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first trimester tests how can I tell it's a viable foetus without ultrasound?
:: does anyone know how I can get get a test/s in the 1st trimester (I
:: am 8 weeks) to see if I have a live foetus in my uterus without using :: ultrasound? I live in the UK. I heard it was possible for a doctor to :: detect a heartbeat using something other than ultrasound - is this :: so, and where could I got to have this done? When do I need to do :: all the blood tests (which week)? At what point :: do most women have their first ultrasound - is it at 20 weeks? I had an transvaginal ultrasound at 7 - 8 weeks along. Prior to that, the doctor gave me a pap smear and checked for the position of the baby. Perhaps you can see your doctor and get a "check up". I had my bloodwork done also at the first OB exam. At 11 to 12 weeks most heartbeats can be detected by using a doppler. I will have my next ultrasound (pending no problems) during my amnio test at 16 - 18 weeks (if I choose to have the test) or at 20 - 22 weeks. Carol Ann www.lowcarblosers.com ~ Home of the Monthly Challenges! www.bestinatlanta.com ~ Your City Guide to Metro Atlanta! |
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first trimester tests how can I tell it's a viable foetus without ultrasound?
Abi wrote in message om... Hi, does anyone know how I can get get a test/s in the 1st trimester (I am 8 weeks) to see if I have a live foetus in my uterus without using ultrasound? I live in the UK. I heard it was possible for a doctor to detect a heartbeat using something other than ultrasound - is this so, and where could I got to have this done? When do I need to do all the blood tests (which week)? At what point do most women have their first ultrasound - is it at 20 weeks? So far I have had no tests done, but came out positive on a home preg.test, and have missed 2 periods, suffering usual symptoms - nausea etc. I basically want to know before 12 weeks if I actually have a live feotus in the right place, before I go and announce my preg. to everyone. On another point - do most women annuonce pregnancies before they have had any tests? Any advice would be most welcome! thanks. Basically, in my experience of Uk: You may be able to hear a heart beat from about week 10-the dr. or midwife can do this. The only way at this stage to see if you have a live foetus is ultrasound. You'll find the dr. unwilling to do this on NHS unless you have pain (ectopic pregnancy risk) or bleeding (miscarriage risk) I haven't found any gp yet who does blood tests, they tend to rely on your word that you've done an over the counter urine test. If you go to your gp now, he may be willing to put you down for a dating scan, which will depend on when your health authority does them, here (in Surrey) they aim for about 11-12 weeks if you request one. If you're very keen to have one then being slightly vague on your dates will help-many won't do them just because you want them. Some health authorities like to do nucheal fold ultrasound, at about the same time-this is a risk assessment for downs. Otherwise, you'll be down for the anomely (sp?) ultrasound at 20-24 weeks. Other than ultrasound there is no way of telling you have a live baby in the right place. Even if you had an ultrasound, they couldn't guarantee you a live baby at the end. Miscarriage risk goes down considerably at 12 weeks, which is why many women wait until then to tell people. No one should be cross you haven't told them before. I told about both of mine at about 12 weeks, after no tests. HTH Debbie |
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first trimester tests how can I tell it's a viable foetus without ultrasound?
Abi wrote:
Hi, does anyone know how I can get get a test/s in the 1st trimester (I am 8 weeks) to see if I have a live foetus in my uterus without using ultrasound? I live in the UK. I heard it was possible for a doctor to detect a heartbeat using something other than ultrasound - is this so, and where could I got to have this done? There really isn't any way--and frankly, while seeing a heartbeat is a very good sign, even that is no guarantee that you won't miscarry later. While it is hard for some to accept, odds are very good that everything's okay and there's not much you can do to guarantee anything. Until you're much further along (closer to 20 weeks), you need u/s technology to detect a heartbeat, whether though a sonogram or through a handheld doppler device (and even that won't be likely to catch a heartbeat this early). When do I need to do all the blood tests (which week)? Need is a strong word ;-) You don't really need to have any. Usually you'll do blood work early on to get your blood type and a few other basic bits of information. At what point do most women have their first ultrasound - is it at 20 weeks? Depends on your caregiver's policies. In the US, a 20-ish weeks routine u/s is quite common, but certainly isn't necessary (and doesn't improve outcomes when done routinely). My caregivers didn't do any routine ultrasounds-- I've been through three pregnancies and didn't have any u/s at all until the end of the third pregnancy because the baby was breech. So far I have had no tests done, but came out positive on a home preg.test, and have missed 2 periods, suffering usual symptoms - nausea etc. I basically want to know before 12 weeks if I actually have a live feotus in the right place, before I go and announce my preg. to everyone. Really, it isn't standard to do any tests to confirm this. If you had symptoms suggesting a problem, tests would be done to rule it out, but otherwise you proceed under the (highly likely to be true) assumption that all is well. And really, the reason a lot of people use 12 weeks or the first trimester as a "magic date" to announce a pregnancy is not that it takes that long to do the tests to figure out everything's okay. It's that the risk of miscarrying drops to something very low by then. While seeing a heartbeat earlier drops the risk even a bit lower, I would suspect that *most* pregnancies that miscarry looked just fine by u/s a week prior to the miscarriage. So if you want to wait to tell people until there's a high probability you won't miscarry, you may need to wait *regardless* of what any tests might show right now. If you just want to wait to tell people until you're sure you're really pregnant, now's as good a time as any. On another point - do most women annuonce pregnancies before they have had any tests? Any advice would be most welcome! thanks. Since I didn't really have any tests done, I guess that would be a yes for me ;-) Best wishes, Ericka |
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