New to forum but not new to PAL - please help

[BlueBoo]

Hi everyone, I have been reading this forum since I got my 3rd BFP a couple of weeks ago, 2 previous MMC both around 11 weeks but lost at around 6-7.
I was booked in for a 'viability' scan this morning, at about 5 weeks 4 or 5 days. I was obviously terrified given my history, and was prepared not to necessarily see a heartbeat as I know it is very early, but the scan was awful.
The radiologist just sat there moving the scanner around, pressing buttons and not saying a single word, so of course the longer this goes on without her saying anything the more you worry. Finally my husband asked her what she could see and she said she could see a very small gestational sac, I asked her if it was smaller than she'd expect at this stage and she said yes. That was pretty much it. She just said that we'd have to have another scan in a week or so 'before making a decision'. Whatever that means.

So now I have to wait over Christmas not knowing if this pregnancy is over or not. Does anyone have experience of a scan at such an early stage? I thought you would see a yolk sac but it doesn't sound like she did. I am prepared for the worst, so don't worry about sparing my feelings, I just want to know.
Thank you

 

[confusedprego]

Sorry to hear your scan didn't go well! Are you sure of your dates?? I've attached a photo of my scan at 4wks 5days and at 6wks 4days. You can see the huge difference that happens just in two weeks. If you're off by even half a week to a week you might not see anything, so try to not get too worried just yet. Keep us updated

Plus U/S techs are not doctors and I think many of them don't even know for sure what's going on. Did you get to talk to a doctor?

 

[BlueBoo]

Thank you so much for your reply, I'm going between convincing myself it's all over to thinking they've made a mistake every few hours. I'm pretty sure of my dates as I was on clomid and using cbfm so fairly definite. I didn't even get to see the screen, the radiographer was so uncommunicative. You may be right, maybe she doesn't know that much, there was no doctor present so I'll have to hope that she just isn't particularly skilled. Won't give up hope yet

 

[jd83]

The only experience I have with them not showing me the screen was when things didn't look good. With my first m/c, the u/s tech didn't talk at all the entire time and would not show me the screen. I think if it doesn't look good, they would rather have your doctor tell you. Kind of a cop out, it'd be so much easier if they would just say something. I can't say for sure what was going on with your tech, or what the outcome will be, but in my personal experience, it doesn't sound good. With my 2nd m/c, a midwife did the scan for me and let me see it. I was measuring behind schedule, and also had to rebook a week later to see if there was any growth. Not knowing is the absolute hardest, so I can definitely sympathize.

I really hope you get a good result. Please let us know what you find out. Fingers crossed for you.

 

[BlueBoo]

Thanks guys, my doctor has just called me and said that the gestational sac measured 8mm but they couldn't see any embryonic tissue. She said it may be too early to be seen so we should just hope for the best and arrange another scan for two weeks time. She didn't exactly say there's no hope, but she didn't exactly say, don't worry it might be fine. So now I have to spend the whole of Christmas in limbo. JD thanks for being honest, I did think when she sat there in silence that it wasn't a good sign, but then my only experience of ultrasounds is when it has stopped growing so I don't know what to expect at a normal one if you see what I mean. I'm beginning to think I'll never have a 'normal' u/s. I dread them.
Thanks again, I will just have to put it out of my mind (yeah right!), get through Christmas and just hope for the best but be ready for the worst xx

 

[jd83]

See if they can do HCG bloodwork. That would be a better test this early on to see if hormone levels are rising like they should, and you should know by Friday if you start them today. I would definitely call back today and see if they can do that in the meantime, 2 weeks is a long time to not know anything. I am having early spotting and that is what my midwife is testing right now. This early she didn't think we'd see enough on u/s.

 

[croydongirl]

I am so sorry you are going through this. I don't really have much experience. After 5 losses before 6 weeks, my current pregnancy is the only one that I have had a scan with. I know that at my first scan I was a week further than you and they saw a gestational sac and a yolk sac, but they were not expecting to see any more than that, so a week before I assume they would expect to see much less.

Wishing you peace as you wait.

 

[BlueBoo]

Thought I'd give a quick update as I've been following others' stories on here while I wait for my own scan.
Had a scan today, a different lady, what an unbelievable difference, she talked all the way through about what she could see etc, and we saw a fetal pole with a strongly beating heart! She couldn't tell me what the heart rate was but she was very happy with the heart beat. She measured it at 6w 3, I thought I was 7 weeks but she said that because I was on Clomid dates can be wrong. She wasn't worried about this so I'm trying not to, but it is still scary as I saw a heartbeat with my last one and still lost, so it's hard not to be scared.
However, she was nothing but positivity so it was all in all a great experience! I am on 400mg cyclogest twice a day, so at least it feels like I am doing something towards it, rather that just waiting and hoping, if you see what I mean.
Lots of love and positivity to all you PALs
xx

 

[BERDC99]

Thought I'd give a quick update as I've been following others' stories on here while I wait for my own scan.
Had a scan today, a different lady, what an unbelievable difference, she talked all the way through about what she could see etc, and we saw a fetal pole with a strongly beating heart! She couldn't tell me what the heart rate was but she was very happy with the heart beat. She measured it at 6w 3, I thought I was 7 weeks but she said that because I was on Clomid dates can be wrong. She wasn't worried about this so I'm trying not to, but it is still scary as I saw a heartbeat with my last one and still lost, so it's hard not to be scared.
However, she was nothing but positivity so it was all in all a great experience! I am on 400mg cyclogest twice a day, so at least it feels like I am doing something towards it, rather that just waiting and hoping, if you see what I mean.
Lots of love and positivity to all you PALs
xx

I am glad to hear you had a better experience today and got good news. PAL is always so scary and such an emotional time for a woman. Are they giving you another scan soon just to follow up? I will keep my Fx for you and your bean.

 

[confusedprego]

So happy to hear you got to see your little one! yay! Keep us updated with how things progress