Nuchal fold measurement at 20-week scan

[MogTheForgetfulCat]

Hello, was just after some thoughts from others on this - feeling a bit rattled after my 20-week scan today...

NT scan @ 12 weeks was fine, had blood test also, came back as low risk. Nasal bone present. I didn't know they measured the nuchal fold at 20 weeks - don't remember that from either of previous DCs. Anyway, at today's scan the sonographer was doing all her measurements, was spending a long time over one in particular - then said she wanted to go and get a colleague to come and have a look. Cue much gibbering from me - had 2 m/cs to get to this stage with DC3, and have been quite anxious as a result .

Colleague came in - one of the first things she said (to original sonographer) was "You're supposed to measure it from there" (or something along those lines). She then measured it herself three times - each reading was 4.something, averaging out at 4.6. They said anything under 6mm is absolutely fine, and everything else looked totally normal. They also said it's a v tricky measurement to take, and if the baby is lying ina certain position, or has its head back etc this can affect the reading.

I am glad everything looked normal - but still feel a bit anxious about the fact that the original sonographer clearly got a reading that was over 6mm. She could see I was freaked out, and when she came out afterwards to give me my notes, she repeated that everything was absolutely normal. She also said they'd got a third, more senior colleague to look at the images, and she also thought they looked fine. I just feel rattled by the whole experience. Have been anxious about m/c until now, and also about the 20-week scan, and was hoping to be reassured today, but it somehow hasn't happened.

I know the only way to be definitive is to have an amnio, which I am not keen to do. Just wondered if anyone had any experience of this particular measurement at the 20-week scan, and can tell me to buck up a bit .

I haven't got experience of it at 20 weeks but thought that it was only relevant at 13 weeks, after that it isn't indicative of anything and is pointless hence having to do the 12 week scan in the first place.

I just had it yesterday at 20+5, and my nuchal fold measurement was 4.2.

The lady did it twice, to check, and then told me everything was absolutely normal.

Sounds like the original sonograpgher may have been less experienced, and the second one immediately saw the error, and made sure to do extra readings just in case. Sounds like you have nothing to worry about. :)

Am a bit calmer today . Have rationalised that the baby has not suddenly developed Down's Syndrome or anything else, and that as all was well at both scans, I am going to try not to worry. As DH pointed out, if the second sonographer had been doing the scan, I wouldn't have had anything to worry about in the first place, as she would have got a good reading in the first place.

crikey your scan sounds brilliant, do try not to worry - having just had mine, in both my 12 and 20 week scan a more junior sonographer did the scan and was then checked by a more senior one and it 100% sounds like the first one who did your scan was the more junior. Please don't worry, it sounds totally fine!