HELP! Gestational Sac too small for 7 weeks.

[Veronicadiaz3]

Hello there,
first of all thank you so much for taking the time to read. I am going crazy here so I will be forever thankful to whoever might share with me about any similar experiences.
Here's the deal. I confirmed my pregnancy 4 days ago. By my ovulating dates and all that, my doctor calculated a 6-7 week pregnancy. The we went in for the ultrasound and at first she spotted a small sac so she thought I was 4 weeks pregnant instead. Then she looked closer and found a 6.5 week-old embryo with a strong heartbeat. She told me we should keep an eye on that and regarless of how many times I asked her why that was, all I got was a "sometimes it happens, let's just keep an eye on it". She prescribed progesterone, vitamines and so on. Now, by reading in the internet I have found that is the sac doesn't grow this could lead to a misscarriage or that the chances of miscarriage are 80%. Now, I really hope not to sound crazy or too cold but a high risk of misscarriage doesn't worry me. I know there's always a higher risk of having a misscarriage in the first months anyway and I am aware this is even a natural thing. What's freaking me out is the fact that noone will tell me THE REASON WHY A SMALL GESTATIONAL SAC SHOULD BE KEPT AND EYE ON. Please! I just want to know! I am 28 years old. I have a 4 year-old healthy daughter. My first pregnancy was perfectly fine and I had a natural birth. Of course I wouldn't like to misscarriage but really, that's not what I am freaking out about. I know if that happened I could try again and well if it never worked out for me again I'd be happy with my beautiful daughter and would be thankful to have her.
So anyway, if someone could PLEASE tell me what you know about small gestational sacs I would much appreciate it. I don't mean to be rude but if what you are going to write is that all there is to do is wait, please save your time as I have already heard that many times. What I need to know is, what are the risks or having a small gestatitional sac. What could go wrong? I just want to know!
Thank you sooooo much!
Big Hug everyone and I can't wait to hear from you.

 

[WantsALittle1]

Hey sweets before I go to scholar.google.com and try to sort through the mess of studies, just want to make sure I'm not repeating your work. Did you already try Googling this on scholar.google so you can bypass the forum posts and opinions and get straight to the meaty scientific articles? Happy to take a look at the literature if you haven't tried that yet but didn't want to be redundant and tell you what you already know xo

 

[WantsALittle1]

Okay, so I went to scholar.google anyway and only found three articles that even mention small gestational sac size as a study topic, and the last one may be talking about sacs where no embryo has been spotted (unlike your case). I really couldn't sort that out from the abstract alone. Apparently there is something called 'small gestational sac syndrome,' but I couldn't find any scientific articles on the subject--just anecdotal stuff.

What I found is this:

https://journals.lww.com/obgynsurve...ze_in_the_First_Trimester__A_Predictor.4.aspx
-- Small sac size predictor of m/c in first trimester, but no explanation WHY in the abstract

https://journals.lww.com/greenjourn..._of_small_gestational_sac_crown__rump.15.aspx
"Of the factors analyzed- maternal age, previous abortions, low hCG or progesterone levels, and use of ovulation induction medications-only maternal age was significantly different (P=.011) in patients with small sac syndrome. We conclude that small gestational sac syndrome is an infrequent but important complication of early pregnancy, which occurs more often in karyotypically normal than in abnormal fetuses."

https://www.jultrasoundmed.org/content/6/1/23.short
-- Less-than-'normal' sac growth is associated with abnormal fetal development

The last two studies are conflicting, in my opinion. One says that small sac size is associated with abnormal fetal growth and the other says that embryos with small sacs were karyotypically normal in the study.

My best guesses, based on absolutely no expertise, are these:

1. Small sac = not enough amniotic fluid later on?
2. Small sac = abnormal fetal development since what signals the start of the pregnancy and its continuation is the health of the embryo. That is, if the embryo is not doing well or passes away, the body eventually gets a chemical message that this has happened, and begins the process of sloughing the uterine lining. To me, that means that the embryo itself has a way of communicating its health to the body.

I don't know if it helps at all, but I understand your frustration at being given superficial answers by a doctor and having no one break it down into the WHYs and HOWs. I always want to know WHY things are happening the way they are, and OBs always say un-helpful things about threatened miscarriages like "sometimes they just don't stick." Well thanks, doc, that really helps me!

 

[Glitter_berry]

I have seen many posts about small gestational sacks and not finding a hb and it ending sadly.
There was a lady on here back when I wa ttc with a small gestational sack at 7 weeks, but it was looking fine at her 12 week scan.

Good luck with your situation.
And I just wanted to say I think you have such a beautiful outlook on life with the comment about your daughter being enough to complete your life. That made me smile as I feel the same about my darling 4 year old. ( even though I wouldn't ever want anything to go wrong in my pregnancy )

 

[Veronicadiaz3]

Dear WantsAlittle1,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and answer. This is the first time in my life I ask Dr. Google abut my problem and can't find anyone who's actually been through the exact same thing. I did find a lot of posts with women with small gestational sacs but all of them stop writing shortly after so I couldn't find out how it turned out.
Anyway, the information on the links you posted are just what I needed to read. I honestly would have prefered if the doctor had told me that I have an 80% percent chance of having a miscarriage and know what to expect and not just a "Let's keep and eye on it, if you experience any pain or bleeding, call me asap and remind me that your gestational sac was small.."
I have a cousin who lives in France and is pregnant too. She asked her GYN about small gestational sacs and he actually told her that most doctors in France don't even measure the sac bacuase it varies from woman to woman and what is important is the heartbeat of the fetus.
Well, I guess after all, all I can do IS wait and see . Something tells me everything is all right.
Thanks again for the info. Helped a lot!

 

[Veronicadiaz3]

I have seen many posts about small gestational sacks and not finding a hb and it ending sadly.
There was a lady on here back when I wa ttc with a small gestational sack at 7 weeks, but it was looking fine at her 12 week scan.

Good luck with your situation.
And I just wanted to say I think you have such a beautiful outlook on life with the comment about your daughter being enough to complete your life. That made me smile as I feel the same about my darling 4 year old. ( even though I wouldn't ever want anything to go wrong in my pregnancy )

Thank you Glitter_berry. I have decided to stop looking and wait (there's nothing else I can do anyway). Goood luck to you too!

 

[3boys]

when i was having an early scan the doctor said that the risk with a sac that measured smaller than the baby was that the baby could possibly outgrow the sac obviously leading to a mc. I hope your sac catches up with baby soon x

 

[Soon2bemum]

Hi I know it's not quit the same but when by sister was expecting her boy she was told her sac was way to big for the little embro at about 6weeks & was told she would mc soon. When she went back a few weeks later everything had even out. I guess we are all different & no 2 pregnancies are the same. I think a lot of the time doctors are all to quick to tie us all the same & then worry us with there silly comments. I wish you the best of luck and hope your next scan goes better x

 

[Veronicadiaz3]

Hello everybody,
I just wanted to let everyone who took the time to read my post know that I had a misscarriage yesterday. As expected, the risk of the sac being too small for the embryo is having a misscarriage. I just wish the doctor had told me this so I wouldn't have imagined other horrible things.
The surgery went out great and I'm feeling good. I can't stop thinking about all my friends who have gone through this in their first pregnancy and didn't have other children to cheer them up and make them feel everything will be all right. I feel very lucky everything went out ok and that this didn't happen to me when I got pregnant with my daughter. I am so lucky to have her and have had a pregnancy in which in every doctor's appointment, the doctor would say everything looked perfect. I just can't stop feeling thankful for that. I don't know what will come next. I do want to have more children but I guess I will have to focus on other things until the time to try again comes. My husband and I even started talking about adopting.. which is something we've always had in mind anyway.
Well, thank you so much again for taking the time to read and big hug to everyone.

 

[kanga]

Edited I'm so sorry I didn't read your update before I posted xx

 

[Soon2bemum]

(((Hugs))) x

 

[3boys]

i am so sorry hun x

 

[J_Lynn]

Hello everybody,
I just wanted to let everyone who took the time to read my post know that I had a misscarriage yesterday. As expected, the risk of the sac being too small for the embryo is having a misscarriage. I just wish the doctor had told me this so I wouldn't have imagined other horrible things.
The surgery went out great and I'm feeling good. I can't stop thinking about all my friends who have gone through this in their first pregnancy and didn't have other children to cheer them up and make them feel everything will be all right. I feel very lucky everything went out ok and that this didn't happen to me when I got pregnant with my daughter. I am so lucky to have her and have had a pregnancy in which in every doctor's appointment, the doctor would say everything looked perfect. I just can't stop feeling thankful for that. I don't know what will come next. I do want to have more children but I guess I will have to focus on other things until the time to try again comes. My husband and I even started talking about adopting.. which is something we've always had in mind anyway.
Well, thank you so much again for taking the time to read and big hug to everyone.

Sorry for your loss - but you have such a beautiful, positive outlook. I couldn't imagine being so positive in your position. That is a wonderful quality, and you must be a wonderful woman. I hope that your hopes of another child, or adoption come true soon. Again, sorry for your loss

 

[Mrs.Mcguin]

Hello everybody,
I just wanted to let everyone who took the time to read my post know that I had a misscarriage yesterday. As expected, the risk of the sac being too small for the embryo is having a misscarriage. I just wish the doctor had told me this so I wouldn't have imagined other horrible things.
The surgery went out great and I'm feeling good. I can't stop thinking about all my friends who have gone through this in their first pregnancy and didn't have other children to cheer them up and make them feel everything will be all right. I feel very lucky everything went out ok and that this didn't happen to me when I got pregnant with my daughter. I am so lucky to have her and have had a pregnancy in which in every doctor's appointment, the doctor would say everything looked perfect. I just can't stop feeling thankful for that. I don't know what will come next. I do want to have more children but I guess I will have to focus on other things until the time to try again comes. My husband and I even started talking about adopting.. which is something we've always had in mind anyway.
Well, thank you so much again for taking the time to read and big hug to everyone.

You sound like an amazing woman and mom. I'm so glad you have your daughter too and have her to help you through this

 

[Glitter_berry]

So sorry for you loss.
You are a strong and amazing woman.
Good luck in the future. Xox

 

[Veronicadiaz3]

Thank you all for your kind words