The Conception Chronicles: Ultrasounds and Noises

This is the sixth installment in a short series about baby making.

Grey's Anatomy really ticked me off last week.  Not because Callie got pregnant by accident, or some left field feminist issue with her bisexuality, or some random complaint about the legal implications of tweeting operations.

Because they lied.

Now, granted, I don't expect a medical sitcom (drama?) to be 100% accurate any more than I expect a crime show to use legit technology and timelines (Bones, anyone? I love Bones, and if their technology was real...well, I imagine there would be a lot less free murders and a lot more graphic artists employed by the FBI). But basic medical facts...

What am I bitching about?

The MFM resident told Callie she can't see the heartbeat until at least 8 weeks (or something similar to that). Now, I understand most women don't go for their first prenatal visit until between 8 and 10 (I think) weeks, and most OBs don't try to get the heartbeat with the external doppler until something like 10-12 weeks (this is entirely heresay, seeing as I have no experience with this). I can even understand that they don't want to be responsible for a mad rush of newly pregnant women to their OBs insisting on transvaginal ultrasounds on good machines that can pick up the heartbeat.

I do not, however, condone downright falsifying information.

We made a decision to have a D&C with the first pregnancy before 8 weeks. At 6 weeks, when you hope to see a fetal pole and MIGHT see a heartbeat (it starts right around 6w0d, give or take) we had a big yolk sac. And came back a few days later, given that was a "eh" prognosis. At that point, there was no heartbeat. Our doctor apologized, booked us one more "just in case you had an immaculate conception" ultrasound, and we went on our way.

Now, of course, Torres didn't have an IUI, and her ovulation and fertilization dates could be wrong, which is a good reason not to be 100% sure there will be a heartbeat at what she thought was 8w. BUT Grey's didn't bring this up at ALL as a reason. They just lied. Ugh.

Fun Fact: The fancy transvaginal ultrasound machine our RE has is snazzy. I don't know if the ones in OBs offices and such are as nice (seeing as I've never been to one), but it can do standard ultrasounds, those creepy 4d ultrasounds, measurements that automatically determine estimated gestational age, and heartbeats. The microphone on the end (I assume) of the wand is so fine tuned it can pick up the heartbeats of different fetuses by aiming at them, and then can give you a heartrate. I assume OBs have something similar and this isn't actually that cool, but again, never been to an OB pregnant and I still think this machine rocks.