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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

Early scan rejected by hospital after mmc

28 replies

EmilieR91 · 05/07/2017 17:52

Hi. I just wanted to vent my frustrations and see whether I'm overreacting... DD is 6 and has spina bifida. This time last year I was pregnant, went for my booking apt and then my 12 week scan to find that the baby had died at 8 weeks. I had no idea. I didn't feel any less pregnant, I just had no idea. Obviously it was a huge shock and was extremely difficult to get over. It's taken a year to conceive and I'm about 8/9 weeks, with my booking appointment 2 days away. Because of my mmc history and my huge anxiety, my doctor requested an early scan. I was extremely shocked to discover that the hospital rejected the request. The reason being that 'they couldn't tell whether a miscarriage would happen so it would be pointless'. That ISNT my point. My early scan was booked because I don't want to have to sit through a booking appointment and walk around for a month with my baby dead inside me again. I just want to know that everything is ok. This is how I felt last time so how do I know that the same isn't happening again? Am I being ridiculous?

OP posts:

Phosphorus · 05/07/2017 17:54

Well, a bit.

If you want a reassurance scan you probably ought to pay privately.

user1497480444 · 05/07/2017 17:56

its just that a scan isn't going to make any difference, that's all. its too early to do anything for the baby if something is seen. Pregnancy can be an anxious time, even if you've had no previous sad experience.i doubt a scan today would actually make you feel any less anxious tomorrow anyway. Good luck. I hope it all goes smoothly for you. No reason to think it won't this time xx

HipsterRaccoon · 05/07/2017 18:00

Yanbu, it's such a horrible experience to get to your 12 week scan assuming everything's OK and find out that all those weeks you've been imagining your baby growing, they haven't been 🙁 also a healthy scan at 8 weeks gives a 98% chance of taking a baby home, so isn't too soon at all. Round here private scans start at around £40, can you afford one since the epu aren't being helpful? Good luck

KittyandTeal · 05/07/2017 18:05

Absolutely you are not being unreasonable. After my loss I was offered early scans (and scans more regularly too) with my next pregnancy. I also lost that baby (our ds) and I found out at 14 weeks rather than the 20 week scan or having a spontaneous miscarriage (at that gestation I needed gas and air to get through the last part so couldn't have managed at home)

No the scan won't make the slightest bit of difference to the result but you are right, it means you don't have to be carrying a baby who has died for as long and risk spontaneous miscarriage if the worst happens again.

user1495025590 · 05/07/2017 18:14

NHS are finite and clinical need has to be prioritised over reassurance.

user1495025590 · 05/07/2017 18:15

'NHS resources are finite'

Original poster

EmilieR91 · 05/07/2017 18:24

Thank you, I'm glad a couple of you see my point and I really appreciate your reassurance. I'm sorry to hear of your sad experiences too xx Phosphorus, I don't know if you might be missing the point as the hospital is? I'm not some excited 'mum to be' who can't wait for a scan. I've got a complicated history and just want to know if the baby is alive, it's as simple as that. My doctor asked for the early scan, not me. I'm just really surprised that the hospital rejected it.

OP posts:

Original poster

EmilieR91 · 05/07/2017 18:25

I work within the NHS so I know this more than anyone!

OP posts:

daffo · 05/07/2017 18:30

Unfortunately I too suffered a MMC in my first pregnancy. I wasn't offered any early scans for my second pregnancy I did go for an early scan at 9 weeks because I couldn't face waiting until my 12 week scan but I paid for this privately.

Unfortunately they are correct that an early scan won't make any difference, and realistically you could have a scan one day and the baby die the next day. I can see why they have said no when they need the appointments for other cases. I've had to have early scans on the NHS due to bleeding in early pregnancy and have had to wait at least 3 days each time for a scan

Original poster

EmilieR91 · 05/07/2017 18:41

Sorry to hear about your MMC :( I completely expected to wait...even a couple of weeks. The doctor said they might not fit me in before 12 weeks but they could try (if they had accepted the request). This is obviously a topic with very mixed view points. I'm sorry if I've come across like I'm trying to rob the NHS or that I'm simply impatient. It's not the case at all.

OP posts:

BumWad · 05/07/2017 18:46

So sorry for you.

It really is about about resources unfortunately. I am a HCP and our sonographers are horrifically busy, they are fitting in as many scans as they can, half of the team are locums and a lot of sonographer vacancies are unfilled. You just aren't priority. I would pay for a private scan - I think I got an early one for around £60.

Alisvolatpropiis · 05/07/2017 18:52

Whilst I understand why you are anxious, I think you are being a little unreasonable. Pay for a private scan.

I thought early scans were only for if a miscarriage is suspected on the NHS?

Original poster

EmilieR91 · 05/07/2017 20:15

Yes Alisvolatpropiis, I'm high risk and thought I'd be eligible but obviously not. This is the point I'm making. But anyway, I shouldn't have posted this in the first place. I've just ended up feeling worse from those who don't understand how I'm feeling and now feel like I should 'man up and fork out'. Thanks again to the helpful and understanding comments x

OP posts:

DancingUnicorn · 05/07/2017 20:27

Emilie I'm so sorry for your loss. It seems to really vary depending on the area, some people are offered reassurance scans in pregnancy following miscarriage, others are not. I'm sorry the request was rejected, especially as requested by your doctor.

I'm currently nearly 6 weeks following a mmc in April. Same as you, discovered at my 12 week scan. The anxiety is crippling, and not at all the same as the early pregnancy anxiety I felt last time, before the miscarriage.

Really hope everything works out for you this time. I'm sorry you haven't got the supportive responses here you wanted. 💐

Neome · 05/07/2017 20:27

IMO there are good clinical reasons for you to have an early scan ie they ABU not that I'm a doctor. I suggest you do two things:

If you can afford it and find somewhere reasonable locally go for private scans - every week if you want /can afford. If it's in the region of £40 it's not much different from the cost of a counselling session and your mental health and wellbeing are absolutely worth it.

Secondly complain or query the decision via PALS and then put their poor decision out of your mind until you get a reply. Don't give the stupidity headspace.

Best of luck

Original poster

EmilieR91 · 05/07/2017 20:37

Thank you DancingUnicorn and neome, really appreciate your kind and helpful comments :) And I think you're right, it must vary an awful lot from area to area. I'm just going to try and relax as much as possible x

OP posts:

drspouse · 05/07/2017 20:39

Evidence shows that reassurance scans reduce the rate of recurrent miscarriage. So they are not just vanity/fun.

Bisquick · 05/07/2017 20:43

Hugs to you OP. I know how anxious you must be.
FWIW my trust offered me an early scan at 7 weeks, and said they would offer me follow up scans at 10/12 weeks following a loss at term. I don't know how real those offers were since I decided to go private.

It's unfair that policy varies so significantly.

I get that the scan seems "pointless" since there is nothing to be done, but the information could be valuable and might save you time on your TTC journey so it isn't really "pointless". For the poster who said the baby might be fine today and die tomorrow, true - that happened to me between 36+6 and 37. What is the statistical threshold to determine whether or not these things are "worth it"?

Owl1011 · 05/07/2017 20:44

It's frustrating that they won't give you a reassurance scan given your previous history but I'm sure they have good reason for rejecting it based on their resources.

I do understand the need for reassurance (had an MMC in Jan). I'm currently 11 weeks and we paid for a private scan at week 8/9 for my own piece of mind this time round, it really helped both me and DH to see things progressing. Maybe the private route would be better to put your mind at ease, rather than stressing about the NHS route?

Original poster

EmilieR91 · 05/07/2017 21:35

Thank you all and I'm so sorry for your losses . I'm feeling so much better for hearing from people who have felt the genuine pain and anxiety of this sort of situation and see where I'm coming from. Will look into a private scan and see if anywhere does them locally x

OP posts:

OhTheRoses · 05/07/2017 21:45

YANBU. I had many early miscarriages and one at 17 weeks. By far the most emotionally charged one was the MMC identified at the 12 week scan.

Your mh is v important. I cannot imagine having coped with later pregnancies without regular scans. They should be available for women with your history. They have money for all sorts of nonsense so why not for a mummy who wants her baby.

fabulous01 · 05/07/2017 21:48

I had a complicated history and when I fell again I got an early scan. It was a godsend. I will never forget the care and I regularly pop back to say thank you
For those that day it is a waste of resources people could argue that smoking, obesity etc etc is a waste of resources to deal with impact

Keep asking for it and I hope you have a healthy pregnancy

eastegg · 05/07/2017 22:46

I'm so sorry for your loss OP and understand how you are feeling I think as I lost a baby at 16 weeks and have had a subsequent anxiety-ridden pregnancy. Now 36 weeks.

It's difficult to imagine what the fear of loss is like until it happens to you. I was not offered an early scan despite my previous loss and being 42 at the beginning of this pg. I didn't push for it nor did I go private, but I can totally understand why you feel the way you do. Tbh I wimped out really, the timing was such that I was 9 weeks at Christmas and I I felt I couldn't face bad news a few days before that, which is when it would likely have been if they could've seen me before Christmas. So I waited it out.

Of course you would want to know sooner rather than later if something had already gone wrong. I'm afraid I no longer have much time for the 'what will be will be' approach , much like kitty and teal above, if I'd taken that approach in my last pg I wouldn't have had CVS, wouldn't have got a heads up there was something wrong and would have gone into spontaneous MC goodness knows how much further down the line instead of having it medically managed at 16 weeks which was bad enough.

I hope you find ways to manage the stress, whether that's a private scan or other ways. Best of luck.

Alisvolatpropiis · 06/07/2017 07:31

Op - I wasn't telling you to "man up" just offering a practical solution as the hospital have said no and whilst that's the case, you're not going to magically stop being anxious.

Alb1 · 06/07/2017 09:22

I agree it must be down to were you live, after my MMC with my first pregnancy I asked for an early scan in my second pregnancy and got one, then my 3rd pregnancy ended in stillbirth and I got an early scan in my 4th pregnancy. Even though the scan made no difference to the outcome it helped me massively to no the pregnancy was viable so I completely understand we're your coming from. Hopefully you manage to find somewhere that does cheap reassurance scans privately near you, and good luck with everything OP

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