Did anybody choose NOT to do the scans?

[patagonia09]

I'm 31, 6 weeks preg, no particular risk factors. Just been to the GP and she asked if I wanted to book a nuchal scan, and I'm not sure. I wanted to know how many people choose to do these scans, and how many just let fate take its course? I'd prefer never to have been given the option, frankly! Although it could put your mind at rest for the next 33 weeks, it could also cause a lot of stress and worry, maybe unnecessarily. The nuchal scan is no big deal, but if it led on to the CSV, amniocentisis, etc... it seems every decision is a tough one. What does everyone else think?

I didn't have any nuchal scans/triple tests etc for Down's for my two DCs (aged 30 and 34 during the pregnancies) because like a lot of the other posters, I wouldn't have aborted for Down's and as the doctor pointed out, if one test gives you a higher probability, you are then put on an escalator of further testing, some of which, like amnio, carries risks in itself. Also, where I was living at the time, this testing was not routine, so there was no pressure to do it. I did have other scans though, as they can pick up things like heart defects that are good to have advance warning of.

Oh dear, I think I changed my mind about 200 times while reading all these responses! My original instinct was not to do the tests, but now I'm slightly erring towards doing it. I wish I could say that a termination would never be an option for me, but I'm not that certain - which makes me think I should do the test. Hmmm.

i think if you arent certain it might be best... then if chance is high you can decide with next stage.

So I had my scan and all was well. We weren't having the nuchal fold measured but they do actually measure it, but its only recorded as not greater than 3.6mm. Apparently over that and they would tell us regardless.

Hey Mum2be79, Im also 10 weeks and in the East riding(cott)!

I did have the scan & nuchal fold (as I was age 42) - but my DS was born with a condition that couldn't be seen by a scan (was able to have medical treatment to deal with it) - so remember, a scan does NOT pick up everything.

Don't want to be a scaremonger ................

Hi - I didn't want the scans as it was going to change anything. I was persuaded to have them for peace of mind. The test results came back as very low risk, 6 months later my dd was born with Down's.

I'm not trying to scare you, as my dd really is the love of my life and i wouldn't change a thing, all i'm saying is that the test can be wrong. I've known people who have been told they are high risk and been worried sick throughout their pregnancies who have gone on to have perfectly healthy children and vice versa.

If having the tests help you relax through pregnancy then it's worth doing, but only you can make that call.

I am 12 weeks today, and my scan is on Monday. we had to have a very long and hard think about it. We decided that we wouldn't terminate on the basis of Down's, so thought amnio etc wasn't worth the risk - chance of MC about twice that of Downs. But we wanted warning, in case anything needed dealing with immediately after birth - so we could be most prepared. It is so much a person decision. You have to do what is right for you - and for me it was the question, what would I do if it were positive to Down's - that helped to focus my mind. Good luck.

Mum2be d0g Another East Riding at ten wks approx here. Are either of you on the December thread?

Anyway, I refused the triple with my previous pregnancies, and have refused the nuchal and triple with this one. My scan isn't for weeks though, so even if they wanted to sneakily do a scan without consent I suspect it will be too late.

Hi LittleMissFlustered :)

Im on the Jan 2012 thread. (edd 2nd)

I was offered the nuchal scan, as it's part of the scan process here, but when it came to it the LO was too wriggly and in the wrong position to have it done. I was then offered the triple test blood test, but after discussing it with my OH we decided not to have it done, I wouldn't have had any further tests if there had been a high risk, and so didn't want the added thought that if it was high then I would have x number of weeks thinking what if.

I've not regretted not having it done. I'm not worried about it, and if anything is wrong then it won't change how I love and care for LO when he/she arrives.

We decided not to have the nuchal as we didn't want to be in a situation with a "false positive" risk (I know a few people who were told they are at high risk of having a baby with DS only to go through amnio etc for everything to turn out OK)
I clearly ticked the appropriate boxes on my consent form BUT after the scan I realized that they completely ignored my request and as the dr was taking me through the results she started talking about my risks for DS etc and I just looked at her shocked - my risk factor came back extremely low so I sort of let it slide but I was quite annoyed....

We had a private nuchal scan as it's not offered on the NHS here. I got extremely stressed about it and worried myself sick (well as sick as youc an be on top of morning sickness). A consultant did the scan and it was extremely detailed and he took loads of time to explain everything. I was 36 at the time of my first pregnancy but my risk was 1:5500 so I felt reassured by that. I'm certain if and when we have another child I will choose to have a nuchal scan, and no doubt I'll stress about it once again.

I refused the nuchal too, for the same reasons as above.

Just to correct something I said earlier, apparently current guidelines are not to calculate risks for Edward's or Patau's from at the time of the nuchal scan as babies with these conditions should be picked up in other ways (by a regular scan, IIRC). The guidelines have changed within the last 2 years. It is still possible to get the risks calculated by the operator needs to override the presets in the analysis program. We got that done and the risks calculated (as they were in my previous 2 pregnancies), but we opted for a private scan - I'm not sure the NHS would have been so obliging.

Gosh it's moved on a bit since I had my 3, not heard of having the 'routine scans' but not nuchal fold, I thought that was the main point of scanning at 12 weeks.

Scans are done primarily to look for problems NOT to give prospective parents a sneak peak. IMO you need to consider the options and work out what you think. I didn't have a scan with my first because I didn't think it would make any difference in terms of my decision to continue the pregnancy and it would make me anxious for the rest of the pregnancy if I thought there was anything wrong. Other people might still want to continue the pregnancy but prefer to know so they can plan ahead.

I had a 12 week scan for each of my following 2 because I felt I needed to consider the first child and any impact on them in a way that I didn't for the first. As I wouldn't have done anything later in pregnancy, I didn't feel it was sensible to have any further scans.

But then I'm very much 'don't ask the question if you're not prepared to hear the answer'.

"just let fate take its course"

So, when your baby gets sick (and he will), do you intend to give him the necessary medicine or "just let fate take its course"? Will you vaccinate him against nasty diseases like polio, or will the poor mite have to take his chances there, as well?

Why on earth would you not have non-invasive tests that are freely available? I know people who have found out about serious conditions through these tests, and a whole medical team was ready at birth to save their babies' lives.

CoteDAzur - to me that seems very harsh. patagonia has stated that she'd have the regular scans (12 week dating scan, 20 week anomaly scan - the later being where serious conditions are most often identified) and is purely trying to decide about whether to have the screening for Down's Syndrome. Your comments seem far more pertinent to a discussion about whether to accept any scans rather than this very specific test.

Agree with Tangle.

That is indeed what I understood from OP - that she intended to refuse all ultrasound scans. Apologies if that is not the case.

Given that nuchal test is just taking one measurement and is done at the same time & with the same equipment as 12-week scan, I don't quite see how you can refuse it and still have the 12 week scan. Around here, it is all part of the scan. Do you have to book a separate scan to measure just the thickness of the nuchal fold? If so, why?

Yes - the OP was ambiguous on that issue, but the question was asked and the point clarified last Friday :)

I think it depends on why the 12 week scan is offered in your particular hospital/PCT. If the primary goal is to date the pregnancy, which seems to be the case in most areas, then the nuchal measurement is an additional one that they can (and usually do) take during the scan. As with any other intervention you have a right to decline this one (even if, as previous posters have found, sometimes the staff proceed on auto-pilot and do it regardless - so if anyone feels strongly that they don't want the nuchal measurement taken it would probably be worth repeating it a number of times to everybody it might possibly be relevant to, and particularly the sonographer!).

Surely pregnancies are dated way before the 12 week scan, if only to properly time the nuchal scans. Mine were dated at 7 weeks.

When OP was asked whether she "wanted to book a nuchal scan", I took that to mean booking the 12 week scan where nuchal fold would also be measured. I can't understand why one would book a 12 week scan and a nuchal scan separately, since (1) they are done at the same point of pregnancy, and (2) they are done with the same equipment.

Sorry if I've got this wrong, but I've got a vague recollection you're not in the UK, CoteDAzur?

From my experience of early ante-natal care in the UK, and from the experience of many women on here, women are only likely to be offered an early scan if they have either have bleeding in early pregnancy, are very unsure of their dates or have suffered previous loss(es) - in some trusts women won't be referred to an Early Pregnancy Unit unless they've had 3 MCs in a row. Most (all?) PCTs don't have the resources to offer an early scan to all women.

For most women having their care under the NHS, they will be offered 2 scans during pregnancy - one at 12 weeks (which will be used to date the pregnancy and look at the nuchal fold) and one at 20 weeks (to look for major abnormalities). I think there may still be some trusts that don't offer the nuchal scan at all - there are certainly some that have only started to offer it in the last year or two. It is not standard practice for low risk women to have either an early scan or any scans in the 3rd trimester.

I don't think there are any PCTs in the UK that offer a 12 week dating scan and a 12 week nuchal scan as separate appointments - I think that "the nuchal scan" is a term often used inaccurately and generically to refer to "the scan performed around 12 weeks that dates your pregnancy and includes the measurement of the nuchal fold". So for most women in the UK there is a point to having a 12 weeks scan to date the pregnancy - even if they don't wish to have the nuchal measurement taken.

Until a pregnant woman has a scan, dates will be based on LMP.

No, I'm not in the UK but I'm somewhat familiar with UK system, having heard all about it from SIL and friends in London.

So, we agree that nuchal scan is not a separate appointment from the regular 12 week scan. So what OP was asked to book was in fact the 12 week scan, and I hope she said "yes".

12 week scans don't just date the pregnancy and measure nuchal folds. They look at different parts of the body and catch early signs of developmental problems. I could be more specific if I had the photos from my scans with me right now. I was even told the sex of both my babies during the 12 week scan.

You're right - they do check a lot of things. At mine they looked for a skull, brain with 2 hemispheres, heart (with 4 chambers), bladder, spine, nasal bone, jaw bones and probably a selection of other bits and pieces. It is possible to pick up problems, but there's still going to be a fairly high false negative rate as the baby is just so tiny. I think our sonographer would have offered an opinion on gender if we wanted - but NHS guidelines will be not to do that as the margin for error is so significant.

From what patagonia said earlier in the thread she had every intention of accepting a 12 weeks scan, just wasn't sure whether she wanted the Down's screening.