pregnancy with no fetus visible

i took my sister to the ER because she is about 9 weeks pregnant and was spotting blood.  they told us she was having a spontaneous miscarriage. we were told during the ultasound preformed that the sac was there and everthing was intack but there was no fetus.  i am confused because the only bleeding she has had was very light. does this mean the fetus was never there or is there still hope that it may not have formed yet?

[Wooly25]

I would google up some stuff on belated ovums.  I believe it can be from the fetal pole never forming, or from it reabsorbing.  Most woman don't know until they are around 8 weeks or more, or go in for a routine ultrasound.  Because your body still acts pregnant.  

[baby #2]

well iam very sorry your sister is going through this but if she is almost nine weeks i think they should be able to see a fetus by now but then maybe her dates are off

[RockRose]

ConfusedSis - God bless you and your sister.  I'm really surprised they didn't answer more of your questions,  just kind of left you hanging.

At nine weeks, you should see something that looks like a teeny baby,  with a hearbeat.  If they saw the sac but nothing else,  she is in the process of miscarriage.  The baby probably died very early on,  and her body was still hanging on to the pregnancy.    This is often called a "blighted ovum".

There is every hope,  from what you describe,  that in the future,  she will be able to carry a healthy baby.  

Best wishes.  This happens so often,  and it's so painful.

[nwmom]

I'm so sorry your sister is going through this rough time.  It sounds like she may have a blighted ovum. I had a "blighted ovum" in Oct. where the gestational sac and yolk sac formed but no fetus and again this month when I went in for my 8 week ultrasound and the dr. couldn't find a fetus, just a gest. sac.  I went in a week later to make sure that it was indeed a blighted ovum and there still was nothing there.  I'm sorry the dr's in the ER didn't give your sister more information about her ultrasound.  It's hard enough when you go in and don't see anything then they don't completely tell you what's going on.  There is some good info online if you google blighted ovums.  Wishing your sister good luck in the future.  

[Jessy501]

Hi.  So sorry to hear about your sister's news.  It sounds like a blighted ovum.  I'm surprised that the hospital didn't explain better.  Basically, the body thinks it's pregnant...sac forms...sometimes even a yolk is present...but the fetus doesn't develop.  This is a very disappointing thing to have happen.  The good news is that the chances of it happening again are very small.  For more information, visit:
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/blightedovum.html

[jennifer1977]

I too just had a "blighted ovum" pregnancy.  Dont let your sis think there was never a baby.  My dr told me a fertilized egg had to implant in order for there to be a sac.  The baby just died before developing big enough to see on US.  My bleeding started out light with little cramping and then got intense but never bled hard.  I miscarried at 10 weeks, but bc of the underdevelpment of the baby, it probably died before or around 6 weeks.  It does really suck, but google miscarriage too and you will find some good info on grieving and how to help your sis.  She has experienced a death and needs all the support she can get and crying or whatever her reaction is valid.

[ImmortalOne]

I'm sorry that you and your sister are experiencing this.  Now, while it might be a blighted ovum, remember also there are many women on this site whom didn't see their beans on the U/S's till later, and it might very well be possible that she ovulated later than she thought.  So if the bleeding stops, wait 2 weeks and have a new U/S.  Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.