7 weeks pregnant ultrasound: Is it too early to have one?

At 7 weeks, you may be just settling into the idea of being pregnant. It’s an exciting time but can also feel tense and uncertain for some people. You may feel eager or anxious to know more about how things are going, especially as it’s still too early to feel any kicks or to have a noticeable pregnant belly. And while some people will notice lots of pregnancy symptoms, it’s also possible that you might not have any at all.

An ultrasound could provide the close-up view of your baby that you’re craving, but what could you actually see at this stage? Find out if 7 weeks is too early for an ultrasound, with advice from Flo expert Dr. Jennifer Boyle, obstetrician and gynecologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts, US. 

Key takeaways: 7 weeks pregnant ultrasound

• At 7 weeks, a sonographer can more reliably detect a fetal pole and cardiac activity (a heartbeat), making it a good week for an early scan.
• Depending on your doctor and where you live, you may not have your 1st-trimester scan until you’re closer to 12 weeks pregnant. However, your doctor would schedule a 7-week scan if you were experiencing any abdominal bleeding or pain, or if you’ve previously experienced fertility issues. 
• Some women choose to have a 7-week ultrasound for reassurance. If the doctor can detect cardiac activity (a heartbeat) at 7 weeks, research has found that your risk of miscarriage is lower. 
• You can use a pregnancy-tracking app like Flo to keep on top of all your growing baby’s milestones and to understand how your own body is changing.

Is 7 weeks too early for an ultrasound? 

Good news! Seven weeks pregnant is definitely not too early for an ultrasound. “Seven weeks is a good time for an ultrasound to find out viability and dating,” says Dr. Boyle. 

And here’s why. Viability (which, in the 1st trimester, means whether or not your pregnancy is expected to develop normally) is something your doctor determines in part by looking for activity in your baby’s heart on a scan. “When we see cardiac activity in an embryo [the group of cells that form after fertilization and implantation have happened], we say the pregnancy is viable,” says Dr. Boyle. “This means it is possible for it to result in the birth of a child.”

Up until this point, it's not guaranteed that a scan could pick up the early signs of an embryo and a heartbeat, but from 7 weeks there is a much higher chance. “At 7 weeks, there is less likely to be uncertainty about viability,” says Dr. Boyle. 

At 7 weeks it’s also possible to figure out your due date by ultrasound, known as dating. “Dating scans are most accurate when done [from] 7 weeks and 0 days,” says Dr. Boyle. They’re considered to be an accurate way to calculate estimated due date right up until the end of 13 weeks of pregnancy, which is why routine 1st-trimester ultrasounds tend to happen around the 12-week mark in many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

Of course, waiting another five weeks might feel difficult if you’re feeling anxious or just impatient to know more about your pregnancy. You may feel like you shouldn’t get excited until you know that everything is going to be OK. It’s totally normal to find the uncertainty tough. In fact, the 1st trimester can feel like a test of physical and emotional endurance. 

To cope with the wait, some people may schedule a scan for reassurance at 7 weeks pregnant. In the Flo app’s Secret Chats space, you can find many members sharing their 7-week ultrasound photos. One person writes, “My 7-week ultrasound!! Can’t believe it’s real, and I got to see the heartbeat.” 

It can be especially reassuring to know that, once your doctor has detected a fetal heartbeat, research suggests that the risk of miscarriage drops. According to one study, the chance of a miscarriage drops to 4.2% by the end of week 7, down from a 9.4% chance at the end of week 6, although other research has found different results. “Seeing that everything looks healthy at 7 weeks can be a huge relief,” says Dr. Boyle. “However, it is still possible that things can change after this time.” 

No person or scan can predict the future, so it’s important to focus on the positives and stay in the present moment as much as you can. “If you do see the flicker of cardiac activity, take a deep breath and really try to enjoy the moment,” says Dr. Boyle. “Although you still have a long journey in front of you, everything looks really good right now. Soak in that goodness and try not to instantly move on to worrying about the next steps and tests.”

Why get an ultrasound at 7 weeks?

There are some circumstances when a doctor would suggest you have a scan this early. “Bleeding or pain are the biggest medical [reasons] for doing an ultrasound at 7 weeks,” says Dr. Boyle. 

That’s because bleeding and/or pain can be a sign of miscarriage. If that’s what’s happening, the bleeding will likely start light and get heavier, though it’s important to remember that bleeding during early pregnancy can also be normal. Either way, it’s important to be seen by a health care professional. Your doctor may want to do an ultrasound to check whether you’ve had a miscarriage and also to make sure it’s not an ectopic pregnancy. This is when a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus (often in one of the fallopian tubes) and can be life threatening if it’s left untreated. 

It can be very hard to even think of these possibilities when you’re 7 weeks pregnant. But please try not to worry. Ectopic pregnancies are rare. It can also help to know that your risk of pregnancy loss in general declines each week that you’re expecting. 

Your doctor may also offer you a scan at 7 weeks if you’ve had previous fertility issues. “When people have had a miscarriage before, we often offer a viability ultrasound at 7 to 8 weeks,” says Dr. Boyle. “Meanwhile, [fertility treatment] clinics have their own protocols about when to have 1st-trimester ultrasounds.”

Take this Flo member for example, who had an ultrasound with her fertility clinic at 7 weeks. “Just got back from my 7-week scan, measuring at exactly 7 weeks, which is about where we expected,” she shares in the app’s Secret Chats space. “We heard a healthy, strong heartbeat of 156, and the doctor said all looks great. I officially ‘graduated’ from my fertility clinic, and I’m looking forward to our 10-week scan with my regular [obstetrician] in a few weeks!”

What happens in an ultrasound at 7 weeks? 

There are two main types of pregnancy ultrasound. You may have seen an abdominal ultrasound on TV, where the sonographer moves a device around the woman’s belly. However, in the first 11 to 12 weeks, a transvaginal (or internal) scan will give you clearer information about your pregnancy. For this type of scan, the doctor will insert a device inside your vagina. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t feel any discomfort. 

As we’ve seen, your doctor will try to find cardiac activity to confirm it’s a viable pregnancy. “They also look at the ovaries and uterus,” says Dr. Boyle, “and will see if there is more than one embryo [i.e., if you’re having twins, or more].”

Then, to figure out your due date, your doctor will look for the fetal pole, which is one of the embryo’s first stages of growth. “They will measure the fetal pole and get what is called a crown–rump length,” says Dr. Boyle. “The crown–rump length is used to determine the gestational age [how far along you are in your pregnancy]. Doctors compare the ultrasound gestational age to the gestational age based on the last menstrual period and can then tell a person their estimated delivery date, or due date.” 

It’s exciting to have a due date to count down to, but remember that your due date is just a rough guide. Only about 5% of babies are actually born on their estimated delivery date.

When to schedule an ultrasound in early pregnancy 

Many people will have their first scan around 12 weeks pregnant, unless their doctor thinks they should have one sooner. For some, this wait is too long and scheduling an earlier scan is well worth it. 

If you’re not sure about the best time to get your first scan, a health care professional will be happy to discuss this with you. Meanwhile, tracking your baby’s development week by week with a pregnancy-tracking app like Flo can help to break up the time. As well as tell you more about your baby’s development throughout the weeks of pregnancy, Flo can help you prepare for your appointments and share what’s happening to your body.  

Your first pregnancy scan is undoubtedly a huge moment, and it’s normal if you feel a little tense about it. “There will understandably be a lot of nervousness and anticipation before the ultrasound,” says Dr. Boyle. “Sometimes it is helpful to remember that this will unfold how it is going to unfold.” 

As well as preparing mentally, leaning upon your loved ones can help you get through the experience. “It is a good idea to go to the scan with someone else if at all possible,” says Dr. Boyle. “At 7 weeks, the ultrasound will either show great news with a healthy-looking embryo with cardiac activity or, unfortunately, a nonviable pregnancy. Having someone with you to support you either way can be very helpful. If that’s not possible, however, know that you will be OK regardless of how it turns out. You are stronger than you think.”