Drinking a Pint of Water for Scan...and holding it in!

[Thisisit2022]

I know I'm not BU because I appreciate that I need a full bladder for a scan but I'm posting here for traffic as I'm stressing out! I'm due a scan on my pelvic area tomorrow and I can't eat after midnight (which is fine) but I need to drink a pint and a half or so of water AN HOUR beforehand and must have a full bladder for the scan.. However, I pee all the time! I can't leave the house without having a wee and then another straight after and I can't go an hour after so much liquid. Does anyone have any tips or techniques at all for what I can do? They said they will have to send me away and rearrange if my bladder isn't full and it's taken months to get this appointment.

I always go to the loo and start drinking one hour before the scan and it's never been an issue for both pregnancy and not pregnancy scans.

I agree with the suggestion of keeping well hydrated for the couple of days before the scan. I find holding on is easier for me in the morning, so I prefer early morning appointments, if possible. I have one last pee, then slowly drink nearly two large tumblers of water and that has been enough for ultrasound. There is no way I would be able to drink a litre of water before a scan and hold it in.

For a recent pelvis/abdomen/chest CT scan with IV contrast, I arranged to arrive 30 minutes earlier than the appointment time and drink in the waiting room. I'd drunk a little under half a litre when I was called in to have the IV cannula put into my arm. I asked the nurse whether I should continue to drink while I was waiting to be taken into the scanner room and she said that amount of fluid would be fine for CT, as long as I was well hydrated.

If you are having a pelvic ultrasound and a transvaginal ultrasound, you are asked to go and empty your bladder before the transvaginal US.

Some years ago, I was desperate for a pee in the waiting room, told the nurse I wasn't going to be able to hold on and was allowed to go to the loo, but they were still able to do the US scan.

Same here, lol, I probably drank like a litre and a half just to make sure I had enough and the sonographer went "wow your bladder is huge!" 🤣 Was sent to pee before she could actually do the scan!

i didn't think this was necessary anymore?

I never did this for any of my scans, just drank a normal amount of water and it was a clear image

@Icanstillrecallourlastsummer I did that once too!! On one apppinent I jadnt been told tjere would be a scan and my bladder wasn't full enough. The next time, when I was expecting to be scanned, I drank gallons!!

I recall having to have half a wee as well - nigh on impossible!

I had to have a full blade when I had pelvic radiotherapy. I had it 5 times a week for 5 weeks, so became an expert.

I drank 450ml 40 mins before my treatment was due to start and that work 80% of the time.

If treatment was running late it was tough and go whether I could hold it 😂

Thanks everyone. My letter says "1 hour before the examination, please drink 1.5-2 pints of fluid and do not empty your bladder. If your bladder is not full you will be asked to wait or be given a new appointment". I'm definitely going with the wee before I go, drinking on the way there (not as much as they say on the letter though!) and trying not to stress! It's US Abdomen and Pelvis, not transvaginal.

If it is for your womb and associated area they can do trans vaginal scan if they can't see anyway

Good luck OP, I had to have a few of these when I was younger and did what you’re going to do and was fine. I wouldn’t manage it now! Menopausal and pelvic floor definitely not what it was!

Another one who drank too much and got the “WOW. That is a FULL bladder” from the sonographer. She wouldn’t let me wee some out though, she just kept poking me with the wand and going “Haha, bet you hate me now, you must be desperate for the loo!”

Then the next time I got told off for not having drunk enough

I don't think the OP is pregnant unless I've missed it?

I didn't have to drink specifically for my ultrasounds to see DC1 or 2 but I did have to drink lots when I had a scan for something to do with my pelvis so might be very different?

Dear Lord! Definitely not pregnant, no! 😂

@Thisisit2022 😆 Didn't think so but I think that's the assumption for some posters!

Like PP I measure the amount in a water bottle and drank it on the journey there having had a wee before I left. Only finished it 30 mins before the scan as they were unusually running early and was fine!

Good luck!

So my wonderful neighbours woke me at 3.30am and I couldn't get back to sleep. Didn't drink a thing until I was picked up for the 15 minute drive (at 9.30am) by which time I'd still managed to wee 4 times! Drank in the car like my life depended on it and carried on in the waiting room. Felt like my bladder would burst! Lots of pressing down on my pelvic region but when it came to my bladder she said it wasn't full at all! Thank you SO MUCH to the posters who mentioned transvaginal as this wasn't something I was aware of so thank God I was prepared. It would have come as a huge shock otherwise. Sure enough they let me have a wee and then conducted an internal. One of my best friends always jokes that I could go in for an ear cleaning and will still end up with something up my chuff!

Glad to hear you've got it done.