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?!

A fetal viability and dating scan can be carried out privately for around £95 between 6-18 weeks. In prinicple you shouldn't have to pay for it but in practice, unfortunately you probably do, depending on where you live.

We would have liked better blood serum testing but our local nhs didn't offer it so we chose to go privately. The NHS is a postcode lottery and I think for that reason we have always had a 'pot' of money put aside for things like this. A pot will only go so far though, I shudder to think of what individuals will be expected to foot the bill for in the future.