Why do some people get offered ultrasounds at 6 weeks?

sasv89 · July 2015

i keep seeing posts about people having ultrasounds at 6 weeks. How come some people get early ones? I was doubled over in agony from 6-8 weeks pregnant. I tried to push for a scan at 7 weeks as I was worried. Midwife wouldn't arrange one as I wasn't bleeding. Finally have my 12 week scan on Thursday but am still concened about the pains I felt that time.

ecmb · July 2015

Every dr is different but people who have experienced losses often have earlier scans. Those that got pregnant with the help of an RE also get earlier scans.

If it's your first pregnancy or you've had other pregnancies with no complications, chances are you won't have a scan until later. They can't see much at 6 weeks anyway

sasv89 · July 2015

Ahh ok. This is my first and Thought I was missing something hehe x

AdoptedCalm · July 2015

I had my scan at 6 weeks and we could see a little stringbean baby and hear their heartbeat. But I also didn't give my doctor a choice. I told them that I had taken a test and I was worried that I might be further along than I thought. They got my in right away for my first scan.

mrsloriw · July 2015

I had my first scan at 6 weeks, but it's after a successful IVF. They told me they wanted to make sure the baby implanted in the right place in my uterus and wasn't ectopic. They also looked to make sure it had a gestational sac, a yolk sac, and a fetal pole, and measured to make sure the growth was going Ok. She told me it was probably too early to see a heartbeat and lo and behold we saw a faint flicker! I assume it's only because of our trouble getting pregnant and the IVF that we got one so early.

amberrmariee20 · July 2015

We only get 1 scan done at 20 weeks(the anatomy scan) unless we have other problems. At 8.5 weeks and 12 weeks I had ultrasounds, the first time due to pain and bleeding Dr was concerned it was etopic. The second time due to bleeding.

KP421 · July 2015

My first pregnancy was an ectopic that ruptured just before six weeks and then had some resulting complications. Having one ectopic I am at greater risk of having another and so now my dr follows my betas. Once they reach a level where something should be visible on u/s, I have an early scan to confirm the pregnancy is not ectopic. We do this knowing that we will see very little, but it is needed to prevent another possible rupture.

GingerTurtles · July 2015

AdoptedCalm said:

I had my scan at 6 weeks and we could see a little stringbean baby and hear their heartbeat. But I also didn't give my doctor a choice. I told them that I had taken a test and I was worried that I might be further along than I thought. They got my in right away for my first scan.

ashleyandjody · July 2015

I had my first scan at 6w5d because this is my very first pregnancy. I'm not high risk, it wasn't through IVF, and I don't have any medical conditions. We got to see the baby and hear their heartbeat, which was absolutely amazing! I go back in at 12w5d for my next appointment, and I'm so excited!

ecwk · July 2015

I'm not entirely sure why I had an early one (estimated 5w4d when I had it), my OB/GYN just scheduled one for me when I told her I was pregnant. I assumed it was routine though now I think maybe it was because I was spotting a little, or because she had diagnosed me as PCOS and had given me little hope of getting pregnant on my own...either way I have another this Friday when I should be 6w5d. I guess they want to check viability of the pregnancy.

delujm0 · July 2015

I had a dating scan at 8w bc my periods are irregular. I was temping but my doctor insisted on doing one anyway. I also opted for the NT scan at 12w. The only truly necessary ultrasound is the anatomy scan, done between 18 and 22 weeks. I wound up having a few later ones too...one due to fundal measurement being high, a position scan at 36w bc she was breech at the previous scan, and one at 38w bc my blood pressure was borderline high so they wanted to figure out if they should induce or not (they didn't).

sasv89 · July 2015

Ashelyandjody why do you have an early scan then if you weren't high risk? Did you go private for piece of mind? This is also my first and am terrified ongoing for my 12 week scan and I've had a missed miscarriage x

Fidgette · July 2015

I got a scan at 7 weeks, but it was a pretty simple procedure, they were just measuring baby and looking for a heartbeat. I think it's quite rare to get one so early, my doctor just got us in earlier.

clairemwalker · July 2015

I had a scan done at 5.5 weeks and and having a repeat done at 7.4 weeks but that is becuase i have had 9 days of spotting (started 2 days before my 1st scan) generally cramping is not an issue,(remember your uterus is growing and stretching and your organs are starting to move to make way) unless accompanied by bleeding. How i wish i hadnt needed these scans!

maelic · July 2015

I actually have no idea. I moved between my first pregnancy and this one and while my first OB scheduled the first visit for 10w and the first ultrasound as the NT scan at 12w, my new OB sees patients for an ultrasound at 7w as a matter of course. Both in MA, both great hospitals. I might ask when I go in, I'm curious too.

roo1oo · July 2015

My OB does a scan at 8-10 weeks to measure and check for heartbeat. Every OB is different though. I've heard that measuring the size between 8-12 weeks is the most accurate predictor of how far along you are. That said with my first I went in at 8 weeks right on the dot, measured 8w 6 days, and ended up giving birth almost two weeks after my EDD. So no scan can predict when anything will happen, just that things are moving along as expected.

ashleyandjody · July 2015

sasv89 said:

Ashelyandjody why do you have an early scan then if you weren't high risk? Did you go private for piece of mind? This is also my first and am terrified ongoing for my 12 week scan and I've had a missed miscarriage x

When I found out I was pregnant, I just called my OB/GYN and they scheduled an appointment for me. I didn't think it was unusual because this is my first pregnancy. I just think that was when they had an opening, and I was close to 7 weeks.

bhill02014 · July 2015

I'm 6w4d and I'm having an ultrasound this week. It is my first pregnancy but I'm not high risk. My doc just said it's for dating purposes. I guess it just depends on the doc.

Unknown · July 2015

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CaitRoss14 · July 2015

This is my first pregnancy and I had a ultrasound @6 weeks to measure how far along I was which was helpful because they thought I was a day away from 9 weeks

teresaa125 · July 2015

Well I just figure US at 6w was normal. This is my third pregnancy, but lost two to miscarriage and ectopic, so hoping this one sticks. Got pregnant through IVF, so perhaps that's why I'm having a 6w US.

Aquarius923 · July 2015

It depends on the woman, her situation, as well as the doctor office.

My ob does dating ultrasounds around 9 weeks. After that, you get an anatomy scan at 12 weeks.

meg_2006 · July 2015

just OB policy. My first OB ordered one as soon as I found out I was pregnant, before my first appointment. He retired, my new OB waited until after my first appointment (will be 8 weeks, it takes 2 weeks to get in the schedule). I know some local OB's who don't order one until 12 weeks. I would HATE that. I just want to hear the heartbeat and know everything is OK!

aspain13 · July 2015

If you are high risk they tend to do things a little different and can decide to scan you early.

Hullabaloo2016 · July 2015

I got an early u/s at 6w3d because this is my 4th pregnancy without a live birth and I started bleeding. BUT my OB schedules everybody for a viability check at 7-8 weeks.

Thankfully this go around, the bleeding stopped and I got to see a heartbeat. Go back in a few days for another u/s, hopefully little one has grown and has a nice strong heartbeat, measured really really small the first time, but that could be because 1. We gave up last year and I stopped temping so I'm not exactly sure when I O'd. 2. Hard to measure this early, if baby is tilted towards or away from ultrasound at all it will have a big impact on measurement.

mummytojasperlee · July 2015

I had my first ultrasound at 11 weeks with mt son but asked my doctor for a dating scan this time round and she was fine with it.

Knottie14532958 · July 2015

I just got offered at 6 weeks to date the baby.

4N6s · July 2015

I'm not sure, but it's a viability ultrasound for my Dr's office.
Most insurance companies only cover 2 throughout the whole pregnancy.

inomniaparatus · July 2015

I got one at 8 weeks - just from a small ultrasound machine abdominally, in my doctor's office. She checked for location, heartbeat and measured baby to get an edd.
I got a Nuchal translucency w/ 3d ultrasound at the hospital at 12w. But, everytime I go to the doctor, she just asks if I want to see my baby and shows me on the smaller machine in her office. She doesn't charge for it or report it to the insurance company. A lot of doctors do this just to be nice. The big ultrasounds are 12 weeks for the nt and then 18-20 weeks for the anatomy scan.

amberrmariee20 · July 2015

sunrise135 said:

inomniaparatus said:
I got one at 8 weeks - just from a small ultrasound machine abdominally, in my doctor's office. She checked for location, heartbeat and measured baby to get an edd.
I got a Nuchal translucency w/ 3d ultrasound at the hospital at 12w. But, everytime I go to the doctor, she just asks if I want to see my baby and shows me on the smaller machine in her office. She doesn't charge for it or report it to the insurance company. A lot of doctors do this just to be nice. The big ultrasounds are 12 weeks for the nt and then 18-20 weeks for the anatomy scan.
Are you sure the "don't charge for it or report it?" or its "just to be nice?" have a hard time believing that one. Its being charged one way or another to inurance. Doctors typically don't do things to be nice, they do it to add on an other "extra" procedure.

My drs office doesn't even have a machine in her office, and unless we have complications or bleeding she said the only ultrasound that is necessary is the anatomy scan.

groovylocks · July 2015

I find the 6 week scan to be strange too (in a typical pregnancy i mean) as it is highly possible that they can't even FIND anything that early anyway.

I had my first at 8 weeks and it looked like a gummy bear floating in a swimming pool.

Jalom · August 2015

I had one at 6 weeks bc I'd had some bleeding and there was concern that it might be ectopic (it wasn't).

bridgetrange2011 · August 2015

I tried to get in as soon as possible to see an OB as it took us 2 years to conceive but they won't see me until 10.5 weeks. They said it's because they won't be able to see anything until then!

almostahawk · August 2015

I got an internal scan at 4 weeks and I'm due to have a scan this Friday (at 6 weeks). I had pains (which seem to be calming down now) and they wanted to rule out ectopic pregnancy. I think everything's going to be okay though. By the sounds of it I've been quite lucky as the doctor referred me straight away and it's my first pregnancy so I've had no previous complications. I'm in England with the NHS, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

KarlaMCurry · August 2015

My doctor's office does an early ultrasound around 9 weeks to establish age of the fetus. My pregnancies are high-risk, so when I went in earlier during the 2nd pregnancy (around 6 weeks, I think) they gave me an ultrasound to make sure things were alright.

TheBorg7of9 · August 2015

My midwife doesn't usually do the first ultrasound. But I have had a prior miscarriage, so I asked if I could please come in earlier. My first ultrasound is scheduled for 6 weeks and 4 days. Seeing a heartbeat is very important to me and also really reduces the chance of miscarriage.

ambernectar87 · August 2015

I had one early (7 weeks, turns out they said I was only 5 at the scan) as I was due to have an abortion and they scan to check how far along you are before doing the procedure. I decided to keep the baby, but definitely wouldn't have had a scan so early on otherwise xx

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