Worried About Heartbeat Findings Today - Please Advise

[BearHitch]

For the past week or so I have been having lower abdominal pain between my ovaries.  It isn't excruciating, but it does keep me awake and all.  They had me go into the nurse today and after 10 minutes, she still couldn't find the heartbeat.  She said she didn't do it often, and I asked if I should worry.  She said I should worry but not freak out yet.  After another 10 minutes, she finally found what she thought was the heartbeat, but to me it sounded much softer and not as fast as when I went in at 10 wks.  I am now almost 14.  In fact, I am not even sure that it sounded like a heartbeat, but there was no one there to do an ultrasound and they said they wouldn't do one until June.  She told me if it got worse to call and if I had bleeding to go to the ER.  The last time I miscarried at 10 wks, I had no bleeding at all- we didn't find out until my 12 week appointment.  I don't know how to respond to this... I have an appointment next Friday with a real doctor, but I just wanted a second opinion.  Should I worry?  Is it normal for the heartbeat to be softer and not as fast?  Do you think it was the heartbeat and I am just being paranoid?  Please help!

[2bun]

Try not to worry to much at this point. It could have been the way your baby was positioned, it could possibly have been your heartbeat she picked up too. Once with one of my pregnancies the nurse practitioner could not find the heartbeat at all, and doctor came in and found it right away. So I would definately ask for a ultrasound to be sure. Especially if you have a history of a miscarriage. Don't be afraid to ask for the things you want. Its your body, your pregnancy. In the meantime, try to relax. Good luck and make sure to update on how things are going.

[tmv]

My sister had 3 us before she was 20 weeks because of them unable to find a heartbeat. I'd say it was the inexperience of the person doing the monitoring. The top of the uterus isn't up to the naval until 20 weeks, so it's usually pretty low. Best wishes.

[specialteacher]

Try not to worry.  The nurse had a hard time finding my baby's hb at 14 weeks even though she found it without a hitch at 10 weeks.  Sometimes the baby is positioned bad.  

[Darkestlight]

Well I've only heard my babies heartbeat twice, once at 7wks and once at 15wks. The softer sound could have been the machine, the way the baby was laying, really wouldnt worry about that.

At 7wks my babies heart beat was 163 and at 15wks it was 143. So it not being as quick. I wouldn't worry too much unless the doctor gives you a reason to worry.
As for the pain I would watch that and yes if it gets worse go straight to the hospital. But I wouldn't worry over the heartbeat.

[BearHitch]

Thanks for your reassurance ladies- I really appreciate it!

[Crritter]

The heartbeat does vary and depending on where the baby is it can be quieter, mine changed throughout the pregnancy and Cameron is perfect, 3 weeks old today.  I guess I would ask the Dr. for reassurance, I'm sorry you have to wait so long to get an u/s.  Maybe if they know how worried you are, they may get you in earlier.  I hope the baby is just in a different position, which is very possible, hopefully if there was something wrong, the Dr. would have gotten you in ASAP.  Anyway, hang in there and good luck.

[BearHitch]

Well the nurse called the doctor on call and the doctor would like me to go ahead and have an ultrasound.  She just ordered it for 3:30 pm- I am kind of nervous!!!  

[have 2 kids]

Good luck!  We will be thinking of you.

[Crritter]

I'm so glad that they got you in today, good luck, will be thinking happy thoughts for you.

[Montesinos]

So on Tuesday April 10, I went to my first prenatal appointment, and the doctor could not find the baby’s heart beat.  Then on Wednesday she sent me to the imaging center to see if they could find a heart beat.  Unfortunately, I was told that my baby stop growing at about 9 weeks and that there wasn’t a heartbeat.  My question is how common is this, and can they be wrong.

[BearHitch]

Well, I got the ultrasound and it was good news- heartbeat and I am actually ahead of schedule, she was a little bigger than what they thought!  Thanks everyone for your encouragement!

Montesinos- I do not know how common that is, but I had the same thing happen back in September 06.  We had an ultrasound done at 6 wks with a heartbeat, and the doctor told me once you have that ultrasound there is only a 3% chance you will miscarry- which I did.  The baby stopped growing at 10 weeks and died but I didn't find out until our 12 week appointment.  They couldn't find the heartbeat and I wanted an ultrasound anyway, and we found out that way.  I am so sorry to hear of your loss!  Miscarriages are really hard!  I know- I've had 2 of them in the past year, but right now am almost 14 weeks with what is looking to be a very successful pregnancy.  Good luck!

[Crritter]

Bearhitch, so glad to hear the news!  I was worried for you, can't imagine you going through that again.  Yay, you made it to the second trimester, I wanted to say congrats and good luck!!!

For the other gal, just wanted to say sorry for your loss.  It is tough to go through, but it does sound like there have been a few gals on here go through that.  I would start a thread and see if you can get some insight from these gals.  I hope you feel better soon.

[AnnieBrooke]

You asked how common this is.  It is really common, I think I have read that the number is two out of five pregnancies miscarry really early, so early that without having modern ultrasounds and so forth we wouldn't even know, would just think it was a missed period.  Our moms' generations for example didn't get even a pregnancy test until they had missed two periods.  (At least, some of our moms, LOL.)  Unfortunately, medical science has found out that when the sperm meets egg, a lot of the time something doesn't connect, and when that missing thing is needed later on in the embryo's development, the embryo doesn't have it and the pregnancy fails.  The high number of early miscarriages is something they have learned about pregnancy only lately, because (again) of modern diagnostic technology allowing people to know so early that they are indeed pregnant.  I hate to tell you that they are right when they say the pregnancy failed a little while ago and that is why they are not hearing the heartbeat ... but from what happened to me, I will tell you that if they actually saw an inert little form on the u/s, they are almost undoubtedly right.  If they didn't see much or hear much and are just puzzled, there is a chance you will have one of those "the doctor and tech made a mistake" stories we read on this site.  They don't usually mistake a definite form of a failed embryo that they can see, but apparently if they just can't get a clear reading one way or another, sometimes they mistakenly think someone is going to miscarry and then the person doesn't.  Your story sounded like it was the first situation.  Please accept my condolences, I have been through this loss, and can only hope that little one who gave me so much happiness (for such a short time) is now part of something greater.  I hope this for you, too.