Ultra Sound at 10 Weeks and No Heartbeat. Is There Such Thing as Misdiagnosis?

I'm so sorry to hear this news and I hope it turns out to be wrong. It is possible and you should get a second opinion before doing anything medically to end the pregnancy. I know that earlier in a pregnancy, they can test hormone levels to see if they are changing/increasing as much as they should be with a normal pregnancy. Ask your doc if this can still be done at 10 weeks. In addition to looking for a heartbeat, have them measure the size of the baby. If it measures right around 10 weeks, that is a better sign than if it's only measuring around 7-8 weeks.

A very close friend of mine had two miscarriages (followed by a pregnancy carried to term). Her first baby miscarried naturally. With the second, she also had no heartbeat at an ultrasound, did a repeat ultrasound a week or so later, and did the hormonal testing. She was given some sort of drug (sorry, I don't know the name) that she took to induce the miscarriage. It was pill-form, I believe, and she took it at home. She had a fair amount of pain but it wasn't as bad as she'd been warned about and lasted for pretty much a full day. If you decide to try that, you probably won't want your son around the day you do it if you have an option for someone else to take care of him.

Again, I am so sorry you are going through this. I am glad you have a strong support group to help you through this tough time.

Was the baby itself visible? If so, then it's very unlikely it was misdiagnosed. I would opt for the d&c - I've done it both ways and the d&c it is over with and you can try again after your first period. With a natural m/c you just have to wait utnil your body does it on it's own and it may take awhile and you may end up with a d&c anyway. Did your midwife tell you when the baby died? If it was in the last few days then you could see what happens but if it was longer than that your body isn't responding - the placenta could still be growing and not telling your body to do it's job. There is no impact to future fertility with a d&c - in the case of multiple d&cs there is a small possibility of Asherman's but having a qualified and experienced OB do the surgery really lessens that risk even more. I'm sorry for your loss.

Just my personal story...I had this happen, the tested my blood three times (every other day) to see if the pregnancy level dropped, it had. So I had a D&C done since my body had decided NOT to regect the fetus...
Within 7 months I was pregnant again. I took fertility pills to get pregnant with the baby I had lost and with my daughter (who is now ten) Then I took more pills when daughter was 1 to start on baby #2...pills did not work so we switched to shots. Got pregnant and lost 5 babies before I had my son (who is now 5) He was a twin and we did miscarry one, but son was born just perfect. Had some bleeding troubles after my son was born and started on birth control pills for the first time ever in my life...when my son was 14 months old we brought home baby #3 =-} Yes, I got pregnant while taking birth control pills and now I have two boys 14 months apart. What a surprise he turned out to be.
FYI I knew when I was 16 that I would never have babies without alot of help from the doctor, I suffered thru 8 miscarriages (both with D&Cs and some by nature) and now I have a FULL house.
Just for peace of mind have your blood checked just in case this baby is hiding out someplace (I have also heard that could happen) I would then go in for the D&C, which will help prep the uterus for its next tenant =] The procedure is healthier option the nature and alot less painful.
God Bless and the best of luck to you..may your house get to be as full as mine.

Try and get a 2nd opinion... or go to an OB/GYN before assuming there is no heartbeat.
And in either scenario... you need to get a conclusive diagnosis. Then a recommendation on what to do, next.
AND, you should be getting an ultrasound...

I had a miscarriage once, and I had a D&C. My miscarriage did not hurt, luckily. The D&C does not impair future fertility. On the other hand, IF you do have a miscarriage, and let it happen naturally, all the tissue may not expel properly nor completely... and cause scarring or infection etc. And THIS may impair future fertility. Thus, D&C's are recommended.

There is no way to predict how long after a baby 'dies' that a miscarriage occurs or completes itself. You cannot plan it. For me, my miscarriage was occurring, but yet there was still a faint heartbeat when my Doctor checked my bleeding and with an ultrasound. At that point I just went home. But a couple days later had to have a follow-up... and at that time there was NO heartbeat, anymore, and the sac was then empty... and I was still continuing to miscarriage.

I strongly suggest... that you have a FOLLOW-UP with an OB/GYN. To make sure. And don't wait.

All the best,
Susan

Please listen to the other moms and get checked again. I have a friend that was told the same thing and she didn't believe it. She now has a healthy 6 year old, thank goodness she didn't have a D&C! I'm not trying to give you false hope, but you should know without a doubt that the baby is gone and right now you don't know that. Get bloodwork done to measure your hormone levels and have another ultrasound. Also, like the other moms said, a D&C is good because it cleans you out leaving less room for future complications and infections. It is just something to consider. It really is important for you to see an OBGYN to help you make informed decisions and to do other testing. Ask your midwife if she can recommend an OBGYN if you don't have one. There are wonderful docs out there that work well with a midwife and will respect your wishes. I am sorry you are going through this and I hope that there is a healthy baby in your near future. (be it this one or another)

Hi, im not exactly sure whats all going on but let me just tell you about an expierence of mine, i went to the er for one of my pregnancies bc i my chest was hurting anyways they gave me an ultrasound at 9 weeks (no vaginal) and they said there was no heartbeat. but sure enough and i knew that i was stll pregnant and i wasnt going to have a miscarage, your situaton saounds differrent but go wth your instinct. good luck and i hope everything works out like you want it to.

I just had what it is called a missed abortion...fetus stopped developing at 7 weeks and I should've been 9 weeks. I had two ultrasounds on two different days to confirm(can you request another?).

The d & c was really not bad. Many people i know have had them and then gone on to get pregnant only a few months after. It is more taxing on your body to go through the miscarriage itsself and abort the tissue. Your body may not expel it all and a d & c may be inevitable, accodring to my doctor.

I am so sorry for your loss....i am mourning mine right now as well so you are in my thoughts.

I am so sorry you are going through this. A 2nd opinion may not be a bad idea, as is another blood test that looks at the numbers to see if they've dropped.

I had the same thing happen at 6 weeks. My doctor, who is also a friend, told me the news and ordered a blood test and it was confirmed that indeed it was a miscarriage. My dr. recommended the d&c only because he thought it would be easier emotionally. He said it could take weeks to happen naturally and then very possibly I would still need a D&C. I did the d&c and then could start the healing process much sooner.

I really hope your results are wrong! Either way, I know how hard this is for you and my heart goes out to you! Take care!