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Original poster

Scan photo - confusion

248 replies

ConnieCaterpillar · 22/04/2021 12:31

Hi Everyone

I hope this is in the right place and that my rambling makes sense.

We went for our first scan on Monday (first pregnancy) and all went well. Quick scan, lady said the heartbeat is all ok and viable pregnancy. Felt a little bit rushed and I couldn't really see much due to mask and glasses flogging plus lots of grey but maybe I was expecting a little too much, tummy wiped and out of the door. I asked about a photo and was told they will be emailed across and theres a charity box for donations. Perfect, received the scan picture today and can see where baby is, but I expected to see a little bit more I guess. I have googled 12 week scans and you can clearly see that baby is well a baby. My LO just looks like a dot. I have seen a few family members scans and ones from friends and they look like babies.... am I being silly or is this normal? Willing to be told I need to give my head a wobble, I just expected a little bit more development I guess. My last period was 23rd Jan and due date given is Oct 29th. Will try and upload a photo now if I can hide the identifying information as we havent shared our news yet either. Thank you all :)

OP posts:
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AntiSocialDistancer · 22/04/2021 16:28

I love it when you read a thread expecting to vehemently disagree with the OP and realise, they were underselling how bad it all is!

I'm so pleased your midwife is getting to the bottom of it all and issuing a fresh scan. Write a list of questions, ask them in the scan.

Good luck, and congrats Flowers

Thefaceofboe · 22/04/2021 16:30

Even on my 8 week scan I could see more than that and my 12 week one is very clear, but obviously can vary on hospitals. Did they confirm your due date would be end of October? I can’t imagine they would make that mistake but I can see why you’re confused.

Dishwashersaurous · 22/04/2021 16:33

Another voice echoing the bloods. The point of the 12wk scan is actually the nuchal fold measurement and that has to be combined with bloods.

Glad you are getting it sorted

Original poster
ConnieCaterpillar · 22/04/2021 16:35

Oh wow my head is spinning, just quick update that I've had another phone call from midwife. She has spoken to hospital dept and they can't confirm if they are my images or not without seeing me, so she has booked me in for next week for a scan and to seek further information about womb shape. Hopefully next week there will be a better picture to share :) thank you to everyone for being so supportive and lovely.

Sorry just seen some more posts come through, I have a home visit in mid May and no other details from then on. Bloods were mentioned on the longer call with midwife but she said these can be done anytime up to 20 weeks, is that normal? So many questions sorry! I think I'm going to have to break the news to people early just so I can find out what I'm meant to be doing Confused

OP posts:
Buttonfm · 22/04/2021 16:35

Glad your midwife is chasing it for you. And congratulations!

Thefaceofboe · 22/04/2021 16:35

Also I wouldn’t be booking a private scan like others have suggested but demanding I get rescanned so you know the baby is okay.

PinkCookie11 · 22/04/2021 16:35

Your midwife sounds on the ball!
What a shame for you!
If it’s the same sonographer question the hell out of her. Tell her you want to see everything.
This is what they should be doing anyway! They talk you through what’s what!
I would also still complain!

UCOinanOCG · 22/04/2021 16:37

Thanks goodness you have a very proactive midwife. I hope your next scan is a better experience.

crystaltips98 · 22/04/2021 16:40

I think you have had poor service at the hospital. The community midwife sounds good though. Start researching your local hospitals and make sure you go to one that has a good service. There are some threads on here discussing various mat wards in more populated parts of the country. Also try www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/other-services/Maternity%20services/LocationSearch/1802#
Congratulations on your pregancy. Flowers

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 22/04/2021 16:43

@ConnieCaterpillar

Oh wow my head is spinning, just quick update that I've had another phone call from midwife. She has spoken to hospital dept and they can't confirm if they are my images or not without seeing me, so she has booked me in for next week for a scan and to seek further information about womb shape. Hopefully next week there will be a better picture to share :) thank you to everyone for being so supportive and lovely.

Sorry just seen some more posts come through, I have a home visit in mid May and no other details from then on. Bloods were mentioned on the longer call with midwife but she said these can be done anytime up to 20 weeks, is that normal? So many questions sorry! I think I'm going to have to break the news to people early just so I can find out what I'm meant to be doing Confused

Part of the point of the 12 week scan, alongside dating and checking viability, is to check for things like Down Syndrome and other trisomies.

They do this by looking for a nasal bone, measuring thickness of the nuchal fold and combining those measurements with the blood test results and your age to give you a risk measurement.

If the numbers and soft-markers look suspicious then they should offer you the chance of amniocentesis.

It rather depends what you would choose to do if there was a chance of a trisomy. Some people would continue a pregnancy regardless of the results, others would choose not to - but the point is to give you information so you can make a choice.

If you would choose not to continue a pregnancy then obviously the earlier you get that information the better, so you might want to think about whether you would push to get the blood tests done at the same time as the repeat scan.

MindyStClaire · 22/04/2021 16:45

OP, if you're in NI the bloods other posters are talking about aren't done at the 12 week scan. It usually just checks the CRL and heartbeat here.

iolaus · 22/04/2021 16:46

Things may vary in different areas but where I am

As a community midwife at the moment the long booking appointment where we ask all the medical history give advice etc is being done over the phone (takes at least 30 minutes, more likely an hour with a first baby) due to covid (previously we'd have come to your home)

Bloods and scans done at around 12-13 weeks at the hospital - at this point you are given the handheld notes which the midwife filled in while on the phone with you - scan report will usually be filed in this before it's handed to you. Every appointment gets documented in this - bring it to every appointment

16 week appointment - to get results of your bloods etc (and have quad test if you couldn't have nuchal measurements and want screening tests) - we were doing it on the phone, we're now back to in person - I would imagine this is your May appointment (however if it's back at the hospital it may be on your scan you are too early for screening so go back to the hospital when you will be 12ish weeks based on this scan)

20weeks (ish) back to hospital for anomaly scan

24 weeks (and regularly from then on) antenatal checks with the community midwife

Dishwashersaurous · 22/04/2021 16:49

Great news that you have got another appointment. A week is going to feel like forever but you should have much more clarity after that.

Don't rush into telling people if you don't want to. Wait until after the nextbscan

DaisyChain16 · 22/04/2021 17:01

I would not be waiting a week. Go to EPU - go back to the hospital. None of what you've said makes any sense.

PegPeople · 22/04/2021 17:04

@DaisyChain16

I would not be waiting a week. Go to EPU - go back to the hospital. None of what you've said makes any sense.
I have to agree. As productive as your community midwife has been there is absolutely no way I would be stressing myself out by waiting another week.

Additionally if at all possible I would be requesting any another sonographer as I'd have no confidence in the same women not making the same mistakes.

This is the hospitals mistake, you've done absolutely nothing wrong and their current attitude and catalogue of errors is bloody shocking.

Geneva1994 · 22/04/2021 17:05

This just doesn’t make sense to me. How did you not see your baby on the screen? I remember my 12 week scan and the sonographer spent about 15 minutes taking measurements while we just watched the baby move about.

Frlrlrubert · 22/04/2021 17:06

It all sounds very strange. Glad your midwife is chasing. The NT measurement is usually taken at the 12 week scan, mine wasn't as she wouldn't keep still, I had to have extra bloods instead because w was actually 13+4 so no time for another before 14 weeks.

I've attached mine, 13+4, which I was told are not great pictures, for reference.

Inmypjsagain · 22/04/2021 17:09

Hi OP- obviously it’s different at each trust, but have you been given a folder for your notes or a log in to app where you can review your notes? I thought it was standard to get notes which accompanied the scan. If you have this, worth checking and if you don’t, worth asking your midwife how you can access!

BentBastard · 22/04/2021 17:09

My only guess is that image is so poor because you are in fact much earlier than 12 weeks therefore trans vagi all was actually required but they did an external tummy scan which therefore wasn't able to pick much up? Sounds like the person doing your scan maybe inexperienced?

HaveringWavering · 22/04/2021 17:13

What docs did the midwife say she could see? Did you ask why you had not seen these documents?

Fallowfields · 22/04/2021 17:19

You poor thing - what a palaver! Sounds like a very poor scan experience too. My 12 week scan was about 20 mins and she went through each body part explaining what we were looking at for each one. Glad you’ve got another scan and hope you get some answers soon. xx

LatinforTelly · 22/04/2021 17:25

I'm so cross on your behalf, OP. Like pps have said, you have done absolutely nothing wrong and the hospital has cocked up royally, either by giving you someone else's scan (shock) or by not explaining enough. But there is definitely some sort of error as no way are you 17 w something! I would demand answers, and another scan earlier than next week. This is not about a fuzzy scan picture. The details are all wrong!

Good luck, and congratulations on your pregnancy.

santabetterwashhishands · 22/04/2021 17:28

I hope you get sorted and reassured at the n cat scan x

Didyoureadtheinstructions · 22/04/2021 17:28

I don’t understand, you had a booked scan appointment, there will be a report for this and that will tell you how many weeks you are.

It sounds like this might have been an early viability scan.

Do they think your query is that you have been given the wrong scan photo?

Hopefulhedgehog · 22/04/2021 17:33

I don’t really have anything useful to add I just wanted to say I’m really sorry this has happened on what should have been a super exciting day. Really hope it gets quickly resolved and you get answers