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Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

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Original poster

Worth having an ealry private scan after two miscarriages?

13 replies

meow57 · 20/05/2013 12:10

Hi everyone. So in brief I've had two mc in the last 6 months and we are currently having a short break before trying again - I hope to be at the point I don't have a big cry every few days before we try again.

I'm very very worried about having a 3rd mc and I am currently looking into what tests I could have now privately.

My question is - if I get pregnant again would it be worth having a private scan at 8 weeks?

Neither of my pregnancies have had a heart beat, if I had a scan at 8 weeks and there was a heat beat would this be a good sign? If if is then I would be willing to have an early scan to save myself another 4 weeks of worrying.

What do people think?

OP posts:

millimurphy · 20/05/2013 12:17

Could you go and book in with your midwife early and tell her how anxious you are? This is what I did after two MC and she sent me for an early reassurance scan.

kirrinIsland · 20/05/2013 12:29

what milli said ^^
i have 8 week scans for my last 3 pregnancies - 2 successful 1 not - all offered by my nice, understanding midwife.
i also had a private scan done at 10 weeks in the pregnancy that followed a mmc which happened at 9 weeks. worth every penny IMO

Good luck.

Bumbolina · 20/05/2013 12:36

If you have a private scan, please ensure they can refer you to the GP if there is no heartbeat. I had a private scan with my first pregnancy, and they found twins with no heartbeat. I was given a piece of paper and told to phone my doctor who was an absolute bastard. Told me off for paying for a private scan when 'I didn't need it' and that they wouldn't be able to see a heart beat anyway, and that I had to wait another month (over Christmas) until I got my 12 week scan (which confirmed mmc). Was absolutely horrendous.
When the hospital found out what had happened they pleaded with me to complain, but by that point I just wanted it over with.

I'm not saying this would happen to you (hopefully most doctors are nicer than mine )... but to ensure the scan is taken seriously I would make sure the doctor knows about it before you pay for one, and that they will do the referral if anything is wrong (you should be sent for another scan a week later by GP in that case to confirm miscarriage).

HorryIsUpduffed · 20/05/2013 12:41

The statistics are much better if FHB is seen at 8w, yes. But a lot can still happen at any stage of pgy.

I have the deepest sympathy - I am pg after two mc and the constant "knicker watch" is second guessing is exhausting and distressing.

But I am not sure it would actually be helpful in the long run. Having to stick to normal nhs offerings (ie scans at 12 and 20, doppler at mw appts) does discipline you into thinking positively in between. If you had a scan at 8w, and another at 12w, would you really feel secure, or would you find another £85 a few weeks later, or any time you were having a frightened day?

I think I would keep going and going until we were bankrupt . That's also part of the reason I don't have a home doppler thing - because I would use it every day, ten times a day, just in case, and would end up more anxious rather than more reassured.

Good luck x

Original poster

meow57 · 20/05/2013 13:24

Thanks everyone, had not heard of midwives sending people for an early reassurance scan so I'll try that route first.

@HorryIsUpduffed - "knicker watch" I like that phrase although I hate the process! I must have gone to the toilet so much last time I was pregnant and for my worst fears to come true one morning was horrible. I am so worried I will be worse next time.

Did anyone have any private tests?

OP posts:

MinkyWinky · 20/05/2013 13:56

My GP sent me for a 'viability' scan on my third pregnancy at our local EPU after i had early miscarriages on the first two. I was nine weeks.

I then had a private combined test privately as the NHS could only offer me one time for a scan that I couldn't take. I then had my 20 week scan with the NHS...

Tomkat79 · 20/05/2013 18:34

Hi ya

Bit of a tricky one isn't it. I had a scan at 8 weeks and saw HB and then 24hrs last MC. They said to me that a scan can only confirm what they see at that point and can offer no guarantee, like obviously! They said that i had a very high chance of a healthy pregnancy from that point and a very low % chance of MC. But Was not to be. I can totally see where you're coming from though in wanting the re-assurance. It's all such a worry.

If it was me (and hopefully will be again at some point soon) I think I'd wait until 12 weeks with my fingers crossed. Very personal though x

Bakingtins · 20/05/2013 23:06

V personal decision. I'm pregnant after recurrent MC investigations. My first MC was at 10 weeks having seen a HB at 8 weeks, the other 2 have been at 8 weeks without a scan. Consultant wants to know if the babies are getting to the heartbeat stage or dying earlier and it's taking a while to actually MC. I have a scan this week at 7+ wks and I am terrified. Even if it's good news I will then be even more anxious for the next month, because then I'll have a "real baby" to lose, if that makes sense. The current pregnancy is being "propped up" with progesterone, so from a sadly practical POV if there is no HB I can stop taking it and allow nature to take her course.
Statistically, you are much less likely to MC if a HB is seen at 8 weeks. The scan can't alter the outcome, so the question is does it calm your fears and make it easier to get through to 12 weeks?

DTisMYdoctor · 20/05/2013 23:16

Hi OP, I wanted to post as I had 2 mc before a healthy pregnancy with my DS.

I was terrified when I was pg with him. My GP took weekly blood tests for me for a couple of weeks so she could check that my hgc levels were increasing at the right rate before sending me for an early pregnancy scan.

Very best of luck to you.

Flojobunny · 20/05/2013 23:21

My NHS refused early scan so when I got pregnant after 4th mc, I lied about my dates and got scan at 7 weeks, I felt much better seeing that heartbeat and luckily it was my first viable pregnancy.
If you think it will help you in some way do it. Though I don't think it would stop a mc if it was going to happen.
Midwife did of course realise I was only 7 wks and I told her why I'd lied, she wasnt amused but not much she could do after the scan had been done.

Wingdingdong · 20/05/2013 23:35

Difficult. I think that once you've miscarried you aren't going to relax until the baby's in your arms.

I've had 3 MCs total. firstly I had 2 MCs, then with my third pregnancy I was offered a viability scan at 8w. Unfortunately I haemorrhaged at 6w5, got taken to the local hospital (was on hols) and got a scan there anyway. It showed a hb but also a massive sub chorionic haematoma. I ended up having a ridiculous number of scans, as I had several haemorrhages during the pregnancy, passing golf-ball sized clots and losing consciousness. I can't say that any of the scans offered me any reassurance for the future, merely huge relief that it was still there at that point in time, albeit precariously. DD is fine though.

I then had a third MC, then got pregnant for a fifth time and was again offered a viability scan but earliest available was 9w. At 6w5 I again had a haemorrhage, couldn't stand the uncertainty and booked a private scan for the next day (Saturday). All was fine. The 9w scan showed all was fine too. We relaxed. Then the nuchal scan at 13w showed a nuchal fold plus cyst of 14mm, with survival odds of

Rockchick1984 · 21/05/2013 09:35

Wow, this thread really does show NHS postcode lottery at its worst - when I miscarried last month the EPU told me to get the dr to refer me next pregnancy for a scan at 6 weeks, and they will scan every 2 weeks until 14 weeks!!

I'm undecided if I'll take them up on this - had an 8 week scan last time and saw heartbeat, went to 12 week scan and found out baby had stopped growing a few days after the scan and no heartbeat. I'd thought all was fine due to seeing heartbeat so we had announced that I was pregnant. Having to un-tell everyone was horrible and I'm not sure I'd be reassured next time by having an early scan.

squizita · 22/05/2013 11:40

Yes it is a postcode lotto! Sadly.

Personally (and very luckily I have a good local EPU) I would opt for a scan at 8 weeks for both reassurance and strangely because if the worst happens I don't want to leave it too late or take risks- simply because I had a blighted ovum where the sac kept growing and HCG took ages to come down after my ERPC. It was picked up at 7 weeks - had it gone on till 12 the MC would have been physically worse. So, horribly blunt as it sounds, in future pregnancies if I do have a similar MC I want it caught early, so the physical side will be less dangerous. Hence I will always have a scan now.

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