Viability Scan(?) questions

[MsRipple]

Question for you ladies, particularly who have done an early look for a heartbeat using a transvaginal ultrasound. My RE wanted to do a second transvaginal ultrasound at 7w 1 day - they would hope/expect evidence of a heartbeat. I want my husband to come - in part to involve him, in part bc I'm a terrified crazy lady, but with his travel schedule he can only make it for an ultrasound 2 days earlier - at 6 weeks and 6 days - and only by doing some painful maneuvering on his end which is willing to do for my sake. My RE said no problem, but there is a chance it may be too early to see what they want (assuming a hb?). I guess then I just need to go back?
My questionss:
1- is that first ultrasound a huge deal? I'm starting to think maybe i can get his support by phone and save the schedule maneuvering for when its really necessary.
2- Can you actually hear a heart beat or just see it?
2- is 6w6d likely too early (will ask dr of likelihood tmrw, more curious about experiences and opinions).

Thank you, thank you.

 

[xdxxtx]

The heart starts beating by 7 weeks along, so you'll at LEAST be able to see the little heart flickering away. However, your little embryo will just be a tiny little ball of blur, and there will be a smaller perfect circle in there - the yolk. So, no distinguishable parts yet, but you'll see a teeny little area of movement - the beating heart. Some ultrasounds have the technology to put a little marker where the heart is, and it will play the sound and calculate BPM. My practitioners' old machine didn't have this technology, but for this current pregnancy, they had upgraded, so I got to hear the heart faintly beating at my first ultrasound (7w5d) and much louder at my next ultrasound (9w).

If you wait until you're 9 weeks along, you might miss the little yolk, but you may see movement, and you'll see teeny little arms and legs, and your fetus will look a little more human-like (or at least like a large-headed alien baby).

 

[Scout]

I saw a beating heart at 5w6d. I saw it flickering on the screen, but my OB didn't have sound for it. You'll only see a blob this early. I was excited to see a heartbeat (after 3 miscarriages), but honestly, the later ultrasounds when I could make out the baby were more exciting to me. I went to all my scans alone.

 

[skyraaa]

In the UK we don't even have our first scan until 12 weeks ish unless we r unsure of dates then may get a earlier one, in my opinion whats gonna happen will happen wether or not u see baby early on.and if u don't see hb it will prob make u panic more just try and relax as much as can

 

[Mrs Dragonfly]

It's possible to see the heartbeat flickering on the screen, at 6w baby is still a little pea blob. It is interesting how much a couple of days can change things too. With DD we saw her no problem and the heartbeat right away at 6w on the dot, with this pregnancy I went in at 6+2 and the tech struggled to find baby and the heartbeat and gave a guess at the heart rate once we did find them.

Once you get further, like 9 weeks and baby starts looking like an alien baby instead of a blob they get more exciting. I totally understand wanting hubby there though, I wanted mine there at both our 6w scans because I was so nervous.

 

[Savasanna]

From what I've read, it totally depends on the pregnancy and when it implanted. Some people are able to see a heartbeat before 6 weeks, some don't see one until after 7. So you may see one, but try not to fret if you don't yet.

I've had two early scans so far, but I seem to be in the latter category in that I'm seeing things "later" than some other women. My 5w2d ultrasound showed nothing. My 5w5d ultrasound saw a gestation sac but nothing else (not even a yolk sac). I'm going back for a 6w5d ultrasound and am hoping for a fetal pole, but assume I'll be too early for a hb as I've been behind previously as well.

 

[Talia12]

By 7 weeks, if all is well and your dates are correct, you would see a heartbeat - it's emotional in a way but it's not like it looks like a baby. It's just a flickering white blob. As other posters have said, when you can actually see the shape of the baby, that's the best! I could JUST about make out a babyish shape at my 8+4 scan with my son, and then by 12 weeks of course it was totally a human. I'm not sure at what point in between you can guarantee that it'll look like a baby.

 

[Talia12]

Oh, and I've never heard of anyone hearing the heartbeat as early as 7 weeks, it's more just so you can see it.

 

[atalanta85]

I didn't know my dates so my first scan ended up around 5 weeks. They thought they saw a sac but weren't sure. I went back in a couple of weeks later for a viability scan and discovered I was exactly 7 weeks.

He did have trouble hearing a heart beat, I had to hold my breath to reduce the echo, and all he found was a small ball. Honestly, there wasn't much to see or hear and it's nothing as spectacular as a 12 week scan.

If you want him there, especially for support, definitely do. My scan at 5 weeks, I was told it was potentially ectopic because they found a 5cm ovarian cyst. Not having my husband there, I freaked out a bit and this is bub number two.