to think early pregnancy scans should not be offered on the NHS

[nancydrewrocked]

OK I am prepared to be flamed but I couldn't help thinking this when I spoke to a friend recently. So tell me why I ABU.

Friend has just started ttc. No difficulties, no previous history. 2nd month of trying she gets a +ve the day her period is due. Two weeks later another scan no HB. Friend understandably very upset.

But I can't help thinking this would have been easier on her if the GP had gently told her to go home take it easy and then done a blood/pregnancy test in 2 weeks. It also strikes me as a enormous and unecessary cost, especially when many areas no longer offer routine 12 week or nuchal scans.

have you ever had a miscarriage?

Oops sorry a whole section of that post disappeared.

"she got a +ve the day her period was due. Two days later she has some spotting and a bit later a proper bleed. She visits GP who refers her to EPU. By now just shy of 6 weeks and EPU observe no HB but say maybe too early, come back later. Two weeks later no HB. Friend understandably very upset."

Why would it have been easier on your poor friend to find out two weeks later than she did that there was no HB, or to MC in the meantime?

If you'd ever been through the horror of realising that you are losing your baby, no matter how early in the PG, you wouldn't be so callous.

YABVU

Never heard of a scan that early, 2 weeks, being rountine. I presume she was given it at that point because of bleeding so fair enough. It could have been ectopic, further on that she though or a range of other issues so for her own safety I think a scan is reasonable.

Have you ever had a miscarriage?

YABU. When you have fertility treatment you need the early scan to see if it worked.

YABVU.

The rest of your post explains more. As I said, I think it's safer to check. It's not just a case of checking if their is a baby or not, she could be like me and have not missed the first few periods and be further along. Ectopic, or anything. IT's practical, not just being nice.

Can't understand the logic here - why does a miscarriage merit less care than a viable pregnancy?

You could argue that the whole of conception/pregnancy/childbirth is essentially a lifestyle choice and shouldn't be funded by taxpayers (NB I do not believe this myself so don't flame me) but - once you have accepted the principle that obstetric care is an NHS service - then I can't see why you would not fund EP scans. They are not just about reassurance - some women need D&Cs if a miscarriage does not complete.

I had a MMC. That meant I had to have an operation to remove the remains of my baby. I had my suspicions that the preganancy wasnt viable but the gp told me not to worry and wait until my 13 week scan. That bloody brilliant. 2 months of carrying a decaying foetus!

I went on to concieve agian and let me tell you if I hadnt had a scan at 7 weeks my sanity was seriously at risk.

Sorry to be gross but seriously have you ever had to go through that experience?
When you have come back and tell us that an early scan is unnecessary!

YABU.

For me having an early scan was always a lifeline, it told me what no one could tell me. It always confirmed what i was denying in my head.

That area of limbo is excrutiating.

early scans helped me make a decision of how to proceed. It meant less time off work, a sooner resolution but more importantly it did not lead me to continue in life thinking everything might be ok...for weeks and weeks at a time.

5 miscarriages later, i may well have been in a very different phsychological place now had it not been for the early information given by early scanning.

Brokeoven.

she was bleeding - why do you think that shouldn't have been checked out?

YABU.

Early scans are necessary for a whole host of reasons, not least the possibility of a MMC. It would have been an added torture for your friend to have to wait it out for 2 weeks for a blood test.

It's something you can't completely understand until you have been through it yourself.

YABVVVVU.

I have had a late m/c and 2 mmc where I had early scans as well as 2 pregnancies with early scans. and those scans were the one thing I could cling onto, because the pain of waiting until 12 weeks to see if the foetus was alive would have been too much.

Sorry - my post doesnt make much sense :(

You'd never see a hear beat at 2 weeks. You might see a mucal sack.

If there is a suspicion that you have miscarried it's important to know as soon as possible. The stress of the uncertainty is terrible.

I sort of know what you mean in that sometimes they seem to create uncertainty and worry, but I suppose it's the better safe than sorry scenario. Friend had early scan due to a bit of spotting, too early for hb. She spent the next 2 weeks worrying and all was fine. She said it was very light spotting and I was slightly baffled as to why she'd gone to GP and for scan if it was that light. It just created 2 weeks of panic for her.

I had a miscarriage at 7 weeks. Went to GP. He said it was a miscarriage and asked if I wanted to go and have a scan. I refused - why would I want to? He said 99 out of 100 women would have gone for scan. He said if still bleeding heavily to go back etc..

Everyone deals with things in different ways. I knew it was a miscarriage and didn't need a blank screen to confirm that.

I think you are being unreasonable, harsh and mean.

Both pregnancies I have had an early scan. The first because of a bleed. It turned out that both (!) babies were fine (DTD1 was stillborn eventually though :( ) The second because of a suspected ectopic. I was fine, and the baby is still there, but for the sake of my life, they had to perform the scan. Ectopic pregnancy can lead to death. I'm pretty sure that is quite costly to the NHS too.

YABU about early scans. However, I think in general we don't do ourselves any favours with this tendency towards very early PG testing.

im just trying to think of how i would have coped and felt if i had been "gently told to go home and do another preganancy test in 2 weeks time" by my GP.

My experience has always been excrutiating pain during my mcs.
If i had been at home resting, waiting and the pain had begun, should i then not go to hospital because of the cost of the pain killers and medical staffs time.

Im not sure where your argument is leading, but i think that you are being very very unreasonable.

they aren't checking for a miscarriage, much as it helps women who are not miscarrying to find out that the preg is okay, they are interested in ectopic pregnancy at that stage. i've had two, wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. a miscarriage would have been a blessing under the circumstances, but in fact the first time i received a diluted chemo treatment to kill the baby, and the second time i had my tube and my live foetus removed. had neither of these been discovered, i would have bled out internally and likely died had i not been taken to hospital in time. highest maternal killer, the old ectopic pregnancy...

so, nance, you are talking out of your arse on this one. i don't think you were trying to be nasty, but hopefully you now understand a bit more.

I really can't believe you'd have the nerve to post something like this.

I think you don't know what you are talking about. I had a silly early bleed too after 3 years of TTC and having the worst pain ever I thought I was miscarrying and wanted to die

How dare you think I and other women like me shouldn't have access to basic medical care.

Bleeding out is not always just a case of misscarriage the women need to be checked for other risks to their health