Yesterday I went to have an ultrasound. The doctor estimated that I'm 8 weeks and 3 days, but when she did the ultrasound she couldn't detect a heartbeat or anything in my uterus. I went to the lab to have my hcg levels checked. The doctor said that they are low right now and I need to go back to the lab in a week to see if they have gone up.
She says that she thinks I might have an ectopic pregnancy. But is it possible that I'm still early in my pregnancy and that's why nothing is showing on the ultrasound?
2006-10-13 10:39:35 · 6 answers · asked by isobel 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
The hall mark of ectopic pregnancy is
1- no IUP seen on US
2- positive pregnancy test
3-vaginal bleeding/pain
You have 2 of the three, so it is either
1--off dates, you are earlier than expected.
2--Miscarriage
3--ectopic
Just wait the week , you won't know anything until then, Of course, If you develop pain before the week is up, go to the ER.
These cases are difficult and require patience.
2006-10-13 15:48:13 · answer #1 · answered by Rachel☺ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've heard that ectopic pregnancies can show lower HCG levels than normal pregnancies.
If there is no hearbeat that can be heard I wonder if the prenancy stopped, and the HCG levels are on their way back to a pre-pregnancy state.
It is possible for the embryo/fetus to stop developing, and if its early enough, be reabsorbed into the amniotic fluid. Its called a "missed abortion" or "missed miscarriage". Hormones return to non-pregnancy levels, but the uterus can still have the sac and placenta. I've read that sometimes its just a matter of a miscarriage not yet occurring, but I guess sometimes it can go on for a while without any miscarriage occurring; and the pregnancy has to be removed by D&C (or D&E if the pregnancy would be considered farther along).
Of course I have no way or expertise to be guessing about your situation (particularly in view of the fact that the doctor who has been seeing you still has not been able to give you your answers yet), but it would seem to me that the combination of the no-heartbeat, nothing in the ultrasound, and lower HCG levels could just as likely indicate a missed abortion as an ectopic pregnancy.
You may already know this, but not all ectopic pregnancies are in the tube; and also, there may not be any signs of a tube pregnancy unless/until the tube reaches the point of rupturing.
2006-10-13 11:02:29 · answer #2 · answered by WhiteLilac1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not think it is an ectopic but I could be wrong. I had an ectopic pregnany and by the time I was 6 weeks I already had my left tube rupture so if you were 8 weeks along with an ectopic you would be experiancing extreme pain. I have 2 kids and went through 2 c-sections which one of them I was in full blown labor with contractions and all! That ectopic pregnancy with the rupture was the most painful thing I have ever went through my whole life. I highly doubt it is an ectopic. Ultrasound aren't always accurate because when I was pregnant with my daughter they couldn't find her legs and thought that she didn't develope correctly well let me tell you this-she is running all over the house!!! Try not to worry about it and just take it easy.Make sure you see the doctor next week. I was in pain from the ectopic pregnany from about 3 weeks along until it ruptured at 6 weeks by the way so you would already be in pain by now.
2006-10-13 13:48:10 · answer #3 · answered by erinfitz831 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hate to have to tell you this sweetie but it sounds like an ectopic pregnancy. I'm 16 weeks pregnant right now and my first OB visit was when I was 8 weeks along. My OB performed an ultrasound and she had no issues with finding the baby. All your OB has to do is locate the uteris in order to find the baby and if I assume if the OB couldn't find the uteris, she would have said something about it.
My advice to you is to ask your doc to perform another ultrasound or to get a second opinion before you make any decsions. That way, you won't have to wonder 'what if.'
If it is an ectopic pregnancy, than you really need to do something about this. I would hate to have something bad happen to you.
Good luck with all this. You must be beside yourself.
2006-10-13 10:46:58 · answer #4 · answered by raingiver 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You should still be able to detect something on the ultrasound. Try waiting like your doc says or if you're too worried you should get a second opinion. Good luck and I hope all works out!
2006-10-13 10:45:56 · answer #5 · answered by Mama2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it could be eptopic, but if it was, you would be feeling a WHOLE lot of pain right now..also, if they doctor thought so, he would have had you admitted and done surgery...eptopic pregnancies can be fatal if not attended too..
as far as no heartbeat and nothing on the ultrasound, i dont know...you very well could have a really big horomonal imbalance that is causing your body to think its pregnant
2006-10-13 10:46:44 · answer #6 · answered by sherichance79 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋