do you only get two scans in total?

[ksksnod]

from the internet most countries offer routine monthly check on the baby e.g ultra sound, if not then the midwives will at least let you listen to babys heartbeat every 4 weeks.

i only get one scan at 12 wks , the next one will be 20 wks and nothing in bwtween except one blood test.

is this normal? arent you worry in this 8 week lapse?

If everything is well, standard NHS care is 2 scans.
The midwife usually listens for the heartbeat every appointment, from 16 weeks, although I gather that they may not start listening til after that - not all hb can be heard at 16 weeks, depending on the placenta position and babys position and exact age.

With both babys, I started to feel movements from about 15 weeks (this is early, many don't feel movement til after this point), which is another reassurance that baby is fine.

Yes, its normal - both in terms of your care path, and also yuor feelings. Once your a Mummy, you worry about everything - kids screeming?, whats wrong?; kids silent? whats very wrong.

Congrats on your pregnancy.

:) yes you are right, you worry about everything once you're a mommy. i have a doctors appointment (scheduled by the mdwife) in 2 wks time for other problems. i hope the dr will check on the heartbeat... then nothing until the 20 wks scan.

what do the baby movements feel like?

Most countries have private healthcare which costs significantly more than the nhs. They add lots of extra tests to keep people happy and keep the money coming but are not strictly medically necessary. Ie in America I think i remember reading somewhere healthcare costs about twice as much per head what the nhs costs.
We only scan if it is deemed medically necessary. The gap between 12 and 20 weeks is small In the grand scheme of the pregnancy. A normal scan at 12 weeks rules out most major abnormalities and the scan at 20 weeks picks up more subtle abnormalities such as abnormalities of the heart which could not be picked up much earlier anyway. In all my time scanning I have never scanned a baby at 20 weeks and not found a heartbeat, when they had a warlier normal 12 weeks scan.
Later scans are carried out if they are deemed medically necessary

Hope hat reassures you somewhat x.

Excuse typos on iPhone xxx

As far as I'm concerned (ime) the fewer scans the better. Far less opportunity for pointless scary false alarms.

I've had seven scans (excluding two 4D scans). I've been having a low risk, uncomplicated pregnancy but I've also had quite a few periods of reduced movement. After each period, they've sent me for a scan just to check everything is okay. If you have any reason to need a scan, they'll send you. :)

Congratulations! All sounds normal for a low risk pregnancy. I didn't feel any movements until about 20 weeks. In fact, I remember bursting into tears at my 20 week scan when the sonographer greeted me by saying
'I bet you're feeling the little one bouncing around all over the place by now'. Nope. Not a thing. Turned out I had an anterior placenta, which has no real implications other than not being able to feel movements until later in your pregnancy.

Your midwife will listen in at every appointment once the baby's heartbeat is strong enough to hear with a doppler. But again, try not to worry. It once took about half an hour to locate DS'. I was a wreck, but he was fine - just hiding!

Very normal for a low risk pregnancy. Makes each scan very special! Unless there's some deviation from low risk for whatever reason, that is all a pregnancy truly needs.

Sadly most of my pregnancies have been high risk and the scans have run into the double digits with my last two. You don't even get to have a good look at the baby with most scans as they're normally zoomed right in on the part of interest.

Most Americans do have loads more scans and tests in general because they're paying for it through insurance, not the NHS. Given we see so much American TV and so many English-speaking forums are American, it's not surprising here in the UK we get a little surprised our first time round at what we're actually offered. I know I did! I still remember the bemused look on my GPs face when I asked when I'd be getting my betas and progesterone checked with my very first pregnancy..

Some people (like me, who is crazy paranoid due to past experiences!) buy a doppler to listen to the heartbeat themselves from around 10-12 weeks, but it's one of those things that you should only do if you promise yourself you won't freak out if you can't find it one day, as baby often hides! There are also suggestions dopplers may not be 100% safe - it's a very personal decision to make and I'd suggest you do your own research into the risks and benefits.

I also get a routine scan at 32 weeks.....?

More regular scans only happen in other countries if your insurance covers it. Your midwife will probably start to use a Doppler to listen to baby's heartbeat soon too.

Some hospitals do a third scan around 32 weeks but they tend to be the big, research hospitals, e.g. UCH and King's London.

2 scans would have been bliss.. there's nothing nice about a scan when you're heavily pregnant. I had to make her stop a few times as I felt bloody awful lying on that bed.

2 scans = uneventful pregnancy.. which is a good thing.

I do hope yours is uneventful and smooth. The fact you feel rotten is a good thing in a way.. it means everythings probably on track. once you pop over your pelvic bone, movement should come soon afterwards.

I've had an extra scan at 27 weeks and have another one booked for 34, because we were in a car crash and I'd had quite a bit of reduced movement. It was pretty incredible how big and different baby was, seeing him or her playing with his own toes. Although, I would have been happier with no crash and no extra scan to be honest! I know quite a few people who pay for 4d scans in the third trimester to have another look at baby though.

In my area it's 3 scans for your first pregnancy, 2 for any others.