1st scan worries

Hobbitfeet

Hi all,

I was at my doctors today to get my bloods taken and I asked her when I would be getting my first scan, she told me it wouldn't be untill 22 weeks!! I'm 10 weeks now. She also told me I wouldn't see her again untill after that scan. I can't believe I have to wait this long for my scan or even to hear the babies heartbeat, I didn't get to hear the heartbeat at that appointment and I thought I would. Surely that can't be right? How can I or the doctor be sure that everything is progressing ok?

Is this normal? I'm really worried. It seems like everyone else I have spoken to or seen on boards has had a scan or at least heard the heartbeat before 22 weeks.

Ayla

As always, completely depends on your own personal GP, but I didn't have my scan for either of my pregs before wk 22 (I think my first preg was around 22 wks & my second wasn't until 23-24 wks).

As for heartbeat, they frequently can't even hear it until at least wk 14 or so (could even be later) so they generally don't even try before then b/c it freaks the mom/dad out if nothing's heard.

As for not seeing anyone from week 10 to week 22, well that's - again (depending on your GP) - normal enough. My GP didn't even want to see me at all to confirm the preg until week 12, then I didn't see them again for 2 months so that would bring it to wk 20. I was also referred to the hospital outreach antenatal clinic so I started seeing them around week 20 (and they were the ones to refer me for the scan). From that point on the clinic & GP would generally listen for the heartbeat (sometimes they had the machine that would amplify it for me to hear, sometimes they just used an antiquated (but adequate) thing that only they could hear).

I know it's tough - you want constant reassurance that everything's going right - but you can take some comfort in the fact that your GP doesn't feel there are any over-riding health concerns that would merit more monitoring.

bulmersgal

+1 in everything ayla says

Also you could book in for a private scan if you want reassurance

chirogirl

Thats a long time to wait for a Scan!
I had my 1st at 12-14 weeks, then the anomoly at 20-22 weeks.
But as the previous poster said, you could always go for a private one.

Ayla

Through reading these pregnancy threads for some time now, I get the impression that there is a massive difference in pregnancy management (i.e.: scans, etc) depending on where you live & who your specific GP/antenatal team are.

OP - since I know you're in the same corner of the country as me, and you'll be attending the same hosp I did, try not to freak when you hear about "everyone else" having 2+ scans (and earlier in their pregs). It's not fair, but it is normal enough around here. I have 6 sister-in-laws, most of whom had their babies up here, and I don't think any of them had any scans before wk 20 unless there was something the GP/consultant was concerned about.

Hannibal Smith

Hobbitfeet wrote: »

Hi all,

I was at my doctors today to get my bloods taken and I asked her when I would be getting my first scan, she told me it wouldn't be untill 22 weeks!! I'm 10 weeks now. She also told me I wouldn't see her again untill after that scan. I can't believe I have to wait this long for my scan or even to hear the babies heartbeat, I didn't get to hear the heartbeat at that appointment and I thought I would. Surely that can't be right? How can I or the doctor be sure that everything is progressing ok?

Is this normal? I'm really worried. It seems like everyone else I have spoken to or seen on boards has had a scan or at least heard the heartbeat before 22 weeks.

I don't know are hospitals and patients interpretation of a scan differing, but I find that very strange op. I was told when I booked my pregnancy that I would only get one scan at 22 weeks. I was booked in for bloods at 12 weeks and then got an appointment to see the consultant at 18 weeks. There was a small scanning machine in the room with the consultant and he did a quick scan, saw the heartbeat and that was that. But to me, that counts as a scan?

Are you sure you have no other appointment between now and the big scan with the hosp?

It used to be that most pregnancy care didn't properly kick off until 12 weeks, but now it seems it's not kicking off till you've had your 20 week scan?

Hobbitfeet

Hannibal Smith wrote: »

I don't know are hospitals and patients interpretation of a scan differing, but I find that very strange op. I was told when I booked my pregnancy that I would only get one scan at 22 weeks. I was booked in for bloods at 12 weeks and then got an appointment to see the consultant at 18 weeks. There was a small scanning machine in the room with the consultant and he did a quick scan, saw the heartbeat and that was that. But to me, that counts as a scan?

Are you sure you have no other appointment between now and the big scan with the hosp?

It used to be that most pregnancy care didn't properly kick off until 12 weeks, but now it seems it's not kicking off till you've had your 20 week scan?

My doctor confused my dates that's why I had my bloods done at 10 weeks she thought I was 12 weeks, which does not leave me feeling all that confident about her also. No I have no other appointment until my scan at 22 weeks. Doctor told me I would get a letter from the hospital around 18 weeks to confirm the date for my scan and when I attended that I would be given an appointment for my doctor and next visit to the hospital.
I am moving house at the start of August so will be changing my doctor also which I'm kind of glad about. Do you think I should start looking for another doctor now and visit them before my scan?

Hannibal Smith

Oh jees, I don't know Hobbit, it's up to you whether you change doctors now or not. But I think it is very strange that they leave you until 22 weeks without doing even a brief heartbeat check scan, but it seems to be how things are going now.

You could always ring the hospital yourself? Maybe find out from them what the procedure is?

Hobbitfeet

Hannibal Smith wrote: »

Oh jees, I don't know Hobbit, it's up to you whether you change doctors now or not. But I think it is very strange that they leave you until 22 weeks without doing even a brief heartbeat check scan, but it seems to be how things are going now.

You could always ring the hospital yourself? Maybe find out from them what the procedure is?

I have to change my doctor its just too far to travel to keep the one I have now
I think I will ring the hospital just to make sure but it seems like it is normal in this part of the country to have to wait this long

galah

unfortunately, it is the same in Galway - zero scans until the big one at week 20. No proper blood tests etc either (checking for rubella immunity at week 20 is a touch pointless cause there's nothing you can then do if you don't have it, I think, but hey, I'm not a doctor). I was lucky cause my GP have their own ultrasound, so she did a quick scan at week 12 cause I was worried (and she couldnt get a heartbeat with the doppler), and she checked the heartbeat again at week 16 - but otherwise, nothing.

Apparently, they *used* to have week 12 scans here at UCHG as well, but stopped them (cost, I guess). Just what I heard, not sure if it is correct.

Saw my GP at week 6, week 12, week 16, now the big scan next week, and then the usual schedule as per combined care. And I have a very straightforward pregnancy, no complications or any other reasons for concern so far (touch wood).

good luck!

freudiangirl

well i had my dating scan in cumh at 14 weeks, had a quick one ( about 2 mins) last week when i meet my obstetrician but no more scans for me accordinfg to my obstetrician.( unless they are needed)
There are no anomally scans given in cumh, if you are having a normal pregnancy
I went private for an anomally scan just for peace of mind!!

My next appointment in cumh isnt until sept!!! about 8 weeks before the birth ---- this is worrying me a bit because I havent discussed birth plans etc....

chirogirl

Thats interesting what you say about Anomoly scans. Its ridiculous that dependent on which part of the country you live in, scan times vary. I'm considered a Geriatric mum to be at 37, risk factors are higher, however regardless of age you're entitled to both the 12 week and anomoly scan.

freudiangirl

chirogirl wrote: »

Thats interesting what you say about Anomoly scans. Its ridiculous that dependent on which part of the country you live in, scan times vary. I'm considered a Geriatric mum to be at 37, risk factors are higher, however regardless of age you're entitled to both the 12 week and anomoly scan.

yeah i agree with your point-- an anomally scan is so important!
Despite how normal your pregnancy is, it is nice to see baby growing and moving.
so much piece of mind can be gained from them

I wonder if I was going private in cumh would I be entitled to one???

Ayla

freudiangirl wrote: »

yeah i agree with your point-- an anomally scan is so important!

Honestly, no it's not. An anomoly scan can detect if there are any developmental issues, but if there is nothing can be done about it until after the baby's born. Yes, I completely understand the desire to have peace of mind that's all well, but if it's not, what're you going to do about it other than worry (and mentally/logistically prepare yourself)?

If the absolute worst thing happens, and they discover that the baby will not live outside the womb, you still can't do anything about it.

I appreciate the excitement of seeing your baby on screen, but scans are not the be-all-end-all of everything!

Hannibal Smith

Ayla wrote: »

Honestly, no it's not. An anomoly scan can detect if there are any developmental issues, but if there is nothing can be done about it until after the baby's born. Yes, I completely understand the desire to have peace of mind that's all well, but if it's not, what're you going to do about it other than worry (and mentally/logistically prepare yourself)?

If the absolute worst thing happens, and they discover that the baby will not live outside the womb, you still can't do anything about it.

I appreciate the excitement of seeing your baby on screen, but scans are not the be-all-end-all of everything!

Isn't abortion available (in countries where it's legal) up to 26 weeks? So if there was something significantly wrong, that's an option that would be open to you.

Scans are part of the whole thrill of pregnancy and as a parent you want to be aware of any issues that may exist. It doesn't only check the well being of the fetus, it checks the well being of the mother and the location of the placenta.

When you get to 12 weeks you've no indication whatsoever whether the fetus is alive and well. And it's at many 12 week scans that missed miscarriages are detected.

Scans are hugely important in pregnancy and if you're not going to get a 12 week one (which I think is awful) then you should at the very least get a 20 week scan.

Ayla

Hannibal Smith wrote: »

Isn't abortion available (in countries where it's legal) up to 26 weeks? So if there was something significantly wrong, that's an option that would be open to you.

Yes it is, if - as you said - you live in a country where it's legal. Unfortunately for every woman living in Ireland, this is not an option for them here.

Hannibal Smith

Ayla wrote: »

Yes it is, if - as you said - you live in a country where it's legal. Unfortunately for every woman living in Ireland, this is not an option for them here.

For people who can't afford a flight to the UK maybe.

Noopti

Ayla wrote: »

Honestly, no it's not. An anomoly scan can detect if there are any developmental issues, but if there is nothing can be done about it until after the baby's born.

Correct me if I am wrong, but surely there are certain conditions that can be detected at the anomaly scan that will at least allow doctors time to prepare for treatment once the baby is born? Similarly any conditions detected will allow the parents better prepare for any special equipment/care etc in time, rather than having to adapt very quickly after birth.

So I would have to disagree, an anomaly scan is important if only to allow preparation for any conditions that might be present.

Ayla

Noopti wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong, but surely there are certain conditions that can be detected at the anomaly scan that will at least allow doctors time to prepare for treatment once the baby is born? Similarly any conditions detected will allow the parents better prepare for any special equipment/care etc in time, rather than having to adapt very quickly after birth.

So I would have to disagree, an anomaly scan is important if only to allow preparation for any conditions that might be present.

That's why I said this:

what're you going to do about it other than worry (and mentally/logistically prepare yourself)?

Yes, the prep time (and time to come to grips with everything) can be beneficial, but that's no need to panic if you don't have your scan until 23-24 weeks.

Hannibal Smith

Ayla wrote: »

Noopti wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong, but surely there are certain conditions that can be detected at the anomaly scan that will at least allow doctors time to prepare for treatment once the baby is born? Similarly any conditions detected will allow the parents better prepare for any special equipment/care etc in time, rather than having to adapt very quickly after birth.

So I would have to disagree, an anomaly scan is important if only to allow preparation for any conditions that might be present.

That's why I said this:

what're you going to do about it other than worry (and mentally/logistically prepare yourself)?

Yes, the prep time (and time to come to grips with everything) can be beneficial, but that's no need to panic if you don't have your scan until 23-24 weeks.

I don't think any one is panicking to be fair.. But it is unfair to expect a woman to go to 24 weeks without even a small scan to check for a heartbeat! I dread to think on my last pregnancy how far the pregnancy would have gone, with me thinking everything was fine all the while it had died, if I hadn't gone for a 12 week scan, or indeed the stress I would have gone through in this pregnancy wondering if the same thing happened...if it hadn't been for a 9 week scan

galah

it's not just the fact that you would want to know about anomalies (since here, you can't do much about them anyway apart from being mentally prepared) - even just the knowledge of how MANY babies you're carrying, or if it's ectopic (you could argue that you will find out soon enough, but I think it's important that these conditions are detected early to prevent a lot of damage), or info about your uterus (prolapsed, tilted etc) would be helpful, I think.

And for that, a scan latest at week 12 would be good for everyone in the country!

lonestargirl

Ayla wrote: »

Honestly, no it's not. An anomoly scan can detect if there are any developmental issues, but if there is nothing can be done about it until after the baby's born. Yes, I completely understand the desire to have peace of mind that's all well, but if it's not, what're you going to do about it other than worry (and mentally/logistically prepare yourself)?

If the absolute worst thing happens, and they discover that the baby will not live outside the womb, you still can't do anything about it.

I appreciate the excitement of seeing your baby on screen, but scans are not the be-all-end-all of everything!

When I had my big scan they spent ages checking the heart and its valves etc. If a problem was detected that required immediate post-birth attention it may be that the mother's care may be transferred to Dublin so that the baby could go immediately to a peadiatric hospital.

Ayla

I agree, it would be good to have an early scan b/c of the reasons galah stated, but also because that's the best chance to accurately estimate a proper due date.

However, in the system (as I experienced it) getting a scan at 12 weeks would be impossible b/c the GP doesn't even want to see you (or confirm you are pregnant) until then. I went the GP with my 1st when I was about 6 weeks pregnant & he laughed at me...so much for proper (proactive & preventative) care :rolleyes:

In an ideal system, everyone would have a scan at 12 weeks & another at 20 weeks (just to reassure everyone, if for nothing else!) but unfortunately we don't live in an ideal system.

Ayla

lonestargirl wrote: »

When I had my big scan they spent ages checking the heart and its valves etc. If a problem was detected that required immediate post-birth attention it may be that the mother's care may be transferred to Dublin so that the baby could go immediately to a peadiatric hospital.

Maybe I'm not explaining myself well... (it's been that kind of day )

I agree that a scan should be done, and they do offer a valuable way to reassure everyone & make sure that all's well. But, in your case above, would there have been any difference in the preparation for this hypothetical transfer to Dublin if the scan had been done at 20 or 24 weeks? There would still be loads of time to do the pre-birth preparations.

Hannibal Smith

Ayla wrote: »

I agree, it would be good to have an early scan b/c of the reasons galah stated, but also because that's the best chance to accurately estimate a proper due date.

However, in the system (as I experienced it) getting a scan at 12 weeks would be impossible b/c the GP doesn't even want to see you (or confirm you are pregnant) until then. I went the GP with my 1st when I was about 6 weeks pregnant & he laughed at me...so much for proper (proactive & preventative) care :rolleyes:

In an ideal system, everyone would have a scan at 12 weeks & anothe (just to reassure everyone, if for nothing else!) but unfortunately we don't live in an ideal system.

Looking for a quick heartbeat scan at 12 weeks is hardly looking for anything special. All hospitals have the equipment.

Ayla

Well that may be true, but not all people attend the hospitals for antenatal appointments. I went to my GP and then a local outreach clinic, and neither of them had any sort of scanning equipment. From about 14 weeks on the could listen for the heartbeat, but that's all we got until the scan at the hospital.

Moonbeam

Ring the hospital yourself and talk to them.

In Dublin you need to book the hospital yourself and bloods etc are done at the hospital at about 10 weeks.

JDD

I think everyone should get a initial scan, preferably at the 7/8 week point, and a 20 week anomoly scan.

The initial scan is SO important. Firstly, you could have had a missed miscarriage. It would be so traumatic to continue to believe that you are pregnant perhaps up to four or five months gone without it being detected.

A good friend of mine lives in the UK - she was supposed to have her first scan at 9 weeks (how good is the NHS??) but because of Christmas they had to delay it. On Christmas Day she collapsed and it turned out that she had an ectopic pregnancy. Since it wasn't detected it ruptured her fallopian tube, and he had to undergo emergency surgery to have it removed, nearly killing her in the process. Had she had the early scan, the removal of the tube could have been prevented. Obviously she's devastated as her chances of conceiving again are halved.

The 20-24 week scan (whenever you get it, I don't think the date matters so much as long as you've had an early scan) is also very important. It can give all sorts of information about the position and development of the baby that might have an impact on the mother's choice of labour as well as preparing them mentally for any disability the child might have.

I find it astounding that if you go public in Holles St (and even if you go semi-private it seems) you don't get scanned until 20/22 weeks. It might be a little gruesome to say it, but some women might have miscarried months previously and would have had no idea as their bodies would have continued to behave as if they were pregnant. Imagine the trauma. Even a first scan at 15/16 weeks is too late in my opinion, you'd have told everyone at that stage that you were pregnant.

I'm going public in Holles St and paid for a private scan at 8 weeks. There's no way I could have lasted until 22 weeks to see whether my baby was alive/in there alone/had arms and legs. I probably would have worried myself into a miscarriage.

Moonbeam

Semi private in Holles St you do get a dating scan and anomaly scan and depending on how complicated your pregnancy is there maybe many others.

Hobbitfeet

Just been speaking to my sister about this ( I hadn't told her I was pregnant was waiting till 12 weeks) she had her first last October. She had a home birth but had her visits in Sligo hospital. She did get a scan at 12 weeks and then 1 at 22 weeks. She had confirmed quite late that she was having a home birth so she was at her doctor for most of her visits.
So why is if different for me? Surely it should be the same for every women who is having a normal pregnancy at the same hospital?
This makes me feel even less confident about my doctor

chirogirl

In my opinion The Anomoly scans are important. If it wasn't for mine, they wouldn't have picked up on the problem. I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant and my baby is small. The Anomoly picked up on a problem with intermittent blood flow via an artery in the umbilical cord, hence why the baby is small. Due to this I've been put on the National small baby study and blood flow via the cord is checked twice a week. As a previous poster correctly said, its potential development problems it detects, not syndromes. Genetic tests such as a CVS / Amnio would be required to detect Syndromes.