Why can't we see our baby? An explaination of whats going on???

Question

My wife had her last period on June 2nd 2007. Last saturday we took a home pregnancy test since she had the first symthoms (frequent urination, brest swelling) and it came out positive after only 3 weeks from her period. She still HASNT missed her period. Today we had the same exam as the ultrasound, but it was pelvic. Basically, the machine didnt go inside her vagina, but on her belly. I think its called a pelvic ultrasound or whatever. The GYNO said he didnt see anything. The beta HCG test was 1582 mUI/ml and to me it seems a little higher. Shes not even 4 weeks pregnant (4 weeks tomorrow) and I read on the internt that by now you can see the baby sac in the uterus. The Gyno didnt know **** and said that there is "an unidentified matter inside her womb".Not a tumor obviously, but he didnt wanna say pregnancy. he said that the womb contains "stuff that is normally present when u r not pregnant".What the hell does it mean?He thought it was an ectopic pregnancy, but the HCG is too low

Answer 1

She needs to have an intravaginal u/s to see a pregnancy that early. Maybe there is a problem and he isn't sure the pregnancy is viable for whatever reason. You can always obtain a second opinion, but it seems ridiculous that they gave her an exterior u/s.

Answer 2

Okay, hold the phone. Get a different doctor. Anyone telling you that 4 weeks you should see a sac with a pelvic ultrasound is NOT a qualified OB and you should NOT being going to them.

Its nearly IMPOSSIBLE to locate the embryo and sac at 8 weeks with an external U/S, let alone at 4 weeks.. we're talking something smaller than a grain of rice here. Trying to find that in the womb is sooooo hard.

She's hardly even pregnant at all! It hasnt even been a full cycle yet, and he's trying to convince you that she's not pregnant or if she is it could be ectopic. Iam seriously getting pissed off here.

Some women (I am one of them), dont ovulate until late in their cycle, and other women produce low amounts of hormones in their first few weeks of pregnancy. Personally I didnt crown that happy 20k mUI/ml mark until I was 8 weeks pregnant. They did and ultrasound then, and couldnt find anything with the regular machine and had to do it intravaginally.

He should NOT have ordered that ultrasound at all, certainly not before 4 weeks. The only reasons for doing that this early are to collect on the insurance. What an idiot.

Get your wife some chocolate, a foot rub, and a new doctor. What a freaking quack.

Answer 3

Was her bladder full when they did the ultrasound? It should have been. Also, the most effective way to see what is going on would be a vagainal ultrasound since she is only a few weeks pregnant. When I was pregnant with my daughter (14 years ago), they couldn't detect anything by a regular ultrasound (like you described in your question). They told me it was a possible tubal pregnancy. They made me wait 2 weeks and come back. I was terrified. Well, they did a vaginal ultrasound 2 weeks later and there was the baby - a teeny tiny little peanut and they determined I was only 4 weeks pregnant which means when I went the first time I was only 2 weeks.

This is the most positive scenario so just think positive and insist on a vaginal ultrasound within the next two weeks. Good luck and I hope everything turns out well. (I now have a moody 13 year old girl).

Answer 4

It might still be too soon to tell by an ultrasound. My first ultrasound wasn't until 9 weeks or so. My first dr visit was at 6 weeks. Four weeks is too soon to see anything, even though it's plenty early to determine if she is pregnant. Give it a little more time... but maybe switch drs, since this one can't seem to read an ultrasound machine. That's gotta be unsettling that your dr doesn't appear to know what he's talking about.

Answer 5

Well depending on which home pregnancy test she took... they can tell you up to a week BEFORE your missed period.. Now since she is only 4 weeks, it is very possible that the baby is too small to see. when I went at 8 weeks, you could barely see mine...I wouldnt worry, the stress isnt good for your wife at this time.. Take another home test and see, or even go to the doctor for a blood test. Maybe you should get another doctor while your at it, he seems to be clueless..
Good luck, and dont let your wife know that you are worried, it will cause her to stress about the situation, and thats something she shouldnt be doing this early on!

Answer 6

A pelvic ultrasound goes inside the vagina, and that is really the only way to see a baby that small, the belly ultrasound is usually used for later (I'm really surprised the doc used the regular ultra sound and not the internal ultrasound.

I think maybe you should see a new doctor, but that's my opinion.

Answer 7

Is it possible that the home test was wrong? Even if it wasn't wrong, I know that a woman can have periods throughout her pregnancy, as my friend Lori did while she carried her son. I was nine weeks before we could see our son. It sounds like she's too early in her pregnancy to see the baby. Don't freak out yet, give it a couple more weeks.

Answer 8

wow that is some strange info you guys got. The HCG show pg yet her thinks its too low for an ectopic? I dont get that. I googled Ultrasound images and found alot of pictures to look at. did they give you any pics?

Answer 9

possibly a blighted ovum, where the egg implants but does on divide. Or it could be too early. I would wait 2 weeks and get a new ultrasound tech, i'm really surprised that they did not do a vaginal scan, its so much easier to see at this stage. Good luck!

Answer 10

it could be a molar pregnancy
A molar pregnancy is the result of a genetic error during the fertilization process that leads to growth of abnormal tissue within the uterus. Molar pregnancies rarely involve a developing embryo, and the growth of this material is rapid compared to normal fetal growth. It has the appearance of a large and random collection of grape-like cell clusters.