Doctor won't allow an ultrasound

[BuddingBaker]

Not really AIBU but posting for traffic as I don't know what to do and hope anyone who has been in a similar situation can give me some advice.

I've got an 11 month old DD, still breastfeeding 2-3 times a day, sometimes more at night when she's teething and finished maternity leave October last year. DP and I want a second child close in age so were TTC over October, November and the very beginning of December. We stopped when I started feeling ill because urine tests were coming back negative and we don't want to start a pregnancy until I was better. Since the birth, I have had one period in August and cramps but no actual period in September.

So, for the last 12 weeks I have had what I would describe as morning sickness - nausea 24/7, very regular d&v (often waking at 4am to rush to the bathroom) and finding myself suddenly repulsed by a meal in the middle of eating it. In addition to this, I've also had periods of insomnia where I've slept about 2 hours a night for a 3 to 5 days or not even slept at all and I've been having very frequent mood swings, getting very frustrated at the tiniest things which is really not like me - I'm normally a very laid back person and have only ever been like this during my last pregnancy. In the last month or so I've also been finding that I'm am knackered pretty much all the time and it's not because of the baby, thankfully my DP only works 2 nights a week will always insist on taking her to let me get some sleep so I get plenty of rest but even after sleeping 10+ hours I find myself needing a couple naps during the day which again is not like me at all - both before and after DD I used to get about 5 or 6 hours a night and that would be more than enough.

More recently over the last two weeks my boobs have been getting quite tender and I've been feeling flutters or spasms in my belly. My allergies are more sensitive and I cant seem to get comfortable in bed, often waking with backache - both of which I had pretty much throughout my last pregnancy.

The nausea and d&v have been so bad that I've been off work since this started, and I first went to the GP 2 later because it hadn't eased off. First thing they asked was am I pregnant, have I done a test. I told them I'd done a few and all negative so had bloods taken to check hCG levels. Came back as

85notout in my area the GP has to refer you to the EPAU, but even if you are in an area where you can self refer, surely you can’t do so without a positive pregnancy test?

Does the blood test they’re running include CA-125? I’m assuming with all the sickness you’ve lost weight - is your abdomen distended? If so, is it up and down or does it stay distended?

I too would be concerned about symptoms of ovarian cancer - rare at a young age, but it does happen. This would include blood tests and a scan, so two birds with one stone there.

I think it’s highly unlikely you’re pregnant.

You say that you stopped TTC at the beginning of December, so just over two months ago. When was your last blood test compared to the last time you tried, or have you still been having unprotected sex?

Ectopic pregnancy can cause strange hcg results but you wouldn’t be 12 weeks along with an ectopic as it would have already ruptured and you don’t seem to have ectopic symptoms even if it was more recent.

You can’t really go on periods, hormonal symptoms etc because you’re still breastfeeding.

Find, beg or borrow the money for the private scan. Ask your GP practice if there’s anywhere else you can get the blood test - here we can’t go to the hospitals any more but we can go to some pharmacies.

Trust prey test or pay for scan

but if not the go to the early pregnancy assessment unit - I think you can self refer?

But all the tests are negative, they wouldn’t allow her to self refer? She’s not pregnant. Just be a waste of time and NHS money.

Sometimes when your desp to get pregnant your body mimics a pregnancy?

Okay I'm making an assumption that this is genuine. If so, ring emergency and say you fear you may be suffering an ectopic pregnancy.

@85notout
They would still do a test even if she could self refer.
Plus depending on how their system is set, they could be able to see she has been tested as negative previously.

If so, ring emergency and say you fear you may be suffering an ectopic pregnancy

What so they can scan her instead of scanning a poor woman who really is suffering a MC/ectopic? What a stupid suggestion.

Okay I'm making an assumption that this is genuine. If so, ring emergency and say you fear you may be suffering an ectopic pregnancy.

Yes, waste the NHS time and money. That's good advice.

Tbh I lost the will to live after the first hour...

missead when it happened to me I was desperate not to be pregnant due to circumstances. But my body mimicked pregnancy anyway.

When I had a private scan, it was a sonographer from the hospital who did it. Apparently quite a few supplement their income this way outside of work. Same way that when I went private for a breast lump, it was the hospital consultant running the private clinic too.

I am not surprised your doctor won’t refer you.

If you are convinced you are pregnant have you repeated a pregnancy test?

@MoaningMinniee I was going to suggest that some of the symptoms could be akin to an ectopic pregnancy. In my experience that would produce a negative pregnancy test. I’m just wondering if the OP would have found out by now, as her symptoms would be worsening not getting better.

I think you need your head looking at for being delusional, you can’t afford a second child so why are you trying and you’re not pregnant

It's more likely to be a stomach or gynae problem

Christ. Why are you trying/hoping you are pregnant in such a bad financial situation?

I had a private scan done for £40 at 8 weeks

There are usually Groupons for them too

Oh dear OP, you and you’re DP have talked yourselves into a cul-de-sac.

It’s highly, really very very unlikely, you are pregnant.
You have a host of physical symptoms and on top of that you do seem to be suffering from anxiety about returning to work. Which is natural, it’s absolutely terrifying. Being physically threatened is not what you get paid for.

There is a particular type of person that can deal with it, it was you pre baby, it’s not you now.
Can you change jobs?

Do you not have a credit card you can put the scan on? Then pay it off when you get paid?

Or the only other thing I can think of is to join some ante natal / mother and baby Facebook Groups in your area and see if anyone has a doppler you can borrow? They're difficult (but not impossible) to use and you could accidentally pick up your own pulse (make sure you know what your pulse is at the time so you can rule it out) but it might help if you do know how to use one?

You can't afford a £40 scan but you are actively trying to conceive another child? How on earth will you afford a baby?

Ectopic pregnancy symptoms do not just get better they get worse to the point where if a rupture has occurred you would be in hospital because the pain is unbearable from my own experience of having an ectopic last year and actually losing my left tube from a rupture the hospital didn't offer me a scan until it was too late even though I was under there care weeks prior with a pregnancy confirmed via blood and urine test.... do not call and waste NHS time by claiming you have something as serious as an ectopic pregnancy... knowing no pregnancy has been confirmed in the first place... it's not a joke.

@85notout of course they’re medically trained ultrasonographers, it’s not as simple as “point and click” to get a picture. They’ve the same training and qualifications as a sonographer in a hospital.

It would be perfectly legitimate to have an ultrasound in these circs imo and the GP is being difficult. But even if you were referred for an emergency ultrasound the wait may be 3-4 weeks (it is in my borough).

So that wouldn’t solve your problem.

The only thing is to slap a private fee on your credit card.

The GP is being difficult @TatianaLarina ? There’s literally no medical reason for a scan she is quite obviously not pregnant. Huge waste of NHS resources