What Can You See at a 6, 7 or 8 Week Scan?
Week by week, what shows up on screen at an early pregnancy scan, why your baby might measure a few days behind your dates, and how to choose the week to book.
Quick Answer
At 6 weeks a scan shows the pregnancy sac, the yolk sac and usually a tiny baby of 4 to 5mm, often with a flickering heartbeat. By 7 weeks the baby is around 1cm and the heartbeat is usually clear. By 8 weeks you can see a head, a body and limb buds, and sometimes small movements. Many parents book from 7 weeks because the heartbeat is easier to see. You can compare all our private early pregnancy scans by week.
Week by Week: What Shows on Screen
Weeks are counted from the first day of your last period. Sizes are typical, and every pregnancy grows at its own pace.
6 weeks: The sac, the yolk sac and, usually, a first flicker
About 4 to 5mm7 weeks: A clear heartbeat and a measurable baby
Around 1cm8 weeks: Head, body and tiny limb buds
Around 1.5 to 2cm
Why Your Baby Might Measure Behind
Measuring a few days behind is common, and it usually comes down to when you ovulated. Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of your last period, on the assumption that you ovulated around day 14. Longer or irregular cycles, or simply a later ovulation that month, mean your baby is younger than the calendar says.
Very early on, a few days make a visible difference. A pregnancy that is really 5 and a half weeks may show a sac and yolk sac but no heartbeat yet, even though you counted 6 weeks. That is one reason many parents wait until 7 weeks.
Your sonographer will explain what the measurements show before you leave. Where further assessment is clinically needed, they may recommend a follow-up scan. If you want a measured due date rather than one counted from your period, the Early Dating Scan at 9 to 11 weeks is designed for exactly that.
Will It Be an Internal Scan?
Usually not. Our early scans are normally done over the tummy, with a comfortably full bladder helping to lift the womb into view. In some cases, for example very early on or when the womb is tilted, a transvaginal scan gives a clearer picture. If that is recommended, your sonographer will explain why and check you are happy first, and there is no extra cost. Every sonographer at our Gosforth clinic is female.
The what to expect on the day page covers how much to drink, what to wear and how the appointment runs.
Bleeding or Pain? Contact the NHS First
A private scan is for reassurance, not urgent care. If you have bleeding, tummy or shoulder tip pain, dizziness or feel faint, contact your GP, NHS 111 or your local Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit straight away.
Booking a Scan at 6 to 8 Weeks
Our Early Viability Scan (£88) runs from 6 to 8 weeks at our Gosforth clinic, with no GP referral needed. Further along? See which early scan fits your dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
At 6 weeks the scan shows the pregnancy sac inside the womb, the yolk sac and usually the fetal pole, the first sign of your baby, about 4 to 5mm long. A heartbeat is often visible as a flicker, but at this stage it can still be too early to see one. You will not see a recognisable baby shape yet.
No. Seven weeks is a good time for a first scan. The baby is around 1cm long, easier to measure than at six weeks, and the heartbeat is usually clear. Our Early Viability Scan runs from 6 to 8 weeks.
Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of your last period, which assumes you ovulated around day 14. If you ovulated later, your baby will measure a few days or more behind, and that is common. Your sonographer will explain what the measurements show, and if a follow-up scan is clinically needed they will recommend one.
Usually not. Our early scans are normally done over the tummy. In some cases a transvaginal scan is recommended for the clearest view, at no extra cost, and your sonographer will talk it through with you first. Every sonographer at our Gosforth clinic is female.
Sometimes. Two pregnancy sacs can often be seen early on, but twins are usually easier to confirm from around 8 weeks onwards. Every Early Viability Scan includes a check for a single or multiple pregnancy.