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4 weeks or 6 weeks for heartbeat?
Hello,
I am 6+2 according to the pregnancy calculators and have an early scan booked for 25th May when I will be 7+1. (I got an early scan due to 3 m/c's in the past 6 months). I know the exact doc (19th April) as we weren't trying last month because I had a gynacologist app booked for the 11th May so in actual fact I am 4+2. My query is... does the heart start to beat at official week 6 or calculator week 6. I hope that makes sense. So officially I will only be 5+1 on the day of the scan. Can any one tell me if they had an early scan and whether they used calculator dates or actual dates and whether they saw a heartbeat?
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Replies
Seems you were all as stumped as me! I have done a bit more reading and now believe that I am 6 weeks gestational age and 4 weeks fetal age. The heart starts to beat 22-23 days post conception and can be seen on a scan from 6 weeks gestational age.
Hope this helps others with the same confusion xxx
what date are you calculating from looby, ov date or last af?? usually all info relates to gestational age not fetal age
i have long cycles so get the sonographer to go by my ov date (which i am certain of from temping). i had a scan at exactly 6 weeks yesterday and there was a heartbeat, though it was my understanding that it started during the 6th week at some point, everyone is different.
Thanks for the reply, you must be happy after your scan xxx
Hi Looby,
They take the date for scan purposes from the first day of your last period - so when was that for you? Its just how the gestation is calculated - although weird, as technically you are two weeks pregnant when you ovulate in the BFP cycle (assuming you have a text book 28 day cycle). In terms of when the HB is seen, it generally starts around week six although varies a few days from person to person. If you are 7 weeks by the time you have your scan, you should be able to see a HB. Hope this helps and good luck for your scan.
Apple x
We had a scan when I was 6+2 (counting from the start date of my last period) and we could see the heartbeat and hear it as the sonographer turned the sound on for us. She had said that quite often they can't pick up a heartbeat at a 6 week scan, but that doesn't mean it's not there, they do some sort of internal exam apparently (my sister-in-law had that done). Hope all goes well x
My last period was the 4th April and I am 6 +3 today and due 9th January which is the date you have above. When did you test? Xx
Yes that is correct
They are more likely to date your pregnancy from the first day of your last period, which would give you and edd of roughly 21st January. Your scan will give you a more accurate date x
yes that's right. I have decided that I will take the longest case scenario and assum DOC was 24th April (giving that the sperm can live for up to 5 days) and this will mean that I am 6+3 on Friday 25th. Hopefully I will be able to see a heartbeat. I will report back!!
Don't know if this will make sense to anyone, but it might help someone.
Hello again,
As promised I am reporting back after today's scan! I am very happy to say that we saw a heartbeat! The Sonographer said everything looks good so i can relax a bit now. They said that I would be treated normally now and won't need to be seen again until my 12 week scan.
Thanks for all your advice ladies xxx