No scan until 20 weeks!

[Halster]

Grr. I am 9 weeks pregnant and have just been to the doctors to ask for an early scan. I recently miscarried and so I am understandably anxious about this pregnancy. I was told: Not only do they not offer early scans in my area but they do not even offer 12 week scans and I will have to wait until 20 weeks for one!! A total postcode lottery it seems! In how many other parts of the country is this the case?!

We only get a 20 week scan here as well. Actually if you go for the triple test (15-16 weeks) they do a dating scan then (I think all hospitals have to offer this test). I had to go private for a nuchal (11-13 weeks).

Halster - This happened with me except they only offered a 12 wk dating scan then NOTHING! No anomaly scan at 20wks.... but 5 miles down the road they offered 12 ans 20 wk scans.

I wrote to local Counciller and MSP, kicked up a right fuss about it and booked a Private 20wk scan. The week before I was due to go my MSP wrote back and said I would be getting the 20wk scan on the NHS. It's worth writing to complain about that, it isn't fair and with your previous m/c you should be entitled to an early scan just to check the pregnancy is ongoing.

GET WRITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you contacted the midwife? If you explain your concerns she may be able to sort something out.

Only a 20 wk scan offered in my area too. With both my DS's I told my GP I had very irregular periods so was unsure of dates (even though I knew pretty much exactly when they were both conceived ) so that I could have a dating scan. Just needed that extra reassurance I suppose, and it was great to be able to see my tiny little beanies when it all still felt so unreal. I thought, God there really is a baby in there!

Do you have a local EPU? Normally they're the ones that give you an early scan. (I had read that early scans actually reduce MC risk.)

SackAche, I am certainly fired up enough to put pen to paper... No 20 week scan in your area - that really is madness .

We are thinking about having a private scan which we can afford (only just) - but what about all the other people out there that can't afford it? It makes me so cross.

Halster - The recommendations changed last yr and its now recommended that both 12 ans 20 wks scans are offered. So now in my area everyone gets both. I'd look into it if I were you..... I'm sure because of the new government recommendations you can ask (demand) for one!

BUT Halster - We only get a 12 wk 'dating' scan. Its not a nuchal fold scan. I hadn't even heard of those until I joined MN.

We only get a 12 week scan (although it is a nuchal) and not a 20 week scan. I'm fairly happy with this arrangement. Of course it would be nice to have two opportunities to see your baby, but I'm not sure what I've missed medically by not having a 20 week scan.

Would be interested to know what others think as obviously I'm used to this situation (had both my pregnancies in this health authority), but if you are only going to get one scan is it not better to have the 12 week nuchal? 20 weeks if awfully late on in a pregnancy to have bad news.

MrsCurly - Its not about seeing your baby though!! Its about measuring growth, checking for abnormalities in development of limbs and more importantly the major organs. Also checking the position of the placenta (placenta praevia).

I got a dating scan at around 12 weeks, then the scan at 20 weeks. I told them I had no idea what the dates were, so they offered a scan. I'd had 4 m/c before that pg though, but they didn't offer me another afterwards, just heartbeats.

EVERYONE should have a 20 week scan.

Yes but my concern is what do you do with this kind of information (eg abnormalities in development of limbs) at this stage in pregnancy? Worry yourself silly for the next five months? I guess I know too many people who were worried by what they saw or were told at 20 week scans and then had completely normal babies.

I know there are rare circumstances where a 20 week scan might suggest the baby would not survive at birth, and by having the scan you would have the option of ending your pregnancy in your own time rather than finding out at birth. But then again, having a 20 week scan is no guarantee that you might not find yourself in that situation at birth anyway.

I'm interested in people's views as it seems everyone in the world has this scan apart from me, and I'm intrigued as to what I don't know about my current pregnancy (other thaan baby's sex...)

I agree that if I had to choose i'd rather have had the 12 week nuchal scan that the 20 week scan. Luckily we got both when I was pregnant with ds

MrsCurly - I chose not to have any blood tests for Downs Syndrome etc coz I knew I couldn't terminate as a result of those tests.... and I knew I wouldn't go on to have an Amnioscentisis.

BUT with the 20wk scan there are SO MANY things it can pick up that is excellent to know before birth (like the position of the placenta!) and heart conditions, and that condition where the some of the internal organs are outwith the abdomen to name but a few.

I wanted the scan so I would have time to prepare if something was wrong and also so the best choice could be made in terms of giving birth.

I didn't mean everyone should.. i mean im fairly certain everyone is entitled to it...

But I think it's just good as a 'just in case' expectant mums tend to worry over everything and it's just good to relieve a little of it.

I was in your situation - I had an early scan at 6weeks through bleeding and then didn't get another until 20weeks!!! It does seem so unfair as you don't see much at this early stage but you do at 12 weeks. Sods law I think, I tried and pleaded with them for a 12 week but they weren't having a bar. Will make your 20 week one extra special though believe me.

Sorry just noticed that you weren't given an early scan, you'd think with you having mc before they might do an early through precaution. I was in and out at my 6 week scan - literally 3 mins on the couch. You'd think for piece of mind they would do this for you considering worrying about the what if's can't be good for you and baby.

I lived between Gloucester and Cheltenham and was given the choice of hospital to go to - Gloucester only did scans at 20 weeks whereas Cheltenham did them at 12 weeks and 20 weeks so I chose to go there!

I think 20 weeks is too long to wait, my friend went for her scan at Gloucester and they discovered abnormalities and she had to be induced. These would have been evident at a 12 week scan and although she would have still lost the baby, it would have been physically less traumatic.

my god this is awful! I'm going to write another furious letter to Mr Blair. There is a separate medical purpose to the 12 week and the 20 week scan. MrsCurly's question about 'what you do with this type of information' - these days doctors can do quite a bit to correct foetal abnormalities in the womb, helping babies to be born healthy. Even if they can't do anything at that stage at least they're aware of whether a baby will need to be rushed into care, whether to have a paediatric surgeon standing by etc. The chances of any of this being necessary are very small, but it's better to give the doctors as much information as possible just in case they're needed. Of course you'd be lucky to find a doctor in a maternity unit these days... Can't believe that this country has enough money to go to war with Iraq, but not enough to provide basic maternity care ffs. By the way, I'm NOT criticising the people who work in the NHS (which includes my parents, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and, in ages past, my grandparents! I'm the only non-medical person in our family!) I just get so cross at the mismanagement, economising on things that really matter, like helping people to have healthy babies, and spending f'loads of money on things that don't matter - like the £3bn computer update for GPs that has just been brought in... AAAARGH! Halster - make a BIG fuss - write letters to EVERYBODY.

Here inAus where I am - you only get a scan at 20 weeks unless there is a problem or a history of complications. Luckily for us - we emigrated here when I was 18 weeks and so had my 12 week scan in the UK.

In answer to your comments Mrs Curly - my dd1 was diagnosed with a heart defect determined at the 20 week scan. At first they diagnosed a more serious defec tin terms of prognosis BUT we were then able to have a fetal cardiac scan and determine exactly what sort of heart defect our dd1 had. Whislt is was just as seriuos at the previous diagnosis - the long term prognosis was much mroe positive. THis meant everything was in place at her birth for her to have the best of care. It also meant we could deal with each thing as it came up. The heart defect led us to also know that to a very high probability our baby would be born with Down syndrome. We were so prepared for her at birth that it was such a positive time during what was in incredibly stressful time.

Had 12 week and 20 week as routine here (north london).

Had early scans with both pgs too to rule out vague possibility of ectopic pgs.

I only got a 20 week scan and was fine with that - however with a miscarriage behind me I'm sure I would have felt differently.

with my older ones I only had a 20 wk scan but the younger ones I had a booking in scan a dating scan.
If you are really worried yu could request one.
Maybe fib a little (did I say that?) and go along to A&E saying you are spotting!!!!