Just Imagine that you come to know that you are pregnant and feel so excited. Your heart is feeling so happy that you will see your baby after a few months. But if you are only five weeks pregnant then according to you what you see in an ultrasound? Will you know if there is a heartbeat or not?

What are the expectations in a 5-Week Ultrasound

In the 5th week  of your pregnancy, the development occurs in a very limited way, and the size of your baby is just the size of an apple seed. Let’s come to know about the exciting changes in 4 weeks pregnancy. Since then, both the gestational and yolk sacs have grown significantly. Your baby,  now as big as an apple seed, is developing rapidly. 

In the 5 week pregnancy, many structures start their formation including;the nervous system,  brain, and the spinal cord.  And there’s more! The heart is taking shape and will soon beat with life. If you notice a  heartbeat then it will help in confirming the pregnancy is about 6 weeks. It’s a difficult time for your pregnancy because your body goes through various changings.

So,At this early stage, your baby is not bigger than the size of  a peppercorn. It’s size is about 2 millimeters. According to you, you think you see a complete fetus in 5 weeks, but it’s not reality. The structures most commonly seen at this stage are the Yolk Sac and the gestational Sac. These provide you with the essential systems for the development of your baby.

Why Have a 5-Week Ultrasound?

An ultrasound after 5 weeks is not necessary for every pregnant woman. Those people who are recommended for ultrasound by the doctor are just because of these reasons;

Confirming Pregnancy: If you test yourself and find a positive pregnancy test, this early scan helps to confirm that the pregnancy is progressing normally and that there are no complications. 

Checking for Ectopic Pregnancy: If you feel any pain or bleeding, then the ultrasound is recommended to come to know whether the embryo implanted in the uterus in the right way or not.

Determining Gestational Age: If you are unsure when you are not getting your periods and what the date of your last period is, an ultrasound can help you find the exact date of your baby.

Monitoring High-Risk Pregnancies: Those women who have experienced a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy in the past go for an ultrasound to know about the progress of the fetus.

What Will You See?

As a gynecologist, we did the ultrasound of early pregnancy. A TVS scan was done for viability; we can see a normal uterus with  Thickened endometrium and a well-defined intrauterine gestational Sac. Gestational Sac Size is 1.12 cm for age 5 weeks and 2 days. 

This is normal according to LMP; it is 5 weeks and 3 days. We can see a tiny fetal pole in this Sac,  with a joyous heart rate or cardiac flicker. Color flow is seen. Their heart rate is 115 Bpm. The Yolk Sac is visualized as 3.6 mm, which is normal. If the pregnancy is expected, the fetal heart rate is visualized as Soon as the fetal pole is seen on the ultrasound scan. This is a normal pregnancy with a tiny fetal pole at 5 + weeks gestational age.

Here are the things that you can precisely see in the ultrasound:

The Gestational Sac: This is the first structure seen in the ultrasound to track the baby. It looks like a black fluid-filled area. It is the place where the baby continues his growth, and it gives you a sign that your baby is growing.

The Yolk Sac: The yolk sac is present inside the gestational Sac. You see small structures in the form of circles called a yolk sac. This plays an important role in the development and nourishment of an embryo till the development of placenta is formed for the safety of the embryo.

The Embryo or the Fetus: The baby which is called an embryo at this stage is about the size of a peppercorn. Some scans are performed, and the results are in the form of an embryonic pole, which is then developed as your baby. So, don’t stress if you don’t see your baby entirely at this stage because it is normal.

A Flicker of a Heartbeat?

 Some parents are lucky to see a tiny heat-beat flicker in the 5-week ultrasound, but this does not happen usually. It occurs in a sporadic case because the heartbeat is seen after 6 to 7 weeks.

What If You Don’t See Anything?

If you don’t see anything in 5-week ultrasound, then it’s common for most women.Here are some reasons which we come to know why they don’t see anything:

Incorrect dates:

If you are not getting your dates on time, this means you get your ovulation later than the expected date or time. From this, it’s clear that you’re earlier in pregnancy than you thought. Your pregnancy is not about five weeks.

Low HCG level:

Ultrasound at 5 weeks depends on some hormones, like HCG (the pregnancy hormone). If your HCG level does not rise properly, then you may not see anything in your ultrasound. For you to see something, your HCG level must be 1,500 to 2,000 in the first 5 weeks of pregnancy. However, in some cases, they need an HCG level that exceeds 2000 to see the gestational Sac clearly.

Ectopic pregnancy:

An ectopic must be the one reason to come to know why we cannot see anything in the ultrasound. This happens when your egg, which is fused with the sperm, implants outside the uterus in fallopian tubes rather than staying in the uterus. then it might be a serious condition, and requires urgent medical attention. If you don’t go for the medical treatment, it leads to internal bleeding. If you feel severe pelvic pain or bleeding in the vagina area, then immediately go for medical help.

Early Miscarriage:

HCG level is the most important hormone in pregnancy. If this hormone falls and gestational Sac is not present , then it can cause a miscarriage.In some cases, the fertilized egg means the egg which is fused with sperm fails to develop an embryo, then leads to the loss of pregnancy. If you see bleeding from vagina then you have to know that it must be the sign of a miscarriage and the ultrasound is needed urgently at this moment for knowing whether it is a miscarriage or not.

Pregnancy Symptoms at 5 Weeks

If you don’t see the things which are mostly visible in 5 week ultrasound, then your baby is going through the changes which are noticeable.Some common symptoms are;

Morning sickness: It happens at any time of the day. It’s also a night or morning.

Tender breasts: It happens usually because of the hormonal changes. 

Fatigue: It is an early sign  which you see in pregnancy. At this stage, your body makes new hormones which are helpful for the support of the early pregnancy and adjust your body according to the hormonal changes.

Low level urination: The quantity of urine becomes very low due to increasing blood flow.

Mood swings: It happens due to fluctuations, changes, or hormones. 

Light spotting: It is normal during pregnancy, but it’s necessary to be monitored.

Mild cramping: This might be a painful stage.It is like a period cramp because, at this stage, the uterus starts to expand to its original size.

Should You Wait Until 7 Weeks?

Some experts don’t tell you to go for an ultrasound in the first 5 weeks because, at this stage, sometimes you can’t see things correctly.They recommend doing an ultrasound after the 7 weeks to prevent yourself from unnecessary stress, which is not suitable for your pregnancy. At this stage, you have more chances to see your baby’s heartbeat than in the 5-week ultrasound. After 7 weeks, you confirmed your baby’s viability more clearly.

A Personal Experience

I Want to share my personal experience with you; when I went for my 5-week ultrasound for the first time, I was anxious or so excited for me. Being a mother for the first time is a different kind of happiness. According to my knowledge, I have read everything before going for an ultrasound and expect so many things. I saw a gestational sac in the ultrasound but can’t yet see the heartbeat. The doctors say everything is normal because the heartbeat is not seen in some cases in the 5-week ultrasound. After two weeks, I went for an ultrasound again, and then I saw the most beautiful thing: my baby’s heartbeat. So, if you don’t know the heartbeat of your baby in a 5-week ultrasound, then don’t be upset and don’t get any stress because it’s normal. You only need some patience.

Bottom Line

A five-week ultrasound is so exciting for you, but it’s important that you have to manage your expectations because sometimes things do not happen according to the things which you are expected.You don’t see the things which are in your mind but keep remembering its normal don’t panic. If your doctor says you should go for an early ultrasound, then it’s a good sign for you to check the progress of your baby. On the other hand, waiting for two more weeks for an ultrasound gives you more results than your expectations.

Have You Had a 5-week Ultrasound?

We love to hear about your experience! Did you see a yolk sac? Did you see a heartbeat in the first five weeks of pregnancy?Share your story in the comments section, which is mentioned below!

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