Dreading drinking the water!

[Stefanswife]

I have to have a pelvic ultrasound next week and the thing I'm dreading most about it is having to drink all that water and not being able to go to the loo. I've been told to drink 1/2 pints an hour beforehand and not to empty my bladder until after the scan. However, I have a very weak bladder and can't imagine how I'm going to avoid going to the loo for all that time. Also, my appointment is late afternoon and I'm concerned that it will be running late. So, not only having to hold it all in for an hour before the appointment but then possibly having to wait a while for my appointment, then holding it all in during the scan. If I was absolutely desperate and had to go to the loo just before the scan, would this be OK if I carried on drinking the water after I went to the loo to keep myself "topped up" or does it definitely have to all be drunk a full hour beforehand? Grateful for any advice, thanks!

If you really have to go wee, then go and keep drinking water till your appoitment time

Yes this should be OK to do. I had to do similar a few years ago when they were running behind - I went to the loo but tried to only half empty my bladder and then topped up by drinking more water. The ultrasound person said my bladder was still incredibly full and was surprised I hadn’t had to go sooner 😂

Thanks both for the replies. Part of the problem I'm having the scan for is that I keep going to the loo, it's as if there is some kind of pressure in my pelvis and that's at the best of times, not after drinking all that fluid!

Hi. I had a pelvic scan earlier this year. Can you attend early to your Gynae ? think you can top up or drink there. I'm sure there is a receptionist or nurse can help you. Ring them up before your appointment. I was worried about going to the loo too, but was able to hold it.

@Gen888 thanks, I've actually decided to get to the appointment an hour early and start drinking the water there, as, if I drink it at home, driving there and walking round the hospital etc will make me want to go to the loo.

I have one tomorrow. It'll be the third one I've had.
Generally they know you've had to drink and will be uncomfortable so the appointments are on time. Also they usually ask you to go for a wee half way through so they can look with an empty bladder as well. My hospital is a half hour drive but the instructions say drink 90 mins before and stop drinking 30 jins before the appointment. So my plan is to drink the last bit as I leave the house.

Well, I went there early to check out the nearest toilet. After the scan , I quickly hop to the loo, I mean toilet. 😀

Oh, forgot to tell you. The scanning room was dim, not bright. Also the toilet was just next door!

Good decision.
I drank a litre of water at home and then got public transport to the hospital. Mistake. By the time I got off the tube I was so desperate I ran to the nearest public loo. I then drank more water when I got to the hospital waiting room - they obviously anticipated this because there were carafes of water and glasses available on the table.
The ultrasound went fine.

Thanks so much to everyone for all the replies.

At my 12 week scan with DC2 I was told my bladder was too full and to go let a little bit out. I said once I started I wouldn’t be able to stop. The scan was fine.

They were a high risk pregnancy and I had 18 scans after that one, I didn’t drink anything extra for any of them, and they were all fine.

You are correct get to the address and start drinking fluids.

I personally found drinking the fluids had helped go on to have an internal - in my 20’s and early 30’s I’d have definitely refused a tvs but as I got older with a full bladder beforehand it has gotten easier.

God i have appointment soon and i worry about the same, specially mine is to check bladder cause there is some urgency...how do they expect me to hold all that water with such problem... but yea just keep drinking while u wait what else can u do

Had mine today and it was fine. I was seen 5 minutes early and it took no more than 15 minutes altogether. I was told to empty my bladder after an initial scan. They then did trans vaginal scan. They always do this in my experience.

@Wery Glad to hear it went well for you today. Did they tell you the results whilst you were there?

Not entirely but he said he could find nothing that stood out and will write to the doctor who referred me (gynaecologist).
Hopefully that means not long to wait.

@Wery That sounds like good news x

Just an update for anyone who finds this thread in the future, I had the ultrasound and trans vaginal probe yesterday and I coped fine with drinking the water. I actually started drinking it 45 mins before the appointment and there was no problem with the ultrasound. They carried it out very quickly and I was allowed to go to the loo the second it was finished. Thanks to everyone for their replies.

We had to do something similar for DS and knew he wouldn't make it. So we did a few test runs until we reliably knew that if he drank a litre we had xxx minutes until he would burst . Then we worked backwards from scan time with a 10 minute grace period.

Can you have a test and see what's your average 'hold' time then work back from scan time?