Scared of peeing myself during scan :S

[mum2be91]

I have my dating scan tomorrow and have been told I need a full bladder. This really freaks me out because:

1. I always feel like I need to pee when I get nervous. Obviously I will be nervous about the scan.
2. I am pregnant and pee more frequently than usual.

My plan is to keep drinking to a minimum from tomorrow morning so I get really thirsty (I find I pee more if I make myself drink when I'm not thirsty), arrive at the hospital 1 hour early and then drink a full water bottle. Hopefully I will cope better with not being allowed to go to toilet if I can just sit down and wait as opposed to having to walk around the hospital with a full bladder. But how common is it that the scan gets delayed by more than 10/15 mins? And roughly how long will it take?

Did anyone feel like me and was fine? Would really appreciate some calming words and advice.

[squizita]

They called me in early, I was far from 'bursting' and the scan went fine! :) You certainly don't need to be desperate so don't drink masses.

It was that 'need to go next time I see a loo, but I'm not hunting one down' level of wee-needing. Had the scan been 20 min later, wouldn't have burst.

In fact a previous gynie scan I had (pre pregnancy) I drank loads, scan was late and there was TOO MUCH wee! I had to do the tricky 'let half out' move.

[Ducky23]

Hi :)

I was exactly like you and was terrified of wetting myself, and I like to wee a lot anyway! Lol.

Luckily I didn't have a very long wait and the scan only took a couple of mins, however on the second scan they were 45 mins behind! I came soo close to wetting myself! Then I got called in and almost exploded when she put the thing on my stomach! She told me to go to the toilet as my bladder didn't need to be 'that full', she couldn't see baby cus she was being squished up because of my bladder!!! She could see her fine after I went to the loo

[icklekid]

Don't go an hour early I've had to wait min 30mins after appointment time so you would be there a long time. I wasn't desperate so don't worry too much

[tak1ngchances]

You only need to drink 2 or 3 of those little plastic cups of water around 30 mins before your scan. Well that's what I was told and it worked just fine!

[greentshirt]

Dont over think it! You dont want to be sitting in the waiting room for an hour before. My appt letter just said to empty bladder then drink 500mls of something not fizzy 30mins before. You will be fine!

[PenguinsEatSpinach]

I wouldn't turn up an hour early. They often run late. You'll be bored out of your mind.

[needmorezzzzzzz]

ladies, don't worry! I've peed my self a couple of times during a scan! It's nothing to be embarrassed about! My DH saw me with wet knickers and he still loves me hehehehe!

[mum2be91]

Thanks for your replies so far! I will just bring a gym water bottle and have as much as I can without forcing it down. At least 500 ml should be fine.

The reason I want to be there 1 hour early is that I find it easier to cope with needing to pee while sitting down compared to walking around. If I pee, drink and leave my house at 2 pm, I will have to walk from the car park to the radiology ward with a full bladder. If I leave my house at 1 pm, get to the hospital, pee and drink and then wait around for 1 hour I think I will find it less stressful.

Does anyone know roughly how long the scan will take though? It doesn't say in my letter.

[greentshirt]

Yuo are definitely over thinking things! When you pull up in the car park start drinking the 500 mls and by the time you go in you will be fine. The 12 week scan is about 10 mins, maybe not even that

[mum2be91]

And my letter specifically says I have to drink 1 hour before. As others have been told to drink 30 mins before, do you think I can cheat and just drink 30 mins before instead? It's not like it takes longer for the water to reach your bladder depending on which hospital you go to.

[Nades84]

I wouldn't go an hour early, depending what time of day your scan is they might be running a bit behind. The clinic I go to tend to get worse as the day goes on. My appointment ended up being nearly an hour later than it should have been. Oh I was in agony, had to walk to the scan room with my legs crossed! The letter that came with the appointment advised to drink 1-2 PINTS an hour before so, wanting the scan to go right I drank the 2, BIG mistake! The sonographer remarked that she had never seen such a full bladder and was amazed I hadn't peed myself haha! I'd just have a couple of small cups no later than an hour before, no point drinking then because it doesn't get to your bladder in time anyway. Good luck :-)

[mum2be91]

I think we will have to go slightly early anyway though as the hospital is in a tiny place we have never been to before and apparently parking can be hell. No matter what happens with the appointment, having my last pee at the hospital rather than at home will make the wait shorter. I know I am over-thinking this, but I need to feel like I'm in control.

Perhaps this full bladder thing is just an evil trick to keep you from worrying about the baby

[Ducky23]

Needmorezzzzz ?????? that's the spirit!!!

[amy246]

I just filled a bottle with water and sipped it during the hour before the scan. Seemed to work :)

[BigArea]

Would it help you to bring a change of clothes in a bag just in case? Not that I think you'll need them, but it might reassure you?

[aroha77]

I hate feeling like I need a wee too! At my 20 week scan i was feeling uncomfortable and thought I'd be waiting ages (like I was at 12 weeks) so completely emptied my bladder just before they called me in - oops! Didn't matter, but worst comes to the worst you can just go to the loo and if they can't get a good view you would just have to have a bit more to drink then go back in i suppose?

[Foxeym]

To be honest in all my scans for all 3DCs I've never drunk any water and the scans have all been completely fine!

[ShadowFall]

My last scan, I didn't start drinking water until 15 mins before the scan, and they could see okay (I got called in 30 mins early, so they're not always running late!)

But in the worst case scenario where you go in with an bladder that's not full enough, they would probably do a trans-vaginal scan rather than send you out into the waiting room to drink more water.

[Cariad007]

I was ok for my 12 week scan but for 20 I drank loads of water and the sonographers were running late by an hour. I was in agony and then when they finally called me in I was told that I didn't need a full bladder for the scan! So I was able to pee beforehand and I'm not kidding, forget sex - that was the best feeling in the world, only surpassed by the birth of my son!!

[NerdyBird]

For both my scans I was told I didn't need a full bladder. Had to specifically empty before 20 week one. Was quite glad too as they had to press quite firmly at times.

[hubbahubster]

Have never been told to have a full bladder before a scan! And at my last 20 week one I was actually told to go and have a wee as my bladder was getting in the way! Take some water with you but I don't see how a full bladder can help with the scan...

[PenguinsEatSpinach]

I have been told that whether you need a fullish bladder basically depends on the technology the hospital has. The newer/better scanners don't require it. The older ones do. Don't know if that's accurate, but certainly I was told this time (new area) that I needed a full bladder, but for my last two pregnancies I was told I didn't.

[bugoven]

I drank normally and didn't wee for an hour before my dating scan, bladder wasn't particularly full and my pics were some of the clearest I've seen. Really don't worry X

[Boogles91]

Im sure itl be fine the more you worry the worse youl be loli had to have a full bladder for my kidney scan and it says do not empty your bladder 2hrs prior, i thought sod that one im pregnant and two i have a sensitive bladder since i had surgery onit and struggle to hold for long. So i got there with 10 mins to go and just drank a couple of glasses of water, wich did the trick :) The sonographers dont press that hard with the scanner anyways, but if they do just have a joke with them and ask them to try and be gentle, i always ask cus of my scar and they dont mind. They will ask you to empty your bladder after a few minutes then carry on scanning.also i didnt think you needed a full bladder for this type of scan :s as baby will be big enough for them to see all they need to. Ive only ever been told you only need a full bladder for ultrasounds on that and your kidneys. Xx

[starfishmummy]

I got sent out to drink more