This week I had my first ultra-sound. I had booked the doc on the Internet, since all offices seemed to be closed for a Christmas-New Years break so I didn't know when was the best date (now I know a lot of docs book it to week 7 or 8, if there is no history of complications). I had calculated that I was in week 6 (based on online calculators etc.) and during our talk the doctor was casually mentioning week 7 or beyond (which didn't make sense to me, but he just made a casual calculation on his head when I told him about the last day of my period). We were both expecting to possibly see a heart beat at that point, so I called my husband to come over from work nearby (I wasn't expecting an ultra-sound so I hadn't asked him to come along). When we finally looked, there was only a dark whole, shaped somewhat like an egg. We couldn't see anything inside the dark dot (the gestational sac). The doc calmly told me that it was much earlier than we thought and that the bean measured as 5 weeks. He said to come back in a couple of weeks and that we would be able to see more.
I was dying to see the little bean, but I wasn't too worried at the doctor's office. I figured I was only one week off and my cycles are long and somewhat irregular, so it is not too unexpected... but the worrying started as soon as I got home... I never knew pregnancy was so worry inducing! It didn't help that I had a little bit of spotting straight away either (thought the doc had warned me about that). Many searches on "5 week ultrasound pictures" and "spotting after ultrasound" and a forum post later, I feel much better. Although there are some people who see more at 5 weeks, my situation seems
pretty normal (my picture looked just
like this). Light spotting is totally normal after an internal ultra-sound (mine was light, not red and gone a day a day later). So everything is fine! (Which doesn't stop me from worrying: hopefully it is the hormones or beginnings of maternal instincts or something like that that makes me so worried, rather than impending insanity).
In two weeks, I will be travelling (okayed by the doctor), so I will have to wait for 3 more weeks before my next ultrasound. The wait is killing me, but I think it is for the best. I will be 8 weeks along then and by then one should be able to see a heartbeat. That way I will be more likely to be able to see if things are going right (or wrong) rather than getting a "it may be too early, come back next week".
I can't wait to see the little bean!
