Ultrasound Showed Nothing in Sac

Lori -

I know how hard it is to wait and see. With both my girls I went in and it was too early to see anything in the sac. Talk about a let down.

The only words of wisdom I have are these: no matter what the outcome, happy or sad, you are still you. Beautiful, strong, worthy. No ultrasound will ever change that.

Much Love,
S.

Dear Lori, I am going to respond to you like you are my daughter. First I would hug you and hold you and stroke your hair and tell you no matter what happens, it will be all right. Everything will be the way it is meant to be. If there is or is not a baby, that is the way it is. PLEASE stop scolding yourself about what you Should/should not be doing or that you Should have more faith etc. You Already have at least as much faith as a mustard seed. That is all you need. If there is no baby, you can try again. If there is a baby, you will do fine. It is appropriate for you to be sad that you recently lost your father-in-law. It will be fine either way about the baby. You already know this but I want to remind you: ALL Things Work Together For GOOD For Those Who Love The Lord And Are Called According to HIS Purpose. What is best for you is Already in place. There is Nothing wrong with you. You have not lived long enough to know these things. It is difficult to learn to wait. Worrying only makes waiting more difficult. Doing things that you enjoy will make the wait pass more quickly. So many people love you and others like you. Know that, even when you are hurting.

Hi,Lori. Don't panic just yet. That's exactly what happened to me, exept I was 6 weeks along. They didn't see anything in the sac then, but they did a week later. My Doc supposed that the ovulation could take place about a week later than it was expected to, they peformed two blood tests a week apart to see if the hormonal level was going up (if it stays the same, means the pregnancy is not progressing in wich case the miscarriage is likely to happen). Turned out, it doubled over a week and there was nothing to worry about.
I know how hard it is not to know for sure what is going on with you and keep guessing (I was a nervous wreck), but try to calm down and trust God. That's what I did and it helped to bring my sanity back :)
Million hugs to you. E.

oh hun..... I am so sorry to hear this.. My sister went threw the same thing. The medical term for it is "blighted ovum"
(at least that is what the dr said) She went to all her dr apts, and took all the prego meds. He told her to see what happoned, and maby the baby would show up by next apt. Well the 3 mt apt came and same thing. Full sack, even an unbelical cord, just no baby at the end. He said he was surprised that she had not miscarriage. He said that if she did not miscarry the blighted ovum soon, we would need to do an DNC.... Well 4 1/2 mts came and we did the DNC. He said she would have gone full term, and delivered a placenta, but no baby. He said this is rare for a woman to go so long, that when this happons, a woman just thinks she is late... I wish I had better news for you, but I dont want to feed you with false hopes. You need to know the facts, so you can be prepared....

Let me know if there is anything I can do for you...

Good luck amd my prayers are with you and your family.

Lori,

I had the same thing happen to me and I have a beautiful 9 month old girl now. When Iwent in for my annaul pap I had just taken a pregnancy test 2 days earlier. So they decided to do an ultrasound at my appt. The sac was there, but there was nothing in it. They did a blood test and said that with my numbers where they were there should be something in the sac. So for the next week I was a mess, thinking something was wrong. I went back for more blood work and 2 more ultrasounds. Fianlly at the 3rd ultrasound there was something to see.

I hope you are experiencing the same thing I did. Don't get yourself all streesed and worried because it just may be too soon. Try to relax and think of the fun things you have to look forward to soon. Oh and get LOTS of rest while you can.

Good Luck

H.
p.s if you ever want to talk to someone that was in the same boat you are in just email me - ____@____.com

The best advice I can give is to stay calm and do what you are doing by reaching out and getting advice but try not to search too much on the internet.
I also would think that the doctor would tell you straight away if there were cause for alarm.

I hate the saying that "it was not meant to be" No, I tend to believe that a loss is not meant to be and my child is meant to be here with me.
"Things happen for a reason" This is true but why bring it up if someone is mourning, surely you are not implying we are being punished?

Sorry I lost a baby 26 weeks in and remembered the well intended well wishes.

Keep your head high sweetie. I know this is really hard on you right now. Your faith isnt being questioned here honey we can tell you are worried and scared. What you need right now is a shoulder you can cry on for a while so you can let off all the stress the doctor just put on you. Take your husband in the room tell him if you want to not say a word and just cry, that way you get it out of your system. It will be alot easier for you to go through the next couple of days, then repeat if needed. Just remember sometimes the ultrasound people do miss things becasue they are new or just dont see it. with my middle daughter they wernt able to see her the first time around and told me that within a week or two I should come back in to see if anything has changed. After a week went by I went back in and had another ultrasound done and there she was.
I've also gone through a misscarriage it really hurts physically. I didnt know I was pregnant so I really didnt know what was going on until I went to the ER and found out I was miscarriaging. I dont wish this on anyone.

I hope you will take my advice and have a good cry so you can let some of the stress off. I know how stressed and worried you are right now and I think this will help you alittle.

I wish you well and your in my prayers. Take care of your self.

Hi Lori

I'm so sorry that you have so much stress about this! I can truly identify with this. I miscarried my first pregnancy with the same problem. I was 10 weeks along before I lost it, but the sac had stopped growing at 6 weeks. I didn't have an early ultrasound (it was almost 14 years ago when they didn't do them). I know you can do a lot of thinking "baby" within hours of taking that pregnancy test.

I understand how hard it is stay positive. Sometimes it's OK to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised when things turn out OK. Sometimes your gut instinct lets you know what's going on and part of having faith is trusting those instincts. Put your faith in trusting that regardless which way this goes, you will be able to handle this. I really understand your fear and feel for you. Having said that, here is some information I learned.

IF the sac truly is empty, it is called a blighted ovum. You can google it and get more information. Basically, when the egg splits, half of it is the sac and half of it is the embryo. But in a blighted ovum, the fertilization wasn't complete and the embryo doesn't develop. I'm not a doctor, this is just how it was explained to me. Even though I was really sad and very disappointed, it helped me to know that nothing had died.

I have 4 beautiful healthy children and have had 3 miscarriages in the efforts to get them. The best thing that was ever said to me when I went through the first miscarriage (especially it being my first pregnancy)was by by my doctor. He looked me in the eye and told me that there is a 1 in 4 (25%) chance of a pregnancy miscarrying. It is a statistic. Sometimes when periods come late, they are actually really early miscarriages. It had nothing to do with my fertility and ability to have children. I needed to not worry that something was wrong with me and just try again. He told me that if I started worrying and stressing about it, I could cause myself to have a fertility problem!

Doctors recommend that you wait 3 months after a miscarriage, and that is good advice. You want your body to heal (especially if you have a D and C)and your cycle to regulate. My second miscarriage was around 6 or 7 weeks (before my 3rd child). My period came 28 days (my normal cycle) from the day I miscarried. I could tell that my body was fine and I knew in my heart I could go for it. We tried again the next month, I got pregnant and had a perfect pregnancy.

Again, put your faith in God that you will be able to handle whatever comes your way. If everything is fine, that will be wonderful! If you end up losing it, it is just a bump in the road, surely not the end of the road on your journey to raising a family.

Good luck and please let us know what happens!

It sounds like you're in the prayers of a lot of people, mine included. I hope that brings you some measure of comfort. If you haven't told everyone you're pregnant, I'd suggest telling the people you'll want support from either way. I miscarried 6 weeks ago, and would be happy to email, talk, or meet if you would like. But I do pray that days from now you'll find that's not support you need.

The exact same thing happened to me - and I went back two weeks later and saw my beautiful, healthy baby boy's heart beat! The sonogram is just too early - so I am sure that is all it is! I had the same questions you did, but my doctor was not concerned at all! My sweet boy is now 17 months old! Good luck - I am sure everything will be just fine.

Give the worrying to GOd and let him take care of it!

Just please make sure your dr. checks for a fallopian tube pregnancy, as these can be deadly. I had a miscarriage at 5 weeks but I still tested positive on the pregnancy test, so the dr. did a D and C when I was under anesthesia. Had to wait awhile after that before we could try getting pregnant again, and the 2nd time was successful. Also, the second time I "knew" I was pregnant--had all the signs--sore breasts, etc. Trust that mother nature knows best. You want a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. If you need help getting past the emotional issues with this pregnancy, consult a professional counselor. You deserve it! Good luck and take your time. jenifer

Hi! The same exact thing happened to me with my first child. I went in for the vaginal ultrasound and it showed a perfect sac but nothing else and was told the same thing you were told. But, it turned out that I wasn't as far along as the Dr. thought. They moved the due date back twice. I eventually delivered a healthy baby girl (who is now 9!)

hi my name is M.. i wanted to let u know that the very similar thing happened to me. i miscarried at 7wks 6days. i was preganant and when the ultrasound came i was sent for more and more again a wk later. i unfortunatley had a failure to thrive fetus...which means the baby stopped growing. which may have been caused from a birth defect and many first pregnancies result in miscarriages per my doctor. i am a nurse and take care of children with defects and although i know i would love my child no matter what, i also thank god for not making my unborn child have to go through life this way. i dont wana scare u but i dont want u to go through any guilt for years as i did. i know it is hard and having faith is harder and your husband may also be right...i pray he is and u have a healthy baby. my prayers are with u.--- M.

even if it is only a few weeks old, it is still a loss, and so so sad. so many of us have had miscarriages. but there is a bright side, first, you still may be pregnant! and second, you know you can get pregnant, not all women can. as for trying to be normal for the next few weeks, that doesn't make sense, because this is not a normal time. i would treat is as a very special time. start a journal, if you do not have one, get together with your very closest friends and family as often as you can, and dream a lot, and pray. you are blessed, and wonderfully and fearfully made. never forget that.

I went through this twice, my husband and I had been trying for some time so it was devestating! Mine were both blighted ovums and I had to have a DNC both times. Allow yourself to be upset and to grieve. I will tell you I am now the mother of a beautiful 6 month old baby boy so don't lose hope! My prayers and love are with you. D.

Welcome to Motherhood!!! You will worry about EVERYTHING from this day forward!

I say that with jest. In my pregnancy I had some spotting and the Dr did the same ultrasound and found the same thing. It was just that she was not big enough yet. So easier said then done... relax. Busy yourself with one of your favorite hobbies... or call some friends and head out for some ladies nights. Then just pray, God will give you the strength.

Your husband is right. Your worrying can't do anything to change anything. You obviously know that, but living it is a different thing. I am all too familiar with the difficult wait. One of my children was diagnosed with a birth defect and I was told some pretty horrifying things that "might" be wrong with her. Only genetic testing (amnio) would tell for sure. It was a grueling 2 week wait. She did indeed have a defect, and we wouldn't know until she was born how severe it was--4 months of waiting grand total. But surgery after birth corrected it and she is as close to perfect as anyone else (she's soon to be 9). During that time, I realized a few things that might help you...first of all, doctors are people and though they are very intelligent, often they are just making educated guesses. Second, God is the author of all life...no one else. What He intends to happen will happen, and neither you nor the doctor cannot alter it. The last big lesson I got from the wait, and perhaps the most important, was that I cannot strengthen my faith. God does that through circumstances like yours. Live in His word, let go of trying to control the uncontrollable, and seek His face in prayer...I teach school, and I remember days I had to go in my closet and get on my knees and ask God to get me through 1 more class. He always did. Continue to lean on Him...you will find Him faithful. You will be in my prayers.

I had this happen with both my kids. The first ultrasound showed a sac. My ob scheduled a second ultrasound 10 days later and the baby was there, heart pouonding away. It was a very stressful 10 days for me. I hope for the best outcome for you.

If your cycles are longer, or you ovulate later in your cycle, it could very well be off.

I hope that you will be alright. If you are just not very far along, maybe the little one will show up in a week or two. If not, miscarriages can be very difficult for the woman to process. I had one a long time ago, and it took me 5 years to really process and totally move on. I was able to process by writing a research paper on miscarriages and by sharing my own grief with a teacher friend. Everyone grieves differently. Men grieve differently than women, and sometimes that is hard to understand. No matter what happens, one thing I do know is that God will be there to help you and guide you through it!!!

I will be praying for you.

Hey Lori,
My husband and I went through this in January.
I honestly want to write that our pregnancy turned out fine, but unfortunately, it did not.
By six to seven weeks (if you are truly this far along) there should be an incling of something there.
On the other side of the coin, a co-worker of my husband's said she had the same thing and the day she went in for an elective D/C, they did another ultrasound and found a baby who is now six years old.
Take this as it comes and understand that if it turns out that there truly is nothing there, there are others out here who are thinking of you and wish the best for you.
Be sure to allow yourself the range of feelings you'll experience, no matter the outcome. Embrace them and go through them completely.
Hugs and keep us posted!
P.

lori---i know what you are going thru. When I was pregnant -i had some complications and when they got ready to do the d-n-c-i was told there was a sac but no baby. It was sad and my husband was supportive then he became mad--he kept his feelings to his self. Little did I know i was pregnant when i went to the dentist for a aching tooth and i started discharging and spotting. I even had to drive myself to the doctor and hospital. Have faith and on another note--something might have been wrong with the baby altogether(I know that this is no consolation). Feeling guilty---i tried again after some months and i have a 12 year daughter. I still wonder if the loss was the son. also, my mother and my husband both agreed that i didn't need another chold.

Please don't take this as a bad omen, but I had this too. A Pos preg test and nothing in the sac. They made me come back again and again for a month! They want to make sure you don't have your dates wrong. (this can happen too if you have irregular periods too ) They did constant blood tests and my hormone levels kept going up and the sac kept growing bigger, but there was nothing there. (I was at 9 weeks) I ended up having to have a D&C. Now, the reason behind mine was that I found out I was pregnant about 1.5 months after I got the Depo Provera shot (to PREVENT pregnancy) Obviously it had some side effects. I was devastated too. The thing that got me through was that there was no fetus. There was nothing there, thus, no stopped heartbeat. I know it's stupid to think that way, but at the time, it was the only thing I could think of. I had a hard time. I prayed about it and just chalked it up to the fact that it was God's way of telling me that the baby never had a chance. I was just glad that I was not further along when I found out.
My OB said that it could have been anything and it wasn't my fault. I went on to having two very healthy children!
I truely wish the best for you. I know EXACTLY what you are going through. Anyone and everyone will tell you not to stress, but you will so I wont tell you. Just pray about it and ask God to do his will. Remember, you do want the healthiest child possible. He will take care of you.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I haven't had your experience, but enough other trouble that I can assure you that WORRY will not solve ANYTHING. It will only rob you of the joy you have TODAY. Take your concerns to God - He's in control of EVERYTHING and is big enough to handle it all. You can't change the situation by constantly thinking about it - do something for someone else, volunteer somewhere, make cookies and take them to the nearest firestation or nursing home. Get your mind OFF it - there's nothing you can do about it - other than making it worse!!

Same thing happened to me... and a week later, there was a heartbeat in that little sac. I just wasn't as pregnant as my LMP indicated. My cycle was abnormal and very long. According to my LMP, I was due 3 weeks sooner than I actually had my baby. It's easier said than done, but try not to worry! I hope you are lucky enough to have the same experience I did!

Lori,

I understand you completely. One of my ultrasounds was misread and I went a whole month worrying that my son had a birth defect. It is impossible for you not to worry... and it is okay to worry too. But, try to do things that relax you; like have a pedicure, dine with friends, scrapbook... anything to keep your mind from going in circles over the ultrasound. If you need someone to talk to.. or are in the san antonio area and want to hang out, please drop a line. It was very helpful to me during a time of intense worry to be around friends who were able to support and lend an ear to my crazy worry rants. You and your baby are in my prayers. Best of luck!

I have read some of the postings that had happy endings, that is great! Hope it goes that way for you. My 3rd pregnancy resulted in miscarriage at 11 weeks with a blighted ovum. Perfect sac, just no baby. My wonderful doctor assured me that nothing I did was wrong, but these things happen. I had a D&C and became pregnant again in 2 months with my beautiful Matthew who just turned 3. We have had 5 children, and the one miscarriage. It seems that almost every woman I know has had one. God bless.

some drs have you take an abortive pill to eliminate the sac so you were very fortunate they want to wait and see! If they took a blood test then they can tell when they do it again if the hormone levels are increasing- that would certainly mean you are pregnant.

Lori,
I don't think there is any possible way to live life like everything is normal right now. But, getting stressed out and fearful is not going to help you either. I speak from personal experience as we had all kinds of complications during our pregnancy. It's impossible not to get stressed or worried but you can do things to help you relax. Soak in the tub with bubbles and candlelight. Go to a bookstore and get lost in there, but stay away from the pregnancy and children books... remember, the idea is to take your mind off matters. Rent a comedy, anything that'll make you laugh. One thing that helped me was journaling. I wrote everything down that ran through my mind and was able to pour my feelings onto the pages.

You mentioned your faith. It's understandable to question things right now in your situation. Lean on those around you and ask for prayer. Allow the prayers and faith of others to help you through this time. We gain strength from those around us and it's a blessing to lean on those whose faith is like yours. Prayer got me and my husband through each pregnancy complication. There were times when we couldn't pray for the lack of words but we knew that there were people praying for us and that brought us a small measure of peace. Also, we knew that God understood what we were experiencing and that our words were not necessary.

Lean on your husband and allow him to lean on you as well. I found that it was easier to cope with each difficulty when I did that (with my hubby). Our husbands do their best to be strong and supportive but they experience their fears and doubts too. It's better to walk through that together than to try to do it all on your own.

I'll be praying for you and your husband, Lori. Try not to lose hope or faith. God WILL bring you through this, no matter the results. Hang in there and please try to do something to take your mind off this. Even if it's just for a little while, those stress-free-moments can make a huge difference for you and your hubby.

Good luck,
K.

I am not sure where you are spiritually, but what helps me is remembering that God is almighty and that He has all my worries and fears taken care of. Everytime you think about the worst change your thought to something positive. It doesn't help to think a thought that will upset you. I know that it sounds easy, but make a list of things that make you happy and smile, pull the list out everytime you have a negative thought. The Bible says not to be anxious for anything, and to cast all your cares and worries on God. Try to do this and I will be praying for you and your family.

God Bless!

I have been there myself. You might not be as far along as thought. That happened to me in November when I had a positive test. Nothing in the sac and then a week later there was something. Keep praying and keep a positive attitude. God will guide you. I have had three miscarriages and now I am pregnant with a baby boy due in July.

Hi Lori,

This sounds suspiciously similar to my experience. I have two beautiful children, 10 and 9 years old and about 2 years ago my husband and I got off birth control to let fate happen. About 3 months later I found out I was already 6 weeks pregnant. We were so happy, but as you, we could only see the sac. I was so confused, my first two pregnancies went on without any complications or concerns, so as you can understand I assumed this next time around I would have the same fate. I pretty much just went on with my daily routine and prayed that everything would remain stable and the next week something would show up on the ultrasounds. You want to remain reating healthy and as your dr stated, don't allow stress to come into your life. I know it is hard, but you have to trust that God's will be done. It's definitely hard to cope with not seeing what you expect or hearing the baby's heart beat, but trust in your dr's and listen to what they say. It's in your best interest.

Good luck!! You and your family will be in my prayers.
M.

You are in My thoughts and prayers.

It is alright to feel the way you are feeling.

Even though it is so very hard...we have to realize that everything happens for a reason, even though we may not understand it at the time.

My heart hurts for you and your distress.

I pray God's peace for you right now.

C.

Lori,
Getting stressed out will not be good for your baby. Just remember, they figure out your due day by the date of your last cycle not by your actually ovulation date. You could be off by a whole week and a half. No Worries! Just take many deep breaths and remember that God is holding you in the palm of his hand and will carry both you and your baby through this.

I had the same thing happen to me. I went for my first ultrasound and should have been around 6 to 7 weeks along and the ultrasound showed nothing in the sac. I went back one week later and there it was...my precious baby boy who is now 2yrs. I know it is hard to go about your everyday business but you have to remember to look up with faith and believe that whatever the outcome it will be ok. I have three children and had a miscarriage in between my first and second. It was devasting! Although at the time I thought it was the end of the world...I can now look back and realize that everything....EVERYTHING happens for a reason. You are stronger then you know and you can handle whatever comes your way! Have faith and I will pray for you to find peace for the next few days til you are able to find out for sure what is going on. Good luck to you and your husband. God's Blessings!

Hi Lori,
I am 17 weeks pregnant now, and I experienced the same thing. Per my lmp, I should have been 6 weeks along, but in actuality was 3 weeks because my cycles are longer than most women. My doctor tested 2 hormone levels in my blood, and they were increasing like they should have been. Then, the next week, we had a heartbeat on the ultrasound. It truly is amazing what a difference a week can make. Everyone's body is diffent, so take a deep breath, pray, and I do hope everything is OK.

This could go either way. You just never know. I will pray that you will see that little baby forming in there by next Thursday. People will give you all kinds of advice but the truth is that it is heart-breaking when you lose a baby. Being scared does not mean that your faith is weak. Just keep talking to God and try to stay busy this week. As far as calming your fears know that nothing is impossible with God and He will be there every step of the way with you. All you need to do is ask.
God Bless!
Kris

There is a blood test they can do that show your pregnancy hormone levels. They are supposed to be between a certain number to be healthy and if it starts dropping they know you are miscarrying. I miscarried a long time ago and I had the vaginal ultrasound as well. I believe they told me they didn't see anything either and about 2 weeks later I started spotting and miscarried but to be on the safe side the doctor did the blood test.

With 2 of my 4 pregnancies the doctor could not pick up a heartbeat on my first OB visit and did a vaginal ultrasound which "concerned" him. That first time I was crying before I left the office and was upset for the whole week until my next appointment, which did detect the heartbeat. The second time this happened I had such a peaceful unworried attitude. Anyway, each was a scary start yet resulted in 2 very healthy boys! I will be praying for you Lori.

My first ultra sound was in 1983, and I had the same result and it wasn't good news. I had miscarried and the sack was still growing- not a good thing. As for positive pregnancy results- you can show that up to 2 weeks after, because your chemicles have not "gone back to normal". After a D&C, I had three more beautiful boys. I still mourned the loss, but the joy of my 4 sons has filled my days with smiles and laughs. So hang in there, the results may be good news, it could just be a small.

I know it's hard to find anything positive in your situation, but just know that all things happen for a reason. You never know. If you are a bit earlier than they thought, things will be totally different by next week.

In the meantime, though I know it's hard, just continue to find your inner peace and take care of YOU.

~T. :-)

WEll, you have every right to feel however you want to feel. You are very hormonal and you are probably right about not being as far along as you thought....please do not fret or worry, God is watching and he knows what he has planned for you....relax and talk to your husband often. Men in this sit are very receptive and understanding and really are there just for you! Drink plenty of water, eat healthy...that is your job...dont forget to take your prenatals! good luck

Lori sometimes we have to pray let go and let God.Dont worry God will handle everything for you.Always remember in life that you should not worry about anything that you dont have any control of.Just dont stress to much like your husband said if it was meant to be it will be.Sometimes we can get a bad pregnancy test.Dry your eyes dont cry any more because this battle is not yours its the Lord.Just think that if youre not preganant you can try again.B. F.