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7 Week Ultrasound - Nerves

knottied6fc304a851f9dacknottied6fc304a851f9dac member
edited December 2018 in 1st Trimester
Hi mamas! I am currently 7w + 2 according to my ovulation date, which I tracked using a urine test. I ovulated early this cycle so according to LMP, I'm 6w + 6. I am using a midwife and birthing center for this birth so only one ultrasound is done at 20 weeks. Everything else is measured via Doppler. Even then, it has to be between 11-12 weeks. I'm totally freaking out and know that if I wait that long to hear a heartbeat, I'll stress myself into madness. 

SO I am having an elective abdominal ultrasound done on Saturday just to see our little one and see the heartbeat. The tech feels confident that we will be able to find it. But I know 7 weeks (ish) is kind of early in the pregnancy. Does anyone have anything helpful to share? Is it common to not find a heartbeat at 7 weeks even if everything is ok, or should we expect it even so early? I'm especially nervous because, besides sore breasts and food aversions, I haven't really dealt with any pregnancy symptoms. Thank you!
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Re: 7 Week Ultrasound - Nerves

  • mermaidcamermaidca member
    Personally, I would go by your LMP as 6+6, you don't know you ovulated for sure unless you were temping. 

    6 weeks is still a bit early to see the heartbeat on ultrasound, so if you don't see anything then don't get too upset.  An ultrasound will give you clearer dates for sure and if a follow up is needed I'm sure they'll ask you back in. 

    Symptoms, or lack of, are not a good indicator of a viable pregnancy.
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  • bellebaby221bellebaby221 member
    **lurking**
    The timeline you're describing is not unusual. I had a dating u/s at 7 weeks (transvaginal bc it's too early to see anything on an abdominal scan). Doppler hb can be heard starting around 11-12 weeks. Then an anatomy scan at 20 weeks. Some practices still offer the NT scan at around 14 weeks (I think) but mine doesn't do them anymore. I won't see baby again for another 3 weeks when I'm 35 weeks for a growth check. Sure it sucks but 40 weeks is a long time to be so stressed already. If there are potential issues they might scan you more frequently but I don't think you want that!
    Just try to relax for now. You'll see baby soon enough!
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  • thatbaintforbettythatbaintforbetty member
    I think 7 weeks is too early to see anything via an abdominal ultrasound, although not usually too early to see a HB on a trans-vaginal one. (don't quote me on this as i've never had an ultrasound done before 8 weeks) I think many doctors won't even try them abdominally till 10 or 12 weeks+. Also ovulation tests are not always accurate because you can have several surges before you actually ovulate. Either way you only have a difference of a couple days so not that big of a deal.

    You currently have no reason to believe your pregnancy isn't progressing perfectly. I know it's easier said then done but don't borrow trouble, parenting takes a lot of patience so consider this a crash course. As already mentioned symptoms are not and indication of a viable pregnancy. 

    I didn't have an ultrasound this pregnancy till 13 weeks and that was only because i went to the ER because of bleeding. If it wasn't for that i wouldn't have had one till 18 weeks. I'm assuming you are in the US, but many places outside of here is more normal to not have one till 20 weeks.

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  • lovesclimbinglovesclimbing member
    It's pretty normal to not have an ultrasound until 20 weeks. Honestly, I'd count that as a reassurance! Having a dating ultrasound is not necessary unless your cycles are irregular (which is a sign of potential health problems). The NT scan checks for abnormalities, which you're less likely to be offered if the risk for that is low. Women who have multiple other ultrasounds early on typically are higher risk. 

    Last pregnancy, I did have a dating scan. Even though my cycles were regular, my midwives encouraged it because, for an out-of-hospital birth (which I had), you have to deliver between 37 and 42 weeks. So it's important to know dates because if your dates are off, you might have to go the hospital because you're in labor outside that window, when you're actually within that window but didn't know it because your cycles were irregular. 

    My current pregnancy, I actually didn't have any appointments at all until 18 weeks due to an unusual travel schedule. So no early ultrasound, obviously, and not even hearing the heartbeat until then! What helped me not be nervous was reminding myself that ultrasounds and Dopplers and such are new technology in the grand scheme of things. Women have done without those things for thousands of years, and there was no reason to suspect anything was wrong. 
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  • harpseal135harpseal135 member
    edited December 2018
    Sorry, but I would not waste money on an elective ultrasound. 

    Trust your provider.  If they were worried or you showed symptoms that required an early ultrasound they would schedule you.  

    The ONLY reason I got a dating ultrasound was because I came off of a medicine that stops your period completely.  After coming off of my meds, I used OPK and knew exactly when I ovulated and when I got a positive test, the office said because I dint have a period they had to assure I wasn't further along.  Well, dating ultrasound was spot on to the positive OPK and when we had been intamate.  

    If that did not occur I would not have had an ultrasound until the 20 week mark. They don't do unnecessary ultrasounds.

    Otherwise, I would never expose my baby to anything that is unnecessary.  You don't know how regulated the machines are at these elective places and how trained they truly are using the machines. 

    Trust your provider.  In a few weeks, they will be able to use the doppler, and your medical staff is trustworthy. 
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  • wishiwaspreggowishiwaspreggo member
    Yeah, I've heard those boutique ultrasound places are kind of shady. I wouldn't do something like that so early in your pregnancy. I've had lots of ultrasounds because 1) I did IVF 2) I'm having twins and 3) I'm high risk. But if you're healthy and your cycle is regular you should be just fine to wait. I know waiting sucks and you want reassurance that everything is okay but as long as you're not bleeding AND cramping you're probably fine. Maybe you can get yourself one of those home Dopplers? I don't think they work until 12+ weeks but at least that's earlier than 20!
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  • meggymemeggyme member
    If you are going for an abdominal ultrasound, which I assume is all that a boutique ultrasound place will be capable of doing, you are unlikely to see anything at 7 weeks which will just cause you unneccessary worry. I wouldn't trust anyone besides a trained medical professional to do a transvaginal US, which can cause irritation to your cervix and lead to spotting which would only freak you out more. Try to take a breath and convince yourself that your body knows what it is doing. Join your BMB, I'm sure there are plenty of other women experiencing the same anxiety.
    DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
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