Overly paranoid or do I have a right to be?

cc0220

I need advice from some ladies on what you would do.

I hit 10 weeks yesterday and still have not had an ultrasound, per my OB.  I was getting really impatient and found an ultrasound place that does an early pregnancy ultrasound for pretty cheap so I figured I'd do it to put my worries at rest and confirm that there was indeed a baby in there and that everything was okay.  So, I went yesterday and she found the baby quickly but I could never see a little flicker for a heartbeat.  She tried to listen to the heartbeat but you could only get a little blip for a milisecond.  She kept saying that the baby was really small and was I sure of my dates.  I am positive of my dates and that as of yesterday I was 10 wks.  She didn't tell me to contact my doctor or anything but offered to do another ultrasound in a week to see if we could hear heartbeat.  Well now it's all I can think about!  Would you go on to the ER and explain the situation and let them do an ultrasound, wait until tomorrow and call my doctor and see what they say, or just wait it out?   Advice please!

fknies

If your baby is healthy then everything will be fine. At 36 with a 15 year old.. I have come to the realization that if this is meant to be.. It's going to be fine. I mc at 16 weeks before I got preg with my 15 year old. Hence it's taken this long to get my mind around doing it again. In the end.. There is nothing you can do but relax.. Baby was seen: and heart beat was seen... : it's going to be fine :

cc0220

Yes, I was charting and know all of my dates.  I had positive pregnancy test very early so I thought there may be a chance of me being farther along than I thought.  Doctor confirmed at first appt that I was 6 weeks by size of uterus but did not do an ultrasound. 

Mrs.AllyH

I would wait until tomorrow and call the Dr. I'm guessing they might be a little annoyed that you went outside the practice. From experience of friends, the solo u/s places aren't really reliable. They don't necessarily require the same training as those in medical practices. They also don't have the same standards for their medical equipment calibrations, preventive maintenance, etc. I will say at 9wk3d we were able to hear the hb but couldn't see it. Try to stay calm and call the doctor in the am.

mawarren

It seems that you just may not be measuring as far along as you thought. Don't go to the er. You could call your doctor and see if they will do another ultrasound. I just don't understand about the heartbeat part. There either is or isn't a heartbeat. Some places just don't let you hear the heartbeat in the first trimester bc it's not supposed to be good for the baby to put the pulsed doppler on the baby during that time. 

KylieCamp13

I wouldn't go to the ER. Even though they are still doctors they are not OB's and the techs that will be doing your us do not regularly work in OB. And, honestly, there wouldn't be anything they could do for you, regardless of what might or might not be going on.

I understand being impatient and why you felt the need to go out side of your practice. But as PP said those places do not require the kind of training that most OB's will. You also do not know the quality of the equipment used versus what your OB has.

If you do not have an ultrasound scheduled then just call your OB's office and tell them your fears. 

Best wishes.

cc0220

That's my whole concern is that I don't understand how we couldn't see and/or hear the heartbeat, at this point one or the other should have been picked up.  I have no doubts about how far along I am because of when I had my positive pregnancy test and at the most I could only be off by a week, if that.  With first pregnancy they could pick up the heartbeat at 8 weeks and there is no way I'm less than that now. Hoping that the problem in all of this is with the ultrasound equipment.

KdgTeacher

You can't really argue with the measurements of the baby though, that's the thing.  If the baby is measuring 2-3+ weeks behind (or whatever length), that's what they go off of.    When is your actual OB going to do a u/s?

mommatotwo2

I understand the anxiousness and I do feel OB's should do a dating ultrasound minimally, but there are many that do not.

By 10 weeks, you should definitely be able to see and hear a heartbeat. I saw a heartbeat at 5w6d with DD one and saw/heard a heartbeat at 8 weeks with this DD. I would call your OB first thing in the morning and explain that you were feeling anxious and went to an elective ultrasound place and they were unable to find a heartbeat at 10 weeks. They will likely do one in the office.

Emergency rooms are for emergencies. Even in the terrible event that you were miscarrying, there is nothing the ER can do for you and you'll only be exposing yourself to the flu and countless other germs going around.

T&P that everything is ok and that not picking up the heartbeat is simply because of the technique of the u/s tech and the possibly faulty equipment.

cc0220

I'm scheduled to have ultrasound in 2 1/2 weeks. 

 

huntjul

cc0220:

I need advice from some ladies on what you would do.

I hit 10 weeks yesterday and still have not had an ultrasound, per my OB.  I was getting really impatient and found an ultrasound place that does an early pregnancy ultrasound for pretty cheap so I figured I'd do it to put my worries at rest and confirm that there was indeed a baby in there and that everything was okay.  So, I went yesterday and she found the baby quickly but I could never see a little flicker for a heartbeat.  She tried to listen to the heartbeat but you could only get a little blip for a milisecond.  She kept saying that the baby was really small and was I sure of my dates.  I am positive of my dates and that as of yesterday I was 10 wks.  She didn't tell me to contact my doctor or anything but offered to do another ultrasound in a week to see if we could hear heartbeat.  Well now it's all I can think about!  Would you go on to the ER and explain the situation and let them do an ultrasound, wait until tomorrow and call my doctor and see what they say, or just wait it out?   Advice please!

This is a really good example of why not to use a non-medical ultrasound place.  Lesser quality machine and a lesser trained technician resulting in a mom who now has to worry for 2.5 weeks about whether baby's okay or not.

 OP, I hope that your little one is okay.

jorkz821

huntjul:

cc0220:

I need advice from some ladies on what you would do.

I hit 10 weeks yesterday and still have not had an ultrasound, per my OB.  I was getting really impatient and found an ultrasound place that does an early pregnancy ultrasound for pretty cheap so I figured I'd do it to put my worries at rest and confirm that there was indeed a baby in there and that everything was okay.  So, I went yesterday and she found the baby quickly but I could never see a little flicker for a heartbeat.  She tried to listen to the heartbeat but you could only get a little blip for a milisecond.  She kept saying that the baby was really small and was I sure of my dates.  I am positive of my dates and that as of yesterday I was 10 wks.  She didn't tell me to contact my doctor or anything but offered to do another ultrasound in a week to see if we could hear heartbeat.  Well now it's all I can think about!  Would you go on to the ER and explain the situation and let them do an ultrasound, wait until tomorrow and call my doctor and see what they say, or just wait it out?   Advice please!

This is a really good example of why not to use a non-medical ultrasound place.  Lesser quality machine and a lesser trained technician resulting in a mom who now has to worry for 2.5 weeks about whether baby's okay or not.

 OP, I hope that your little one is okay.

This exactly. I'm really surprised a third party place like that would even take someone this early, for this exact reason.

rayandbrit

If you can, I would just wait the 2.5 weeks. I know it feels like forever, but IMO it'd be better to just wait. That being said, if you honestly don't think you can, I'd call your OB, explain what happened & they will most likely schedule an ultrasound. Whichever you choose, I would not go to the ER.

Pregnancy is miraculous & exciting, but it's equally as scary. Chances are this wont be the first time you'll have to just kind of let go during your pregnancy, there's not much we can control. I know it's hard, but try to have faith in your body & your OB to take the best care of your baby as possible.

shakes

Joy2611:

jorkz821:

huntjul:

cc0220:

I need advice from some ladies on what you would do.

I hit 10 weeks yesterday and still have not had an ultrasound, per my OB.  I was getting really impatient and found an ultrasound place that does an early pregnancy ultrasound for pretty cheap so I figured I'd do it to put my worries at rest and confirm that there was indeed a baby in there and that everything was okay.  So, I went yesterday and she found the baby quickly but I could never see a little flicker for a heartbeat.  She tried to listen to the heartbeat but you could only get a little blip for a milisecond.  She kept saying that the baby was really small and was I sure of my dates.  I am positive of my dates and that as of yesterday I was 10 wks.  She didn't tell me to contact my doctor or anything but offered to do another ultrasound in a week to see if we could hear heartbeat.  Well now it's all I can think about!  Would you go on to the ER and explain the situation and let them do an ultrasound, wait until tomorrow and call my doctor and see what they say, or just wait it out?   Advice please!

This is a really good example of why not to use a non-medical ultrasound place.  Lesser quality machine and a lesser trained technician resulting in a mom who now has to worry for 2.5 weeks about whether baby's okay or not.

 OP, I hope that your little one is okay.

This exactly. I'm really surprised a third party place like that would even take someone this early, for this exact reason.

Exactly.  There's so much more I want to say here, but I'll just leave it at this.

+1.

OP do not go to emerge, there is no reason. Just wait it out.

AppleMuffins

If they caught a blip of your baby's heartbeat, then to me it sounds like it's there but they aren't very skilled at what they do. Most of these places aren't doing early ultrasounds because people come in wanting to know gender or to see what their baby looks like. There's just not as much to see so early. And the baby technically is still very small. A week 9 baby is the size of a grape. I'm not sure how big a 10 week baby is, but it's not going to be a huge difference. It's not a grapefruit yet or anything. If their equipment isn't that good and their techs less skilled and experienced, it might still be hard to find. It's hard to find a heartbeat on a regular Doppler that early sometimes. I know how hard it is to wait and how nerve wracking it is, but definitely don't go to the ER as others have said. If you really, really need the reassurance, talk to your ob tomorrow and explain, but otherwise try to wait it out and chalk it up to an unskilled tech. As others have said, IF something is wrong, there's not really anything that can be done anyway, though I know it would be nice to know sooner rather than later for peace of mind.

Shaunamae87

This has happened to me before. Well similar situation with the heart beat. Please just try to relax and be patient. I know it's like asking you not to breathe but it is the best thing you can do for yourself and the baby. No ER unless you start to bleed.

csspencer

Did they do a transvaginal or abdominal u/s. my drs official rarely does an abdominal before 12 weeks because often you can't get a totally clear picture. It sounds like this is the case. If they saw a "blip" of a heartbeat than everything is ok, they just don't have the proper u/s equipment to get a great picture.

cc0220

Yeah that's kind of what I've written it off as, bad technique. it was abdominal.

 

MJHershey

My OB offers 4D u/s for a price if a patient wants one at around 28 weeks, his comment was "We'd rather you have it done here where we can see everything and make any medical diagnoses or say it's fine than a random place that does not have the education".

 

Lisianna

I just got a dating ultrasound today bc my ovulation was off. I am sure of my dates just as you but bc I ovulated late I am 7 weeks instead of the should be 10 . If this is the case with you, then you baby isn't just be too small at the moment to see everything. My nurse too the measurements of my baby today to tell me how far along I was. Talk to your doctor and tell her, perhaps you should get a dating ultrasound also.