My dating/nuchal scan seems to be very late, when I will be 13.5 weeks. Will this render it pointless? Ie, what if my dates are wrong or the baby is big and they can't do the nuchal scan? (this happened to a friend of mine)/ I've asked to move it forward but they say it's fully booked?

I'm reluctant to rely on the blood tests alone as I had a false positive with my first pg that was enormously stressful. Would like the screening tests as, in case something is wrong, I definitely prefer to find out before the birth, even if this entails an amnio/CVS.

Is it worth going private for or am I fussing about nothing? feel free to be honest!

i think 13.5 weeks is a bit late - i would phone up and find out what would be the latest that a nuchal scan is likely to be helpful - i believe 12 weeks is the latest but i haven't checked recently - if you tell them that you're happy to go private if necessary for argument sake they're likely to give you the info - also if you've had a false positive before you are even more in a position to push for an earlier appointment - speaking to your gp should be helpful to organise an earlier appointment especially given your past experience - good luck

If I remember correctly the cut off point is 14 weeks for nuchal scan, so you are close at 13.5. If you are really stressing about it then go for a private scan to put your mind at ease

btw i thought that you still need to pay for nuchal whether done on nhs or private so might be worth checking private anyway

I had this too. NHS dating scan was too late for my nuchal plus appointment (private) (needed the bloods doing a few days before nuchal scan too, so this added on the time). I was also told the NHS couldn't move me forward, but my sister (who's a midwife) suggested asking to speak to the head of antenatal screening midwife at my NHS hospital (they all have one), and this did the trick! I think if they know there's a genuine reason for it, and you speak to the right person, they can get your appointment brought forward. Worth a try anyway?

In the info I've been given from my hospital, nuchals are do able between 11w and 13w 5d.

That would be cutting it a bit fine for me TBH. I would pay the extra £££ for a private scan. I agree that you shouldn't have to, but rather than fight with the hospital and have all that stress, I'd go for plan B.

Incidentally, my hospital has given me a time for mine which is non negotiable. I would have to arrange childcare for my 2 DDs and my DH would not be able to come, so I am paying privately too. It sucks though for those people in these situations who can't afford the £££ for a private scan.

Good luck - hope all is well.

Is your nuchal scan on the nhs? You're very lucky- in my area we don't even get a dating scan, only a 20 week anomaly. To have the nuchal scan at my hospital would cost £200.

i got a nuchal at 12 weeks on the NHS - plus the blood screening.

NHS greater glasgow and clyde.

Sorry, ignore all that Was thinking you had a private nuchal booked in addition to NHS dating. Apologies!

sorry i assumed nuchal was always sort of private - when was offered mine offered through nhs but still had to pay £200 for them

If you have a late nuchal with a highrisk result I think it might mean a cvs would be too late and therefore you'd have to wait for an amnio? I just squeaked in a cvs at 13 weeks 6 days.

That's impressive expat! They don't give the 20 week anomaly in Glasgow though do they?

Thanks for yoru replies. I thought that nuchal scans were much more standard than it seems!

Yes, we are lucky enough to get nuchal combined with bloods (NHS SW London), all offered as standard - apparently it was one of the first areas in the country to offer it. Which is great, but it just seems a bit pointless therefore that it could easily be too late.

Will ring them again and if not, consider private. Thanks again.

I rang the antenatal unit and they were pretty dismissive with me but did check again for a cancellation and so it's been moved forward to when I'll be 12.6 weeks I feel much better about it now.

Many thanks again for your replies & advice!

I don't know, pootle. I had my other two in Edinburgh, where they don't offer the 20 week anomaly on hte NHS, no. You have to pay £150 for it privately. Also if you want a nuchal.

I'm having the anomaly scan at RAH, Paisley, next month.

I have never had a nuchal scan but have had 2 CVSs.

I am pregnant with dc3 and have had my dating scan last Tuesday at just over 8 weeks. I needed it early as CVSs are done between 11 and 13 weeks.

So I think you would be too far gone to have a CVS but could have an amnio as I think they are done from 16 weeks.

It's not acceptable for them to say they are fully booked - they have to accommodate based on individual circumstances.

I wouldn't have had my booking appointment until at least 10 weeks if I hadn't thrown a strop and pointed out as this is my DC3 I knew I needed an early dating scan etc.

Hope you can get an earlier date. (smile emoticon)

HI , i am 34, this is my 1 st pregnancy, i am 12 weeks with IVF twins, i went for my nuchal tue 4/6/08, twin 1 was 1.3 low risk 1:1313 and twin 2 2m High risk with 1:168, I had no bloods taken, i haven't slept since wed, I feel sick to the stomach, i enquired about an amnio they said it was to risky as its double the risk of miscarrage and i could lose both babies, does anyone have any advice that could help me, any comments welcome.

Campbella,sorry you are so worried.

I would recommend you start your own thread,you may get more replies

Welcome to Mumsnet

I f you scroll up the screen,just under where it says "Pregnancy" you will see "Add new thread in this topic".Click on it and you can start your own thread.

Don't be disheartened if you don't get too many replies this time of night.You can "bump" your thread up the active conversation list at anytime by writing "bump" or a full stop and posting it onto the thread you started.Hope this helps.

ye you can have nuchal scan 11-14 wks

Hi - I'm 15 weeks, and was away during weeks 11 and 12. I was told by my hospital that they can only do the nuchal fold scan from 11+5 to 13+5 (and I had it at 13+2), so it sounds like you're just on the cusp, as long as your dates are right.

But, I was also supposed to have a combination blood test, but being scatty, forgot to give them the form, so going tomorrow for a quadrupole blood test.

Hope this helps.

We get the nuchal scan and the 20 week scan here (Dorset) as standard. I think it's luck of the postcodes tbh when it comes to paying for scans.

Campbella.

When I was carrying twins I had no Downs screening at all. The bloods aren't accurate for multiples (probably why you weren't offered them) and Nuchal was reasonably new and only really available privately.

Nuchal has it's problems, the babies position can affect the result....I would ask if you could ahve a repeat measurement with the Nuchal as Nuchal is non-invasive....not likely you will get it but if you don't ask you won't get.

Even if the risk is 1:168 there is still a 167:1 chnace that baby wil be fine.

I had my nuchal at 13+4. I think 14 weeks is the cut off point.