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Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum.

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Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum.

Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Process after a reassurance scan

32 replies

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 12:04

Wasn't sure whether to post here or in pregnancy but decided I didn't want to scare anyone in pregnancy and may get some replies due to experience here.

3 Mcs and now pregnant. Had an NHS Scan at 8 weeks, all fine. Now 10 weeks and feeling anxious, DP happy to pay for reassurance scan as 18 more days seems a life time.

My anxiety is due to all being missed MCS and not wanting to be carrying if all is not well and going to the 12 week scan excited only to be told bad news occured weeks ago and wasn't aware.

I've rang the people who do the reassurance scans at 8am this morning and they have said they will ring me back but haven't heard back yet.

I want to know the process if it is bad news. At the NHS hospital, you are taken into a room, given tissues and kind words and they book you in for an ERPC ASAP. Do they leave you to it after a reassurance scan? Who contacts who and how to arrange an ERPC? I wouldn't want to be waiting any longer due to delay in information between private and NHS.

Anyone with any knowledge on process/after-care
TIA

OP posts:

Report

picklebum2011 · 31/03/2014 12:46

I totally understand how you feel. Would epu not scan you again due to your history? You could explain how anxious you are. Good luck.

picklebum2011 · 31/03/2014 12:47

I would try them again first before a private one.

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 12:56

Thanks for responding Pickle.

I suppose I could ring midwife and ask, I feel a bit embarrassed and entitled though as I have no pain or bleeding.

I'll see what they say

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KeithTheCat · 31/03/2014 13:04

hi, this happened to me recently. it was awful so I would definitely contact the nhs first.

I had a private scan at 8 week and baby had stopped growing at 5 week's. sonographer was nice enough. we had to walk through the waiting room where a happy family were waiting, me trying to hide my teary face, to go to another room. we were left in there for maybe about 10 mins, no tissues or kind words. the sonographer then booked us in for another scan there for a week later, with the instruction to cancel it if I got seen by NHS first.
then, we got told to phone our closest EPU on Monday (this happened on a Saturday).

the scans I had at the EPU were a lot better. I'll never forget sitting in that other room listening to the family who were in the waiting room laughing and coo-ing.

KeithTheCat · 31/03/2014 13:05

and of course, good luck with everything I understand your worries x

lotsofcheese · 31/03/2014 13:12

I can understand your anxiety, MMC are so cruel as you don't know anything is wrong.

I had a molar pregnancy so needed an early scan at 8 weeks for my next pregnancy - which was fine. But unfortunately at 11.5 weeks I had a MMC (development had stopped at 9.5 weeks).

So in my last pregnancy (DD) I was offered scans at 8 & 10 weeks on the NHS, by EPAU.

It is nerve-wracking. My motto was "a day at a time".

Good luck.

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 13:13

Keith that is awful, I am so sorry you had to go through that

Thanks for your reply and giving me your experience, as this is what I was worried about. The EPU have been fab everytime.
I will ring my midwife and ask for a refferall, she knows I'm anxious so hoping she will be understanding and give me the go-ahead. Otherwise, I may just try my best to wait it out - you really need good aftercare in these sad situations.

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ThisFenceIsComfy · 31/03/2014 13:14

I would try and go down the NHS route first. I completely understand how long 18 days would feel. I had scans at 6,8 and 9 weeks all at EPU. I did have ongoing issues though. I think with three previous MC, they might be fairly understanding of the impact on your well being

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 13:15

lotsofcheese - Thanks, yes they are very cruel
That's brilliant, a lot of people on MN have mentioned they were offered extra scans after MMCs but not something that seems to be done here! My EPU is always extremely busy though. Maybe that's why.

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polkadotdelight · 31/03/2014 13:15

This happened to us at a reassurance scan. It was an evening scan and we were given a letter and told to ring the midwife in the morning. That sonographer was wrong, there was a heartbeat on a transvaginal scan but sadly I miscarried 3 weeks later and it felt like a double loss. Im almost 16 weeks now and the 20 week scan feels like forever so I do understand how you feel.

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 13:24

Polkadot I am so sorry to hear that, it must have been awful.
I think I will give my midwife a call tomorrow to see if I can get a scan for the following day.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, I don't think I will go with them.

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Forester · 31/03/2014 13:26

My first MMC was found at a private scan. (One of the places in Mothercare amongst others). The sonographer was very sympathetic. I'm not sure that they had anywhere we could wait so they suggested we waited in the car while they completed the paperwork and then someone brought it out to us. After phoning our local EPU we went there and they saw us fairly quickly (it was quite late in the day). The EPU required that we had another scan - which took place the following day - and then I opted for a ERPC.

I hope that you have good news wherever you have your scan but can fully appreciate the worry you are currently going through.

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 13:31

Forester it seems terrible that they haven't anywhere suitable to wait.
If I can get a scan at the EPU on wednesday I will update, I will feel 100 times better if all is OK at 10 weeks.

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Foxsticks · 31/03/2014 13:34

I has a scan at a private clinic at 8 weeks and discovered there was no heart beat. They were brilliant,they put dh and I in a private room with a pot of tea and plenty of tissues. In the meantime they rang EPU and booked me in to see them within 48 hours. I couldn't fault how they treated us so I guess it depends on individual clinics.

bakingtins · 31/03/2014 13:44

If you've had recurrent miscarriages then you should be able to get additional NHS scans. Are you a patient at an RMC clinic? I've had 4MC, this pregnancy have had NHS scans at 5,8,9,10,12,20 and 28 weeks. The issue I would worry about is that if (god forbid) there was a problem, sometimes the NHS won't accept a private scan report so you have to wait for a further scan.

Armadale · 31/03/2014 13:45

Hi Red,

I would also go the NHS route, since all the private scanners can do is refer you back to the EPU if it isn't good news. I don't know where you are but some hospital EPU's are self referral, so wouldn't need to go through midwife etc but could ring them direct and ask them if they will do a reassurance scan because of your history. Might be worth having a look to see if there is one near you.

After 3 MC it is entirely reasonable that you need to check things are OK- at my EPU you get a 6, 8 and 10 week scan as a matter of course in this situation as they understand this, I do think some hospitals are better at this stuff than others and it is perfectly OK for you want to check things are progressing.

If things go well, it might also be worth asking them for an appointment to do a scan between 12 and the 20 week ones if your EPU sees women after 12 weeks....it would break up that wait for you.

You do not need to feel embarrassed or entitled by asking for extra reassurance, you are simply looking after yourself. My EPU goes up to 16 weeks so they gave me a 15weeks 6 day one, which broke down the 12-20 weeks a bit better for me.

Polkadot and KeiththeCat, your experiences sounds horrendous, I'm so sorry. MC is hard enough without that sort of horror added to it.

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 13:49

Foxsticks - that is the kind of care I would expect from a private clinic but yes it must vary given the experiences on here. Has anyone any experience of Bristol GPcare? As that is who I would be going with.

Baking - No one has offered me this and I am not a patient of an RMC clinic. Your care seems brilliant. I would expect the NHS to want to scan me as well if the private scan was to be bad news, it isn't a concern of mine that they would want to do this though, as I'd probably want them to anyway.

Oh I just want to knowwwwwww!!!

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RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 13:54

Armadale - I'm in bristol and we do need a refferal here.
I'm definately going to try and see if I can get one for Wednesday.

I do wish extra scans were standard procedure after recurrent MCs.
The EPU is up to 16 weeks, maybe this is something I can discuss with my midwife.

Thanks

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bakingtins · 31/03/2014 19:26

I'm in Bristol and a patient at the RMC clinic at Southmead. My 5 week scan was at EPU (just to check sac was in right place before starting clexane) then I was seen at 8,9,10 and 12 weeks at the RMC clinic in the Cotswold centre at Southmead. I had been referred there after my miscarriages and although they didn't find the cause (I went private to Prof Quenby in Coventry subsequently) they did offer this care in future pregnancies. The 20 week scan was the standard one at Southmead antenatal clinic and I have later 2 growth scans booked there because of medication I was on in first trimester. I'd contact EPU direct and speak to the manager Kathy, she is very sympathetic to 'frequent flyers'.

RedandChecker · 31/03/2014 19:44

Ah really baking! I'm surprised at how different your recurrent miscarriage care has been to mine considering we both use the same hospital. I'll be having a talk with my midwife tomorrow. Maybe it's a case of if you don't ask you don't get and I am entitled to extra scans I just need to ask

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RedandChecker · 02/04/2014 14:21

Update - had a scan at the EPU! Baby is 10+1 weeks and moving around :-) feeling relived ! Haven't made it this far with my previous pregnancies

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bakingtins · 02/04/2014 15:07

That's great news

Armadale · 02/04/2014 15:26

That is wonderful, I'm so pleased for you.

polkadotdelight · 02/04/2014 16:43

Thats brilliant news! Im only 6 weeks in front of you x

Forester · 02/04/2014 19:06

Great news

(Only 30 weeks of worry to go!)

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