more common for practitioners to order 2 u/s. One @ the beginning of the preg. and one @ 20 weeks.

I hope it turns out to be a false alarm for your SIL.

[BF124497]

I had an early u/s (6 weeks) in order to date the pregnancy. I ovulated oddly, and didn't want it dated from my last period. That would've given me an EDD nearly 20 days earlier than what's correct, and I didn't want to risk induction because I appeared "overdue."

We did hear the heartbeat, but from what I've heard, it's fairly normal to not find it from 6-8 wks. I'm hoping for the best for your SIL.

[supakitty]

You can usually hear a heartbeat using the doppler at about 9-10 weeks depending upon the woman. Transvaginal ultrasound can usually visualize a heartbeat by about 6 weeks.

[SSM]

No heartbeat with vaginal U/S would definitely worry me at 8 weeks. I'd certainly follow up with the second sonogram if she's going to be travelling out of country.

[Belleweather]

I had an early u/s with both my pregnancies for dating purposes. With my son, "early" was 8 weeks, and we say a heartbeat and a bouncing little baby-thing, so in the absence of either of those I'd worry. On the other hand, with this baby the early u/s was at 5.5 weeks, and we didn't see anything but a sac and a yolk and there was much worrying and tearing of hair and beating of chests, since apparently we should have seen a more developed fetus. But we heard a heartbeat last week, so all appears to be OK.

Babies do develop differently, and her dates can be off. But yeah, I'd go to the second ultrasound and find out what is up before going out of town long term.

[intorainbowz]

I had a heartbeat via transvaginal u/s at 5 weeks 6 days. I hope things are ok for your SIL.

[beckyphry]

Is she sure on her dates? Is she really 8 weeks? If so, no heartbeat visible on u/s at 8 weeks would worry me, too. I heard and saw a heartbeat on transvag u/s at 7 weeks. I'm hoping for the best for your SIL!

[Ackray]

By 8 weeks there should be a HB with a sonogram/ultrasound. You can here a HB with doppler by then but it takes a bit of patience.

[Brees_Mama]

Hmm I always heard and saw my babies HB's at 7wks, with both pregnancies. They should be able to SEE the HB though, on the sonogram. Hope all goes well for her!

[bobandjess99]

your sil's OB is right to be concerned....you can normally see a hb on ultrasound by 6.5 weeks. At 8 weeks, the only reason there would be no hb is if...well..there was no heart beating. You might want to consider apologizing/gently explaining that you were initially incorrect in the information you gave her, and wish her the best/pray for her/whatever you believe in. Because....unfortunately, there *IS* significant cause for worry here. (read the article Stephig provides a link to for more info) I'll hold out hope/prayer that maybe her dating is wrong and she isn't 8 weeks.....

[Momma2DoubleCuties]

I had an u/s at 7w3d and we heard the heartbeat, 160bpm. It was such a relief to hear it honestly.

[Sabo]

8 weeks is a little early to hear the heartbeat on doppler, but as others have mentioned, an ultrasound should show a beating heart at that point. It is not completely clear from your initial post, but I hope you meant that the doc just couldn't hear the hb with doppler. Best wishes to your SIL.

[Isis]

any updates? thinking hopeful thoughts!

[brittneyscott]

I wouldn't stress too much over it. I had u/s done at 7wks and again at 9wks b/c of bleeding this pregnancy. We saw the HB both times but didn't hear it. After that they had me go at 10wks and again every two weeks for checkups to try to hear the heartbeat. Nothing. They said sometimes its hard to hear the hb with a doppler before 12-14wks b/c of the baby's position. At 16wks we still hadn't heard the HB so they did another u/s the baby was fine but was trying to hide when they checked on him. That's why we didn't hear the HB. We finally heard it at the next appt at 17wks. I was worried sick! Now I'm 39wks and he's healthy as can be although he's still not coming out yet!!!

[VeganHeathen]

I had an ultrasound at 7 weeks, and the heartbeat could be heard through the vaginal ultrasound at that time. Amazing, huh?

[Inspired007]

I heard and saw my baby's heartbeat at exactly 7 weeks 3 days via transvaginal ultrasound.

[Brees_Mama]

updates? hope shes doing ok

[ice_queen]

i also had an early u/s (at 8.5 weeks) and a heartbeat was visible...

sending good thoughts to your SIL.