AIBU to think 'early scans' are not such a great idea?

[Rachtoteach]

Everybody seems to want an early scan and I can understand the need/desire to see your baby on screen for the first time BUT I have heard so many stories of things going wrong (myself included x 2) in between 'early scan' at 6/7/8 weeks and the 'safety' of the 12 week mark. I think it can create more heartache, can lead to people telling others about the pregnancy before they normally would and can get hopes up falsely. Not all the time, I know, but I think there is a lot to be said for waiting til the 12 week mark. Some things are just worth waiting for! On another board I go on (all about babies) people are constantly bashing their GPs for not referring them for an early scan (for no good reason) and I dont think this is really fair on the medical staff. Perhaps it's just me....

I disagree slightly. With this pregnancy and with DS2 I had bleeds at about 8 weeks. Without having early scans with both I would have driven myself insane waiting until 12 weeks to find out if I had a mc.

But then I am not one of the women who wait until 12 weeks to tell people I am pregnant. I usually tell people pretty much straight away.

Well, Having myself had a 7w scan which was fine but then turned in to a mmc at 13w I kind of agree with you. If someone has had a mmc or (especially) ep though, it is only fair and right that their feelings be taken in to consideration. I had to pay for a scan at 9w last time even though i'd had 3mc.. it pissed me off.

I agree that people are far too quick to demand an early scan or advise others to demand one.

EPUs are there for women who really need them, not to assuage the worries of people who have no real reason to be worried.

That said, I had an early scan this time at 8 weeks because I was spotting and my GP referred me and it really helped me get through to my dating scan at 10 weeks.

But I was sent because there was a chance I was miscarrying. I was still nervous afterwards but didn't try to get any further scans just for peace of mind.

Women who have previously MC maybe need more reassurance than I do that everything is OK.

I don't know, medically but, emotionally, I think YANBU

I read somewhere that 1/3 of pregnancies miscarry in the first 12 weeks! Mostly before the woman is even aware they were pregnant but still I was shocked.

Who are all these people who want an early scan?

I had one at 7wks due to bleeding, otherwise would have been more than happy to wait.

Isn´t it like that for most-unless there is a reason for scanning earlier?

I had early scans on both pregnancies. I hadn't had any bleeding or cramps either time and I've no history of miscarriage, the scans were just a precaution as I'm high risk due to diabetes and PCOS. Both times I was told that the baby wasn't developing properly and that I could expect to miscarry, and both times a subsequent scan showed that everything was fine. So each time I went through two weeks of pointless worry while waiting for another scan.

I do think early scans are justified if there has been bleeding, or a history of early missed miscarriage, but aside from that, I don't think they should be done, they're just not that reliable.

Also, given the unreliability, in cases like mine I can't help but see them as a pointless waste of hospital resources. I've been waiting for an appointment for a growth scan because I'm due in a couple of weeks and the baby is looking very big, so they're trying to decide whether to induce me early, and the only appointment they can give me within the required timeframe is on Saturday, which means the midwives will be on overtime (the sonography dept doesn't normally open at weekends). I can't help but feel that they could manage their resources better!

I do agree that if there is a medical reason then it should be done. Mind you, I have had 3 mc and they will not give me an early scan because they were not all in a row. I understand that there has to be some rules/guidelines otherwise EPU would just crash under the weight of anxious mums to be. I am not concerned that they will not offer me an early scan this time as I dont think it would reassure me one little bit, but I guess thats just because of my history.

bit of a generalisation as depends on the case....

I had a private early scan (in fact two come to think of it) because I'd had three miscarriages. I knew there was no purpose other than reassurance. With my second successful pregnancy, I started bleeding at Christmas but was away, and so so relaxed I didn't even contact my midwife until I got home a week later. I had an early scan then (because of the bleeding) and all was well.

I dunno, I wouldn't have demanded one on the NHS without medical need, which is why I went private, it was just for my own personal reasons after so much heartache. I wouldn't now, but then I have 2 children and i know I can.

I do agree with you, so yanbu. Having said that, I do understand the anxiety that waiting for the 12 week scan can cause, especially following previous miscarriages, so I don't judge people for wanting early scans.

I also don't think pregnancy tests that detect a pregnancy even before a missed period are a good idea. My mum always tells me that back in 'her day' the dr wouldn't even see a pregnant woman until she'd missed two periods. Now, I don't think that's ideal, but I do think that we find out too early these days, given the statistics surrounding early miscarriages.

Totally agree with you gingerwhinger about early pregnancy tests! Bonkers.

YABU. I paid for a scan at 8 weeks because after infertility and previous mc, I was toostressed to not know how it was going. I was still terrified at the 12 week scan, but the early scan calmed me for a while and gave me hope. Before it I'd just been wondering when the bleeding would start. Totally worth it.

I have never heard of scan "on demand" on NHS. In our LHA early scans are given only to investigate a problem (pain, bleeding, etc). I have mc at 7 weeks and it was confirmed a few days later with a scan. Had I not have this opportunity, it would be very mentally damaging to plough through for weeks without knowing whether to deal with the aftermath of a personal tragedy (we ttc for years and mc was the result of IVF treatment) or it was a bumpy ride and all is fine...

Scans are also given to rule out ectopic pg, so any discouragement to scan can potentially be v damaging.

I think the message you would like to give to people is that even after seeing a heartbeat there is still a significant albeit reduced risk of mc. It reduced further after 12 weeks, but even then the risk is 4-6%. That said, no outcome is ever guaranteed, there is always a risk (high or low) of things turning pearshaped and I say it as a mum to dd who died at 3 weeks.

Bit of a generalisation OP, although i think anyone who tells people before 12 weeks is crazily optimistic. We didnt tell anyone until 16 weeks.

I had one miscarriage at nine weeks (but had not developed beyond 5 weeks), so when I got pregnant again I booked a private scan at 8 weeks (as they can definitely see the heartbeat if there is one by then). I had bled pretty much continuously since 5 weeks, so was pretty sure it was bad news. It was good news, a strong heartbeat. It was such a relief and allowed me to relax (just a little bit). There is no way I could have waited for 12 weeks and we were still nervous until that scan but it was incredibly reassuring. Would definitely do it again.

I had a (private) scan at 8 weeks and found I'd had a missed miscarriage. That was bad enough, it would have been worse if I carried on believing I was pregnant for another month. Unsurprisingly I had a paranoid number of scans when I managed to get pregnant again, only felt reassured once I could feel the baby moving.

I think it depends if there is a medical reason or not. It pisses me on when people lie to get early scans just because they want to see the baby on the screen (yes, amazingly it does happen - go on other baby sites and there are posts of 'just tell them you're bleeding hun, they'll give you a scan'.)

I have been scanned early with three of my four pregnancies - first time with DD1, which was reassuring that after an early bleed she was hanging on. Second time to confirm mc - essential as had I not seen it I would have still held out hope. Third pg and mc I simply didn't bother with a scan. So I think in these cases they are essential - when bleeding has already started and you simply don't know if you have mc or not.

Fourth pregnancy I was referred to recurrent mc clinic and had 2 routine scans before 12 weeks - which were reassuring but I am not sure they were worth it tbh (so do agree with you). I'd never had a mmc, so whenever I miscarried it was pretty obvious so the scan didn't really tell me much. Plus, because of complications I couldn't have a mini scan so then had an ultrasound scan - all of which took valuable resources. And whilst it reassured me on that day - I knew enough to know it held no guarantees. So can see your point.

When I really needed a scan following a bleed just before 12 weeks it was impossible to get one because it was a weekend. As it happens baby had anecephaly, so all my worry about mc was a little misdirected.

So ... I kind of agree - I think scans do help peace of mind but I wonder about the priorities when resources are scarce in hospitals. I would have done without my two reassurance routine scans if it meant that women (like myself) on a weekend could have one in a real time of need.

On bemybebe, your story is heartbreaking.

And why early pg tests are "bonkers"??? It is just the matter of hammering down that there are such things as chemical pg and v early mc that end up to 30-40% of ALL pregnancies. Having tools to see what is happening with you body is not "bonkers", but it is important to know how to interpret the results.

thank you lambzig I am pg again (17weeks already ) and v much hope we will be spared this time

Sorry for the slight hijack, but congrats bemybebe! We finally had our DD after 6 failed IVF and one miscarriage. I will keep my fingers permanently crossed for you.

I think you are being unreasonable.

Of course an early scan can give false reassurance but so can a 12 week scan or a 20 week scan. I quite agree that not everybody needs an early scan as standard but I think they can be very important for those people at higher risk of miscarrying.

Having miscarried twice, I would want an early scan with a future pregnancy - not because I think it guarantees a baby - but having been through a really unpleasant emotional and physical experience, I would prefer to know if my baby has died again at 5 weeks without waiting until 12 weeks to find out. I would prefer to deal with that situation earlier rather than later.

I see from your OP that you don't feel the same way having suffered losses yourself, but I think that if we have access to early scans, then for certain people, they are very valuable in helping them deal with a difficult situation.

Ok so if you have concerns about your pregnancy early on it is better to wait until 12weeks to find out what is happening? That is utterly ridiculous.

yanbu, I think people put too much faith into medical intervention only being for the good. There's always a down side. Not just with pg scans but with any action in the medical world. Sometimes it's wise to know less.

I told people as soon as I knew I was pg, I felt I could face up to telling them if I had miscarried later. Partly because I have a gut feeling that m/c should be more openly discussed (individual & personal decision, obviously). I actually think 12 weeks is way too early to think you're safe, though; you're not "safe" until home and well after the birth. And maybe not even then (:( for Bemybabe).

Ditto MainlyMaynie. Certainly not 'bonkers', so yes, if that's what you think, Rachoteach then I do think YABU!

From the Miscarriage Assocaition site: 'A heartbeat at 8 weeks increases the likelihood of a continuing pregnancy to 98% and at 10 weeks that goes up to 99.4%.' So not that much difference from 12 weeks, which is an arbitrary 'safe' limit anyway, as far as I can gather. So, as someone who was massively reassured by seeing a heartbeat and both hemispheres of my baby's brain at 8.4 weeks, I think it can be a very reassuring and important thing for a woman who is concerned about pregnancy loss for whatever reason. I personally wouldn't do it before 8 weeks, though, unless I was bleeding. And ime not 'everybody' wants one by any means.

Agree with gingerwhinger about early pregnancy tests, though. Chemical pregnancies are very common and it can really get people's hopes up.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect the NHS to pay for countless scans, though, unless there is bleeding or pain, but it would be good if they could providereassurance scans for a reasonable fee (rather than the £100-£150 it is common to be charged in London for a private scan).