Pregnant after a Loss

Did you hear a heartbeat before you miscarried?

linzandjer11linzandjer11 member
edited March 2016 in Pregnant after a Loss
Many of us still feel so anxious after hearing the heartbeat. I'd love to (hopefully) encourage everyone by showing that hearing a strong heartbeat is a really good sign of a rainbow baby growing. I know that wasn't the case for everyone, but hopefully the numbers will reflect hope! (Remember, this is for your miscarriage(s), not your current pregnancy.)

Did you hear a heartbeat before you miscarried? 87 votes

No hb at us, low blood work numbers
11% 10 votes
No hb at us, high/doubling blood work numbers
10% 9 votes
Weak hb at us, low blood work numbers
4% 4 votes
Weak hb at us, high/doubling blood work numbers
1% 1 vote
Strong hb at us, low blood work numbers
9% 8 votes
Strong hb at us, high blood work numbers
47% 41 votes
Never checked hb, low blood work numbers
6% 6 votes
Never checked hb or blood work
9% 8 votes

Re: Did you hear a heartbeat before you miscarried?

  • Heartbeat was strong at 8 1/2 weeks but blood work wasn't doubling at that point. Miscarried somewhere between seeing the heartbeat for the first time and two weeks later for pressure in my abdomen which turned out to be a UTI.
  • I've heard so many stories of women with different stories, but many of them have been losses with lower numbers and they never heard a heartbeat. I thought that would be a more common story. But maybe just not on this board. 
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  • RiverSong15RiverSong15 member
    edited March 2016
    I MCd at 7 weeks, which was 1 week before my first appointment. So, no bloodwork or ultrasound beforehand.

    ETA: my OB said that after seeing a heartbeat, the MC risk drops below 5%. I'm not sure if the TB community has a bit of a sample bias, but it sure seems higher here  :(
  • Unfortunately, hearing a strong heartbeat only really means the baby/embryo is doing well at that moment. It's not a guarantee that it will continue to develop and grow healthily. I'm sure that's not what you wanted to hear, but I wish someone had told me that a year ago when I lost my pregnancy at 8.5 weeks after having heard a great heartbeat the week before...
    Anniversary
    TTC since January 2015
    3/15/2015 BFP!
    4/15/2015 MMC  :'(
    2/25/2016 BFP! Hoping for the best!
  • I had a healthy heartbeat at 9 week scan and went back at 13 weeks to discover baby had stopped growing around 10 weeks and had no heartbeat. My OB does initial hcg levels, but doesn't recheck. I never knew my numbers, but I think if they were low, they would have had me do another draw.
  • I never had bloodwork done the first go around, but we had a healthy strong heartbeat at 9wks and discovered the loss at 12wks.  Doctors estimated baby died at 9+4wks, so soon after hearing that healthy little heartbeat.
    BFP 2/11/15 (EDD 10/13/15). MMC 3/30/15 D&C 4/3/15 "We will always love you"
    DD1 - BFP 7/23/15 (EDD 3/31/16).  "We believe in you rainbow" DOB 4/2/16
    DD2 - BFP 2/9/18 (EDD 10/19/18).  "Grow baby grow!" DOB 10/24/18
    BFP 11/16/20 (EDD 7/31/21).  "Round 3 FIGHT!"
  • **tw** I didn't vote because none of that was me. I got pregnant very soon after my first daughter was born so no lmp to go off of. My OB scanned weekly and at 6w5d we saw a healthy hb. At 7w5d there was no hb. My progesterone had been very low even on supplements, but I had low progesterone with my first healthy pregnancy so that was not a good indication for us. 
  • @RiverSong15 you are right. A healthy heart beat is a first milestone to get to. And for people who have experienced loss, we have to measure things in milestones in order to keep a piece of sanity. Heartbeat, getting past the week where you previously miscarried, getting to second trimester, having a healthy anatomy scan, feeling baby move, viability, third trimester, and count down. I can appreciate the point behind the original post, but I also think because we are all on this page we have experienced loss and know that some times milestones aren't enough. They get me through that bout of anxiety just to help me prepare for the next bout. And it will probably never end. I am so hopeful for the birth and holding my baby but then i saw a string on my bmb about the owlet monitor and spent last night reading about SIDS. So now I am waiting for birth just to wait for the crucial first 4 months to pass then to get to 1 year then blab blah blah. I need to learn to breathe, accept the milestone where we currently are, and be thankful every moment that THIS pregnancy passes as a healthy one!
  • whickeyloowhickeyloo member
    edited March 2016
    I never had a sono at my doctors cause they don't do early Sonos unless you miscarry which is weird. I have a home heart doppler and tried looking for my babies heartbeat but never found it once. Then at my 12 week appointment there was still no heartbeat. So they did a sono just in case baby was hiding. But baby had passed around 9 weeks. It really sucked. I had a bad feeling that whole pregnancy though and i was deadly sick all the time and then around the end of 9 weeks i felt very bad sharp pain. I think that is when baby ended up passing. :( It was sad. I was also taking shots in my stomache twice a day for blood clots. That later on i found out i didn't need to be taking. I'm wondering if that is what killed my baby. I stopped taking the shots around the time baby passed. Who knows. Doctors always say meds are safe to take when i honestly don't believe some of the ones they call safe. This pregnancy is going like it did with my first healthy full term pregnancy. So we will see. I pray to God everyday to keep baby safe. I hope he watches over you ladies as well. 
  • Am I the only one who hates those "chance of not having a miscarriage" threads on the BMB's? First off, I don't know where this data comes from, and second, it gives the false impression that miscarriage is not common. I'm not saying that there isn't a shred of accuracy to them (again, I just don't know where that data comes from), but I refuse to look at it. To me, it means nothing. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. All I can say is that "today, I am pregnant."
    Can't stand them, they literally go to 9wks and our died at 9+4wks so I thought we were out of the woods.
    BFP 2/11/15 (EDD 10/13/15). MMC 3/30/15 D&C 4/3/15 "We will always love you"
    DD1 - BFP 7/23/15 (EDD 3/31/16).  "We believe in you rainbow" DOB 4/2/16
    DD2 - BFP 2/9/18 (EDD 10/19/18).  "Grow baby grow!" DOB 10/24/18
    BFP 11/16/20 (EDD 7/31/21).  "Round 3 FIGHT!"
  • @Wishilivedinflorida and @bntfroggie I can't stand them either! 
  • PompomlovePompomlove member
    edited March 2016
    Agree with lots of PP. My MMC discovered at 12w4d after strong heartbeat at 9 weeks had me thinking "screw statistics" for the first few days but I did somehow reach a place of "it has to be someone and we're no more special than the other family that experiences loss"...

     My sister, mother of 4, told me motherhood is all about the heartache (and of course joy) but his is just the beginning of that journey for me. It was a bit of a moment of truth for me and made a lot of sense....

    edit: just a sentence that didn't sau what I wanted it to!
  • None of those answers apply to me. I was supposed to be 7w6d, but measured 6w1d. There was a heartbeat on the screen, but they didn't tell me the heartrate. No blood work was done. 

    The thing that frustrated me was that even though I knew from temping/opks when I ovulated, the dr said everything was fine and it was "perfectly healthy for 6 weeks" despite my insistence that I was almost 8 weeks. And when I posted about it on my bmb, no one said "this is a common sign of potential miscarriage." They all told me pretty stories about how the growth would catch up. That's why I try to stay honest when people on the boards ask for opinions.
    TTC#1 since Jan 2015
    BFP 2/19/15  •  MMC found at 9 wks  •  D&E at 11 wks (age 36)
    BFP 8/29/15
      •  CP (age 37)
    BFP 11/18/15  •  DD born at 41 weeks <3(age 37/38)

    TTC#2 since May 2017
    BFP 10/18/17  •  MMC found at 8 wks  •  Misoprostal at 10.5 wks (age 39)

    BFP 2/16/18
      •  CP (age 39)
    BFP 4/13/18
      •  CP (age 39)
    BFP 5/07/18  •  MMC found at 10.5 wks  •  D&E at 11.5 wks 
    •  Testing showed it was a girl with Trisomy 22. (age 39/40)
    9/5/18 Diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (4-5 follicles, one ovary had none and was very atrophied)

    RE says the low egg count is likely causing my recurrent pregnancy loss. Less eggs results in more aneuploidy.

    BFP 9/24/18  • 
    CP (age 40)
    BFP 5/11/19  •  Fraternal twins  •  MMC found at 10w5d (Baby A 6w, Baby B 10w)  •  Misoprostal at 11 weeks (age 41)













  • My last(first) pregnancy we had a heartbeat at my 8-week ultrasound and I was told everything looked fine but I didn't realize at the time that measuring 7w3d could have been a bad sign. I had no other symptoms though and only found out at the 12-week ultrasound with no hb and growth stopped around 7w6d. I had a lot of bloodwork but not aware if any of the tests were measuring hcg levels. My (unstable :) ) mood affects how I see the chances of not miscarrying. Really, the low percentage of miscarriage is artificial hope for me if I was in that unlucky percent before, but sometimes I think that, unless there is an explanation for why it happened that might cause future mc, the chances are low and I might not be that unlucky again...
  • Had a nice strong heartbeat and lots of movement on ultrasound  at 13 weeks at 15 weeks baby had passed
  • whickeyloowhickeyloo member
    edited March 2016
    The doctors would not lie about after hearing a heartbeat the chance of loss goes down. I know some of you were unlucky loosing a child after hearing a heartbeat. But it doesn't mean it will happen again. Don't give yourself false hope. I belive God is in control. He knows what he was doing. For all we know those babies could have killed us in labor and God spared our lives. We just don't know why this happens. I know it is hard to think that your pregnancy will make it. But most likely when you hear a heartbeat baby will make it. Especially after the 1st trimester because everything is in place. All baby has to do after that is grow. I know miscarriage happens at any stage. But from what i see on your comments it looks like it is most common in the first trimester. So i hope everyone has very good luck this time. I'm sorry if I'm ranting on. I just want a positive outcome this time around. And im sure you ladies do to. 
  • whickeyloowhickeyloo member
    edited March 2016
    And another thing to remember for the sake of everyone we need to be supportive. Even first time mom's. I know you want to tell it how it is. But we being pregnant women already have enough on our plates. I know loss is very hard especially if you had more than one. But unfortunately it is part of life. We have to stay strong and move on. And again be supportive and a lot of you ladies are doing a great job at it. But i have seen some not so good comments to. Thanks ladies and i hope your pregnancies are wonderful and we all get our rainbow babies. 
  • I hate to be the Debbie Downer but I lost my daughter at 31 weeks. So I had already heard her heartbeat several times, had perfect ultrasounds, felt her moving, etc. I know it's very uncommon, but for me I feel like there will never be a point in this pregnancy when I feel "safe". I feel like I'll be holding my breath until I'm holding a healthy baby. 

     

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  • whickeyloowhickeyloo member
    edited March 2016
    I thought this board was about comfort. How is this thread comforting? It brings back pain in itself. I never heard my babies heart beat. But i don't want to think about it. Cause this pregnancy is different and is not that one. This is just making my anxiety worse. I'm sorry for the hurtful comments. I'm not good at comforting at times. And this brought back all the hurt. And i assumed freedom of speech was ok to do on this bord. Just because I'm a believer doesnt mean you have to be. I just didn't find this thread comforting. I don't want to remember the bad in my failed pregnancy. That isn't the point. I'm sorry for the rant. And sorry to cause pain. I'm not trying to be a downer. But apparently i am. Sorry 
  • @whickeyloo if you didn't want to think about prior losses or loss in general, go to a board that has nothing to do with loss. This is specifically called 'Pregnant after a loss', so yeah, we're going to be discussing it. A lot. 
    DS Maxwell - 08/25/2009
    Wedded Bliss - 05/19/15
    MC - 05/15/15 & 7/29/15 & 11/25/15 (You were wished for, hoped for and loved)
    BFP#4; EDD 10/21/16 - Praying for a miracle.

  • Well said @junebaby2016babyW. We were also honestly answering a question being asked.  

    Also, I don't want to forget about my last pregnancy or loss. There is a little piece of my heart in heaven (yes, I'm a believer too!) I'm scared at times too but need to talk about the facts. There is no guarantee we'll get to meet the next one but man, I hope and prey we all do!

    just my 2 cents. 
  • no kidding discussing loss is negative. never knew loss to be a positive word. this may not be the right board for you @whickeloo if you aren't into the topic... 
  • @whickeyloo I'm also confused because earlier in this same thread you shared your own story on your loss. Could you be more specific on where this thread took a turn for you/why the switch from openly sharing your own experience to saying you just wanted to be able to forget about it and move on?
  • @Wishilivedinflorida -- you mentioned that this board is the only one where you haven't encountered negativity. If anyone is over 35 and wants to participate in more than one board, the Pregnant After 35 board is awesome. Nothing but love there. TTC After 35 was great too. Just had to give them a shout-out for being really lovely people.
    TTC#1 since Jan 2015
    BFP 2/19/15  •  MMC found at 9 wks  •  D&E at 11 wks (age 36)
    BFP 8/29/15
      •  CP (age 37)
    BFP 11/18/15  •  DD born at 41 weeks <3(age 37/38)

    TTC#2 since May 2017
    BFP 10/18/17  •  MMC found at 8 wks  •  Misoprostal at 10.5 wks (age 39)

    BFP 2/16/18
      •  CP (age 39)
    BFP 4/13/18
      •  CP (age 39)
    BFP 5/07/18  •  MMC found at 10.5 wks  •  D&E at 11.5 wks 
    •  Testing showed it was a girl with Trisomy 22. (age 39/40)
    9/5/18 Diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (4-5 follicles, one ovary had none and was very atrophied)

    RE says the low egg count is likely causing my recurrent pregnancy loss. Less eggs results in more aneuploidy.

    BFP 9/24/18  • 
    CP (age 40)
    BFP 5/11/19  •  Fraternal twins  •  MMC found at 10w5d (Baby A 6w, Baby B 10w)  •  Misoprostal at 11 weeks (age 41)













  • Well this got real weird and unhelpful real quick. In the interest of not drawing out nonsense or stating the obvious about every single contradictory and hurtful thing that was just said by one person, I just wanted to throw out there that those involved in this board have otherwise been so supportive, nonjudgmental, and pleasant! Thanks to all who allow a safe space to work through this tricky PGAL experience with its ups and downs!  <3
  • With our loss last year, we heard the heartbeat, and I'm assuming that the bloodwork was low numbers just b/c this rainbow pregnancy started off with low progesterone numbers and I had to take supplements.


    First Pregnancy
    • BFP: 01/25/2015
    • EDD: 09/28/2015
    • Incomplete MC: 02/28/2015

    Second Pregnancy

    • BFP: 09/11/2015
    • EDD: 05/25/2016
    Baby Born
    04/15/2016



    PGAL
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