Not getting scan until after 14 weeks - possibly a bit ranty

[GinPalace]

I saw my first point of contact community midwife at 9 weeks but due to my home postcode (and a division of local midwifery services due to closures which I won't bore you with) she had to refer me to the next districts service for my 'official' booking appointment and for scan appointment to be made.

All fine, except it took 3 weeks for booking appointment to be made (now 12 weeks), then due to the bank holiday weekend the scan appointment took another week to request, and finally a scan date has been given which puts me at 14+4 before I get my nuchal test and dating scan.

It will be over a month from seeing my first midwife to having a scan!!

This is frustrating as the nuchal test cannot be done after 14+1 so that's out of the window, and in the meantime I am waiting for the reassurance I am craving that all is well with my baby!

GGrrrrrrr.

Having had a friend go through discovering she is carrying a downs baby and all that involved, I am cross that one of the purposes of the test won't be able to be done. I am 36.

Can someone reassure me or calm me down? Think I may be hormonal too and this is why it is really bothering me possibly. :(

I would ring the hospital where you are booked for your scan and point out the above and demand that you're seen earlier. You shouldn't have to wait so long for your first scan and you should have the option of nuchal screening. Call them right now - most depts function on Saturdays.

Thanks for the idea - I didn't realise they might be open weekends.

I called on Thursday and had the conversation - she was sympathetic but said it was unlikely she would be able to bring appointment forward. She said she would look into it and call me if she could, but she hasn't so I guess not.

I think I will ring again anyway and be less reasonable. Trouble is the scan dept have fitted me in with quick turnaround so not their fault - it is the preceding domino effect that has caused it.

Is there another hospital you could get to who may be able to fit you in sooner? I would be starting off reasonable and getting progressively more if it wasn't sorted. Could you ring and speak to the supervisor of midwives and see what they suggest? I'm sure with the changes you've touched on, you won't be the only person who has been put into this situation.

It is too late now to be honest as I am 14 weeks tomorrow and the window of opportunity has already gone pretty much, unless I am lucky and discover I am not as far along as I think. :(

I am glad both you ladies don't think I am being silly.

Although you are supposed to be a nervous 1st time Mum I am in fact more nervous this time round (2nd). I am so much more conscious of what can go wrong this time round, how vulnerable the baby is, and have had a few close people to me go through some horrendous problems since my first dc, that I am on pins.

I have a important project to do and it is totally distracting me. I just crave the reassurance a positive scan result can give.

Thanks for the ideas and letting me vent!

Can they not still attempt to do the test if it's only 3 days late? I suppose if you would keep the baby no matter what the result then although it would be nice having the results it isn't essential. If you would consider a termination if you received a bad result then maybe consider an amniocentesis? At least that way you will know for certain.

As someone who had to tfmr for t21 at age 33 I am very cross on your behalf. They should have made sure the scan appt was within the nuchal window. Would a private nuchal be an option?

what a pain definitely not what you need at the start of pg especially with your friends history, did they do the blood test as you would at least have some idea of the risk, try not to worry and from what you've said you'll be scanned this week, not ideal of course but focus on that and seeing your lo for the first time :)

your definitely not being silly x

It's not ideal, I'd consider writing a complaint in the hopes that it means the process would be improved and other mothers won't have to miss their nuchal?

No, once the pregnancy has progressed the nuchal fold is no longer a useful indicator so a late attempt is pointless. For this reason a private nuchal is no longer possible, if I had known a couple of weeks ago this would be happening I might have arranged it - thanks for your sympathy Blacktreacle and Goingmad

I am not sure I would keep it to be honest - it would require some deep thinking. I am the sort of person who likes to know what I am dealing with i.e. I can deal with anything so long as it is the truth. I don't think I could know what I would do until I was hit with the reality of the situation if you see what I mean.

You are right Goingmad it is what it is now and scan is booked for coming thursday, so I will try to think positive and look forward to it (which I am whilst fretting away IYSWIM)

I felt like me and baby were invincible first time around, but this time I feel so much more fragile... mind you I have also started getting emotional at the drop of a hat too so think I may have just lost it...

Nothing useful to add OP, but just wanted to say that I sympathise and you're not overreacting at all. There's been some good advice on here; can you contact the midwifery services at the hospital today? There will be someone on duty over the weekend, even if it's a faff to get hold of them .... the number should be on your booking-in notes, or ring the hospital switchboard and ask for the midwifery team ....good luck.

McPopcorn I think I may well do that, the reduction of midwifery services in our area is very recent and failings need to be highlighted and addressed if the re-structured service is going to serve ladies in my area well in the future.

one hopes that no Mums and babies will suffer and the decision makers knew what they were doing.

At least as far as I know I don't have a problem I am just falling through the net a little but possibly without consequences. A new system takes time to bed in I know.

Thanks MrsMcEnroe.

I will come back and report. :)

I contacted scan dept separately to rearrange both scans and they were very accommodating, dudn't require going through the midwife.

Rearranged the 20 week scan as we are a week out from where we originally thought(in a VERY planned pregnancy!) so I would say still worth trying and seeing if they can fit you in ASAP, you may just be in the window.

Thanks October you are right, I could try to bring it forward a bit... it might just be worth it as I can't really know for absolute sure how far along I am. :)

my nuchal scan was arranged a few days too late (had dating scan at 9 weeks due to previous mc but was too early for nuchal...).

Apart from one sonographer giving the receptionists hell for screwing up, there wasn't much they could do, obviously. However, the sonographer said I could have the quadruple blood test rather than the triple, which she would prefer anyway, as it tests for other abnormalities too.

She did check the nuchal fold too, as she said if it was too big she would still be able to tell - just it wouldn't be statistically significant anymore (if that makes sense?).

make sure they get your 20 week scan sorted properly too - same idiot receptionists booked mine at 19 weeks, despite me being on the porky side of normal, and despite sonographers telling them to book it week beginning 18th (I think) and them then booking it for the 11th (or something like that) - so I had to traipse back up to the hospital a fortnight later.

good luck :)

ahhh thanks Kveta that is worth knowing. I knew I would be glad I posted. Always get good help here. :)

Gosh YANBU. Complain, complain, complain! You can do this via PALS (hospital will have details), head of maternity services and also contact your Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) rep. Your local branch of NCT will have details but their website is down at the moment I think.

Now I'm no expert, but I think if you miss the nucheal test or if you have it and problems are indicated you can have something called the quadruple test (I saw it in my maternity notes but I don't have to have it)?? Definitely something worth asking about.

you're not at the Rosie too are you, just out of interest?!

No - not at Rosie. I'm at seen at Hope/Salford Royal.

It comes under St Marys manchester maternity services jurisdiction now but only since December, before that they were a self contained, full maternity service of their own. :(

Thanks for the pointer Katie - I didn't know about those avenues. :)

Well - I had my scan and was 14+2 so not possible to have the nuchal test.

They took bloods to do a quad test though and I checked sonographer had dated using skull measurement too. The nurse struggled to get her needle in and took about 3ml of blood - she reckoned they could still test that tiny amount so I hope so as it seemed like nothing to me!!

The sonographer was cooly efficient, shall we say, so wasn't for letting me have much of a look, I glimpsed baby for about a nanosecond and pic we got is not at all recognisable even for a peanut scan! so it all felt a bit flat really. Ho hum.

Still looking on the bright side, it was all present and correct so far as you can tell at this early stage (head, legs, arms) so I mustn't moan, and am probably only doing so because I have a lot on my plate at the moment and could do with a lift.

hopefully quad test will come back OK. :)

Sorry you had such a bad experience! I'd definitely be putting in a complaint, also are there any other hospitals you would use for next scan / labour? It may be worth a small amount of travel to avoid this pathetic treatment for the rest of your pregnancy!

Ahhhh - thanks Rockchick - nice to hear some sympathy

I'm hoping it is all coincidence - it was last appointment of the day, she probably wanted to go home, nurse struggled with needle - not earth shattering stuff. Just little things add up sometimes. I don't think they are rotten to the core - think I've just had a bad run.

Intend to do home birth so all being well I'll be in my comfy house and have the kettle on with no grumps (me or anyone) allowed then.

I see it's all done now, but you have my sympathies. I did everything 'right' in terms of signing up for care, but by the time I was beyond 12 weeks and still had no scan date letter I phoned the hospital to find they had never heard of me. They booked me in for post-14 weeks and an insistent phone call eventually got me in at 13+4, which turned out to be 13+6.

I've found the administrative side of my antenatal appointments ten times more stressful than the medical bits (though I realise of course that I am lucky not to have had any problems). Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy!

Veronica think that sums it up - the process of being dealt with is stressful at times. I too will be grateful if that is all I have to worry about. good to be reminded.