early pregnancy, no growth, good heart beat

[soccermeg]

Help!  I am nearly 9 weeks pregnant with a baby that won't grow.  We heard the a pretty strong heart beat last week but the baby was only measuring 6 weeks.  I went today and my doctor couldn't hear a heart beat.  The baby was still at 6 weeks. She made me drive to another center with a stronger ultrasound machine to verify her findings before beginning medicine to start the miscarriage process.  They found a heartbeat with the rate of 110 beats/min.  Still only 6 weeks along.  Has anybody ever had this happen?  I am a mess.  I don't know whether it is plausible to be hopeful or to pray that my baby's heart stops beating so that this can all be over.

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks,
Meg

[nikkicole827]

Are you positive you are 9 weeks?  Ok I'm sure you and your docs looked into that... Don't lose faith yet.  I had a very stressful beginning to my pregnancy... at 5 weeks the heartbeat was only 90 bpm and a  couple of weeks later it was way up and has been since (I'm now 18 wks 4 days).  If htat heartbeat is still there I would keep praying.  Right now that is all you can do!  I know this isnt much advice but I wanted you to have something tonight.

[sameerah73]

Hi there,

I just wanted to let you know that I'm praying really hard for you and your baby right now. I hope everything turns out well - but i do know that a strong hearbeat is a very good sign.

[msjaybutler]

Your calculations might be a little off...are you sure you are 9wks?  you might be just 6wks?  you got a strong hb that's for sure...I say pray as hard as you can and just stay positive.

[ziza]

I had the same thing happen to me.  Unfortunately it ended in a miscarriage.  Baby was measuring around 6 weeks at my 8 week appt., but had a strong heartbeat.  A week later, the heartbeat stopped.  2 weeks later I had a D&C.  I hope your outcome turns out to be better than mine.  I was sure of my ovulation date because of charting, so I knew something was wrong.  I had also started spotting around 8 weeks.

[tiredbuthappy]

were the ultrasounds transvaginal? if they were external, it could be because they're not as accurate in measuring that early. (i ask because i assume the doc would've at least seen/heard the hb with a transvaginal u/s in the office).

[soccermeg]

Yes, I am sure that my dating is correct.  All three of my ultrasounds were done transvaginally and had several technicians involved.  It just amazes me that I can have a baby with such a strong heart beat that hasn't grown a bit in several weeks.  

I feel like I can't even grieve the loss of my baby since technically it's still alive.  And yet, I know that it won't live so I can't be excited about this pregnancy.  

The cruel part is I still feel totally pregnant and nautious and can't even forget that I'm pregnant.

I feel so lost.

Thanks for your earlier postings.

~Meg

[ziza]

Sorry Meg, I know how lost you feel.  It's really terrible to go thru all this.  

[Jen100]

Hi Meg,

I am in a similar situation and was wondering how things have gone for you. I think that I am 10 weeks pregant, had a scan this week showing a heart beat, but the size was estimated at only 7 weeks. I too have a hard time imagining that the pregnancy has continued and the heart is still beating even though there has been no growth. Don't these things just take care of themselves in early pregnancy. I would assume that I would have misscarried by now if the pregnancy wasn't viable. Luckily, there is a chance that I am just off with my dates (had a miscarriage and got pregnant with no period in between), but I am just not sure. Am scheduled for another scan next week to see if the fetus has grown. If you feel like it, please let me the outcome of your ordeal and how you are doing now.

Jen