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Antenatal tests

Can someone tell me what the point of the first scan is?

69 replies

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:37

Sorry to be really dense, but I can't find any medical reasons for it.

Are there any?

OP posts:

Report

pozzled · 23/01/2011 20:39

To date the pregnancy and check that it is still progressing. Sadly a lot of women have missed miscarriages which are not detected until the first scan.

Ponders · 23/01/2011 20:39

is it also used as a baseline?

Sossiges · 23/01/2011 20:40

To see if there really is a baby there and check that it's all present and correct (and to get a cute photo)

drivingmisscrazy · 23/01/2011 20:41

and to see how many babies there are

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:41

Okay, so there isn't a real medical reason then?

I mean dates are neither here nor there and if there is no baby, there is no baby.

Baseline for what?

OP posts:

CockneySparra · 23/01/2011 20:42

When you say first scan - what do you mean?

Most people have their first scan at 12 weeks-ish, and it's the nuchal scan, which tests for Downs.

Then the anomaly scan comes at about 20 weeks, which tests for aslew of things.

very early scans are dating scans, if there is confusion, or viability scans, to check everything is Ok if there are concerns.

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:42

Is there any reason why you shouldn't wait until the 20 week scan for all that?

I mean some PCTs only offer the 20 week one anyway don't they?

OP posts:

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:43

My area definately don't do nuchal.

OP posts:

CockneySparra · 23/01/2011 20:43

s slew, sorry

RobynLou · 23/01/2011 20:44

you can't have the nuchal fold at 20 weeks - too late, and accurate dating isn't possible later on either.

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:44

Right.

So if you know your dates, there is no reason to think things aren't okay, you have no desire for a photo and don't mind how many are in there, there is no point!?

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 23/01/2011 20:45

It dates your pregnancy to ensure that you are receiving time-appropriate treatment (if you are to have a nuchal fold scan or 16 week bloods for example), it checks for multiple babies and of course it has a medical reason in that some pregnancies do not develop normally and sometimes develop in such a way that they can be pretty dangerous.

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:45

My PCT doesn't do nuchal at any time, not 12 weeks and not 20 weeks. They never have. They offer a blood test that's all.

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ShowOfHands · 23/01/2011 20:46

It's sometimes not as simple as not minding that there are multiples. Some multiples are problematic and require particular care quite early on.

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:47

Thanks SOH. I thought that pregnancies that didn't develop properly had signs long before they were dangerous. Is this not the case?

I can't believe I don't know all this. I really should.

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CockneySparra · 23/01/2011 20:47

The thing is, you wouldn't have any reason to think that your baby had a problem. These things are usually only picked up by a scan.

If you don't want to know if your baby has something wrong (not scare mongering, btw, I'm sure your baby is fine), then you don't need a scan, I guess. But I would personally always want to be prepared.

ShowOfHands · 23/01/2011 20:47

We don't get the nuchal either. 12 week scan still valid.

But you don't HAVE to have it if that's what you're getting at. Your body, your pregnancy.

PacificDogwood · 23/01/2011 20:47

Because there is a fairly small window of opportunity during which all pregnancies measure the same. So whether you give birth to a 10 pounder or a dinky wee thing in the end, the embryo will measure about the same @ 12 weeks.

Reasons to scan:

confirm viable pregnancy
confirm pregnancy in the right area
confirm number of pregnancies
it is frigging amazing to see a fetal heart IMO and at 12 weeks there will be arms and legs and fingers and everything

AFAIK, all PCTs offer dating scan, not all over 20 week detailed (anomaly) scan.

I have never met any pregnant woman who did not like to have lots and lots of scans...

CockneySparra · 23/01/2011 20:48

There are no 'signs' that a baby has Downs or Spina Bifida or a whole host of other conditions other than what is picked up through antenatal testing and scans. There would be no 'symptoms' for you, iyswim.

onimolap · 23/01/2011 20:51

It's dangerous not to have them. And they only became routine in late 90s, and even then not everywhere. There are some things that can be picked up early, some that can't. The 20 week scan is the more important one, and I think it would be imprudent not to be scanned at all.

StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:51

Oh I know I don't HAVE to. It's just the last two times have cause me no end of problems because the scan due date hasn't matched up to the real due date.

On one ocassion it caused problems with going overdue, on the other it caused problems in that my dh would have been out of the country when I conceived.

Therefore I am very wary about allowing medical professionals to date my baby and will avoid it if it is safe to do so.

Aren't conditions also picked up at the 20 week scan though? I mean why do you have to have 2?

OP posts:

pozzled · 23/01/2011 20:52

See my comment above about missed miscarriages. This is where the baby has died but your body hasn't expelled it. You may not have had pain or bleeding, so you would have no reason to think that there was a problem.

There are also medical conditions that are picked up that will need monitoring.

There are also many women who think they 'know' their dates but turn out to be wrong because they bled early on in the pregnancy and assumed it was their period.

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StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:52

No, will probably go ahead with the 20 week one, just want to know what the risks are of avoiding the 12 week one which appears to be unnecessary.

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StartingAfresh · 23/01/2011 20:55

Sure. I get the point about being confused about dates, but for my last two pregnancies the scan was the one confused about dates.

My cycles are 45 days and I rarely have sex so I've known better than the dodgy scans. I really don't want to have to go through the bollox that I did last time.

FWIW both babies came on their due dates, as scribbled out and re-written on the maternity notes by me.

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PacificDogwood · 23/01/2011 20:56

Medically speaking, I cannot think of any risks for not having the 12 weeks scan as long as you are well.

If you had any kind of pain, bleeding, were unwell in any way, you'd get scanned anyway.

I know what you mean about dates causing a problem though...

Still liked all my many many scans .

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