I was sent for an early dating scan with my DS. DH and I were elated to see the little heartbeat on the screen, it was about 6 weeks and 3 days but the sonographer kept saying "it's early days yet" while we were bubbling with excitement. Then the doctor came in and told us that the heartrate was low which might mean that the heart had only started beating in the last few hours but probably meant that we had increased chance of miscarriage but there was nothing that could be done, we just had to wait and see. And then he effectively said "have a nice afternoon" and walked out.

I cried all the way home and didn't want to tell anyone at all that I was pregnant, not even family. DH insisted that we tell family though, so while I did so, I had to tell them all that I might miscarry so it was especially important to not tell anyone because it would be very difficult news to "un-tell". Talk about taking the shine off the moment.

I spent the next 7 weeks in a state of low level panic, expecting a miscarriage at any time, rushing to the loo all the time to make sure I wasn't bleeding. My OB had an ultrasound machine at his practice and at my first appointment at 8 weeks he checked and said the heartbeat was fine. However I still had trouble sleeping at night, hoping and praying that my baby was okay (some really dark nights of the soul), feeling sick to the stomach, until I had my next "proper" ultrasound and was assured that all was well (by the same u/s doctor - who, as I now realised, had an extremely bad bedside manner).

My obstetrician put the low heart rate down to a bit of an aberration on the day, and my boss, who used to work in obstetrics, was actually incensed when I told him the story later on - he said at that point nothing is conclusive and that this doctor unnecessarily scared the living daylights out of me.

I will be thinking of you and hoping and praying that your story has a happy ending as well. I still occasionally look at my DS now and think about that tiny little vulnerable embryo he was and thank the powers that be that he made it.