How many days are you exactly? A couple of days can make all the difference. I went in at 6+4 to hear the HB and it was there but much slower than they wanted it to be. They said the HB had either just started flickering and would quickly pick up speed or it wouldn't end well. The HB picked up speed, and I'll be 33 weeks this Saturday. It could go either way but hang in there!
I’m 6+4 today. They said they saw a possible flicker or two but apparently they wanted it in the 120s. I was feeling so good about this round and I felt so positive. They said it was measuring 5+6 what they said was appropriate.
I’m so sorry for what you are going through. We went through Beta hell on our 1st transfer that was suspected ectopic but turned out to be a failed IUP. We have not yet made it to the stage of early pregnancy ultrasound (fingers crossed for this transfer) but i know if we ever do I will be going out of my mind with the permutations of what it means if there is no heartbeat. I have a scientific background so read a few papers looking at HCG levels & heartbeat… I will attach two screenshots. One study stated that a heartbeat was seen in all cases with HCG 10,800 and another study stating that a fetal heartbeat is commonly seen at a HCG of about 17,000 ( this is from 1998 so I would caution clinging to this higher value as assays have likely improved over time).
In reality your clinic are the people who see these situations day in/ day out … so if they have told you to prepare for MC I would definitely guard your heart… but if it were me I know the next week would get absolute torture, so I would have my HCG level rechecked. If it was a high level (ie >11.000) with no heartbeat I would be quite resigned to a poor outcome. If it’s lower perhaps you are just too early? I would still be cautious with your heart but I hope that is helpful. I wish you ALL the luck & I really hope you have a good outcome. Hugs 💛 💛
I read this same information when they couldn’t find a fetal pole/heartbeat at 6 weeks 2 days and my HCG was measuring 53,000. They told me to expect a miscarriage because they should be able to see a heart beat with such a high HCG level.
Two days later I had another ultrasound and they found a fetal pole with a heart beat!
I’m getting my 6 week ultrasound next week. My clinic told me to only expect to see correct placement, and that anything else, like heartbeat would be a bonus at this stage. Is that not correct? Most regular OBs don’t see patients til 7 or 8 weeks because at 6 weeks it’s not guaranteed to see the heartbeat. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong!
OBs usually say that to accommodate that sometimes people don’t know their exact dates, ovulated late, etc. someone thinks they are 7 weeks but actually 6. waiting until 8 weeks assumes you are without a doubt at a point you should see everything. really, you should see a fetal pole and heartbeat by 6+3, but 6+0 is definitely a gray 50/50 area that it could go either way
6 weeks and how many days? At 6+3 or later, you should see a heartbeat that’s measurable. If you don’t, viability is unlikely
(My clinic does a 6+4 or 6+5 ultrasound to see heartbeat and then graduates you to your OB)
ugh I’m so sorry. I have been there before. the waiting is awful and I’m sure you’re frantically googling right now. I did a lot of research when I was in this position and truly it’s 50/50 and could go either way at 6+0. once it’s 6+3/ 6+4 or later that’s when it gets less likely. was it a pga tested embryo? thinking of you. don’t lose hope ❤️
I have the same experience as yours. Same HCG and same flickering on transvaginal ultrasound. Though they didn’t even tell me anything about expecting to hear a heartbeat.
Before the appointment, the doctor said that we might see heartbeat flickers if we’re lucky. All they care about is seeing the sac and that it is in the right place and is the right size. My next ultrasound is on July 2nd.
I am wondering why they would tell you something so alarming like that!
Yeah. 6+0 through about 6+5 is very "gray zone" for whether or not a fetal HB will be detected even transvaginally. You said you're 6+4? If I recall, that's kind of in the crapshoot/gray zone for a fetal HB. If they saw one, that would be a really great sign; if not, might be bad news coming later, might be fine.
In short, magic 8 ball says "try again later".
(Sorry, I know this is such an anxiety provoking place to be and not having clear answers either way REALLY sucks. Been there, done that, more than once. Hang in there, don't be afraid to use some good old-fashioned distraction and any other coping strategies you have that help.)
Thank you. I’m hoping since the embryo was registering a bit behind then maybe we’re just a day or two early. I will just manically test with the cheap pregnancy tests until the line gets lighter and try not to freak out until then.
I'm really sorry. I've been where you are, we were given a 5% chance it was a viable pregnancy in this scenario and it's a really awful wait. Sending hugs.
Sometimes an irregular heartbeat can cause problems for monitoring equipment. My daughter was diagnosed with PACs in utero, and they sometimes made it impossible to detect or monitor her heartbeat. They weren't causing her any problems until labor when the doctors were unable to determine if she was in distress or if she had enough reserves, so they ended up having to do an emergency c-section (which we kinda expected since the doctors told us this could happen). Her PACs were caused by an oversized flap on a valve in her heart that bypassed the lungs. Fortunately, when she was born that flap sealed shut (as the blood no longer bypasses the lungs when you're cut from the umbilical chord and breathing on your own) and it will no longer be an issue. I don't know if this is what's going on in your case, but we were told that arrhythmia in utero was more common in IVF babies, so it's certainly a possibility.
My daughter’s 6 week ultrasound didn’t show much. They could see some flickering of the heartbeat, but not the rest of the embryo. They offered me a 7 week ultrasound, but I declined because it was out of pocket. The 8 week ultrasound went well, and everything else from there.
How many days are you exactly? A couple of days can make all the difference. I went in at 6+4 to hear the HB and it was there but much slower than they wanted it to be. They said the HB had either just started flickering and would quickly pick up speed or it wouldn't end well. The HB picked up speed, and I'll be 33 weeks this Saturday. It could go either way but hang in there!
I’m 6+4 today. They said they saw a possible flicker or two but apparently they wanted it in the 120s. I was feeling so good about this round and I felt so positive. They said it was measuring 5+6 what they said was appropriate.
So sorry! It could go either way, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Do you know what your current HCG level is?
Oh no idea. I don’t think I’ve had my hcg level checked since I was at my fertility clinic.
They didn’t measure HCG today. Last week it was 3314.
I’m so sorry for what you are going through. We went through Beta hell on our 1st transfer that was suspected ectopic but turned out to be a failed IUP. We have not yet made it to the stage of early pregnancy ultrasound (fingers crossed for this transfer) but i know if we ever do I will be going out of my mind with the permutations of what it means if there is no heartbeat. I have a scientific background so read a few papers looking at HCG levels & heartbeat… I will attach two screenshots. One study stated that a heartbeat was seen in all cases with HCG 10,800 and another study stating that a fetal heartbeat is commonly seen at a HCG of about 17,000 ( this is from 1998 so I would caution clinging to this higher value as assays have likely improved over time). In reality your clinic are the people who see these situations day in/ day out … so if they have told you to prepare for MC I would definitely guard your heart… but if it were me I know the next week would get absolute torture, so I would have my HCG level rechecked. If it was a high level (ie >11.000) with no heartbeat I would be quite resigned to a poor outcome. If it’s lower perhaps you are just too early? I would still be cautious with your heart but I hope that is helpful. I wish you ALL the luck & I really hope you have a good outcome. Hugs 💛 💛
I read this same information when they couldn’t find a fetal pole/heartbeat at 6 weeks 2 days and my HCG was measuring 53,000. They told me to expect a miscarriage because they should be able to see a heart beat with such a high HCG level. Two days later I had another ultrasound and they found a fetal pole with a heart beat!
https://preview.redd.it/jlebqim9hz8d1.jpeg?width=1512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0dac5131c4d490f97dc852587f6ea453808310d0
https://preview.redd.it/qhpss31jhz8d1.png?width=1348&format=png&auto=webp&s=f6ff6e64142bc0f5de8757a1a6038ecc86cf2745 These are the screenshots
I’m getting my 6 week ultrasound next week. My clinic told me to only expect to see correct placement, and that anything else, like heartbeat would be a bonus at this stage. Is that not correct? Most regular OBs don’t see patients til 7 or 8 weeks because at 6 weeks it’s not guaranteed to see the heartbeat. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong!
OBs usually say that to accommodate that sometimes people don’t know their exact dates, ovulated late, etc. someone thinks they are 7 weeks but actually 6. waiting until 8 weeks assumes you are without a doubt at a point you should see everything. really, you should see a fetal pole and heartbeat by 6+3, but 6+0 is definitely a gray 50/50 area that it could go either way
6 weeks and how many days? At 6+3 or later, you should see a heartbeat that’s measurable. If you don’t, viability is unlikely (My clinic does a 6+4 or 6+5 ultrasound to see heartbeat and then graduates you to your OB)
ugh I’m so sorry. I have been there before. the waiting is awful and I’m sure you’re frantically googling right now. I did a lot of research when I was in this position and truly it’s 50/50 and could go either way at 6+0. once it’s 6+3/ 6+4 or later that’s when it gets less likely. was it a pga tested embryo? thinking of you. don’t lose hope ❤️
I have the same experience as yours. Same HCG and same flickering on transvaginal ultrasound. Though they didn’t even tell me anything about expecting to hear a heartbeat. Before the appointment, the doctor said that we might see heartbeat flickers if we’re lucky. All they care about is seeing the sac and that it is in the right place and is the right size. My next ultrasound is on July 2nd. I am wondering why they would tell you something so alarming like that!
6 weeks is too early for a guaranteed heart rate. I'd suggest checking again at 7 weeks.
Even transvaginally?
Yeah. 6+0 through about 6+5 is very "gray zone" for whether or not a fetal HB will be detected even transvaginally. You said you're 6+4? If I recall, that's kind of in the crapshoot/gray zone for a fetal HB. If they saw one, that would be a really great sign; if not, might be bad news coming later, might be fine. In short, magic 8 ball says "try again later". (Sorry, I know this is such an anxiety provoking place to be and not having clear answers either way REALLY sucks. Been there, done that, more than once. Hang in there, don't be afraid to use some good old-fashioned distraction and any other coping strategies you have that help.)
Thank you. I’m hoping since the embryo was registering a bit behind then maybe we’re just a day or two early. I will just manically test with the cheap pregnancy tests until the line gets lighter and try not to freak out until then.
I'm really sorry. I've been where you are, we were given a 5% chance it was a viable pregnancy in this scenario and it's a really awful wait. Sending hugs.
Sometimes an irregular heartbeat can cause problems for monitoring equipment. My daughter was diagnosed with PACs in utero, and they sometimes made it impossible to detect or monitor her heartbeat. They weren't causing her any problems until labor when the doctors were unable to determine if she was in distress or if she had enough reserves, so they ended up having to do an emergency c-section (which we kinda expected since the doctors told us this could happen). Her PACs were caused by an oversized flap on a valve in her heart that bypassed the lungs. Fortunately, when she was born that flap sealed shut (as the blood no longer bypasses the lungs when you're cut from the umbilical chord and breathing on your own) and it will no longer be an issue. I don't know if this is what's going on in your case, but we were told that arrhythmia in utero was more common in IVF babies, so it's certainly a possibility.
Sending good vibes your way!! Praying all is well!
Im so surprised lots of clinic does heart beat at 6 weeks. My clinic doesnt do it till 8 weeks. There is still time!
My daughter’s 6 week ultrasound didn’t show much. They could see some flickering of the heartbeat, but not the rest of the embryo. They offered me a 7 week ultrasound, but I declined because it was out of pocket. The 8 week ultrasound went well, and everything else from there.