7 weeks but measuring 5 weeks

[peteradamelle]

Hi Everyone,

Wondering if anyone can let me know their own stories if they had something similar, they can be good or bad stories.

I had an internal scan 2 days ago, there was a heartbeat (it was slow, about 70bpm, however, they couldn't measure it properly because of my own palpitations, they were taking over the screen, i was so nervous). We could see the little heart beating, and when the sonographer said she couldn't measure it, my husband did his own little measurement, and said roughly 60-70bpm. Which is slow.

The CRL was 3.4mm, meaning it's about 5.5 weeks. I am minimum 6 weeks and 5 days, because I took 3 pregnancy tests (all were +ve) exactly 4 weeks before this scan, and when you get a +ve pregnancy test you are 3 weeks pregnant, if you conceive week 2, and you need about 6 days post conceiving to get a +ve result. So really, that kind of makes me 7 weeks, but at a stretch I can pull myself back to 6 weeks and 5 days.

I've been told I have a 50% chance the baby will catch up.

I have another scan next week, so I'm really hoping it will have caught up and the heartbeat will be strong.

I can't think about anything else, and I'm finding it hard to relax/sleep!

Any similar stories are welcomed!

Thanks, Anna.

 

[_jellybean_]

Didn't want to read and run. They were worried that my bean's heartbeat was slow at 5w6d...it was 95. It went up to 151 a week after that. Sending hugs

 

[_jellybean_]

One more thing...I think, but I'm not sure...that it's still hard to tell if you ovulated or not when you think you did. The ultrasound tech at the hospital told me that most women say that they know when they o'd, etc...but in her experience, most were wrong. Could your dates be off?

I hope that someone with experience charting/etc. will chime in.

 

[AllGirlsMama]

A 1996 study established the following as the minimum normal heart rates in early pregnancy ultrasounds, with the size varying by the size of the fetal pole:

2 mm embryo: 75 beats per minute
5 mm embryo: 100 beats per minute
10 mm embryo: 120 beats per minute
15 mm embryo: 130 beats per minute

I know this sounds stupid but please try not to worry. Worry or not, the outcome won't change. My fingers are crossed for you. I've come across some stories that seem hopeless and they often turn around. Everything measured in an ultrasound is just an average. Heart rate can increase and decrease depending on rest and activity times too.

 

[peteradamelle]

Thanks everyone. I have no idea when I ovulated, but I got 3 +ve pregnancy tests on the 11th July 2011. When you get a +ve test, you are supposed to be at least 3 weeks pregnant, which would have made me 7wks at the scan. 3.4mm CRL is only 5.5wks. If I'm only 5.5wks it means I got a +ve result before I even conceived. This is why I'm worried. And heartbeat was weak not strong.

 

[trudie100]

Hi ya

I had a scan at what should have been 8 weeks and was told the baby was only measuring 6

This was because I ovulated late and when i had a scan 3 weeks later (at 9 weeks) everything was fine so try not to worry hun x

 

[peteradamelle]

Thanks

 

[MummytoSummer]

I had this exact same thing!

I was sent for an early scan at what should have been 7 weeks. It was an internal scan. I was shown a sac, yolk sac, fetal pole and heartbeat (I wasn't told the rate of the heartbeat). But they said I was only 5 weeks. That would have meant I got my positive test at 2 weeks, when really baby would only just be implanting then!

We were so worried but weren't offered a follow up scan, just had to wait for our 12 week scan. That was last week when by their dates I would have been 10 weeks, but baby measured 11+4 at that scan scan. Everything was perfect. It turns out my own dates were off slightly meaning I had been 6+2 at that early scan. Those early scans can be really un nerving and unreliable so I wouldn't worry, there is every chance baby will catch up a bit if not all the days!
I don't know how to read this but on the printed report after the early scan next to sac diameter it says "16.0 27.0 5.0mm".

I'm sure you will be just fine!

X

 

[peteradamelle]

Thanks again, it's very useful and reassuring information. Hoping and praying it will be okay when i go for another scan next week!

 

[PhoenixN]

Mmmm, this seems to be a common thing. When I was first scanned at 6wks 3 days (I had no idea how far I was, this is what the sonographer said) the computer she used to calculate dates said I was 5 weeks. But the sonographer over-rode it as she said it wasn't right.

The CRL was 3mm which I panicked at, as everyone said that was too small but I found a site somewhere that is like a guide for U/S techs. It said that the fetal pole grows at about 1mm every day from 6 weeks, so 3mm put me right at 6wks 3 days.

I've just had my second scan at what would have been 9 weeks 2 days based on what the sonographer said, and she was exactly right. I had been 6 wks 3 days at the first scan.

I'm not sure why but everyone who has an early scan seems to be getting told they're no where near as far along as they thought they were. Luckily my sonographer was experienced enough to recognise that the computer was wrong or else I would have gone out of my mind with worry.

 

[3boys]

im so sorry hun, the same thing happened to me at the beginning of the year, baby never measured what it should even though it had a hb. Mine didnt turn out well, it ended in a mmc at nearly 13wks but i hope that your baby catches up, its such a stressful time my heart goes out to you. Could you have ovulated late?

 

[peteradamelle]

Thanks. I did ovulate late, around day 26 or day 28, making me 6.5/7 weeks on Monday. I'd try and extend my ovulation day out further if I could, but I got 3 positive preg tests 4 weeks and 2 days ago, meaning at my scan on Monday i really had to be 6.5-7wks. I'm not so worried about the size of the embryo now, it was the slow heart beat, roughly 60-70bpm which is not good. The two stats, low heartbeat and small CRL make me think this baby won't make it. I'm feeling so -ve, trying to be optimistic but it's like i know it's not going to make it. I have to wait a whole week to have another scan

 

[peteradamelle]

On the Monday just gone that is, the day of the scan, I was 6.5-7wks, but measuring 5.5wks. Heartbeat is sooo slow.

 

[3boys]

but i thought it always starts out that slow hold on 2 secs i read something earlier i will try to find it! x x

 

[3boys]

look here hun, it says they start at 80-85 and your hubby could of miscalculted a little, dont give up hope yet! x x https://www.i-am-pregnant.com/encyclopedia/Pregnancy/Fetal-Heart-Rate

 

[xdxxtx]

I think this is important for you to know... What you see on the screen, heartbeat-wise, shows up much slower than it actually is. My baby's heartbeat looked very slow in my second scan (when I was paying attention), like 70-80 BPM, but the machine calculated it at 140-150 BPM. Also, some babies don't even have a heartbeat until 7 weeks.

I'd be worried about the size, too, but honestly some babies just have their growth spurts later than others. Also, some babies are just smaller the entire time and are born a little on the small side. It's not uncommon at all.

 

[3boys]

found this as well:
Fetal Heart Beat
Using endovaginal scanning, fetal cardiac activity is often seen even before a fetal cell mass can be identified. The fetal cardiac muscle begins its' rhythmic contractions, and that rhythmic motion can be seen along the edge of the yolk sac. Initially, the fetal cardiac motion has a slower rate (60-90 BPM), but cardiac rate increases as the fetus develops further. Thus, for these early pregnancies, the actual cardiac rate is less important that its presence or absence.

Sometimes, with normal pregnancies, the fetal heartbeat is not visible until a fetal pole of up to 4 mm in length is seen. Failure to identify fetal cardiac activity in a fetus whose overall length is greater than 4 mm is an ominous sign.

It can sometimes be difficult identifying a fetal heartbeat from the background movement and maternal pulsations. You may find it useful in these cases to scan with one hand while taking the maternal pulse with the other. This makes it easier to identify sonographic movements that are dyssynchronous with the maternal pulse.

 

[peteradamelle]

Hi again, thanks very much girls for the last few posts. Love, love, love the one about you not being able to measure the heartbeat properly by counting it yourself. I have gone to one of the best places to go for early scans, and the sonographer told me that because i was so nervous, my own pulsations were taking over, and she couldn't measure the heartbeat. All she said was that it was slower than my heart rate which wasn't good. So then she let my husband do his own very rough reading by counting how many beats in 10 secs and multiplying it by 6 to get to 60 secs. Very rough i know. But we were so concerned.

Thanks 3 boys for your research as well with the 60-90bpm.

I can't think about anything else right now. I have the scan next Wed, and i'm just praying this little baby is okay.

Thanks for your support everyone! Really appreciate it.

 

[peteradamelle]

Have the scan today at midday, wish me luck girls! I'm now 8wks + 2, or 8wks exactly, so here's hoping the heartbeat has picked up and the embryo has grown a lot!

 

[Katielouisa]

I had this too I was a week behind on my dates I thought I was 7 weeks but turns out I was a week behind making me just six weeks. I thought maybe it was wrong because all the calendars went off my LMP turns out it wasnt and it was just right!!! Im now 13w6d! so the timing was bang on! x