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8 Weeks LMP But UltraSound Measures 6 Weeks 1 Day

I thought I was 8 weeks along based on LMP but my ultrasound showed 6 weeks 1 day and no heart beat was visible. Either my dates are off or the baby stopped growing about 2 weeks ago.  I am going back in a week but was wonder if anyone had experienced being off by almost 2 weeks when you have a regular 28 day cycle and also whether anyone had no heartbeat visible at 6 weeks but still had a good outcome.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

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Avatar universal
Hi All

I am experiencing a little different situation, as per my LMP i must be 7 weeks today but my sac is measured to be 4.4 days. My Beta HCG lever 10 days before was 1401 and then after 5 days it raised to 1426 and i got another test yesterday and its 1250. I bleeded for 14 days intial 5 days was clotting with brown blood and then it turned to few muddy drops every time i use washroom. My u/s showed 0.29mm growth in 10 days. My Dr. gave me pregnancy supportive medicines but Bleeding did not stop. Today i am ok and seems have stopped bleeding and also have stopped taking medicines as advised by my Gyn. Gyn is not positive about my situation but i am still having some hopes.

Can any one help me and had same situation and have lived that pregnancy.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for everyone's encouragement. My bHCG today was 30,000. 2 days ago it was 33,000. One would assume that is bad however my MD states he would never expect to see a number like that double as that is unheard of. Obviously when they drop it can be concerning but he also reports that women at some point plateau with their bHCG and that could be me. Only answer comes by waiting another week for another ultrasound to see if there is growth.
I will continue to have positive thoughts and be patient even though it is difficult as many of you personally know by experience.
Has anyone heard of HCG levels this high? just curious if there is more to the picture but my doctor seems on the fence as I said the news was not good or bad.
Blessings to everyone!
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Avatar universal
I am 42 years old with 5th child, i went in for u/s at what i thought was 6 weeks 6 days, no foetel pole or sign of baby just a sac, went in a week later and saw heartbeat, they said the baby was 6 weeks and 4 days but, i am certain i am 7 weeks and 6 days, my doc said it could just be a small baby but the point is i saw a heartbeat and i am just putting it down to i ovulated later on.  my cycles are as regular as clockwork. Bang on 28 days each month. I guess what i am saying is, dont stress too much. also, my levels are not doubling but the doc said, as long as they are going up all is well. I am 10,700 which is in the normal range for 7 weeks.  I pray all is well for you.  god bless
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your words! I do have a retroverted uterus(of course the doctor didn't mention it-i've had it since I remember having my first pap...) and I am hoping that perhaps that is the case. As much as I do have faith in my doctor, I also know that there is more to it (ultrasound) than just a few quick measurements.

I am keeping the faith, something tells me I will hear good news tomorrow but it sometimes is impossible to ward off all the bad thoughts of demise that one stews over while waiting. In a way you feel hopeless, but yet always hopeful ~if that makes any sense. And I know my being an RN just makes things worse because I know too much for my own good instead of being a patient and waiting for results before I go off thinking the absolute worst of a situation.
Again, thank you for the links~ really does help!
Helpful - 0
1033736 tn?1264005094
I've heard of a few reasons that dates can "look" off.

- In the 1st trimester the baby is so tiny & has quite a bit of room in which to move about.  If s/he is positioned parallel to the u/s wave, s/he can measure quite a bit smaller than s/he actually is.  
Kind of like visual foreshortening.
(def: method of rendering a specific object or figure in a picture in depth. The artist records, in varying degrees, the distortion that is seen by the eye when an object or figure is viewed at a distance or at an unusual angle.)

- Some women, like me, have a retroverted uterus which can make the baby more difficult to measure & sometimes even find (some have been known to "hide" until the 12th week!)  This can also interfere with the detection of a heartbeat.

If you lack any symptoms of a miscarriage then I wouldn't worry.  You can certainly prepare for bad news but don't ignore your heart & intuition & keep the faith.
Read some of these stories...
http://www.misdiagnosedmiscarriage.com

Namaste!
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Avatar universal
I'm 41 and have been trying to get pregnant for a year. After giving up on Clomid and tests, nature gave us a pregnancy! I went in for my first visit and I knew exactly when my LMP was and the exact dates we tried to conceive. Sadly I measure a week behind what my dates are. The doctor did an internal ultrasound and I am very confident in his skills. He said every thing looked good from his perspective, however never mentioned a heart beat, fetal pole, etc...he used none of those terms. I am to wait 2 painstaking days to have a beta HCG drawn and pray it doubles. I've read a hundred stories on here, and not many sound positive, especially when you are near certain of your dates. I guess as I am just waiting, I'm looking for some answers that did have a good outcome. Let's face it. If the baby did stop growing, nature did the right thing as it was chromosomally broken. I think I can handle bad news, what I can't handle is the waiting for dissapointment especially after trying to conceive for so long and know that my age is a major factor.
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your advice/help and compassion. I am just ready for this roller coaster to be over with either way.
Helpful - 0
377493 tn?1356502149
I had a similar situation with my first pregnancy.  The sac was measuring behind a week or two as well.  My OB performed a few ultrasounds, all a week or so apart, and there was growth, but I also never saw a heartbeat.  Sadly I had a D&C at 10 weeks.  Sometimes we have miscarried and our bodies don't realize it yet.  So although the sac continues to grow and even your HCG levels can go up, the actual fetus itself has stopped and is not viable.  

Keep in mind that when they tell you you should be 7-8 weeks they are counting starting at the first day of your last menstrual period.  Even if you are using timed intercourse it is impossible to know for certain the exact time of conception, and the method they use is fairly accurate.

All that being said you need to make the choice that is right for you. There is no harm in waiting and getting a second opinion, or an additional ultrasound. That is what I did, and although in my case it did not have a positive outcome, I felt confident in my decision.   It is always possible that dates are off...in fact it's common.  At 6 weeks you are in that in between time, as the heartbeat typically starts anywhere between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 weeks.  If you are not comfortable and certain that this is not viable, have them wait another week or two then do another ultrasound.  I have heard stories here like yours that had a happy ending.  Mistakes can be made.

I'm sorry you are going through such a stressful time. I have been in your shoes and I know how hard it is.  I truly wish you well.  
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Avatar universal
I had gone in for an u/s on Oct. 16th and the tech said the i was going to have a miscarriage bc i was supposed to be 7-8 wks in gestation but  was only showing at 5 wks 6 days. I know that i am not as far along as they are saying and i went to go get my beta count down and it read at 65,00 which is consistent with being about 5-6 wks pregnant. I went back for another u/s today and again was told that the pregnancy was not viable. No heartbeat was seen however the baby measured at 6 wks 1 day. If the pregnancy wasn't viable why did it grow even just a little. It seems that i am digging for answers to make the situation better. Am i just being desperate to think that my little baby is still alive? I have had no syptoms of a miscarriage, and I am scheduled for another u/s on Nov 5th, but i just don't know if i can bare what i think they are going to tell me. I don't want to lose hope, but my faith is definetely getting tried through all of this. This has been an emotional roller coaster for both my husband and myself. Any similar stories would help.
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1052300 tn?1262940306
I never had that happen but I would think you could have ovulated late or maybe it took awhile to implant? Good luck
Helpful - 0
377493 tn?1356502149
It is pretty common to be off on your dates.  The growth between ultrasounds will give you your answer.  Hang in there, I know the waiting is incredibly difficult.  I truly hope all turns out well for you.
Helpful - 0
1038696 tn?1270613715
I had almost a similar situation happen today. My measurements are showing that I am off by a wk. In my ultrasound my baby is showing I am 6 wks w/ a heatbeat though. But I am suppose to be 7 wks and 1 going from LMP. So I have to go back next Friday to see if the baby has grown any or if there is going to be a problem with this pregnancy too. My dr said they baby looks good but she is just a lil concerned about the growth. But I am not going to to stress about it because maybe I am off because I just got off of my birth control in June. But I am going to put faith in God and continue to pray that everything will work out. And I will pray for you as well, I will keep you posted w/ any changes and if you could let me know how everything is going for you I would really appreciate it. Stay positive and keep your head up!
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Avatar universal
Thanks.  I hope you are right.
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758493 tn?1271611163
I had a scan which placed me 2 weeks behind my dates but unlike you I did not have a regular cycle. This first scan was at 5 weeks and it just showed an empty sac. I had the scan repeated after 10 days as I was spotting and they saw a sac with a fetal pole and heartbeat dating 6 weeks 6 days. I was told I was very lucky to see a heatbeat so early on and they are not usually detected until 7-8 weeks.

Good luck - I am sure everything will be fine :)
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