First scan

[purplewoofer]

What happens at h this appointment? Do the usually just do the ultra sound straight away? And can you hear the heart beat or is that something else they use? I am not actually going for a few weeks yet but really want to know everything is ok!!

How many weeks will you be at your first scan?

I'm also quite curious to know what EXACTLY happens. Like how many minutes do you have to wait until they break the news?

Yes, every second is going to feel like someone is extracting my brain with a rusty spoon. I think I'll be a little nervous.

Break what news? At mine we pretty much went straight in and I hopped straight on the bed for the scan with no preliminaries. Baby appeared on the screen straight away. The only thing that did surprise me was that 99% of the time the screen was turned away from me. DH got to see the baby wriggling and hiccoughing but I didn't. The important thing was that it was there(!) and it looked ok with all the right limbs etc. After the scan someone took some blood in another room for the rest of the test for downs syndrome. That was it. I got the full test results later in the post if that's what you meant by "break the news" - but the sonographer was able to reassure us that at least on the measurement alone it all looked ok.

Waiting room first with lots of other nervous people waiting for scans at various stages.

My first scan with DD1 they were running late by 20 minutes. They recommended a full bladder and I was busting by then.

Got into the room and set up, only to find my bladder is too full and had to do a part pee. Then scan commenced.

Basically screen is set up for them to check first. DH saw images first, sonographer did turn the screen to show me what she could.

We took extra cash for scan pics and took 4 fuzzy images home. 1 of which looks like the donnie darko bunny scary face thing.

Next scans DD didn't want to move so was recommended a walk about and a sugary snack or drink. She did move about to get the measurements then.

Can't remember sound. Think it was the midwife with the doppler at 16 weeks was when I first heard her heartbeat.

Have 12 week scan for Dc2 on Tues next week, fx all is well. But I did get a leaflet with the appointment letter that also explains the above.

The 'congratulations you're going to be a parent/ commiserations you're not going to be a parent/ wow there's twins/triplets/a kitten in there kind of news.

I will be 11.5 at the time of the scan depending on my dated being correct. Would not be surprised if there was a puppy or a kitten in there. That would be easier to deal with. I know what I am doi g with pets!!

You don't hear the heartbeat but you can see it flicker which is amazing. In both scans i've had the screen was facing me the whole time, we could all see.

Kellestar the same thing happened to me with the sonogrpaher running late and me basically about to pee myself and then she told me to just go to the toilet anyway!! Not sure how important the whole full bladder thing is?

I also have a scan picture where you can clearly see baby's eye sockets, super creepy......and it's mine!!

Scans are nerve wracking but amazing once you see the wee flicker!!!

Enjoy it

Had mine last week and I'm a worrier so was praying everything was fine. My appointment was early so they were on time calling me in. Scan was first and there was a second monitor right infront of where I had to lay down so I could see everything.

It was amazing. Baby was being a show off and i could see immediately it was a baby and not a indescribable blob (usually I can tell nothing on other people's pics). Thankfully she said it was just one in there and then pointed out heartbeat and arms, legs, etc.. it was brilliant. We got a picture, remember to take change incase you need to buy a token. She took the measurements and confirmed due date which was only 2 days out from what we thought.

Then had to wait ages for midwife. Take a magazine! She just confirmed which tests I wanted done, took loads of blood, told me what the next appointments would be about. Then my OH passed out because of the needle, and we went home lol.

I was nervous as my sister had had bad news before so I was waiting with held-breath for confirmation all was ok. The sonographer paused for AGES ten seconds, then said something about the baby wriggling, leaving me to work out that it meant the baby did indeed have a heartbeat! I think most people assume all will be well so there isn't a 'break the news' issue for them.

We didn't get to hear the heartbeat but they did show it to us on the screen. Hope you enjoy your scan and congratulations!

I think it depends on the unit you go to. We were at Kings in London and for those that want a blow by blow account:

Got there, got logged by receptionist, got change for pictures.
Was weighed and measured, with sniggering from DH about my height
Gave a urine sample
Got called into a room, met two doctors who explained what all the tests would be
Had a the ultrasound - saw the baby, heard the heartbeat, they did loads of sound wave tracking which DH, being a musician, was super interested in.
Had an in internal ultrasound thing, where they checked my birth canal and got more images.
Had bloods taken.
Went out of room to wait for results - took about an hour to wait so we went for a coffee.
Oooohed over scan pictures.
Came back, had results all explained, all good, phoned family.

I think it was hearing the heartbeat that made me cry, less so that seeing them - which is odd. There's just something about hearing it...you're hearing your baby's life :) I wish I could have recorded it. I never get tired of hearing it at MW appointments.

Orenishii I totaly agree, when I heard heartbeat at midwife appointment I completely welled up and felt overwhelmed with emotion. Somehow it was more emotional than the scans which I can't really understand if you know what I mean? Surely SEEING baby would be more emotional?? but it wasn't, for me anyway