12wk scan - photo to take home?

[bebopanddoowop]

It's my 12wk scan tomorrow morning and I am trying to take away the morbid thoughts and anxiety away by concentrating on the good things

Just one question I can't find answers for - if we are lucky enough to get a healthy baby on screen I understand many hospitals also give you the option that you can buy a printout of it, is that correct from other peoples experience? Just wondered if anyone could indicate roughly how much I can expect that to be? Just so I've got enough money on me!

It's an nhs scan I'm getting at Southend hospital in Essex.

Any response welcome, thankyou!

I paid 3 quid bit that was 12 years ago so I expect it's gone up a bit!

I think everywhere is different, our 12 wk pic was free but 20 wk had to pay for. Just make sure you have maybe 6 or 8 quid in pound coins just incase as you often have to drop it into a machine. Enjoy your scan!

My hospital just gives the photos to you now. I've had 6 scans so far (26+4) and I've more photos than I know what to do with!

When I had my last DC in 2001, you were supposed to give a few £s 'donation' for your photo.

If they charge at all, I can't imagine it would be any more than £2-£3.

Good luck!

We paid £2 or £3 for pics at both 12 and 20 week scan. We had to give the money directly to the sonographer as the ticket machine had been broken into! Nice.

For my 12 week scan we had to pay £10 for two!!! It did tell us about the charge on the appointment letter though. Had to change hospitals after that and have had several scans since, all of which have given free photos

here in west london the pics recently where £3 a photo or 2 for £5

Great thank you all that really helpful I was having a slight panic it would be much more. Will take lots of pound coins as suggested.

It was £10 at my hospital for my 12 week scan! I couldn't believe it!

And that was £10 for ONE photo!

Wow writer - I'll bring £10a worth incase then! I doubt it's that at Southend though it's not the most affluent area..

Mine is in Coventry.

The mad thing though is that I also had to have 2 emergency scans there, one at 7 weeks and again at 10 weeks, and both times I got a scan photo for free! I guess they are a nicer/kinder bunch of people working in the Pregnancy Assessment Unit as opposed to the Sonography Department

Take it in pound coins too
That caught us out once

We paid £4 for one photo at our 12 week scan, but since then the lovely sonographer we've seen has given us copies of scans for free! She even let us select ones we wanted, so at 20 weeks we have pics of bubba's tiny hands and feet and at 28 weeks pictures of his face. It's so exciting, I totally understand your nerves, but keep focusing on the positives and I hope it all goes really well.

Often they say one thing and do another, but in your favour. For example, we were told £5 per pic but the sonographer just shoved seven pics into my hands and said loudly to the receptionist "So that's one picture, £5 to pay."

I think most of them realise we're not all loaded and are very kind!

Ours is £5, it said on the letter confirming the appt. I got 2 'framed' photos in the little cardboard thingy and about 4 more, all for the fiver so not too bad.

Ours just asked for a contribution. They gave us an envelope, we put £4 in and popped it in a safe box thing.

Oh, and we did have to ask the sonographer at the beginning of the scan to get pics! Otherwise she wouldn't have done any.

Had our scan last week - it was £5 per photo (Birmingham) The nice scan-lady printed a few images but told us she'd hide them behind the main photo or they'd charge us per pic!

Relax and enjoy! I hope it goes really well for you & you get good clear pics

Ours are free (Scotland) but you only get 1 scan pic.

£10?! Bloody hell

I'm in Manchester and it was £5. They specified that this needed to be in coins too as you had to buy a voucher from a machine! Very odd roundabout way of doing it but there we go!! Good luck for your scan!

It's £5 a photo at my hospital. They have a vending machine thing in the waiting area and you put your coins in and get a sticker to give to the technician.

Hope your scan goes well, I am always a nervous wreck before mine (had lots for reassurance due to previous loss).

I've been given them for free at some scans (usually the free ones are at EPAU or for emergency scans) paid £3 per photo with DS1, paid £6 for a photo when expecting DS2! Then back to £3 this time round. Bizarre. However, when expecting DS2, the sonographer slipped a couple of extra prints into my pregnancy notes as "£6 per photo is outrageous" :-)

Yes, EPU ones are free. I have had lots of EPU scans in this pregnancy and they always gave me some to take away. I guess when a woman goes to EPU they are usually quite distressed, so to charge them for a photo would be wrong really.

Our hospital it is £5 in coins for scan pictures, but we have been lucky and never actually had to pay - 12week scan my appointment was delayed by an hour and a half, and I was so uncomfortable with my huge,distended bladder that the sonographer took pity and printed off a load and gave them to DH while I scampered off to the loo. 20 week scan she was in a stupid position, so could hardly get their measurements the first time, but they gave us the only shot they could get of the baby as a whole. We were given some more when we went back for the enxt appointment, I think they thought we must have already paid for some, so just gave us some extra ones. I also had to go for a growth scan at 33 weeks because she was measuring very small, which was very stressful as DH was away at the time. I asked if they could get a picture, because I wanted something to show him when he got home, and so the sonographer managed to get a reasonable one (she was too big to get a good picture, the irony!) and just gave it to me. I think it probably depends on the individual sonographer - all the ones here have been lovely to us! But while sat in the waiting room, we have seen plenty of couples paying for their token to get the picture after the scan, so they obviously don't just hand them out to everyone.

It was £2/photo a few years back in the hospitals in SE London I went to, but half the time they didn't charge me anything, just handed them over. This was normally because the token machine was out of order. And even if it worked, they would always give me extras. Lovely sonographers! And yes, EPU always free.

I went to St Albans hospital yesterday and my eyes were out on stalks at the £5/photo charge. Thought outside London would be cheaper! I mean, I bet it costs a few pence per photo to print, it's hardly a colour laser, is it? It's basically a profit-making scheme on top of charging £2/hour for the car park as well when you know your appointment can be over an hour late too, gits.