No HB but hCG levels still rising

Hi,

one of my dear friends is in limbo at the moment. She had a scan last Monday (at 7-8 weeks) and there was 1 little bubba there but no heartbeat. She then went back to her GP and had more bloods done which had indicated that her hCG levels were still rising nicely.
Her Gp sent her to the local emergency Dept where she spoke to a nurse and obstetrician who was reluctant to perform a D&C because of the hCG levels still being so high even thought the ultrasound report indicated things were not good. She has also had no pain or bleeding. She has just had more bloods taken to see what the hCG levels are still doing. And she should get the results this afternoon

Has anyone heard of this and bub ending up being okay???

Thoughts and prayers for my friend please . . .

YES!!! My friend was told her bub had died, but she couldn't get in for a DnC for a week. When she went to her normal doc to tell him about the impending DnC, he did a quick u/s, and bubs was fine!!!

It's horrible for your friend to be in limbo, but there is reason for hope :)

Things could still be ok for your friend. Maybe she is not quite as far along as she thought.
Maybe the baby was not in a very good position. I know of a woman who could not find a HB at 6 weeks or 8 weeks. The doctor said she was miscarrying, she refused a D&C, at 9 weeks the ultrasound found a perfect little bub with strong HB.

Help her to try and hang in there and try and get another ultrasound in a week or so, especially with no bleeding. I don't know much about this sort of stuff, but I wouldn't be agreeing to a D&C until it was absolutely confirmed that she had miscarried.

Wow, this doesnt apply to me at all and I really have nothing useful to add but I wonder how many D&C's have been done with healthy babies and no one has known. Could this really happen?

Deltadawn - unfortunately yes. A close friend had this experience. She was told that her baby had died at 14 weeks, so she went in for the DnC. Afterwards she read the hospital reports - the preDnC said 'dilation and curettage of foetus', and the postDnC called it an abortion. As you can imagine, she was absolutely devastated, as abortion is against our religion, and she felt like she had failed her baby :(

Just another reason not to blindly trust doctors - after all, they are only people!

Sunflowa_girlie, both terms would be used regardless of whether the baby was dead or alive. Medical terminology is horrible at times, but just because they called it an abortion doesn't mean it was a live foetus at the time. :hug:

BW

OMG, I'm sitting here in tears and I have visitors!! I hope a few people read this thread and question a recommended D&C or maybe leave it for a few weeks if that is possible. How heartbreaking for your friend SunFlowa_girlie

Thankyou for your stories everyone. I am hopeful my friend is one of the lucky ones. Will keep you posted.

sunflowa_girlie, just wanted to say that even though it may have said abortion it does not mean it in the sense that your friend got rid of her healthy baby. it may have said missed abortion, which is where an intrauterine pregnancy is present but is no longer developing normally. hope your friend is ok.

this made me feel completely sick about how many babies could of been fine and were DnCed. I hope that bub is ok.

In order to give people, especially your friend SG, some reassurance I double checked this situation with a friend of mine who is an obstetrics registrar.

At 14 weeks the heartbeat is very clear. Around 6-7 weeks it can be hard to find, but any diagnosis of foetal death is made by two people. If one person has made a mistake, there's always someone to double check.

In med-speak, the term "abortion" refers to any situation where the feotus leaves the body prior to 20 weeks, whether this be spontaneous or otherwise. Miscarriage is officially known as "spontaneous abortion" but a lot of medical professionals won't use the term because of the connotations attached to the word.

Direct quote from doctor friend:

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I think what has probably happened is either the doctor performing the procedure has written the word abortion on the notes referring to it in its medical term (removal of the fetus after it has died) and that is what has scared her. IF it was on any printed literature it is because often the computer programs that generate post op orders and discharge stuff have preset terms to use, one of which would be abortion.

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I hope this helps put everyone's mind at ease.

BW

Thanks for that BW - I'll share this with her, and hopefully it will give her some peace :hug:

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Wow, this doesnt apply to me at all and I really have nothing useful to add but I wonder how many D&C's have been done with healthy babies and no one has known. Could this really happen?

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yes that is an awfull thought...in regards to op it is a good sign that there is not bleeding and there is certainly a lot of being told "there is no heartbeat" when a follow up us confirms the complete opposite...that there is a healthy bubba...telll her there is still hope and to hang in there

I hope your friend is ok :hug: