Update on early scan

[miffy]

I'm in a frustrating position - went for another scan yesterday after the first one at 6 weeks showed a sac measuring 4 weeks. Well the good news is that there is a baby in there and there is a heartbeat! However, the doctor was all gloom and doom saying the heartbeat wasn't fast enough at 102bpm and the baby hadn't grown much in 2 weeks, claiming that it had only grown 6mm???. Well considering there wasn't even a baby there 2 weeks ago, and it now measures 16mm CRL (which according to my pregnancy bible is right for 8 weeks), I don't know what she's talking about. The heartbeat may be a bit slow, but I've read several websites that say it should be between 90-110bpm at 7weeks - and I know I ovulated late...so my dates could be out. Basically the doctor said there was a glimmer of hope but I should be prepared that I could quite likely miscarry. She wanted me to go back again in a weeks time, but I dont trust her judgement anymore.

I've had no cramps or spotting, so from now on I'm going to listen to my body and not the doctors until I get to my 12 week scan. There's nothing I or they can do about it anyway if I did start to miscarry.

I was just happy to see a heartbeat (which I had to point out to the doctor on the screen) and a baby! Maybe I will be proved wrong and the doctor will be right, but negative stress is not doing me any favours at the moment. I'm going with my gut feeling that this baby will be all right. So still haven't got a due date

Going to change hospitals for my 12 week scan.

If anyone can share any thoughts on this, I'd appreciate it - I know a lot of places don't even give out the heartbeat rate so I'm a bit clueless whether 102 is something to be worried about?

Just had to get it off my chest...!

Thanks for listening
x

 

[maria1976]

Hello Miffy,

My god they are being really negative, im glad your not taking it to heart and listening to your body, I dont blame you for changing hospitals!!

Keep your chin up darling it will all be fine

M xx

 

Hi Miffy,

My goodness, that doctor of yours pulls no punches, eh? I am not medically qualified, so cannot tell you for definite what is "normal" for the fetal heart range, but I wanted to quote you two very different opinions on what is considered normal from the internet:

The normal rate is generally considered to be between 120 and 160 beats per minute. The rates are typically higher (140-160) in early pregnancy, and lower (120-140) toward the end of pregnancy.

Week 7 - Gestational Age (Fetal Age 5 weeks)
Generally from 6 ½ -7 weeks is the time when a heartbeat can be detected and viability can be assessed. A normal heartbeat at 6-7 weeks would be 90-110 beats per minute. The presence of an embryonic heartbeat is an assuring sign of the health of the pregnancy. Once a heartbeat is detected, the chance of the pregnancy continuing ranges from 70-90% dependent on what type of ultrasound is used. If the embryo is less than 5mm CRL, it is possible for it to be healthy without showing a heartbeat, though a follow up scan in 5-7 days should show cardiac activity.

The second quote I have copied and pasted from The American Pregnancy Association. According to them, your baby's heart rate and CRL measurements are within the normal range.

I think you have the right attitude, Miffy. If something is going to go wrong (as it might with any pregnancy), then there is nothing we or the doctors can do about it anyway, so it's best just to have hope and believe that whatever will be will be. It does seem, however, that your baby is still in what is considered a "normal" range, according to other experts. We have to remember that medicine is NOT an exact science.

I remember during my first pregnancy, being worried sick by a midwife who, after using the old-fashioned tape measure procedure to measure my fundul height, telling me that my baby wasn't growing normally. She had all but convinced me my baby had died. I had an agonising wait for a scan which showed my baby was perfectly okay and he was born in the 39th week weighing 7lbs 4oz (not a "small" first baby after all!).

Keep your positive attitude! I wish you all the best for the rest of your pregnancy and I hope you and your baby go on to prove that doctor wrong!

Lots of love,
Wendy
xxx

 

[miffy]

Thanks girls for your kind words of support. It cheered me up to think that your reaction to the doctor's findings was the same as mine. I keep going over it in my head that maybe I got the measurements wrong, but I am positive that it what she said.

Anyway, I've made an appointment to see an OB/Gyn at another hospital on Sunday. Don't think I'll tell her what's happened, just see what she comes up with. Going away for a few days next Monday so would rather know the situation before I go so that I'm prepared if something is going to happen (for the worse).

Anyway, still trying to stay positive. As long as I have no outward signs that anything's wrong, I keep telling myself that if I was in the UK I would be none the wiser until the 12 week scan.

So fingers crossed!

 

[Riley's Mommy]

gosh. how stressful. i hope your next appointment is better news for you.

so try and rest up as much as possible.

 

[Eve99]

You definitely have the right attitude Miffy!
Like the other girls, I have no idea what a "normal" heartrate is but it sounds as though yours falls into the normal range according to various websites.
Keep thinking positive and wait for the 12 week scan x