Dating scan

I didn’t say it wasn’t ok to be worried. I was reassuring she doesn’t need to panic and asking if there was something she’s specifically worried about. There’s really nothing wrong with that.

Would that matter? It can be done 10 to 14 weeks depending on your NHS area and is used as a dating scan.

Are you an older mother and planning to have the screening for Down's syndrome?

@ToKittyornottoKitty its ok to be worried if you’re about to experience something life changing and you have much less time than you otherwise would have to get things in order. Financial, the birth itself, not having taken folic acid, not having abstained from alcohol or smoking, not being able to have screening tests for the baby,

I am not trying to make OP feel unnecessarily concerned. But I was in this situation and there are considerations and, for some, concerns.

I was happy to find out I was pregnant and everything worked out well for me. I’m sure it will for OP as well. But I think it is understandable to have concerns and feel a bit lost if there is no support available until the end of the month.

Why are you so worried? If you turn out to be further along than you expect you don’t need to worry OP

are you able to speak to the midwife on the phone? At my trust we would give the next availiable slot in the main scan department (not EPU) with your history. So usually within a week and we are a very busy city trust.

I was in your exact position when I found d out I was pregnant with DS2 (I felt him kicking and that’s how I found out!!). I self referred to maternity care online in the evening but I phoned them the next day to explain that I must be very far along so they got me booked in right away for my booking appointment and scan. I think I got the booking appointment within a few days and the scan within a week.

I’m not clear from your posts if the midwife team are aware of your concerns and saying that they can’t prioritise your initial scan?

I was around 20 weeks I think when I got to my scan !! Too late for screening tests so that was a worry for me but then the pregnancy went very fast (unsurprisingly) and at least I didn’t have to deal with early pregnancy worries and/ or morning sickness!

Sorry I see you put that in first post now 🤦‍♀️

Have you booked with the midwife? As she will palpate your uterus which will give an idea of gestation.

What did EPU say/ask when you called and booked with them? I'm really surprised they'd book someone in like this. As someone who has had to use EPU a lot (successful pregnancy with lots of bleeding and then followed by 3 losses, and then lastly a reassurance scan for my current successful pregnancy) they never easily saw me and asked lots of questions regarding bleeding and pain!

I do appreciate you wanting to know how far along you are.

@Angelyoga The EPU is for those who are having early pregnancy issues like bleeding.

It is absolutely not for people who need a dating scan and I'd be surprised if they let you.

The women visiting the EPU are there because they think their pregnancy might have ended.

I would pay for a private scan or just wait for your 12 week scan.

Lots of people get pregnant whilst breastfeeding with sporadic periods.

I think if you can afford it you’ll have to suck up the cost of a private scan. Most will see you after at least 6 weeks, given your 3+ clearblue you’re likely in that time frame. My EPU wouldn’t see you for those reasons I’ll be honest. It’s hard enough to get a scan booked in for complications most days.

Just get a private one, it won’t be more than £100 I wouldn’t have thought.

Pay £40 and get one privately? Our EPAU is running at about a 4-5 day wait for ladies with bleeding and pain, it's not there for dating scans.

What were your bleeds in Dec and Jan like - would you say they were proper periods? I know that breastfeeding can make them lighter, but are we talking 3+ days of bleeding, or just 1 day with a bit of spotting?

It's massively likely that either late Dec or sometime in Jan was your LMP.
If it was late Dec (assuming the jan bleed was just spotting) then if you ovulated on time you could be at most 10 weeks now.
If the Jan bleed was a proper period, then more like 8 weeks.

If Dec was your LMP and you are 10 weeks, you have 4 weeks to get a dating scan (IF you want the combined screening - it's less important if not). I would call your midwife back before the booking appointment and tell her that you think waiting until after booking to book a scan will cause you to miss the combined screening window.

If Jan was a proper period, chances are you are fine to do the booking appointment in 3 weeks as planned, and just tell the midwife the best guess at LMP and ask her to make sure the scan is within the window.

Did you have a negative test at any point before your recent positive?

Because she doesn’t know how pregnant she is. The combined screening done by the NHS is for 11-14 weeks. She may not want to end up too late for that, as the alternative which is offered after 14 weeks is less accurate.

ETA - I’m not saying that therefore the EPU is the correct place. But it’s not unreasonable to want to know how far along you are when screening is dependent on it.

Why do you need the scan?
Just wait till your appointment with the midwife and go from there, surely?
EPU has enough to do with women with problems with their pregnancy without doing random dating scans.