My scan

Vel

I will be 16 weeks pregnant tomorrow and had my first appointment in Holles Street yesterday which went fine. I made the choice to go public as I don't personally believe in paying for something like having a baby.

I wrongly assumed that I would have a scan yesterday and have since found out that public patients don't get their first scan until 20 weeks. I had to ring yesterday to make an appointment for my scan and the date I got means that I will be 22 weeks when I get my first scan.

I don't want the thread to turn into a debate about public v semi-private v private but I have to say I do feel quite strongly that this is quite late in the day for my first scan.

Touch wood, if something was wrong it doesn't leave a lot of time to consider options.

I'm just wondering what people think about this?

Moonbeam

That is perfectly normal but waiting sucks, and depending on the consultant is pretty much the same for some going semi private too.

jim o doom

I think it's ridiculous tbh - but I was in A&E in the Mater (public) for around 8 hours with a badly broken leg from a motorcycle crash (not my fault) & only two weak painkiller injetions & aspirin the whole time.
The waiting lists, quality & everything about the Irish health system is the biggest pile of shnidt in the first world as far as I am concerned.
They even managed to get my leg wounds infected with something !

so in general I hold a seriously dim view of the public health system here.
The also managed to lose my grandad (long befoer I was born) & my ma as well.
Mater private saved my da from cancer, but that's not public healthcare.

I know those details are a bit off the score, but If I was a rich man I'd be going private all the way, I don't trust the Irish health service for a second.

Boom_Bap

My girlfirend recently had our first child a few weeks ago and we went through the exact same thing. But it's perfectly normal to wait for the 20 week scan.

There is logic behind this, as they are looking for key things that will only be visible on the scan at this time. If anything else is wrong with baby it would be traceable in the other tests that are performed.
If you are not getting an early scan, then they are confident that your baby is happy at the moment.

The staff at holles street are incredible and extremely professional (except 1 midwife we encountered....but that was fixed for us very quickly!) so I wouldnt worry too much. We ended up getting some early scans privately as my missus paniked a bit, nice to see the baby but an unecessary expence.

Grawns

I'm semi-private and today was my 1st official scan at 20 weeks. I've paid for other tests and scans privately to reassure myself. I have no complaints with the system except that there's a baby boom so resources are stretched.

None of the other scans or tests were strictly medcally necessay so it was rightly up to me to pay for them.

Vel

I feel a bit better hearing this. I suppose when I hear of people getting scans as early as 7 weeks it was beginning to make me panic a bit but maybe the private patients get early and numerous scans to justify the amount they are paying. I know I'm not considered 'high risk' because I am young and healthy so I guess I'll just have to try to relax and get on with it! I guess I was just a little deflated after expecting to get scanned, when in reality I got literally less than 2 minutes with the consultant.

Grawns

Reading on boards etc. prepared me to always ask for a scan as they have portable ones in their consulting rooms and they can show you the baby. They won't necessaeily offer it. Not much good for diagnistic scans and they won't give you a photo as it's not hooked up to a printer but great to see the baba!

I had a scan at 9 weeks ( dating scan in femplus €100) 12 weeks ( nuchal scan and blood works rotunda €250), 16 weeks ( amniocentesis scan rotunda €250) and 17 weeks ( booking in rotunda asked the consultant for a quick scan- no charge!) And today my 20 weeks scan - no charge

All money well spent in my book.

January

I paid for my first scan at 12 weeks, 100€ in the RSCI unit in the Rotunda. Got my second scan at 21 weeks in the Rotunda. Also getting another scan at 32 weeks in the Rotunda to check for cleft palette in my baby as a member of my family was born with one.

The 100e was well spent on the scan in the RCSI unit, it put my mind at rest.