Can you have a blighted ovum after a heartbeat is detected?

[krusten68]

I'm in a nightmare right now. I had a vaginal ultrasound at approximately 6w 1d pregnant due to some light bleeding, and they were able to pick up a slow heartbeat but were not able to pick anything up with an external unltrasound. They said the heartbeat might be slow because it was just probably starting up.
At 6w 4d according to ultrasound, I had an external ultrasound which did not pick up a heartbeat. The technologist said he did not want to do a vaginal one because he didn't want to disrupt anything. Today I saw my doctor who read the actual report from the second ultrasound. He told me no fetal pole or yolk sac was detected on the second ultra sound. Has this happened to anyone? Is it possible to have a blighted ovum AFTER cardiac activity is detected? My HgC levels are normal... I go for another ultrasound in a week (I will be 9 weeks by them) and was basically told either I'm miscarrying or I'm not. Help?

[jess81play]

I went through a similair situation just a few days ago.  I was going to my 3 internal ultrasound.  The tech couldn't find anything.  We saw no baby, we saw the sac but no baby in it, nothing.  SHe even tried to detect blood flow in the sac and saw nothing.  Prior to this ultrasound we saw baby and heartbeat.  She seemed baffled.  My doctor came and to talk to me afterwords.  She said there was a shadow or something in from of my uterus and you couldn't see a thing.  I asked my doctor if there was ANY way the baby could have "disappeared"?  She said absolutly not.  I am also almost 7 weeks.  I had another ultrasound done 4 days later.  We saw baby and heartbeat.  I still don't understand why we couldn't see a thing on the ultrasound before.  But no baby cannot just disappear after it has been seen unless you have had heavy bleeding and cramps!  I would not worry to much about it.  I did for a whole 4 days.  It was horrible.  I'm sure at you next ultrasound you will see your baby!  Good Luck!

[Leannegreen]

I've just been for a scan today and was meant to be 10weeks but they couldn't find anything just the sac I had a scan done at 6 weeks and a healthy heartbeat was detected I've had no bleeding or cramps just normal pregnancy symptoms but they say I miscarried at around the 6 week mark I'm so confused can anyone help

[Alrad81]

I went in for my 6 week ultrasound,  We seen baby and heart beat. Went in for my 10 week ultrasound doc did not see baby or hear heart beat. It was like baby vanished. I started spotting brownish stuff 2 days before my 10 week ultrasound.  Doctore says im miscaring. I'm very upset. Has anyone had this happen to them and what does this mean?

[beckie112]

Alrad81 - what ended up happening? This has just happened to me

[abby0418]

Hi, it is my first time to join forum like this. It is my less than 6 wks and i was told by my ob having a blighted ovum. And ask for a third transvaginal ultrasound next wk. i am losing hope. But After reading your column i found out that having a tilted uterus has a chance of not seeing clear yet the embryo in a 5 to 6 wks of pregnancy so i still have a chance by next wk to see my baby in a sac with heartbeat. In God's will. My ob told me to pray more. Thanks!

[Michele, Katy, TX]

I am so glad this turned out well!!  Congrats!!!

[krusten68]

Thanks for all your help!  Turns out I'm 10 weeks pregnant with a "normal" fetus :)   I guess it was just too early and I do have a tilted uterus.

[laura1985]

it sounds to me like your doctor is an idiot! i myself have had  5 miscarriages, one of which was a blighted ovum. if there was no fetal pole and no gest sac, then there would not have been cardiac activity. get another u/s done, and insist that it be a trans vag u/s. i would look into getting another doctor as well if they refuse to do so.  

hope everything turns out well, and keep us updated!

[sweetangel7]

I disagree...it sounds like classic blighted ovum especially since you mentioned the 6w mark which characterizes b.o.

A blighted ovum ( also called an “anembryonic pregnancy”) is a fertilized egg which implants in the uterus, and begins to develop a gestational sac. The fertilized egg, however, fails to form beyond the sixth week and is absorbed back into the uterus. The placenta continues to grow, and the body is usually slow to catch on that the pregnancy is gone.  There may be no bleeding to signal a problem; later, the woman may notice a brown discharge. Sometimes a woman will have a loss without ever knowing she was pregnant. Others will discover the pregnancy and all will appear well throughout much if not all of the first trimester. She may not realize she has a blighted ovum until her healthcare provider fails to detect a heartbeat or an ultrasound reveals an empty gestational sac. Since the placental tissue generates the making of pregnancy hormones, many women with a blighted ovum “feel pregnant” but are destined to lose the pregnancy. In past decades, many women miscarried blighted ovum pregnancies without knowing what had happened. Today, however, technology has improved to the point that an ultrasound can examine exactly what is going on inside the womb. Due to this technology, the diagnosis of a Blighted Ovum is becoming more common.

[martikadragoon]

I agree with the otehr posters..... You should've had a transvaginal U/S done.. my dr was an idiot and tried to do an abdominal U/s and saw NOTHING. I had to request a transvaginal one. we saw a sac... 8 or 9 days later we saw a heartbeat and baby. :)  

[nickieb85]

I agree with the above post. I think that your doc should have done a transv ultrasound and you definitely need a second opinion. It is not a blighted ovum. A little bleeding can be normal in early pregnancy for some women. If your numbers look good then you might not have anything to worry about. I would definitely get a second opinion though.

[hbstar6881]

No a blighted ovum is when a fetus never comes into the yolk sac and further more you cannot detect anything with a regular ultrasound this early they need to always do a vaginal.  You my dear need a new doctor if he doesn't know that.  Good Luck and seek another opinion.