|
HCG should not be looked at after a scan is done. HCG varies so much from woman to woman in early pregnancy, and there is such a wide range of 'normal' that it is pretty meaningless after it reaches 5000. Most doctors do not look at HCG after it reaches 5000 as the doubling times slow considerably - often to four days or more - once it reaches this point. If you want to look at your HCG I would advise that you not worry unless your HCG has dropped or stopped climbing. Take a look at this website w w w .b e t a b a s e . c o m (without the spaces between letters and dots - I had to put those in or the message wouldn't be accepted.) The website is a place where thousands of women input their HCG levels and you can look at averages and doubling times. You will see how widely they vary.
Also it is important to realize that the dates given at early ultrasounds are often wrong and often by up to three weeks - you could have ovulated late, you could have had a long implanting phase, you culd have had an irregular cylce, your womb could be tilted back, the machines are clumsy = all these reasons can account for things not showing up until later than expected. Please see the website: w w w . m i s d i a g n o s e d m i s c a r r i a g e . c o m (without the spaces between letters and dots) - you will find hundreds of stories from women who were told there was no hope - they waited a couple of weeks and found a heartbeat and healthy baby.
Whatever you do, do not get the D & C before 8 weeks. If you get a D & C at 8 weeks make sure you have another ultrasound to confirm missed miscarriage before the D & C - many people find a healthy embryo at these 'confirmation/prior D & C' scans. If I were you I would leave things to happen naturally and not have a D & C. However, I still think you have the odds on your side and will probably have a fetal pole and heartbeat visible in the next couple of weeks.
If it can happen to me it can happen to you - here are just a couple of examples of people in your situation:
Jennifer - December 7th, 2004 12:57 PM
I have been right where you are. I have tow healthy children and have had two miscarriages. When I was pregnant with my second child I went for an u/s. We thought I was about 9 wks. They only saw a sac and a fetal pole. I went back 5 days later still the same thing. The u/s tech was scheduling me for a d&c. I wouldn't have it done because I was having no other signs of miscarriage. One week later I had another u/s. We saw a hb immediately. The whole time my hcg levels were declining. I went on to have a very healthy baby girl who is 5 now.
cherylinalaska
I was high-risk so I went in for my first ultrasound at around 6 weeks and there was no fetal pole or heartbeat. They told me not too freak out, and that even a few days could change things dramatically. (But of course I freaked out anyway.)
I went back 2 weeks later (I'd been travelling out of town so couldn't go sooner) and the heartbeat was great and strong. And I'm now 20 weeks along with a very healthy baby. So ... please try not to worry! :-)
Stayseeliz
I was sent to the ER with DS to rule out an ectopic pg at 5w. They did an u/s and didn't find anything to suggest a pregnancy but a thickening of the lining of my uterus. They said to prepare for a m/c and I could start trying again right away. I was devastated!
They were totally wrong. It was just too early to see much at 5w. DS is a happy, healthy almost 6yo today. I wouldn't worry too much just yet!!
With this pg I had my first u/s at 6w4d and could barely see anything but a tiny beating heart. Don't despair! it's really early!! :hug
Belleweather:
I had an ultrasound at 5 weeks that showed a gestational sac and a yolk sac that measured small, with no fetal pole. I also had the rudest, most unhelpful ultrasound tech ever in the whole wide world, who was so negative that DH and I walked out of the hospital crying, and SURE that we were going to lose this baby.
My midwife calmed us down and refered me to a chart that said at 5 weeks, 0% of ultrasounds showed a fetal pole, and at 6 weeks only 86% did. We did a couple of beta hCG tests, which were doubling appropriately and showed good levels, so I was told to consider myself pregnant until proven otherwise. We're going to do another U/S around 8 weeks, but so far so good... continuing symptoms, good beta numbers, no bleeding.
lameremusicale
They didn't see my fetal pole / hb until 7 wks, 4 days.
mhowell02
They didn't see a fetal pole or heartbeat with my LO until 7 weeks, I had had a u/s done at 5 weeks and at 6 weeks and all they saw was the gestational sac and yolk sac, and I also had spotting & bleeding. I wouldn't worry too much especially since the Dr. said everything is looking normal, you may just not be as far along as you think you are either.
Irishswissmiss
They didn't see mine until 9 weeks, and couldn't hear the heart beat at 7, so don't be worried. All little babies develop at differant rates. I am sure everything will be fine when you go back in a few weeks.
It did scare me though when they couldn't hear the heart, so I understand. Hang in there... And I hope all goes well with you.
I'm really starting to feel like early ultrasounds for 'dating' purposes do more harm than good... when I was freaking out, a friend linked me to a babycenter page where the original poster was freaking out about the same thing that happened to both of us and there were 14 PAGES of "Me too!" replies. Most of them came out okay, which I found really reassuring.

|