did anyone get early elective ultrasounds?

NewlywedInNewYork · October 2011

I will be 8 weeks tomorrow and I'm starting to be so anxious and scared at the thought of missed miscarriage.. I don't know why it scares me so much but I'm starting to get totally paranoid about it. I am on progesterone so I feel like I might not start bleeding if something goes wrong, and the idea of going along thinking everything is okay with a dead baby inside me is just horrifying. I am trying to figure out if there is somewhere I can have an elective ultrasound for a reasonable price.. I know there are plenty of places who do them, but one of the places just told me that no one will do an elective ultrasound in the state of VA before 16 weeks (!).. ugh! Is there anything else I can do to get one at 8-9 weeks??

KelXoXo · October 2011

But it looks like you've already seen the heartbeat, per your siggy? Isn't that enough to convince you that baby is healthy right now, that you don't need an ultrasound?

What about getting a doppler - I think Babies R Us sells them, and you can also order them online, to try to listen on your own at home.

BirdGirl01 · October 2011

Have you been in to see a doctor yet? I had lots of ultrasounds early in my pregnancy because they thought something was wrong. I can tell you they did nothing to calm my fears (because the doctors thought something was wrong). After we were out of the first 12 weeks and everything was normal I felt much better.

Your post reads, however, as though you're very anxious. It's, of course, normal to be a little nervous - but you'll drive yourself crazy if you think about the what ifs for the next 32 weeks. If you haven't been in yet to see your doctor, you should schedule an appt and mention your anxiety. It may be something he/she can help you with.

Also, you won't have to wait until 16 weeks to hear the HB. They can hear that on a doppler at 12, if not a little before.

victoria1212 · October 2011

I think a lot of the elective ultrasound places are external and if I remember correctly, when I was in my first trimester, my ultrasounds used the internal device. I would call your doctor and discuss the anxiety you are having.

smacb · October 2011

Progesterone won't stop you from bleeding if you're miscarrying. It only (sometimes) delays AF.

If you have a heart rate and multiple good betas, the baby is fine. If you're 8 weeks, you should have your first OB appointment soon and most Obs do an ultrasound at the first appointment

Try to relax.

WinesNot Whines · October 2011

When does your doctor office typically do ultrasounds? I had one at 7 weeks to date the pregnancy. I also had an NT scan around 12 weeks, which was covered by insurance. Are you planning to get the NT scan? That won't be too far away for you.

Sofka · October 2011

we also did an NT scan; at your 1st OB appt, the Dr will listen for the heartbeat and it should reassure you.

NewlywedInNewYork · October 2011

Thanks for all of the responses

Yes, I have had a doctor's appointment and actually two ultrasounds already. I had my first ultrasound at 6w5d but I only measured at 6w1d and heard a heartbeat of 110. That was last Monday. The following Friday (7w2d), I had my first OB appointment and she did an abdominal ultrasound. She found the heartbeat. I felt VERY rushed and was not really able to ask all of my questions. I was kind of caught off guard by how rushed the whole thing was. The abdominal ultrasound took about 30 seconds (that's being generous really.. maybe 15) and we didn't hear the heartbeat, just saw it. I spoke up and told her that I was nervous that I had measured small earlier in the week and I asked for her to measure this time around. She just said, oh it's looking fine for seven weeks and that was that. I am not a very aggressive person and felt uncomfortable pushing, but I wish now that I had pushed and asked her for an exact measurement. I just would have liked to know if it is still measuring 4 days small (I would not worry.. I think I ovulated on the later side anyway), has caught up (that would be great) or is measuring even smaller than it was before, which I think would be a cause for concern.

After IVF that led to a chemical pregnancy, I admit that I am a total emotional wreck right now and I feel like I'm waiting for the ball to drop on this pregnancy even though I may not legitimately have a reason to feel that way. I am also having a fair amount of light cramping and lower back pain, and have been the whole way through, which concerns me. That's the one thing that actually did NOT concern me from the get go, but then one of the other doctors in the practice told me that he was concerned about it and my imagination started running wild.

Soo.. that's where I'm at.

NewlywedInNewYork · October 2011

Oh and btw- I already ordered a doppler (I promise I am not as crazy as I sound) - but it hasn't arrived yet and I assumed it wouldn't work for a little while anyway.

Also, I did talk to my doctor about my anxiety and she explained that I had nothing to worry about, that the chemical pregnancy has no bearing on this, etc.. but honestly it didn't make me feel better at all. I feel like I have been on the wrong side of great chances enough in the last few years to know that a 5% chance of miscarriage, or whatever it is right now, means that there is still a chance and I could very well still miscarry.

umdbride · October 2011

this is kind of off-topic, but maybe you want to consider switching doctors, and/or looking for a midwife practice to find someone that will spend more time with you or that you feel more comfortable with?

I had a very early miscarriage with a traditional OB/GYN and I just didn't like how she handled the miscarriage and my first appointment when I was pregnant again. I felt like she dismissed my concerns, even though she was probably right that another miscarriage was highly unlikely. I opted to switch to a midwife practice associated with an OB/GYN practice and was so happy with the relationship I developed with them. That said, they don't usually do ultrasounds as often as an OB/GYN (unless there is a medically necessary reason for one), and they'd refer you to another practice for ultrasounds.

BirdGirl01 · October 2011

I'm very sorry for your past experience. I can only imagine how nervous that makes you feel for this pregnancy. But really, there's nothing you could have or can do that will change things at this early stage.

Caveat - I am NOT a doctor or a medical professional of any sort, but do you otherwise suffer from anxiety? That's what I was reading in your post - and that's something you should get some help for. Because you're pregnant, your OB will need to be involved, but it may also require a referral to someone else.

FWIW - DD's HB wasn't registering at all at 6 weeks, and at 7 weeks it was in the 80s. They were concerned, but obviously, she was fine. And now she's a healthy, happy 1 year old. 110 at 6 weeks sounds like the baby is doing great!

ETA: Ditto UMDBride. OB practices are often rushed. I didn't mind that, because it meant that I got in and out quickly - and I found that as I got later in my pregnancy they did spend more time with me. But it sounds like a different practice may be a better fit for you.

NewlywedInNewYork · October 2011

Thanks for the responses!

I normally do not have a problem with anxiety, but I have had a lot of craziness medically over the last 2.5 years that was just appalling. I ended up with this horrible freak infection and almost died in an emergency room in NYC because I was misdiagnosed by at least ten different doctors- by the time they finally agreed to do a CT scan and figured out what was wrong with me, I had to get rushed into surgery b/c I was starting to go into sepsis. The infection had gotten so big and out of control that it needed three follow up surgeries (and counting) and now I have this string hanging out of me draining infection from the site as a temporary fix. The long and short of it was that I still have no explanation for what happened, why it won't heal, and why I was misdiagnosed.

During one of those follow up surgeries, my surgeon randomly performed an elective procedure on something in a similar part of my body that I had not agreed to and left me with months of horrible pain..

Then I was diagnosed with Stage IV endo and had two surgeries from that, and while the second one at least made it possible for me to conceive, it was no picnic and I still suffer(ed) from horrible pain afterwards. Not sure if my cramping now is due to endo or not.

Then the IVF and the C/P.

SO- before all of this, I really was not an anxious person. Now, I have a very hard time trusting doctors and statistics and all of that. Maybe I do need to see a therapist?

And- due to all of this infection and where it is located, I have to have a scheduled C section. Can I still go to a practice with midwives? I kind of assumed that was out.

Sorry for the autobiography but I thought that some background might be helpful!

BirdGirl01 · October 2011

Wow! You've got a LOT going on. I'm so sorry for all that you've been through. Based on what you've said, I think you might benefit from talking to someone. I know I would had I been through what you've been through. No wonder you're nervous.

There are practices that have both midwives and OBs. That sounds like it may be a good fit for you. Mine did not, but I'm sure some ladies on here can recommend some that do.

mssaint · October 2011

I just want to give you a big hug - you sound so stressed out and worried. I understand - I went into every single doctor's appointment of my pregnancy worried about something.

I got u/s at 6 and 7 weeks through my RE and then at 9 weeks when I graduated to my OB. Then again at 12 weeks for my NT scan, and then for the big u/s at 20 weeks. Right around then I could hear the heartbeat with the doppler and would check when I got worried.

I think if you tell your OB about your anxiety, they will probably take a bit longer with you, and will probably either give you an u/s or check the heartbeat for longer. I also learned that if I started the visit by saying "I have a list of questions" and pulled out an actual piece of paper, they would stay a little longer to answer the questions. If I didn't set the agenda, they did and their agenda was much briefer than I wanted! They did start taking more time with me as I got later in the pregnancy.

fatjavacat · October 2011

Nothing really to add - but hang in there! Keep thinking positive thoughts!

WinesNot Whines · October 2011

Given your history, I definitely understand why you're anxious. But I also agree with pp who suggested that you may want to switch OB practices. Granted, I had a fairly uncomplicated pregnancy, but I never felt rushed or dismissed by my OBs.

If you have cramping that you feel is abnormal, call them and see what they say. If they dismiss you, then that may be a sign that you should switch practices.

BirdGirl01 · October 2011

WinesNot Whines:

If you have cramping that you feel is abnormal, call them and see what they say. If they dismiss you, then that may be a sign that you should switch practices.

This is a really good point. My early appts were quick, but my office was very good at not dismissing any concerns and either taking my calls right away or getting me in for an appt - even if it was just to hear her HB on the doppler. Definitely worth trying to find the right practice.

NewlywedInNewYork · October 2011

Thanks to all of you. I am going to give it until my next appointment and then probably switch if I still feel like I'm being rushed, etc. Thank you all again for your support- I really appreciate it!

BabyHatch · October 2011

First, so sorry for everything you've been through. Please don't second guess yourself for being "too anxious" bc like others have said, you have been through a lot! I might even describe your experience as medical trauma (ptsd-like) so again, trust yourself and if you feel you need more, don't be afraid to ask for it. Good luck!

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