5 week ultrasound

Hi, Last week I took a home pregnancy test and went to a new Doctor as I had just moved house and needed to confrim that I was pregnant. My blood test was good with HCG about 1800 and she suggested an ultrasound. I asked her if it was necessary as everything seem fine and she said something about a viable pregnancy and sent me off. I would have been just five weeks when i went for the scan and the technician told me there was nothing there and I wasn't pregnant. I was quite upset and went back to the doctor.. I asked her if she was sure it wasn't too early to see anything and she stated that their should be something there and started talking about tumours.
Anyway I am quite angry with her and still feel pregnant. I already have one son and felt exactly the same with him. I still am hoping that the scan was just too early and the little one will appear in a few weeks.
Has anyone else experienced this??????:(

Hello Cam. You poor thing! What an experience! Did you have an internal scan? It would have been too early for anything to have been seen with an external ultrasound. Even with an internal, it may well have been too early for a yolk sac to have been spotted. And maybe even a gestational sac. I'm sure there would be people on BB who would be surprised that you were sent for an ultrasound at 5w.
Anyway, I've found a website for UF MED 1st trimester ultrasound scanning (google it and you should get it. I'd PM it to you but you don't have enough posts yet for me to be able to do that) and it had some information that you would find relevant - and hopefully reassuring.

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The gestational sac is the earliest sonographic finding in pregnancy. The gestational sac appears as an echogenic (bright echoes) ring surrounding a sonolucent (clear) center. The gestational sac does not correspond to specific anatomic structures, but is an ultrasonic finding characteristic of early pregnancy. The gestational sac first appears at about 4 weeks gestational age, and grows at a rate of about 1 mm a day through the 9th week of pregnancy. Your ability to identify an early gestational sac will depend on many factors, including the capabilities of the ultrasound equipment, your approach (vaginal or abdominal), your experience, the orientation of the uterus (generally it is easier to see if the uterus is anteflexed or retroflexed), and the presence of such complicating factors as fibroid tumors of the uterus. While a gestational sac is sometimes seen as early as during the 4th week of gestation, it may not be seen until the end of the 5th week, when the serum HCG levels have risen to 1000-1500 mIU. As the pregnancy advances, the next structure to become visible to ultrasound is the yolk sac. This is a round, sonolucent structure with a bright rim. The yolk sac first appears during the fifth week of pregnancy and grows to be no larger than 6 mm. Fetal Pole - A mass of fetal cells, separate from the yolk sac, first becomes apparent on transvaginal ultrasound just after the 6th week of gestation. This mass of cells is known as the fetal pole. It is the fetus in its somite stage. Usually you can identify rhythmic fetal cardiac movement within the fetal pole, although it may need to grow several mm before this is apparent. The fetal pole grows at a rate of about 1 mm a day, starting at the 6th week of gestational age. Thus, a simple way to "date" an early pregnancy is to add the length of the fetus (in mm) to 6 weeks. Using this method, a fetal pole measuring 5 mm would have a gestational age of 6 weeks and 5 days.

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Were you asked to come back for another scan? And a follow up blood test? Good luck with your pregnancy and please let us know how you get on. Personally, I'd be changing doctors! :hug:

I will be changing doctors. I only went their for a blood test and a referral to an obstetrician. I am quite angry at the Doctor for putting all sorts of bad ideas in my head. I have had another blood test and get the results today. She also wants me to get another scan and I have decided to wait another week and then go to a Doctor who specialises in fetal scans and will know exactly what is going on. This should be such a happy time and for the Doctor to put such worry and concern into our lives for the next couple of weeks until we are sure is wrong.:(

Hi Cam

I agree with everything Kerry said and also query if it was internal - if it was the lining should have started to thicken too - did they say anything about that?

I had a friend who was 6 weeks before they confirmed a sac - so don 't give up hope yet - I am also assuming you haven't had a period or any bleeding?

Post again and let us know. The HCG was still in normal range - I would have though two serial HCG's would be the go as well to check the figures before a 5 week scan, more so you don't feel exactly as you have been made to!

Good luck
Sam

Hi Cam,
I found out i was pregnant a few weeks ago after doing a urine test. So i went to the doctors and he confirmed the pregnancy. Because im still BF i have only had one period since i fell pregnant with my son, so the doctor sent me for a dateing scan.

I went for the scan two weeks ago and all they could see was the gestational sack. The lady did an internal also to make sure she couldnt see anything further. She found no fetal pole and no yolk, just the sack. So my doctor took bloods, then took another lot a couple of days later. The results came back as "rising nicely". So i go for another scan this Wednesday to determine if there is a baby.

Hopeing this helps:)
Simone

SO scary for you.

that early they cant even see a heart beating i wouldn't worry too much, i don't get why she thought an ultrasound is needed usually they do blood. and just wait and see for a few weeks.

Good luck

I am so sorry you got a horribly insensitive doctor i would go and see someone else with some compassion, everyone is right you wouldn't be able to see much at 5weeks, I hope you are okay, i would be demanding a second opinion and repeat ultrasound in a few weeks. Some doctors a just tools. Please let us know how you go. neane.

Second blood test was good with HCG rising to 4400. I ended up ringing the hospital and spoke to the assistant of an obstetrician who now does the scans in a special fetal unit. She said 5 weeks is a joke and that it is normal to see nothing. Anyway I have booked in there to do the second one in a couple of weeks. She said not to be to concerned and the Doctor is a moron. Let's hope she is right.

All sounds promising! Good Luck and best wishes with your pregnancy:)

Simone

I'm glad you got a second opinion, that first doctor is a moron, so chin up and congrats on your :bfp:

what a joke of a doctor, I would be complaining if it were me