8 Weeks and No Heartbeat

Hi M.,

I can tell you from experience that there are few things more difficult to go through than a miscarriage. I actually went through 4 of them before finally having my son. He is a little miricle to us and we also hope to have at least one more.

The heart beat can be very difficult to find before 8- 10 weeks in some women's bodies. I don't know why- but this is what I have learned from being in many doctor offices. So I would have at least once more ultrasound/dopplar closer to 10 weeks.

One of my girlfriends had something similar happen. She had thyroid issues too. The pregnancy tests barely showed enough hormone to indicate she was pregnant, and the dopplar was weak as well, till she was further along.

She had many fertility issues for the first part of her marriage (doc said they were thyroid related) and then they finally were able to have one. Now she has 3 kids...lol

Try to relax if you can- as divine providence knows what is really happening inside you. There is an answer already as to whether your baby is strong enough to go the distance. And whichever way things turn out- I really believe we are not given more than we can handle- including loss.

My personal faith was shaken a few times in losing 4 babies- but now, on the other side of it all, I can see in part the things I learned through those circumstances that were necessary.

I learned to accept my own lack of control and that there is grace in all things, pain included. I really do know the fear and desperate feelings you are experiencing, and all I can tell you for sure, is that God's timing is perfect. I got tired of hearing this, but it was the inescapable truth.

My son came when I was about to go back on the pill and had no intention of getting pregnant. I also had just come to a place in my life where I could forgive my father for abuses suffered and within 2/3 weeks of this I got pregnant with my son. I was distraught thinking - oh no here we go again, but there was healing in my forgiving my dad, because my son is here today with me.

I do not believe this is coincidence and so it was another powerful thing I took from all my other losses. I think sometimes, our bodies suffer from emotional/mental stresses and trauma to the point we shut it's ability to function down- including reproduction.

Having said all that, I will just gently tell you to try to stay as relaxed as possible, get another test in a few weeks and in the meantime know your baby will do what is best for you and themeselves. Grace makes sure that all are taken care of, even if we don't understand the way this plays out.

I see the grace that covered me during those losses and the grace that covered my last pregnancy and brought it to term. You will come through this, and be more (not less) either way it goes.

Praying for you-
D. :)

1 mom found this helpful

Heavenly Father, you say in Your word that where two or three are gathered in your name and are in ageement, you are in our midst. Right now, Lord, we stand in agreement for M. and her baby. We speak Life to her baby and we will not let anything get in our way of the Faith that we have in You, Lord. We pray that this baby will be born at Your time and will be healthy and will be set aside for you Lord. We also pray that you give M. and her whole family the strength and the boldness to give You all the honor and glory. In Jesus name we pray...AMEN!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,
I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this. I wanted you to know that my mother and middle daughter also have hypothyroidism and I know from all the reading I've done that this condition causes an elevated risk of miscarriage. My mother had a 2nd trimester m/c between my two brothers. I have had two miscarriages and they were very difficult to get through. The first was at 18 weeks--I was pregnant with identical twin boys and their cords tangled and they died in utero. It took me about a year to really get over that. I now have 3 beautiful daughters and I realize that sometimes, things DO happen for a reason. I had a hard time seeing that for a long time, but then recently it occurred to me that my twin boys probably would have been born early and had lots of developmental problems--there was a problem called twin-twin transfusion which if fatal most of the time but leads to lots of problems when it's not. So, had they survived, my hubby and I would have had lots of stress dealing with their health and developmental issues...now, we have these beautiful, brilliant girls who are the lights of our lives. Anyway, go for the 2nd ultrasound and I will be praying that your first doctor is wrong! If there is no heartbeat I know that you will be very sad, but try to be strong for your little one, and talk to your doctor about checking your hormone levels RIGHT AWAY the next time you are pregnant (progesterone, estrogen) to make sure your body is producing enough to sustain the pregnancy. I had to supplement with progesterone with my oldest daughter, and then both estrogen and progesterone with the next two, b/c my body just didn't produce enough to sustain the pregnancy. I am so sorry you are in this situation but I wish you the best of luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi, M..

I know what you're going through...I've had three miscarriages and they were all very different. My first baby did not have a heartbeat at 13 weeks, but it also only measured 9 weeks at my 13 week check-up. I never cramped beforehand and had only begun spotting. My second baby never showed up in the ultrasound at all...just my empty placenta at 11 weeks. No symptoms with that one. The doctor told me it was considered a blighted ovum. My third baby I miscarried over several weeks with cramping and bleeding and such. I'm hoping beyond hope that your baby is fine...I have heard of several other Moms with stories like yours whose babies were just fine. Every pregnancy is different, just like every child! God has blessed me with 7 children now, and I get to look forward to meeting my other three one day in Heaven!

God bless,
S.

1 mom found this helpful

Sweetie

Wait another week (I know the waiting is very hard) and go back for another ultrasound. At this early time a week makes a huge difference in the development of your baby. If you ovulated late then your dates could be off.

I had 5 miscarriages before my son was born and one between him and his sister. There are wonderful doctors out there to get you through this...if yours are not supportive then find a new one...I did. My original doctor wouldn't even see me during my first miscarriage and I dropped her like a hot potato.

Sending you a great big hug!!
{{{{hugs}}}}

1 mom found this helpful

Do you know when you ovulated? I have a long cycle and ovulate late, usually around day 20. If I base my due date on my last period, it is always about a week off, because those dates are based on a 28 day cycle.

With my first 2, my first ultrasound showed only a sac because it was too early, but my second showed a healthy baby.

My thoughts and prayers will be with you.
I can only share my personal experience.
I have had 4 miscarriages, and none of them the same or even similar. I had 3 before my first near full term live birth, and one after that but before my second live birth.
Do what you feel is right in your heart. If you feel a second opinion would ease your mind...then go for it. I am all for 2nd and 3rd opinions...I can't even remember how many ultra sounds I had with my second near full term...
I now have two beautiful miracles from God.
Although the pain of those losses have eased over the years it is still in my mind.
I hope all works out in the end.

I went to a specialist with mine and she said sometimes you do not see a heartbeat that early in the pregnancy. More like around nine or ten weeks. Good luck and God bless.

JUST WAIT! Some babies hide and do not show. Even though you think you are 100% on your dates it could be off. Remember at this time they are so small that even a day or two can be a big deal. You may have had a late implantation. How are you HCG and progesterone levels. This should give you a very good indication of what is going on. If your numbers are withing range do not worry too much! I know easier said than done. 6 weeks is very early to guarantee a heartbeat. Besides any doc who says that should validate a second opinion for you. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions I know lots about this sort of thing. God bless

Hi M.,

My heart is with you. I think you are right to get another opinion.

At 5 weeks you should be able to see a small heart beat... rather the ultrasound tech should at least.

I lost a baby at 20 weeks and I never bled. A couple of weeks went by and I never knew the baby had died. I was feeling less sick from the hormones and I thought it was just because the placenta would have formed by then. By the time we found out, via ultrasound, the baby had basically disintegrated. It had been gone that long.

I'm sorry for how graphic that is, I just meant to say that sometimes you do not bleed. It is important to find out, however, to avoid sepsis.

I hope that you are all OK and I wish you peace.

I dont remember the exact dates but they did not hear the heart beat the first time I went to the doctor for my preganancy.( I knew when I was preggers before I took the test. I told my husband he went and got a test and I told him it was too soon for it to show up on there. And of course it was I took a home test again a week or so later and it was positive. It was eairly in the pregancy when I went to the doctor) I have misscarried so I thought here we go again! That doctor sent me to the ultra sound and found the heart beat. I dont think we could hear it as much as see it. Sorry It was a while back and i dont remember too much about it. That ultra sound was regular not a vaginal one. I would get a second opnion and PRAY!!! God bless your little one. P.S. I went to a nutrition doctor years later and found out that my diet and the way my body reacted to the food I was eating might have been a cause in the miscarrage. My body cannot handle sugar of any kind it stores it and craves it at the same time. Once I got on this diet all my problems seemed to go away, bad skin, hairyness, fat, moodieness, the list goes on. But I did have a very fat and healthy baby after.

those stupid doctors did this to me too. they told me to go home and wait it out, there was nothing i could do. my pregnancy was unsuccessful.
if iwere you id go home, lay down, STAY POSITIVE, and say some super duper prayers whatever you believe in.
good luck

I recently had a miscarriage and got pregnant again 5 months later. When I was 5 1/2 weeks I started spotting and had an ultrasound at 5 weeks 6 days. The doctor could not find a heartbeat and told us to prepare for the worse, since they should have been able to detect the heartbeat based on the baby's age. My hormone levels were good and my HCG level was rising. A week later they found the heartbeat! Keep up the faith! I hope that everything turns out well for you.

M.
I was in a similar situation to yours. We had many ultrasounds and the doctor was actually declaring a failure to progress when she found the heartbeat. I was sure of my last period but it turns out I ovulate 7 days later than average which puts me on Cycle Day 21 and not Cycle Day 14 so my fetus was actually 1 week younger than thought.

Either way I would say listen to your gut and follow your instincts. It doesn't hurt to take time. Good Luck.

J.

I have no experiance with this, and I am so sorry that you are having this stress right now. I know how your mind can often jump to the worst possible situation.
When I was pregnant, I had under gone a lot f stress and my cycle had suffered becasue of it. My case was extream as, I had not had a cycle for 3 months when I concieved. This made figuring out a due date extreamly difficult. Is it possible that your cylce was not 100% at the time that you conceived due to stress or weight loss?
I can't imagine having to wait, but you and your little one will be in my prayers. I hope that you find help with your second opinion.

M.,

To keep my story short, the same thing happened. I thought I was angry at HOW the sonographer told me. Really, I was mad THAT she told me. I waited over a weekend to see the new doctor, and the news was that there was no heartbeat and there was abnormal development.

The reason I tell you this is that this occurred in March of 2003, and had that not happened, I would not have my sweet little Brycie, because I got pregnant with him in August. I wish you all the best, and hope things go well for you.

Bless your heart; I know how stressful this is, so turn to the Lord for peace. I just recently found out that I miscarried but I was only 5 weeks pregnant. This is my second one and it’s been really hard to get my emotions in check so I just wanted you to know that you aren’t alone. I pray that you aren’t or haven’t miscarried, and hope that God gives you comfort and support either way. That say, it’s common to not be able to hear or see a heart bate at 8 weeks even with a vaginal ultrasound. With my last pregnancy I was threatening to miscarry and had a vaginal ultrasound at 8 weeks at women’s hospital and they couldn’t detach a heart beat, but told me not to worry because it was so early. I went back two weeks later and there were two heart beats and I now have health 11 month old B/G twins. Also, sometimes during that same pregnancy my doctor’s office couldn’t found a heart beat for one of the babies because they would be in a hard spot to find and everything was fine when they would check again later. His your doctor tested your pregnancy hormones? Are they still increasing? If so, everything is probably fine. Even if they haven’t you could take an at home pregnancy test, it won’t tell you your actually numbers, but if your baby has stopped growing then your pregnancy hormones will also be decreasing and you probably won’t register as pregnant any more. I know it’s hard to wait, so get a second opinion if that will put you at ease. Blessing to you and yours during this hard time!

hi M.
reading this it is exactly what happened to me! i even wanted a different opinion and was stressed all weekend thinking that they were unsure and it would come out fine. they did bloodwork as well and unfortunately the hormone levels were going down. i had gone in for a 8week ultrasound and the baby was measuring at 5 1/2 weeks. the end result was that it had stopped growing at that point (5 1/2wks) and i had a miscarriage about a week later on my own. then i had to go in every other day and do blood work to make sure my hormone levels went back to normal. it was sad and a very frustrating time. i did end up having 2 healthy kids after that!

I have not been in a similar experience, but doctors and machines do make mistakes. Pray for guidance and for a special doctor to help you. Best wishes during this difficult time of waiting!

I have not been in a similar situation as you but i will keep you in my prayers. Have faith and know that only God truly knows. Doctors are just humans like us so they can easily miss the heartbeat. Put everything in God's hands.

God bless you and your family.

Dear M.,
I did go through what sounds to be a very similar experience. When I went for a second opinion with a contrast ultrasound, they could determin that there was no blood flow in the baby anymore. That was our answer. However, this was at 14 weeks. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to wait another week since you are only 6 weeks and repete the test to make sure. Your love for this unborn life is precious. Keeping you in prayer, J. M

If you see a flicker than i would say there is a heart beat definately. I did't hear my sons until about 8 weeks and my other at 6 weeks but i wouldnt worry. Do you remember with you first child when the baby would move the nurse would say, "oops lost the heart beat!" well the baby could very well be turned a way they can reach it. My first son was so active that they could never find one or never got a steady one. I know your baby is small but it could be just set a diff way. Second opinion is best!
D.

Doctors aren't always right. Sometimes they do miss things, remember they are only human also. Trust your instincts. Mother instinct and faith will help you through this waiting period.
God Bless
Please keep us informed.

I do think waiting another week & having a second opinion is a good idea. But I did want to share with you my similar experience. I know how hard this is, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. With my first miscarriage, I didn't even know I was pregnant until it ended with a very heavy cramping/bleeding cyle. I didn't keep up with my cycle very well back then, so I don't know how far along I was, but it was around 6-8 weeks.

The second pregnancy, everything seemed to be fine. I went in at 8 weeks also, and was told the exact same thing...no heartbeat & baby was the size of a 6-week pregnancy. I was in a bit of denial & I waited over a week. Still no heartbeat, no bleeding, no anything. We had to have a D & C.

So I do have to say that it is quite possible that your doctor is right, and if so I am soooo sorry. I hope he is wrong & I hope the next doctor tells you that the baby is healthy and growing. But do prepare yourself for the possibility of bad news, just in case.

I hated to come on here & be the downer who tells you it could be over. I just remember being in your place & wondering if the doctors were crazy. How long should I wait this out to be sure? What if I do this D & C thing, and they were wrong? But I learned through the process, that they see this all too often, and would never perform a D & C if they weren't absolutely positive the pregnancy had ended. So I wanted to help you have that security, what little it may be.

I'll say a little prayer for you. Hugs.

C.

Hi M.,

I agree, get another opinion, have them take another look. That early on, it can be very hard to see the little flicker of their precious heartbeat. I have had a very similar year to you. In January I miscarried. I too have hypothyroidism, so I had my levels checked and they were fine. Then on March 1st I had the wonderful news that I was pregnant again, only to be followed 10 days later with the news that I had thyroid cancer. Its been a long road, but this baby seems to be doing just fine. He is huge and the only problem I have now is that I'm in pre-term labor - he's just too eager to join us! The little ones can make it thru an amazing amount of junk. I understand how you feel - completely! We had to wait to see the high risk OB till I was 8 weeks along and it was agony. I wouldn't let myself get excited until after I saw the heartbeat. At any rate, try to keep your chin up, I'm sure they'll see the heartbeat.

If for some reasone God has decided to take this precious one as well, sometimes we have what are called "Missed Miscarriages" where we lose the baby but you don't have the period like symptoms of miscarriage. If this has happened they will have to do a D&C to clear things. After a D&C, it is usually about 3 months before you can start trying again.

I won't say all those placating, non-sense words that folks try to use when someone has experienced a loss, just that if you do need someone to talk to, feel free to email me. I've been there sister.

K.