How wrong can doctor's be?

Question

According to my daughter's doctor, she is 10 weeks along, which right now is impossible. She went in yesterday-(we're thinking she's more like 4 - 6 weeks) for an Ultrasound. Since her doctor did not see anything, her doctor is claiming an abnormal pregnancy and given my daughter a 50/50 chance of possibly losing it anyway. If my daughter is only 4 - 6 weeks along, the baby will not show up yet on an Ultrasound, right? When I had my kids-(5 of them), they always listened to the heartbeat first......then, about a month later did an Ultrasound. My daughter's period was exactly 2 weeks early and she's not had one since. She went thru pregnancy tests and a blood test and finally found out she's pregnant. Now, this doctor is trying to tell her she's probably got an abnormal pregnancy and looking at the possiblilty of "cleaning" my daughter out through surgery. Her doctor is talking about giving it another WEEK and checking again. Well, this has my daughter upset, naturally. Any suggestions?

Thank you all for your encouraging comments. However, I heard from my daughter this afternoon, and she is miscarrying. Just please pray for her......Cherokee Lady

Answer 1

I have had 5 miscarriages including a blighted ovum. I was able to see the heartbeat at 6 weeks on my current pregnancy and I'm 18 weeks. You should be able to see a sac and fetal pole by 5 -6 weeks. Why does she think she is 10 weeks if he can't see anything? Really besides waiting that is all you can do, well he can do a blood check for HCG levels every 2 days if the levels are doubling then it would seem she is fine. I know how she feels, I have had to go through the same thing 3 times and waiting is never fun. I wish her well

Answer 2

No, at 6 weeks there should be a clear sac in the uterus. I just had my ultrasound and I was 5 weeks and 6 days and it was perfectly clear. With my first child (she is 12 months) my first ultrsound was at 6 weeks and 1 day and it was the same thing. They nearly look the same! They nearly ALWAYS do early ultrsounds because they are found out you can get pregnant ANY time of the month, not only the middle of your cycle like they once thought. (This pregnancy I actually got pregnant the day my period was due) She can always get a second opinion if she doesn't trust what the doctor is saying, but it is usually right unfortunatly. I am sorry, and it might just be even earlier than 5 weeks and might be too early. The blood test should have given an HGC level that would tell how far along she is, and they should have told her. My doctor always did anyways. Plus, they can tell by blood if it is a normal pregnancy because the levels double every 2 days, so they should do a repeat blood test. Good Luck

Answer 3

I wanted to thank all of you for your encouraging words. I am the daughter mentioned in the question, but believe I am more like 8 wks, not 4-6. My last period was exactly two weeks early, I ususally menstrate around the 11th or 13th of every month. I have not had a period since August. When I went for my ultra sound, my doctor, who is female, by the way :-), told me that the dates might be a little off. That, or my pregnancy is abnormal, ie, blighted. It broke my heart, and I have cried since then. I firmly believe they dated me wrong... There was an embryo, but that was it. As far as a heart beat, I didn't hear one, as they were not looking for it. When my doctor saw what she did, I guess she didn't feel the need... I don't know. I was too overcome with shock to ask. I agree with all of you that I need to get a second opionion, though, and that allowing the doctor to clean out my system at this time could be a mistake. They were wrong about the first pregnancy test ( blood test ) when it came up negative... about three weeks later it came back positive. I found out from my primary doctor on the 12th of September that I was pregnant, though I knew almost a week before it. Therefore, realistically, how many weeks along I am, can't be pin pointed. Like I said earlier, I don't trust their approximation. She asked if I'd had any cramping, or bleeding, but I hadn't had anything like that. Everything has been perfectly normal. I've had some lower abdominal discomfort, but that's everytime I eat, I'm told my body is only stretching. I'm 4'11" and between 80-85 lbs... I'm very tiny. I will get a second opinion as you all have recommended, as I believe they are wrong. There was an embryo on the ultra sound, but no sound from anything, so I have no idea if there was a heart beat or not. Thank you all for praying for me... it is greatly appreciated, as I have been praying like never before. To hear comforting words and similar stories makes me feel better. Thank you all so much, and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 4

she probably is earlier than the doctor thinks. did they find a heartbeat? my babies heartbeats were detected at 6 weeks 1 day, but not every one's is detected that early. the doctor goes by when she had her last cycle, the ultrasound is more accurate when guessing gestation age though. i'd go with the ultrasound rather than the cycle guesswork. the ultrasound and listening to the heartbeat is simultaneous, especially that early they wouldnt even try it with a doppler until around 12-14 weeks. the only way to detect a heartbeat sooner is thru vaginal ultrasound. it should definitely be seen by week 10 but if she is 4-6 weeks, the heartbeat may not be detectable yet. if i were you, i'd get a second opinion. if he said its abnormal, it may be what they call a blighted ovum. which is a pregnancy that started but for some reason the embryo doesn't advance and develop. he attatches to the lining but doesnt form and miscarriage is imminent. now i surely would not allow him to give her a d & c (cleaning her out) until u were definitely sure a miscarriage was already in progress. get a second opinion or even go the ER and they'll give her a vaginal ultrasound where you should see a heartbeat.

Answer 5

maybe you should see a different ob doctor! i had an unltrasound done very early in my pregnancy due to lots of pain and bleeding! at the time i was 5 weeks 6 days pregnant and you can see a small circle on the ultrasound picture and that is the sac! so yes you can have an ultrasound very early and see a speck which is the sac! my son will be 10 years old next month! good luck and my prayers are with you!

Answer 6

Get a second opinion, you and your daughter reserve the right to refuse and treatment until you're 100% convinced. If she is indeed that early in the pregnancy the baby will not show up on an ultrasound, there will only a black dot representing the sac. I had an u/s at 5.5 weeks and that's what we saw, a dot. Good luck to you two, and get another opinion and discuss dates with the new doctor.

Answer 7

Doctors have been known to err, they are human. But in there profession when the situation could be the difference between life and death there is no room for error.

Your daughter's doctor could have been given wrong information as too the date of her last period, and he is going by that to determine how far along she is. None the less, do not let your daughter follow thru with the cleaning process. Take her to another doctor for a second opinion, also have them recheck her HCG levels (pregnancy hormones levels) please I urge you do not take the first doctors words as a guarantee, go get a second opinion. Especially if you and your daughter feel she is not as far along as the doctor thinks.

I hope everything will be fine for your daughter.
God Bless

Answer 8

Get another opinion. You should be able to see the sac that the embryo is in by 4 weeks, and the heartbeat by 6. If there is no sac or embryo by 6 weeks, then there is not a very good chance of things turning out right. As for the cleaning out, that is a d&c and can be done under general anesthetic or sedation. I will pray for your daughter, but please have her see someone else; this doesn't sound quite right.

Answer 9

Well I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant and i would have to say from my experience. i found out that i was pregnant when i was 5 weeks. i had an ultrasound when i was 6 weeks pregnant. the only thing that you can see when your 6 weeks is an sac. in my ultrasound the only thing that i saw was a big black circle. and my doct.told me you cant hear the heart beat till your 10 weeks along. he tried listening to mines at 8 weeks and heard nothing.ii didn't hear the heart beat till i was 12 weeks along.i also know that the doct. add on two extra weeks to how far you are. because I'm 38 weeks but in reality i didn't conceive till 36 weeks ago. i hope this helps you.

Answer 10

My guess is that your daughter is fairly young, right? And maybe unmarried because you are the one who went with her to the appointment? If this is true the doctor might be struggling with some of his own biases about young mothers. I would go to a different doctor, preferably a female. If they have experience with young mothers that would be a plus. at 4-6 weeks you may or may not be able to see anything, depending on where the embryo implanted. Go to a different doctor, that's the best advice I can give.