should every surgery have 1 handheld baby scan unit???

[Katarzyna79]

Hi

Im 16 weeks baby 5. first appointment with midwife since initial boring one. She couldnt find heartbeat looked for a while she looked worried. So i had to go gyno department a&e for scan. I wasnt worriee initially having had 4 kids but in waiting room it dawnee one im 35 ive had healtgy babies maybe god was testing me so many women have miscarriages i wasnt immune or special. I was almost in tears husband was busy parking car but i held it together.

i finally saw sonographer she told me to hold smartphone type unit and in few seconds i saw baby doing somersaults and she showed me the heartbeat. I was so grateful at that moment. The sonographer was really brilliant ive been blessed to have such pleasant skilled staff.

It just made me think i know its costly but wouldnt it be useful in cities whwre there is one hospital and its at a distance to habe a handheld scanning unit.so if doppler doesnt pick up heartbeat the midwife could use the scanner instead? It would take off yhe pressure to staff in hospitals too?

Im not looking forward to my next appointment what if the heartbeat isnt located again?

[sallysparrow157]

It isn't just the case of having a scanner, you have to be a trained sonographer. It's not just a case of sticking the probe in vaguely the right place.you need to know what you're doing and how to interpret what you see and that takes specialist training

[wannaBe]

you need to be a trained sonographer to use a scanner though. Where would the money come from for extra training plus the units? How much do they cost? how many surgeries are there throughout the country?

It's worth remembering that heartbeat can sometimes be difficult to detect until around twenty weeks or so I was told (although it's been a while since I was last pg).

[sallysparrow157]

Generally you'd only be accepted into the training course if you had a degree in midwifery or radiography, then it's a 12 or 18 month uni course.
I know it's stressful to have to go into the hospital worrying if your baby is ok or not but better that than someone unskilled either giving you false hope or increasing the worry as they can't find your uterus on ultrasound let alone your baby!!
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy x

[IAmAPaleontologist]

Not being able to hear the heartbeat at 16 weeks is pretty normal as baby is still tucked down in your pelvis, there is no reason to send you for a scan. Many places don't listen for the heartbeat at all at that gestation.

And as others have said you would also need someone who is trained in sonography and midwives are not unless they have undertaken furhter training and are a midwife sonographer.

[gamerchick]

I dint think it's a good idea.. Look at how many woman make up bleeding just to get a scan. Doctors wouldn't get any peace.

Not checking for a heartbeat at 16 weeks is the more sensible thing.

[Katarzyna79]

I never thought of the sonographer status, you're right training would preventnit from happening.

I didnt realise women faked bleeding to get scans shows how naive or stupid i am.why would anyone do that?!!! Crazy thing to do

In retrospect ky first ever midwife with 1st baby didnt check babys heartbeat till.much later on. The timing never occuree to me otherwise i wouldnt have stressed so much in waiting room.

Thank you ladies for your views and thoughtful messages of good will really sweet xxx

[cloudjumper]

My midwife struggled to find the heartbeat at 32 weeks! Dopplers are very hit and miss.
It's more a general problem with the system that you always have to go to hospital to get a scan - in other countries, you go and see an Ob/Gyn doctor in their surgery for antenatal checkups like you'd see a GP, and they have the scanners and are trained to use them, so they can check you there and then. But there are no specialist practices in the UK, it all happens at the hospital here.

[Katarzyna79]

cloudjumper id be physically sick if there was no hearbeat that late, i do vomit when I'm mega anxious.

yes so i may have more trips to hospital i think...

[seven201]

Do women really pretend they have bleeding to get an extra Nhs scan?! I find that hard to believe. What selfish t**ts.

[Brummiegirl15]

Indeed they do. It's really really common. My sister is a doctor at a hospital and works in obstetrics. She says that it happens all the time.

Women don't fancy waiting until 12 weeks so they make up bleeding so they can get a scan. And of course the minute they get examined my sister and any other doctor can immediately tell they are lying.

This is why many early pregnancy units aren't self referral as women can't be trusted. I kid you not.

It's outrageous. Until you've felt that cold icy fear when you see blood on the toilet tissue, you have no idea.

Makes me so angry. Just because women don't want to wait.

It is really common and also a huge waste of doctors/sonographers time.

There are so many places you can pay for an early scan, if women lie and go to the EPAU, they are taking an appointment from a woman who really is bleeding.

Sorry for rant!!!

[seven201]

But how do they know for sure that so many are lying? I had bleeding at 6 weeks and 9 weeks. It's incredibly common to have some bleeding. Took 6 then 5 days (both started Friday evening!!) until my scan appointments by which time the bleeding had stopped. I hope no-one assumed I'd made it up just because it had stopped by then.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a few people do, but I just can't imagine that that many people would be so selfish!

[Brummiegirl15]

A trained doctor can tell by examining your cervix that you've been bleeding, even if it's now stopped.

They would never accuse anyone of lying outright, they would offer all the care in the world, but they can tell, even if the bleeding has stopped.