Question about Viability

[wonderme]

Good morning Dr. Downing.  

I had a MC last fall and am currently 9w6d pregnant w/ a correctly dated US and strong HB, but still flutters of worry.

My bottom line question is how often someone can have an US that dated correctly and a strong heartbeat, but go on to have a MC. What is the usual cause?

My ob said the risk of MC dropped below 5%, but I can't seem to stop worrying -- even with all my symptoms.

I go for my next check up next week at 10w5d -- what are the chances of hearing the heartbeat on doppler?

I go the following week at 11w6d for the 1st trimester screen w/ US -- is there any harm to requesting an US next week (10 1/2 weeks) for reassurance OR do you advise against too many US?

Thanks for your help!!!

[kittykates]

I have the same worries as you do.  I had a MC at 19.5 weeks in Dec 2006 (had u/s and heartbeat was no longer there so I had to deliver in the hospital) and up until that point, the baby seemed fine.

I'm currently 14w2d and I've heard and seen the heartbeat 3 times now, and the last one measured 171bpm.  As reassuring as this should be, I still have a huge sense of worry and pray for the best.

I asked my OB what my chances were of having a late MC again, and he said that although statistically my chances are between 1%-5%, it could still happen.  He said unfortunately it's just a part of life.

As much as I'd like to take his advise, I still worry, but every appointment and every u/s makes me feel better.  Unfortunately, we can't predict the future and we just have to leave it up to a higher power to make the decision for us. I am a control freak, and the fact I don't have control over my pregnancy flips me out, but I've learned now that I just have to let nature take it's course and what happens, happens. Every time I see a heartbeat, I keep reassuring myself that everything is going to be fine, and you should too. Keep positive! :)

Good luck to you.

[kjbutcher]

Hey guys. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and I will tell you two days before each appointment I swore I had lost my baby.  I didnt.  There is really no harm in asking for a u/s at your next appointment.  While my doctor was good about reassuring me, probably because I walked in crying and told her each time that i thought I had lost the baby, not all doctors are so willing.  Most of the time you cant hear a heart beat until 12 weeks so if they try and you dont hear one, dont freak out.  Once you see the heart beat on u/s the rate of miscarriage really drops significantly.  The only reason for a miscarriage at that point is that your baby is malformed so bad that I will not live outside of the uterus.  My doctor and the sonographer at the hospital told me that as we all read that the whole first trimester is the danger zone, it is really once you see the heart beat it drops to 1-5% chance of miscarriage and after 10 weeks, not 13 weeks 6 days, it drops to 1%.  You are really close to being out of the danger zone all together.  All of the feelings that you have are completely normal.  I had the same fears and spent hours on the internet each day looking everything possible up.  After you feel the baby you will start feeling better however you will not feel him everyday at first.  You will have some anxiety on the days you dont feel him and just as you are about to call the doctor you will feel him again.  About 2-3 weeks after you feel him kick at first you will feel him everyday and most of the anxiety will go away.  I know you cant believe it now but you will barely remember all of the anxiety you are going through now.  A tip for feeling baby, lie flat on your back, in complete silence, dont even think and rub your belly in circles.  Sometimes that will get him going and sometimes it is just a matter of taking the time out to pay attention.  I started feeling little flutters at 14 weeks and about 15-16 weeks i could feel him tossing and turning.  By 17.5 weeks I could feel kicks and 20 weeks I was feeling him daily.  Right now each day feels like an eternity, however soon the days and weeks will fly by.  I have no idea where my second trimester went!  It does get better!  Good luck and congratulations!

[kittykates]

Again, thanks so much for the reassurance.  I totally understand what you are saying, however, I lost a baby a few days short of 20 weeks, and it was quite a shock.  I thought everything was going great, I felt the baby move almost on a daily basis, and I started to think something was strange around Christmas  when I hadn't felt the baby move at all for about 3 days. I went in on Dec 27 for an u/s to find out the baby had no heartbeat.  5 days before, the baby had a heartbeat, and then it was gone. So you can understand my being completely crazy with this pregnancy!!!  So far so good with this one.  I've had 6 u/s done so far and my OB makes it a point to SHOW me the heartbeat.  Good luck to you!

[kjbutcher]

I totally understand.  This is my first pregnancy with no complications previously and I know how crazy I was (am).  I can not imagine how you are feeling!  My poor baby is probably going to hate me.  I wake him up all the time by rubbing my belly just so I can feel him move.  Did you ever find out what happened?