5 Weeks Ultrasound Scan - All Your Questions Answered - MyBump2Baby (2024)

At 5 weeks pregnant (early stages of pregnancy) your baby is the size of an orange seed so as you can imagine it is very little that can be seen but many expectant parents do choose to have a 5-week pregnant ultrasound for various reasons.

It is likely that this is your first pregnancy ultrasound, at 5 weeks of pregnancy.

In your fifth week of pregnancy, it has been 5 weeks since your last period and usually 3 weeks since the fertilized egg, however, you are still 5 weeks pregnant.

Your symptoms can be sore boobs, increased sense of smell and increased need for urination.

If you are having an Ultrasound at 4 weeks pregnant, you can read our article 4 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound.

Keep reading to find out all about ultrasounds at 5 weeks pregnant.

Why Would You Go for an Ultrasound at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

Although it is rare to go for 5 weeks pregnant (first trimester) ultrasound appointment it isn’t completely unheard of.

Usually, the EPU (early pregnancy unit) at a hospital will offer early pregnancy ultrasound at 5 weeks pregnant- but only if you are showing symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy as that can be life-threatening and must be treated as a matter of urgency.

An ectopic pregnancy ultrasound at 5 weeks will be performed to ensure that the pregnancy is not ectopic.

Are you Showing Signs of a Miscarriage at 5 weeks pregnant?

If you are bleeding or showing signs of a miscarriage, such as having mild spotting when you wipe at 5 weeks pregnant, the hospital may take your blood to measure your hCG levels, they usually call you back again 48 hours later to take another measurement to see if your hCG levels are going up or coming down.

If your HCG levels are dropping at 5 weeks it is more likely you are experiencing a miscarriage at 5 weeks pregnant.

Chances of Miscarriage at 5 Weeks Gestation

Changes of Miscarriage drastically start decreasing and according to Datayze, the chances of miscarriage at 5 weeks are as follows:

• 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound 19% chance of miscarriage
• 5 weeks 1 day pregnant ultrasound 18.2% chance of miscarriage
• 5 weeks 2 days pregnant ultrasound 17.5% chance of miscarriage
• 5 weeks 3 days pregnant ultrasound 16.7% chance of miscarriage
• 5 weeks 4 days pregnant ultrasound 15.9% chance of miscarriage
• 5 weeks 5 days pregnant ultrasound 15.1% chance of miscarriage
• 5 week 6 days pregnant ultrasound 14.3% chance of miscarriage
• 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound 13.5% chance of miscarriage

5 Weeks Pregnant Scan – Where Can I Go for an Ultrasound Appointment?

You can pay for a private 5 week pregnancy ultrasound if you are in need or reassurance or you are experiencing brown discharge or bleeding. It could be that you have had a negative pregnancy experience previously and you are just looking for some reassurance. To book with your nearest pregnancy scan clinic visit our directory.

What Can You See On A 5 Week Ultrasound? – What to Expect

Before heading to your 5-week sonogram we do recommend reading the following information about what to expect at your 5-week pregnancy scan so you don’t cause yourself unnecessary stress and worry during and after the ultrasound appointment.

You should ensure that you have a full bladder as this makes it easier for the sonographer to see your uterus.

If you are having an early pregnancy ultrasound at 5 weeks please familiarise yourself with the commonly asked questions below.

Can You Hear the Heartbeat at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

No, it is very unlikely you will hear your baby’s heartbeat at 5 weeks pregnant unless you are further along than you thought.

So, if you can hear no heart beat at 5 weeks pregnant, this is compltely normal!

The first ultrasound is usually at 12 weeks gestation then you normally have a 20-week scan called the anomaly scan. In both of these scans you would see a heartbeat but at 5 weeks pregnant the baby’s heart is usually not beating yet.

Can You See a Heartbeat at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

No, again unless you are further along then it is unlikely you will see a heartbeat at 5 weeks pregnant. It is very important to not let this worry you as this is very important. It is much more likely to see a heart beat at 6 weeks pregnant or even later than that.

Can You See the Yolk Sac at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

At 5 weeks pregnant it is likely you will see a yolk sac inside the gestational sac.

The yolk sac is full of nutrients for the developing fetus. If you can see no yolk sac at the 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound, it may just be too soon.

It is common for women to miscalculate the dates, for example, you think you are 7 weeks pregnant, but then the ultrasound shows 5 weeks pregnant- or you may calculate your gestation as being much later than it is.

Other explanations include ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.

Will I See the Gestational Sac at 5 Weeks Ultrasound Scan?

The gestational sac (gestation sac) is often the first thing that most 5 weeks transvagin*l ultrasound scans (vagin* ultrasound) will detect.

No gestational sac at 5 weeks could mean miscarriage, an empty gestational sac at 5 weeks could be a sign of miscarriage but again, it may just be too early to see anything.

The 5 week gestational sac size is 5mm – 6mm at 5 weeks. The embryo is usually around 2mm at 5 weeks pregnant.

What Do The Yolk Sac and Gestational Sac at 5 Weeks Look Like on the Ultrasound Scan?

The yolk sac is the small white circle and the gestational sac is the black area on the scan. If there is no yolk sac at 5 weeks it could be that you are not yet 5 weeks pregnant or you may have experienced an early miscarriage.

You can see an example of 5 week ultrasound pictures here: https://www.earlylife.co.uk/blogs/news/what-will-i-see-at-an-early-pregnancy-scan-1

What are Fetal Poles?

A fetal pole is the developing growing embryo and usually the first bit of evidence of a developing fetus during very early pregnancy.

If you can see no fetal pole at the 5 weekss ultrasound- do not worry!

A vagin*l ultrasound can detect a fetal pole at around the sixth week of pregnancy and it usually 1-2 mm oval structure.

Will they Determine a Miscarriage at the 5-Week Ultrasound Scan?

If you have been bleeding and you think you may have experienced a miscarriage a 5-week miscarriage sac (the gestational sac) may not be present and you could be given the miscarriage diagnosis.

Alternatively, you may be bleeding but have not lost the sac therefore a miscarriage cannot be diagnosed at this stage.

There can be many reasons for bleeding and your baby could still be developing as it should.

5 Weeks Pregnancy Ultrasound Showed Nothing – Am I Still Pregnant?

Unfortunately, some sonographers do not have a good way with words and as 5 weeks is early for an ultrasound it may be difficult to see much.

If they say the 5 week ultrasound showed nothing you should ask if the yolk sac is present and it is important to ask them to rule out ectopic pregnancy as that can be life-threatening.

If your dates are slightly out it could be simply too early to see anything on the ultrasound.

If you are booking 6 week ultrasound you should see a little more than you can at 6 weeks.

How Long Does a 5-Week Ultrasound Take?

It can take about 10 to 20 minutes to perform an ultrasound scan. The sonographer will apply a gel to your belly and then use the probe to scan abdomen, occasionally for early scans, the sonographer may choose to do the scan of the women vagin*lly so they can see more. Please be assured the vagin*l ultrasound will not harm the baby and does not hurt.

Can They Tell If You Are Expecting Twins at a 5-Week Scan?

So, will they be able to see twins on an ultrasound at 5 weeks?

Occasionally, by performing an ultrasound scan at week 5 you may be told if you are expecting twins.

If your twins are in two separate sacs the sacs will be visible.

For identical twin pregnancies where your babies are sharing the same sac, they may spot two yolk sacs which is also an indicator of twins at 5 weeks pregnant.

If you think you may be expecting twins, you can request a twin ultrasound at 5 weeks at your local ultrasound clinic.

You can see some 5 week ultrasound pictures of twins here on the twiniversity website: https://www.twiniversity.com/twin-pregnancy-week-by-week-timeline/5-weeks-pregnant-with-twins/

We asked our Founder, Carla Lett, what happened at her 5-week Ultrasound Appointment…

Unfortunately after experiencing 3 x miscarriages I experienced bleeding again at 5 weeks pregnant.

I was heartbroken as for me this was usually a sign of an impending miscarriage.

Although, I was on the rainbow pathway the early pregnancy unit at the hospital would only scan me from 6 weeks pregnant.

I was bleeding and had clotting so decided to pay for my first pregnancy ultrasound at 5 weeks.

I had a full bladder and the sonographer managed to scan me through my abdomen.

I knew it was unlikely that a heartbeat would be seen at this point but I wanted to check if the sac was present and in the correct place and if any bleeding could be seen on the 5-week ultrasound, as expected, no heartbeat was seen or heard but the gestational sac was there in the correct place and the yolk sac was visible.

There was no sign of why the bleeding was happening.

This gave me a bit of reassurance until the following week when I could go to my 6-week ultrasound appointment at the early pregnancy unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.