Anomaly Scan Failure- Anything to worry about?

[helgaw99]

Hi all,
Had my Anomaly Scan today- 21 + 5. LO was curled up in a tight ball, tucked in the bottom section of womb and against placenta. So scan lady tried for about half an hour and then gave up saying she couldn't really see enough to assess any anatomy properly- all we could easily see was head and heart beating.
Also really think my fatness makes scanning my very difficult, though scan staff are too lovely to say it!
They have rebooked me, but first appt wasn't until 6th December by which time I will be nearly 26 weeks by then- should I be worried about this? It seems like a long time away. It is also too late to do anything if something totally awful is found.
I am kind of assuming that if they saw anything remotely odd they would have carried on trying, or booked me to go back much sooner.

Has this happened to anyone else? Am I an unscannable freak?!

Thanks
Hx

This happened to me. Baby was head down and quite deep in my pelvis. I went back at 24 weeks and they finished up everything they needed to do.

They told me if they were at all concerned they would find an earlier appointment and going back for a re scan was just to be sure.

When I went back I was in the high dependency scan room (was in the broom cupboard at 20 weeks as I'm low risk) which meant they could tilt the bed etc as needed to get a good enough view. Everything was fine and baby is due next week!

I'm sure it's nothing to do with your weight either. My BMI is 23 if that helps - it never occurred to me it was anything other than baby's position.

HTH and everything goes well in December.

They can do an internal scan as well if they were concerned. I had to have this due to a problem with my cervix with dd1 and the picture is amazing. I am assuming they would have used this option if there was a worry?

This happened with my DD. She was curled into a tight ball deep in my pelvis and they couldn't measure her head. I went back 3 times to get her measured. They were finally able to measure her head at week 22. I didn't have a jelly belly back then either, so your weight shouldn't be a problem.

Personally, I think week 26 is leaving it a bit late. Did they get to measure the head? Also, did they measure the abdomen? I would go to your midwife and tell her. Maybe she could pull some strings to get you a quicker scan?

Thanks all.

To be honest I am not sure what she measured- but she seemed very unbothered about the lateness of the next appt.

I might call tomorrow and see if I can bring the appt forward at all as another month does seem very far away.

Really annoyingly when I got to work I felt the little tyke totally shift up and start dancing about, why couldn't he/she just cooperate when the camera was on!! Wilful already!

Woulld you be able to attend at short notice if they had a cancellation - if so it might be worth suggesting that.

26 weeks isnt too late if you mean to have to option to terminate if the baby had severe problems. There isnt a limit on that.

I had this at both the NT scan and the anatomy/ anomaly scan.
13wks NT scan, was at the later end of them being able to do the measurements so the lovely sonographer persevered. Took us close to 3hrs (luckily we were the last people that afternoon!). Little bugger was sitting bolt upright, then joggled about a bit and then settled in another unhelpful position.

At the anatomy scan, first one was at 18+4, baby curled up in a ball. sonographer announces cheerfully that although there's space for 3 of them in there, she's hiding away sitting on my bladder. That I knew... Anyway, an hour and a half later of cajoling, poking and beseeching baby to move, sonographer is much less cheerful, but baby finally shifts enough that we can find out she's a she, and get most of the measurements. Doctor comes in and tells us to come back in 2 weeks, as there is less time pressure for this one, and we are going back tomorrow. Doctor also said that from the measurements they did get, everything was looking fine, so maybe that's the case with you- they really just need to finish off to be certain, but everything's looking OK :)

So yeah, seems totally normal for us! Not sure what is usual for call backs. I have a vague recollection that the window for doing the anatomty scan is 18-20something weeks (although I am in US, so could be different here). Like someone else said, try for a cancellation, perhaps.

Hi, I had this with my first pregnancy as well and eveything was all ok. Baby just really didn't want to play the game that day and I had to wait until 26 weeks for the next scan as well as that was the only time they could fit me in! Got my scan on Thursday for number 2 (at 22 weeks) so we'll see how this one behaves!

I know it's easy to say, but really try not to worry it's actually a lot more common that you think but some people seem to like doing the scary 'suck through the teeth' noise when you tell them and it freaked me out a little as well!

Let us know how you get on x

I had this last Friday, baby was very deep in my pelvis and head down, so we're going back tomorrow for a (hopefully) better look. I hope the fact they called us back so quickly isn't anything to worry about though, the sonographer gave us no reason to think anything was wrong.

one small point - when i got my anomaly scan, I had to be called back for the same reason, BUT they did say that anything seriously wrong, would likely have been noticed by now.
But if I were you, I'd still try to get a cancellation or something, just to set your mind at ease x

Happened to me too. When they rebooked me DS was still not co-operating, so they sent me off to jig around the waiting room until he moved. Literally.

Got some funny looks but it worked (and all was fine BTW)

Thanks all, glad to know I'm not a freak!

They have actually called me today and given me a cancellation next week. They want to do it then just in case LO still doesn't want to play ball and we have to rebook again!

Hx

We had the re-scan today. Baby was slightly more co-operative but not by much. Everything looking OK, but due to her position there was one final thing they couldn't get, so we are going to have a scan in 8 weeks (will be 28+3 by then!). All they need is the detail on the left hand. It's there, but she was unclenching it and clenching it so much that they couldn't get a good pic. Doc unworried, and said once they're that bit bigger, it's much easier to see even if they're in a bad position.
Good luck next week, OP :)

The same would have happened to me if the scan people hadn't been very insistent (stayed there for over an hour). They didn't let me go until they had checked and rechecked all the measurements.

drink can of coke before (MW advise to me!) It def. gets them moving!!

Had mine this morning and as per the scan with our first baby, this one didn't want to play either....had to go for a walk and jig about ALOT then try again after 30 mins. Sonographer sent me for chocolate & coffee of all things, she said it works everytime and definitely did this time - we went back and she managed to get the rest of the measurements. Great news that your scan went ok and best of luck to you all! x