# Yolk sac, no fetal pole - advice please



## 1liz9

Ok this is my first time writing. I had my 6.5 week sonogram today and they saw a gestational and yolk sac which had grown but no fetal pole and heartbeat. The doctor want a to do a d&c Friday. Please, please share any wisdom or stories you've heard... Below is a timeline. Thank you. 

4 weeks- HCG level 194
5 weeks - ultrasound. Saw small gestational sac and yolk sac
6 weeks- HCG level 18,294
6.5 weeks (today)- ultrasound. Gestational sac and yolk sac had grown, but no fetal pole or HB. 

I'm not having any spotting, bleeding, etc and my boobs are so sore they're killing me. Doctor ran blood today but said he is 95% sure I had a blighted ovum. Bloods will return tomorrow. Don't want to terminate a possibly successful pregnancy... :nope:


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## epump

Hi *1liz9*, so sorry you're scared and dealing with this uncertainty. I'm dealing with a similar situation (6w ultrasound showed just a sac, no yolk or fetal pole yet). I'm in a "wait and see" limbo right now. But I stumbled upon this website earlier and I'm finding it so comforting.

https://www.misdiagnosedmiscarriage.com/

It's a bunch of stories about women who started off with low betas, blighted ovum, etc. who went on to have healthy full-term pregnancies. Scroll to the bottom and click "To read some of our Misdiagnosed Miscarriage stories - Click here" The stories are sorted by category.

Hope this helps. I will be thinking of you!


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## 1liz9

Thank you so much for the information. I had never seen this website before. 

May I ask what your doctor has chosen to do with you? How long is he recommending you wait it out?

Thank you so much for writing back. I'm so terrified.


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## pickles

You do realise that you don't have to go with what the doctor says? You are perfectly within your rights to wait it out and see what happens. 
At that early gestation sometimes even a day or so can make a huge difference to what can be seen on the ultrasound. 

I hope it works out well for you xx


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## daviess3

I'm having same thing girls, went for my 11week scan abdominal she said she could see a sac but looked empty! She can't say for def as I have a retroverted uterus! But I have to go for a vaginal scan today! Im so scared! I don't think I'm gonna get good news! Hope it is though?!! Xx


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## kanga

Hi hunny, sorry you are going through this :hugs:

I personally think your doc is being a bit too quick to diagnose and I wouldnt go with a dNc just yet. The website posted above is really good for positive stories.

i would wait at least another week and get re-scanned x


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## LadyGecko

ladies i didnt have a fetal pole till my scan at 7+6 and peanut is doing fine now dont give up all hope just yet


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## 1liz9

Thanks to all of you! I appreciate all the feedback sooo very much!


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## poppy666

With my understanding if you have a york sac it cant be a blighted ovum :wacko: id not let this doctor bully you into anything and just stick it out sweetie xx


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## 1liz9

HCG went to 64,000 so I will be waiting. Next scan set for Monday. I would have gone crazy without your support. Thank you so much ladies!


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## epump

Yeah, I agree with everyone and would say wait it out until at least your next scan. It sounds like we both have scans next Monday so I will keep our fingers crossed for both us.

My scan a few days ago just showed a sac and no yolk or fetal pole (but based on the size of the sac, my dr said it was too early to see them). I'm hoping to see a yolk at Monday's scan to indicate that things are moving in the right direction. But that website was full of SO MANY stories about women just being a little slow to develop in the early weeks, dr. pushing for D&Cs, and then things turning out just fine. I'm not trying to give false hope here, it's just very possible that things are too early.

xxoo


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## Maybump2

Hi Ladies,

I had a blighted ovum and i would say that one way of dealing with it is to let nature take it's course. Waiting is awful (with the worry hanging over your head)to find out what is going on but it's the only way you will know for sure. Once you have some definate answers either dates wise/bleeding or confirmed scan then make a decision on how to proceed - for me an ERPC would always be the way forward (it was over and done with quickly and didn't have any pain), nature didn't do a good job and you can't move forward mentally if it's not phisically over with.

I wish you all the best luck, but want to reasurre you that a blighted ovum is a fluke event that you cannot cause and nobody is responsible for and it is highly unlikely that it will occur again. Fingers crossed for all of you xxx


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## laney_bee

From Wikipedia: 

_The fetal pole is a thickening on the margin of the yolk sac of a fetus during pregnancy. It is usually identified at 6.5 weeks with abdominal ultrasound imaging, and 6 weeks with vaginal ultrasound imaging. However it is quite normal for the fetal pole to not be visible until about 9 weeks. The fetal pole may be seen at 2&#8211;4 mm crown-rump length (CRL), and heart motion is often detected when it is seen. In the embryo, the heartbeat is seen as a regular flutter, which should be first evident at 5 mm CRL. If the embryo is less than 5 mm CRL, it is possible for it to be healthy without showing a heartbeat, though a follow up study in 5&#8211;7 days will almost always demonstrate the heartbeat._


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## 1liz9

Just an update... my scan showed the sac has grown. It is showing 8 weeks. But there is no fetal pole. Every doctor I have talked to is telling me with the sac as large as it is and all else progressing that the pregnancy will never be viable. 

So I head into a D&C tomorrow morning. Hopefully recovery is quick. 

Thank you to all of you for the kind words. I do not know what people did before message boards like this.


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## laney_bee

I am so sorry. Sending you prayers to get pregnant again really soon.


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## Maybump2

1liz9, so sorry to hear this :-( As i mentioned i had the same procedure done for a blighted ovum (sounds like you have experienced the same thing) and it really did help draw a line for me and help me move on. (I had a pretty awful time up until i had it done hoping nature would take it's course).

The procedure is quite straight forward and the effects of the general anesthetic are the thing that last the longest, i bumped into a few doors for a few days afterwards.. i hope all goes as smoothly as possible for you and you get some peace. My heart goes out to you, i know how awful this time is but it does get better eventually xx


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## Tink1o5

Send love and :hugs: your way at this difficult time. 
Wishing you a speedy recovery and a new viable pregnancy as soon as your ready


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## PumpkinPatchx

I had this too.. a little yolk sac.. they told me it was either an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage .. I refused to believe the doctor a few weeks later I was booked in to have a vaginal scan a little dot appeared with a flicker heart beat .. I'm now 26 weeks & 5 days pregnant with a healthy baby girl .. Don't give up, trust your instincts ..X 

https://img.thebabycountdown.com/ticker/91x615dxhm3.png
https://lmtf.lilypie.com/iKfv.png​


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## mafiamom

i am so very sorry :( sending you prayers for comfort at this time.


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## butterflys1

Hi, I went through something just like you in Feb about the HB and the sac growth. They seen everythin but a HB. I was supposed to be around 8 weeks when I went for that scan but the fetus only showed up as 5-6 weeks with CRL of 3.2mm. The sonogropher said to me it doesn't look good she said it looks as though the baby has stopped growing, I was devastated :nope: . Then I had another scan booked for 12 days later, the baby had grew but the HB still wasn't present I got told the CRL was 3.7mm at this point. I was still holding onto faith though even though they were putting miscarriage leaflets in my hand and telling me to make a choice of what I wanted to do, take a tablet and bring my miscarriage on or wait it out. I never got an option for a D&C I wouldn't have chose that either so i opted for induced miscarriage but only if I had another scan booked that shown no growth, I had another scan on the 14th Feb and my baby was 1.8mm I never understood this, I was in tears. I then went back up to EPU and made a date to take the tablet and it was the next morning then 2 days later was in hospital and had bad cramps because of them bringing it on for me. I then got sent home and had my fetus at home and she was beautiful, she was the size of the palm of my hand. she was older than a 6 week old fetus. I was really devastated by this and had to go to PALS and make a complaint because I was told I wouldn't notice this mini baby coming out because of the size. But I did I had to pull it out of myself (sorry if TMI) but then again maybe it was just me thinking that they made me rush into things and just want it out. But why was she growing so small on the US and why she came out so big I still don't know

Mammy to #1 Angel baby
And I'm expecting #2 baby


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## Jahzmine

PumpkinPatchx said:


> I had this too.. a little yolk sac.. they told me it was either an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage .. I refused to believe the doctor a few weeks later I was booked in to have a vaginal scan a little dot appeared with a flicker heart beat .. I'm now 26 weeks & 5 days pregnant with a healthy baby girl .. Don't give up, trust your instincts ..X
> 
> https://img.thebabycountdown.com/ticker/91x615dxhm3.png
> https://lmtf.lilypie.com/iKfv.png​

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS ... sorry for the caps but was just so happy to read this. I think we need to stand up more to our doctors. Many of us, fearing the unknown, will simply accept their first diagnosis. I was told I might have had a chemical pregnancy. Then, at 7w6d, they told me I didn't have a viable pregnancy when my bean showed 5w6d, they even suggested a d&c. Hell no. I'm fighting for this kid every step of the way .... Who else I going to?


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## Snowball

I was told at 6+6 I was having a mc (scan showed sac+yolk but no fetal pole)... 2 weeks later I was still getting positives so they book me for a D&C. Went in, they did a quick scan beforehand and there was a wriggling little baby in there measuring 8+6 :shock:. Always make sure they check.


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## Bunnikins

Just wait and see, its very possible the pole could be very tiny, and hiding at the edge of the sac. They can be really tricky to see. Give it time and see what happens at the next scan..dont rush into anything, but prepare yourself for it being bad news, so its not so much of a shock xxxxxxxxx


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## felicitycp

I am so sorry for your loss, I too have lost 3 times. As for trusting your instincts, I fell pregnant for 4th time I was admitted straight away and scanned huge HCG level and no babe. They wanted to do a emergency D&C and Laproscopy, I said no. Long story short my little babe turned up a week later a few hours away from a D&C. I now have the most beautiful baby boy who is my angel. Trust your instincts, keep positive, you can do it x


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## LolaLou

I actually have posted my miracle story on the misdiagnosedmiscarriage website. US at 5w6d showed no fetal pole, or HB. Went back a week later, didnt even look at the screen, as I was sure that I had had a MC, and baby looked huge, healthy, and had a great HB!! 

Having suffered 5 losses, I know that is not the norm, but please, please do not let your Dr. do anything without a followup ultrasound. Even a few days make a huge differance!!


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