Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Were children ever allowed in scans?

163 replies

Chocoqueen · 28/02/2021 15:57

I'm currently expecting my first baby, and all the appointment letters I've had say no children in scan. Obviously this isn't a problem, and I get the reasons but I was wondering if that's always been the case? I distinctly remember going to one of my mum's scans when she was pregnant with my youngest sibling in the mid-90's, I'd have been about 6 or 7, and my other sibling a year younger. Childcare wouldn't have been an issue as my dad was in the scan as well and my grandparents all lived close by and babysat a lot so we could have gone to theirs if needed. Does anyone else remember doing this?

OP posts:
hellosummersun · 01/03/2021 10:51

They may not be allowed due to sensitivity in pregnant mums who don't get a heartbeat at scans also?

isitmeorjusteveryoneelse · 01/03/2021 14:38

I have taken DS to an Gestational diabetes appointment where you wait in the same area, but didn't have a scan. So it might of looked like he was going into a scan with me.

I also saw a heated discussion on a couple who obviously didn't read that you can't take a child in and so they then left the child in the waiting room alone. I kept an eye on him, but they didn't ask anyone to. They weren't speaking English to each other so maybe they hadn't read the letter and / or just didn't have anyone. The boy sat frozen to the spot for ages, he must of been about 3, then I had to go into my appointment and he wasn't there when I came out, so I guess they collected him .

Thesearmsofmine · 01/03/2021 14:41

Ds1 came to my scans with ds2 in 2012 although he was only a baby himself and was just say in his pushchair so I guess different to an older child.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Windchangeface · 01/03/2021 15:06

Our local hospital said no to kids coming to scans long before covid. I remember being pregnant with DC1 and reading it on the letters. There were always several women waiting who had kids with them though so obviously it wasn’t followed or enforced. In fairness most of the kids were pushchair age so I think it’s fair enough I mean what else do you do if you don’t have access to childcare?

Since covid our local hospital have fully cracked down. No kids, no babies! I had a lovely conversation with a rather forceful midwife the other day who was telling me (not asking me) that I had to attend a 2 hour long diabetic screening in a couple of weeks time. Insinuating that I was putting my baby in danger not coming...

‘right so I’ll just leave my 1yo in the car park shall I? I have no childcare options!’

She dithered about asking questions about DH/family/friends/local childminders...etc and only when she was finally satisfied that I in fact DO NOT HAVE CHILDCARE OPTIONS did she finally stop being condescending!

LER83 · 01/03/2021 15:13

My 3 year old came to my 12 week scan in 2015. I went in alone at first for them to do all the checks, then my dh and dd came in at the end to see. Glad I didn't take her to the 20 week scan as we had bad news. I also took her and her elder brother to a scan at fetal medicine, but think they stayed in the waiting room with dh as it was a quick check a week before I was induced.

SnuggyBuggy · 02/03/2021 06:16

I also agree with PP that there must be women missing out on healthcare for this reason.

Girlwhowearsglasses · 02/03/2021 08:10

@snuggybuggy I wrote and lost a whole post in reply! That was me and I feel even more strongly about this now I think about it. If shopping centres and gyms can have creches why can't hospitals?

I've not made/attended appointments because of young children. It's not just work that we need childcare for and it's women that suffer in the main

Thesnakeminder · 04/03/2021 06:57

All these people with absolutely no child care- what would you do if you needed an emergency appendectomy? Why is maternity ultrasound not given the respect of the medical procedure that it is?!

Luckystar1 · 04/03/2021 10:28

@Thesnakeminder, I’m not going to get into an argument with you, but these type of questions are usually posed by those who have never experienced having ‘absolutely no childcare’.

I had no childcare, I was a SAHM, husband worked very long hours, no family at all nearby, friends all working, we were not from the locality.

In relation to an emergency appendectomy, my DH would’ve looked after the children, but, I’d have been in hospital, having surgery and then being cared for in hospital.

As to scans, given that the baby has 2 parents, it’s nice for the father to go to the scan, both just to be involved and potentially for support.

I have had 4 scans where I’ve been told the baby has stopped developing, 3 of those I attended alone. It wasn’t fun.

I then had another baby in 2020. Lockdown meant my husband attended no scans and nearly missed the birth. It took a few weeks for me to even feel like he was involved as I’d done it all by myself (not through any fault of his by the way).

Also, when you have ‘absolutely no childcare’, finding it is hard work. It’s much easier to get that help in an emergency situation than for what is perceived to be routine appointments. So no, it’s not the same.

Honeydukesmum · 04/03/2021 10:31

Our Trust stopped children around 2011. But another was still allowing in 2016 as my sister was able to bring older son in once all checked ok to find out the gender as a family . I stayed in waiting area with him until he was called in

OllyBJolly · 04/03/2021 10:35

In 1990 when I had my first it wasn't usual for partners to attend. Very much women only.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 04/03/2021 10:43

@Thesnakeminder

All these people with absolutely no child care- what would you do if you needed an emergency appendectomy? Why is maternity ultrasound not given the respect of the medical procedure that it is?!
What happened when I was sent to hospital in an emergency monitoring when pregnant with DD2 and DH was in Afghanistan Toddler DD1 came with me. She stayed with me for several hours while I contacted PILs, who then started the two hour journey to me. I was discharged before they got there.

I could sort childcare for some routine appointments. But not emergencies.

dotdashdashdash · 04/03/2021 12:01

I went to a scan with my mum when I was about 5 or 6, she was pregnant with my sister. I then wen tot one with her when she was pregnant with my brother, but I had to sit outside and watch my sister - I'd have been 10 then.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 04/03/2021 12:06

Why did they provide a play area then?

From working near antenatal, because if they don't, you get herds of small children sprinting around the entire department, going out the doors and heading for offices, peeking into clinical rooms, running headfirst into other patients/staff and generally running amok. Putting a few things in a corner as far away from the exits as possible, even though you don't actually want them in there in the first place, at least tends to concentrate them in the one area.

As a result, you can mostly walk from reception to the waiting area without somebody's else's children pelting round the corner into you at full speed, which is shit if you're a member of staff carrying a bundle of files, excruciatingly painful if your back or hips are lax as a result of pregnancy and also carries a risk of said children getting a badly sealed urine sample on the head.

SnuggyBuggy · 04/03/2021 13:45

@Thesnakeminder

All these people with absolutely no child care- what would you do if you needed an emergency appendectomy? Why is maternity ultrasound not given the respect of the medical procedure that it is?!
How about because it's not emergency surgery?

Surely if you're taken in an ambulance for emergency surgery the HCPs just have to deal with the kids?

MySocalledLoaf · 04/03/2021 13:49

I had weekly scans in 2018 and it wasn’t always possible to get childcare so sometimes I had my daughter strapped in the buggy. No issues. We already knew that bad news was likely at any moment (although against the odds he was fine in the end).

MySocalledLoaf · 04/03/2021 13:53

All these people with absolutely no child care- what would you do if you needed an emergency appendectomy?
The hospital would have my children collected by social services. I really don’t have any childcare unless I pay for it and that’s not always possible without advance notice. I have well intentioned relatives but they couldn’t lift the baby to change a nappy or safely be alone with a toddler.

Avaganda · 04/03/2021 13:58

8 month old DS1 came to my scan with DS2 in 2014.
2 year old DS1 and 1 year old DS2 came to my scans and midwife appointments with DD in 2016.

Avaganda · 04/03/2021 14:00

My SIL was taken to hospital as an emergency and her children were taken care of by social services until family members could get there.

Heatherjayne1972 · 04/03/2021 15:55

My 7 year old came with me in 2009 for the 20 week scan

mummywantstobeslim · 04/03/2021 15:56

My eldest came to a scan with me in 2012.

ProfYaffle · 04/03/2021 16:00

My last dc was born in 2007, we chose not to take dd1 but other toddlers were in the waiting room.

IrishMamaMia · 04/03/2021 16:01

I had to bring mine to one scan, 2 at the time, in 2019. It was an additional one and childcare wasn't possible to get that day. It wasn't a problem. Brought him to a lot of normal maternity appointments for the same reason.
I don't know how pregnant women manage now.

TheVanguardSix · 04/03/2021 16:03

Oldest is 19. Youngest is 6. I've never been allowed to have kids at a scan and had to reschedule my 12-week scan when I brought one of the kids (back in 2011).

Theelderscrolls · 04/03/2021 16:04

None when I had mine a couple of years ago. I went to my scans alone and DP stayed home with our oldest.