QuestionI am 33, I have one daughter who is six months old.
My LMP is 10/31/04.
At 5 weeks, 3 days of pregnancy I had been experiencing light spotting (brown in color) for 3 days. My doctor conducted a trans-vaginal ultrasound and saw an irregular gestational sac, no fetal pole, and no yolk sac. He took an HCG and the number was 36,000. He says that at this number we should have seen a viable pregnancy. He is 100% sure it is a blighted ovum and I am scheduled for a D&C in 2 weeks if no miscarriage happens.
I have heard from other women that at 5 1/2 weeks it is common to see nothing but the gestational sac. However, the irregularity and the HCG number has me thinking this one's not going to take.
what do you think? I've already accepted it is a loss, just looking for another opinion. Thank you.
AnswerThe "discriminatory zone" is the level of HCG, above which we should see a fetus on sonogram. If you had an HCG of 36,000 a fetus and a fetal heartbeat should definitely have been seen on sonogram. It sounds like a blighted ovum. If you have any doubts, take another HCG test to see if the value has risen or fallen. If it has doubled, take another snogram. At 5-6 weeks, we usually do not see anything on sonogram except for an empty gestational sac. However, at 6-7 weeks, we should see a fetus and a fetal heartbeat. Repeat the sonogram at 5-6 weeks gestation if you are still in doubt. If there is no growth or if there still is no fetus, proceed with the D&C.
