Should I Have Another Ultrasound?
QUESTION
Dear Ms Ultrasound,
I just had a transvaginal ultrasound and although everything appeared normal...cervix closed, uterus six week size, sac size 6 weeks, etc., there was no fetal heartbeat. As the doctor put it, "the uterus is tipped way back there.
"Basically, the doctor told me that because there was no fetal heartbeat detected the pregnancy is not a viable pregnancy and that I should consider a D&C. I continue to have morning sickness and generally feel pregnant (this is my third). The ultrasound showed a healthy placenta so that would contribute to the morning sickness and such. He told me the placenta has not figured out the baby is not viable.
Should I wait and have another ultrasound before doing anything else? I just wondered if the position of my uterus and the date of six weeks could make it too early to see the heartbeat? I am heartbroken over this and waiting for some signs of miscarriage is making me crazy. The initial appointment was done because there was a small amount of spotting which the doctor said was old blood when he did the internal exam. Please give me your opinion.
ANSWER
Hello, With early pregnancy, we always consider an ultrasound 6 weeks or less that gray-area, meaning sometimes things are just too small to see. With your pregnancy, I would wait a week and have another ultrasound. If there is nothing in the gestational sac then, the doctor can declare it is not a viable pregnancy.
The tipped uterus has nothing to do with anything. It's sort of like being right handed or left. It's just how your body is, and won't harm anything or make it hard to see a heartbeat. Signs of pregnancy like morning sickness are always a good sign. So hang in there.I like to suggest that if a woman has to wait a week to see if there is viability, that she make a concentrated effort to relax and enjoy the miraculous bond a mother has when conception has occurred and a life begins to grow inside her. This way, should you find next week that the pregnancy is not viable, you have experienced a love and connection made so meaningful by a relaxed week and if everything is fine its a great way to start off a new life.
-- Jane, RDMS
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Jane Foley
Jane Foley has worked as a Sonographer (Ultrasound Technologist) since 1979. Jane has lived and worked in many parts of the world including Saudi Arabia. She is a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer or RDMS. She pulls a wealth of information from her experience in the field of Radiology and her interactions with such a broad cross-section of cultures she has visited. She now makes her home on the island of Maui with her English husband, Michael.
Jane is also one of the nations leading experts in what she calls Pregnant Dreams. A pregnant dream is a dream about an unborn child that has accurate, predictive information about the baby or pregnancy. She has been researching the predictive value of dreams surrounding pregnancy for many years. Jane has found her ultrasound clinic to be the perfect laboratory for the study of dreams and pregnancy. She has been asking her pregnant patients for many years about their dreams. The stories they share are definitely book worthy. Jane's website, www.Janefoley.com explains the Pregnant Dream phenomenon and shares sample stories from around the world.
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