Help!! Measuring 4 days behind. Help me make sense of this.

[imready4it]

Girls I need your help!! I went to my appointment today...Dr. asked me when my cycle started...I told him the 24th of January. He was like, "wow, you found out early didn't you." So then he proceeded with the physical exam and said I felt like I was further along than I thought. He then asked if I was certain of my dates. I told him I was certain, so he decided to go ahead with a transvaginal ultrasound. Then during the ultrasound he said I was measuring 4w3d. I should be 4w7d today. I don't know what to think...The last time I was measuring behind, I was in the middle of the mmc. What are your thoughts???? My app had me o'ing around CD 14-15 and I got my vvvfl on CD23. I figured that was about 9dpo if my app was correct. I had usually o'ed on cd 14'ish before my mmc. Test was much darker the next day. The last time I had BD before the positive hpt was on CD 13.

 

[xarlenex]

I may be wrong, but I'm sure the measurements can't vary at this point and thats why dating scans are carried out between 10-13 weeks. I've saw many women measure behind at early scans and baby has caught up come the dating scan. I had an early scan last week at what my LMP has me at 8 weeks 3 days, bubs measured at 7 weeks 5 days. I wasn't told it was cause for concern or anything x

 

[imready4it]

I may be wrong, but I'm sure the measurements can't vary at this point and thats why dating scans are carried out between 10-13 weeks. I've saw many women measure behind at early scans and baby has caught up come the dating scan. I had an early scan last week at what my LMP has me at 8 weeks 3 days, bubs measured at 7 weeks 5 days. I wasn't told it was cause for concern or anything x

The thing is I feel like I'm right back where I was before when I experienced the MMC. I've done everything the dr. said to do and I am really mad. It really sucks. I had felt very optimistic this time, and tried not to let my nerves get the best of me...Well, that's over now... on to two weeks of hell. I really just wanted to leave the dr. office today happy and content. Not unsure and worried as heck. This feeling is getting to be all too familiar. I don't know how some women do this time and time again. If this lil bean don't make it, I don't know if I can do this again.

 

[red_head]

At 4 weeks 3 days I don’t think there is anything to measure?! And what kind of physical exam did he do to date you? I’ve never known that to happen? At 4 weeks the baby is normally not visible even on internal ultrasound, and any measurement that is possible would be very inaccurate in terms of dating, and there would be no external or internal sign you were pregnant in terms of size etc he could measure by doing a physical. I would change doctor if I were you!!

 

[EllenEmily]

Did you see a heartbeat or was it too early for that?
I wouldn't worry too much, book yourself in for a private scan with ultrasound direct in a week to calm your mind.
I had a private scan last week and according to my LMP I was meant to be 7w 4 days but the sonographer said the bean looked more like 6 weeks... I saw yolk sac, fetal pole, and a little heart fluttering away.... I have my rescan appointment tomorrow and I'm very nervous because of measuring behind but I guess the heart best was a good sign, point is that jut because your measuring I behind doesn't mean BAD news, there could still be a heartbeat there

 

[red_head]

Actually come to think of it, at the scan I had at 4.5 weeks they couldn’t even see a sac and it was determined I had a pregnancy of unknown location - there was nothing visible at all, other than thickened lining. It was only a week later a sac was visible, but baby was absolutely fine at my 12 week scan.

 

[imready4it]

At 4 weeks 3 days I don’t think there is anything to measure?! And what kind of physical exam did he do to date you? I’ve never known that to happen? At 4 weeks the baby is normally not visible even on internal ultrasound, and any measurement that is possible would be very inaccurate in terms of dating, and there would be no external or internal sign you were pregnant in terms of size etc he could measure by doing a physical. I would change doctor if I were you!!

They got me in for an early scan because I previously had a MMC. He palpated my uterus and thought it was measuring larger than 4w7d, so he decided to do the internal scan, especially after I told him I was getting BFPs at 10dpo that were very obvious. During the internal scan, he showed me the place in my uterus where I implanted and the gestational sac. He took measurements of the sac and said I was measuring 4w3d instead of 4w7d. He then told me my uterus had a good thick lining and that implantation took place in the best place possible.



I was really hoping you would respond...I had saw where you did the "period math" on someone else's post earlier. I was just trying to figure out if I had ovulated later or implanted later, how could i have gotten a bfp on cd23?

 

[dairymomma]

Redhead is totally correct. At 4 weeks, the only thing that is there is a teeny tiny little ball of cells so small even an internal ultrasound won't see it. You can't see a gestational sac usually before 5 weeks and the fetal pole doesn't form until 6 weeks (give or take a few days). I'm not sure what the doctor saw or felt or did to measure you but unless he's got microscopes for eyeballs, there's not much he can see at this point.

Also, honestly, there's nothing to worry about with your measurements either. There are SO many things that can cause your dates to be off by a few days. Embryos typically implant between 6-8dpo but they can implant sooner or later. I have late implanters (10-12dpo) so my babies always measure smaller than my lmp dates. Plus, if you ovulated a day or few later than you think (which is totally possible unless you were tracking ov somehow and not just with an app) that can cause the baby to measure a few days smaller.
If you are going off ultrasound measurements, remember that the smaller the baby is, the harder it is to get an exact measurement because you are using inexact sound waves to estimate size. The age/model of the ultrasound machine, the skill of the technician or doctor, the angle of the probe can all affect the measurements.
Every baby develops at it's own rate too. I've gone in at 6+1 and seen a 6+1 sized baby with a heartbeat yet I've gone in at 6+1 and seen a gestational sac and yolk sac measuring 5+4 but no baby and no hb. A week later, there was a 7+1 sized baby with a strong heartbeat. (He's my currently napping 5 month old baby boy in case you are wondering.) And some babies just are smaller babies. My two oldest measured 5-7 days smaller than my dates the entire pregnancy.

I get that you are nervous because you've had a loss previously. And truly I do understand that feeling. I've had 11 losses in 10 years. So I get it. I'm not trying to minimize your feelings but I just wanted to point out that there are logical reasons for the measurement differences. Even with my history of loss, I don't worry unless there is more than a week's difference between my ov dates and the baby's size because it's been my experience that my babies are just small babies.

So hang in there. I know you are scared right now and it's understandable. But try to relax as best you can and trust that things are okay for the moment at least. You won't do yourself or the baby any good by worrying right now. I'd request an ultrasound around 6.5-7 weeks so you can see baby and that lovely flickering heartbeat and hopefully that will ease your worries for good.

 

[red_head]

Honestly I think your dates sound fool proof - you wouldn’t have got a BFP then if you’d ovulated late - no need for period math I really do think your doctor has scared you for no reason - I’m sure the size of the sac is no indication of how far along you are - as it’s different for everyone. Plus your uterus wouldn’t have changed that early so I don’t know how he’d feel it! The baby is smaller than a full stop so the changes would be so tiny they aren’t measureable. Honestly stop worrying (I am the biggest hypocrite saying that!) everything sounds great, and you are lucky to have seen anything that early. Most hospitals refuse to scan people that soon as there isn’t anything to see!

 

[imready4it]

Honestly I think your dates sound fool proof - you wouldn’t have got a BFP then if you’d ovulated late - no need for period math I really do think your doctor has scared you for no reason - I’m sure the size of the sac is no indication of how far along you are - as it’s different for everyone. Plus your uterus wouldn’t have changed that early so I don’t know how he’d feel it! The baby is smaller than a full stop so the changes would be so tiny they aren’t measureable. Honestly stop worrying (I am the biggest hypocrite saying that!) everything sounds great, and you are lucky to have seen anything that early. Most hospitals refuse to scan people that soon as there isn’t anything to see!

My dr has US machines in his office. It was wonderful with my previous two children. I got to see them at every appointment. I’m hoping everything will turn out ok. Thanks for your help.

 

[Lightning7]

When i went for my first ultrasound at what should have been 6wks6days (due to spotting plus a previous MC) baby only measured as 6wks1day but it did have a hb! I was worried as my dates cant have been that far out as I had my strong bfp on the day my period was due and have regular (26-28 day cycles). The tech told me that when its this early they can be up to 5 days out!

When i had more bleeding at 9 and a half weeks (by my dates, not first scan) i had a scan then too and baby was only measuring 1 day behind my dates! 2 days later had another scan due to spotting and it showed dates as 1 day earlier then the previous scan, i of course freaked out and asked if it was shrinking but the tech pointed out the actual measurement and said the machine must be set to the wrong setting. When i had my most recent scan at 11wks4days baby measured 2 days ahead of my dates! So from my experience theres a lot that varies from techs to ultrasound machines to the baby itself! So i really would try to relax, get another scan in a few weeks and i think you'll find baby will be close enough on track!

 

[Katiedw21]

I wouldn't worry, I had my US a week ago tomorrow and my doctor put me back an entire week! This has never happened to me before, but all looked well with baby, I know for sure when my period was but the actual ov and implantation times can very so much that it can change your dates by up to 10 days so yours only being 4 days I would try not to stress!

 

[imready4it]

I appreciate all of your encouragement...it is really hard not to worry. My last pregnancy ended in a d&c last November because of a MMC. I did not know they even existed before then. I thought you always bled, but my body never did even 4 weeks after my baby died. It is such a cruel thing to endure when your body refuses to acknowledge a loss. Until I can see my lil bean I will worry.

 

[Zephram]

You cannot palpate a uterus at 4 weeks pregnant as it is completely hidden behind the pubic bone. There is no uterus to feel from the outside until around 12 weeks or so, I think. Either way, nothing to feel at 4 weeks! Your doctor is worrying you for no reason.