does not detecting a heartbeat at approx 7-8 weeks mean that i am not expecting anymore? please help, confused and sad

[hopefulone]

Hi,

I am new to this forum but I have joined because I desperately need an answer.

I am pregnant with my first baby and I found out unexpectedly only one week ago after taking two pregnancy tests at home.

I am just married (six months) and it has been completely unexpected but great news for both of us. I had been on the pill but my pill free period had overran by a few days.

I have thrown myself into buying baby books, doing everything I should be doing and avoiding the don'ts. I haven't had any bleeding and my bump seems fine!

I booked myself into a private 'viability' scan today because I wasn't sure exactly how old the baby was and if it was ok, I was worried about the contraceptive and constipation tablets taken before finding out.

However at my scan, the scan guy told me he could not find a heartbeat! He said that I had a retroverted uterus but said the baby is not alive anymore due to not being able to find a heartbeat!

I was devastated because it doesn't feel like I have lost my little angel at all.. but then when I went on the net, I found lost of reports from women who cannot find a fetal heartbeat till about 10-12 weeks especially those with a retroverted/tilted uterus?

Should I go ahead and have a termination which I don't want to do, but according to the doctor, the sooner is better. Or should I go for a second opinion and wait and see, or am I being a dreamer?

The measurements were as follows (not sure what everything means!)

gestational sac present 22.7 mm
yolk sac present 7.2
embryo present
fetal heart action absent
gsd volume 5.5 ml
CRL 13.7 mm

I would be so grateful if someone could tell me what to do and whether my baby is gone or not?

thank you so much for your help, i would appreciate any assistance!

[wolfiefish]

You really need to seek a professional medical opinion to your question. yes get a second opinion, or even a third.

[gbradfield]

i really feel for you cause pregnancy is a scary time but i would definately get a second or even third opinion. I had a acan at 7 weeks because i had some bleedind and they couldnt see aheartbeat but told me that because the feotus is so small and im to early into the pregnancy that they wouldt be able to tell. my daughter looked like a bean! I went back 2 weeks later and was suprised to see how much she had developed and a heartbeat!!!!!!!!! My advice to you would be not to lose hipe just yet, go and see your gp and request he/she books you for a scan. good luck and i hope everything is ok xx

[hopefulone]

thank you for your answer, i am having another scan wedensday which should be about just under 9 weeks, and am hoping it will be more positive news. i will bring the measurements and hope that they have not gone down but i am feeling more positive than i did last night!

[sara3]

of course you must get another opinion, but my advice would be not to raise your hopes too high either. be open minded, look after yourself and try not to fret too much.

I'll keep everything crossed for you x

[legendis.god]

I know someone in the same position and it was bad news for her.

For others it may be different.

Seek medical advice

[sqad617]

Ignore the scan at the moment and repeat the pregnancy test.
Pregnancy test POS.....then good news.

Pregnancy test NEG.....foetus is dead.

[ettelloc]

Hi hopefulone, in my opinion a home pregnancy is not the best route to take. You may still have levels of pregnancy hormones in your body but this does not mean you are still pregnant. I would definately seek further medical advice which is more accurate and will avoid more confusion. Hope all goes well.

[gbradfield]

i agree not to do another test because as long as you have a feotus in the womb you will still carry pregnancy hormones therefore get a positive result. Your scan will give you the answer. Good luck and i hope you get the answer you want x

[sqad617]

"i agree not to do another test because as long as you have a feotus in the womb you will still carry pregnancy hormones therefore get a positive result. "

Not so...if dead foetus, progesterone levels fall and pregnancy tests are normal.

[sara3]

sqad, I had a pregnancy test done in hospital which showed positive.. and it really wasn't because I'd had a "missed miscarriage"

[gbradfield]

i had a positive result after having a d&c after having a misscarrage

[sqad617]

Did you then have a D&C.............for retained products and biopsy?

[sara3]

I had a D&C sqad, but have no idea if they did further tests.

[sqad617]

sara,..... well that could explain pos pregnancy test.....

O.K. sara.

Fottie just starting.

[sara3]

hopefulone.. we've all been a bit negative here, but really.. you never know! I have two children..all hope is not lost :o)

best of luck for your next appointment x

[sqad617]

sara....you didn't have a "missed abortion" you had an "incomplete abortion" i.e your body thought that you were still mpregnant because you had retained placental products producing hormones and making your pregnancy test positive.
Hopeful's situation is quite different.

[hopefulone]

hi, will have my second scan on wednesday 18th (my birthday is 18th nov so hoping will bring me some luck!).

am a bit concerned that it will be bad news because had followed my gp's advice and taken senna tablets for constipation and then found out from internet resources it could be harmful!!, so maybe this is why the embryo was affected.

am hopeful but also prepared for the worst but feel better either way that i have asked for a second opinion.

i also took one of those pregnancy tests with conception date last night and it told me that i am pregnant with 3 weeks plus conception (max possible) and the result was pretty immediate so hoping that is a good sign. thank you for your comments, praying for the best!

[sqad617]

hopefulone.............my money is on a normal scan on Wednesday, with a viable foetus.
Good luck.

[bednobs]

being a bit pedantic, as far as i'm aware squad, pregnancy tests do not test for progesterone any way, they test for hcg (human choricnic gonadatrophin) And even if the pregnancy has ended, levels of hgc can still be there, although they fall rapidly, todays pg tests are very sensitive to the hormone (ie they can tell 6 days before a missed period nowadays)

[sqad617]

bednobs...I agree.