Early ultrasound?

[Clucky_Rach]

Wondering what the point is of having an ultrasound at 6-7 weeks? Is it just to check a heartbeat?

I have lost babies in the past (not miscarriage though) and I wonder if I should just wait until the 12 week scan?

Can a 6 week scan show any abnormalities or anything NQR?

Thanks

[berrme]

Scans that early are generally just to date the pregnancy. The earlier the scan, the more precise they can be about the age of the embryo. Many people also find it reassuring to see a heartbeat. It makes it seem much more real. The baby is much too tiny to tell anything else worthwhile.
For me it caused more trouble than it was worth... I was out by 2 weeks on my dates and they couldn't find a heartbeat. Everuthing was fine, just too early to find the heart, but it caused me a lot of stress.

I would say wait until your 12 week scan unless you are concerned about the pregnancy. 12 week scans are accurate enough for dates.

[Clucky_Rach]

Thanks so much berrme! I will wait until 12 weeks.

[Laranna]

Usually it's just to date the pregnancy particulary if you have irregular cycles and are not sure when you ovulated...but there are other reasons, like for me with DS I had a scan at 4.5 weeks as soon as I got a BFP to rule out ectopic due to my endo history. All they looked for was to see that the sac was in my uterus not in the tubes as you can't see anything but the sac at that age. I then had another follow up scan 3 weeks after that to confirm viability (ie. see a heartbeat).

[NaeNae]

I have had then done to help confirm viability of my pregnancies though with this one my 6 week scan showed only an embryonic sac and no fetus which was aweful. I went back 2 weeks later at 8 weeks to see my baby alive and well.

Unless the Drs suggest you have one I would say wait until you're at least 8 weeks pregnant otherwise if you've not had problems with MC then wait.

[Clucky_Rach]

Thanks girls, really helpful

NaeNae, how upsetting! What a sad wait until the next scan.