12 week scan - urgent advice needed!

[wondering7777]

I'm 12 weeks pregnant and paid for a NIPT blood test to be done recently. The package also included a 12 week nuchal scan, where they checked that all organs were present, measured the baby, took a nuchal measurement etc.

I'm due to have a 12 week scan and blood test at the NHS this afternoon and am wondering whether I still need to go to this appointment?

It sounds like a silly question but I'm just worrying that a) the NHS might spot something the private clinic didn't; and b) I want to make sure that I don't fall off their system as I want to have the baby at an NHS hospital.

I've been trying to call the hospital all morning to ask for advice but nobody's picking up the phone.

Should I go along anyway or is it a complete waste of time/NHS resources?

Any advice gratefully received!

I’d go along anyway.

Yes, of course you should go

Go as they'll need to update your notes

I would still go

If you want to be under the care if NHS you should be going along with their processes. You answered this yourself. And they won't be able to trust or verify the I do from the scan you paid for.

Go. And cancelling an appointment with a few hours notice isn’t going to save NHS resources.

Definitely go to this appointment.

Definitely go.
2 sets of opinions are better than one and I'm pretty sure they'll need the results for their own records.

The NHS 12 week scan is usually used for dating the pregnancy so definitely do go along.

Oh ok, thanks! I literally had the private 12 week scan done three days ago, which is why I wasn't sure? But I will obviously go along for the NHS one as well if I need to! I'm just conscious that I don't want to waste their time/money if it's exactly the same procedure, as there doesn't seem much point...

Go. And cancelling an appointment with a few hours notice isn’t going to save NHS resources.

I've tried calling since yesterday to be fair (they ask for 24 hours notice) but the phone just rings continuously then cuts out.

The private scan was a dating scan as well - it covered everything.

2 sets of opinions are better than one

This is true.

Op they use this scan to date the pregnancy as well and I doubt they would take the private clinics info

I had ivf so we knew the exact due date because there’s no margin of error. However they then took the 12 week scan due date even though it was slightly different and scientifically impossible....it’s just the way the procedures work

The NHS will not take private scans into account. Go to the appointment.

You need to go.
If you wanted to save NHS resources then you really needed to cancel in enough time for them to offer your appointment to somebody else. If you cancel now the sonographer will just have a gap in their appointments.

Ok, every single reply has said to go so I will!

Another question - does anyone know if they can test for toxoplasmosis as part of the blood test at the 12 week scan - or is it just Down's, Edwards and Patau (which I've already had done through the NIPT)? I'm a bit concerned about toxo so would love to get it done if possible.

@Myotherusernameisshy As mentioned, I've been calling since yesterday (they ask for 24 hours notice) and the phone just rings and rings before cutting out. So I have tried to cancel!

Definitely go

I would tell them you’ve had the NIPT though, as I don’t think there’s any point having the blood test the NHS do if you’ve had NIPT, as NIPT is almost 100% accurate and the NHS one is less. When NHS ones come back as high risk they often recommend the NIPT if you can afford it.

The UK doesn’t routinely test for toxoplasmosis. I think it’s not as prevalent as in other European countries, for example France, where it is standard screening. I think you would have to have a particular reason to think you might be affected to get them to test.

You need it for dating as others have said but that's all I had at the NHS scan other than basic checks because I'd had NIPT. They didn't do nuchal measurements or the blood tests.

I had the harmony test and scan but still did all the NHS tests as well. Nobody from my NHS care point of view was remotely interested in the results of the harmony, they just proceeded as normal.

No they won't test for toxoplasmosis at this scan, or at any point in my experience (third pregnancy, at risk of tx because I've got indoor cats).

No, they can’t. Or they couldn’t when I asked 2 years ago with dc5. If you’re a keen gardener/ have lived with cats for a number of years you’ve likely had it, it’s just cold like symptoms normally so you wouldn’t have clicked. You can ask your gp for a screening if you think you’ve picked it up for the first time recently though.

Just to add to the above - my NHS scan said they wouldn’t take a private clinic’s dates, so had to do their own for dating if nothing else. It is also nice to have double confirmation that everything's fine.

They don’t offer toxoplasmosis on the NHS in the UK, but there are many private clinics where you can pay for the test. If you’re a long term pet owner, chances are you’ve had it before without realising and are immune though. It is only new infections in pregnancy that are worrying. Good luck!

I had private scans and NIPT tests. I was advised to attend the NHS scan as they will only use their own scans for dating. However they advised that I didn’t do any of their tests as the NIPT tests are far more accurate so there was no point.