12 week scan (Kingston) - talk me through what'll happen...

[FlirtyThirty]

Okay ladies, I know there are several Kingston ante-natal experts out there, so I was just wondering if someone can talk me through their 12 wk scan experience.

I have mine on Thursday and I'm getting increasingly anxious. I'll be 12+6 and in spite of a myriad of hideous PG symptoms, I'm panic-stricken that there will be nothing there. I didn't even know this was a possibility until I joined thsi site! So...I thought it would calm me down a little to know exactly what'll happen when we go into the room for the scan.

Do they have the monitor facing you the whole time?
How soon after they start scanning do they usually find/show the heartbeat?
Do they talk you through what they see?
How long does it all last?

And finally...how did your DP find the experience?
Thanks ladies!

[FiendishFairyFay]

From what I remember....

They will call you into the room, and you'll lay down on the couch. There will be a monitor up on the wall which you can see the whole time.

The scan-operator will put some gel on your tummy and then start scanning. It can take a few mins to see the heart-beat but is usually quite quick. They will talk you through what they see. The whole process only took about 10 mins, I think. My DH really enjoyed it.

If you want some pics to keep then you need to buy a token before you go in (it was £3 when I did it).

You can help make the scan clearer by making sure your bladder is as full as possible.

Try and keep calm, I'm sure it'll be fine. It is a very, very small proportion of people who have a problem.

Hope that helps - enjoy it, it's lovely seeing your baby for the first time

[FlirtyThirty]

Thanks FFF! That's big help.
I have a clearer picture of what'll happen now. I had no idea there would be a monitor on the wall...

[CookieMonster2]

I think it varies a lot between hospitals. At ours they just give you the 12 week scan pictures for free. There wasn't a different monitor for me to see, she just turned it round so I could see when she had finished. It only took her a couple of seconds to find the heart beat and she said straight away she could see it as they know thats what people worry about.

[heverhoney1]

Flirty I am with you!!!! 2 hours and counting till my scan Terrified they wont find a heartbeat infact shaking at the possibility! I know its not healthy but I cant help it. Just wanna see that heartbeat and know it is all real. I suppose all I am saying is - You are not alone in what you are feeling.

[heverhoney1]

Had my scan all was fine it was AMAZING - top tip tell sonographer how scared you are. I told mine and she showed me heartbeat straight away, she was lovely!!

[Wheelybug]

I had one at Kingston about 6 weeks ago - and it is pretty much how fiendish describes it. It is £3 for pictures (was free 4 years ago with dd !!). After the scan, if you are having the combined nuchal test, you then have to have a blood test where they ask you a few questions and weigh you.

Good luck ! I had a lot of scans at Kingston with dd and the majority of the sonographers are great.

[PuzzleRocks]

I had mine at Kingston last week and echo everything Fiendish said.
They showed me little arms and legs waving about and checked the head and brain. I saw the heartbeat almost immediatly. Baby looked very snug.
Afterwards they took some blood for the Down's screening. They post you your results within a week, however if there is an identifiable high risk they will ring you sooner.
I left there on a real high. Post how it went our our ante-natal thread Flirty.

[yomellamoHelly]

Had one a few weeks ago.

Got tokens (£3) for scan pics before.

Ditto warm gel on stomach once laid down on couch. Two monitors. Scanner lady found baby first and then he pinged p on a screen hanging off the wall to my left. Dh was sat next to my head on the left. Spent a while doing measurements etc. Got up, wiped down and given scan pics.

Then went outside and made an appointment for 20 week scan (she came out with the precise due date while I was in the queue).

And then waited for a blood test to accompany the nuchal test (measurements taken during scan). (Having filled in an ethnicity screening form and written address on an envelope.)

Whole thing took a while though (hour and three quarter). Lord knows why!

[Wheelybug]

Oh I should add - my combined test results took about 2 weeks to come so don't be surprised if they don't turn up in the week (they also didn't use the envelope I'd self addressed !!).