Full bladder for scan?

[LittleMissPear]

Hi Ladies, I need some advice.

I have my scan on Friday at 8.30 in the morning. The letter asks that you have a full bladder when you attend. The thing is, this morning I got up at around 6.45 and went to the loo, I then tried to drink alot to see if I had a full bladder again by 8.30 - but I don't think I really do. I mean I could go for a wee, but I really need to, IYSWIM.

DH thinks that I should try not to go to the loo first thing in the mroning before the scan - but I'm not sure I could do that, I'd be in agony!

Any advice/tips?

thanks

Wee as normal when you wake up

Then just drink 1-2 pints about an hour before the scan - that's what I was always advised to do and I never had any problem

full bladder means a pint/pint and a half of liquid about an hour before scan. You don't want to feel "bursting" as they might do quite a bit of pressing down.

Yup, what they said. About a pint (though my hospital said a litre ) of water an hour before. You can include tea etc in that volume.

You will need to do your first morning urine sample anyway so you will have to go in the morning. Just drink a small bottle of water on the way to the clinic and you will be fine!

I'd second not trying too hard as I slightly overdid it and ended up finding the pressure of the scanner a bit uncomfortable. I'd suggest taking a water bottle with you so you can drink steadily and top yourself up in the waiting room if you need to (I couldn't have downed a lot of water in one go without throwing it up). It took remarkably little water (about 300ml I think) to go from empty to more than full enough.

I agree, but don't rely on drinking it all in the waiting room. It takes about 30 minutes (I think - that's what my midwife said) to make any difference to the fullness of your bladder, so downing a pint in the waiting room won't help much unless they are running very late. Which they probably will be....

Thank you all, that's really helpful. I'll just try and drink as much as I can an hour before then.

I wasn't asked to bring a urine sample is that standard?

I was scanned when i had dehydration caused by hyperemesis at 10 weeks my bladder was nowhere near full so i wouldnt stress to much.

The woman who scanned me told me that you need a full bladder until around 10 or 11.weeks after that it doesnt matter so much

Depends. My area doesn't do bloods and urine at booking so you do them after scan. My old area the scan was on its own.

I drunk a pint of water before my 12 week scan on top of a cup of tea about an hour before. By the time i got to the scan, my bladder was so full, the sonographer couldn't see baby so well as bladder was obscuring uterus and ask me to go to the loo. Was nice of her actually as she was pushing down a bit.

My 12 week scan was at 08:10 in the morning. I got up around 4:30 to go to the toilet and then I didn't need a wee until after the scan, could be another option. You need to do what is easier for you.

I went for a scan at 8 weeks and the sonographer ask me to go and have a wee before she started!? Have never gone with full bladder since :-)

If they wanted a first morning urine sample they would have mentioned it along with the come with a full bladder letter.

I just had an early scan, by the time the scan took place there was a HUGE black area where my full bladder took over the scan

I think i underestimated how quickly my bladder could fill so i agree with above posters about not filling it up too much.

Ultrasounds request full bladder because of the conductivity of sound waves through water, which makes the images clearer. This is only really important if you are very early on. Most times you can get a good scan without a very full bladder. Maybe just don't pee for an hour or two before

i was told to drink a pint before the appt. did so and then was told i shouldnt of bothered, and then thr sonographer moaned about that being in the appt letter well thats not my fault! she then told me to wed a bit. my god thats agony

I've had 3 external - as opposed to trans-vaginal- scans.

First (after a loss) I was too full of wee and told to let some out (tricky).

The others, in the 1st trimester, I thought I'd be getting a TV which requires empty/normal bladder. Opposite of requirements! But they worked fine. However there's not much to see at that point anyway (just a HB and baby outline), but I would advise not being empty, not getting fit-to-burst, just need-a-wee.

I panicked about the water as im not a very big drinker. Managed to drink a couple of pints and by the time we got to the scan she asked me to go an empty it as all she could see was a big black splodge haha.

Maybe try half full and definitely dont drink so much your bursting I waited an hour for my scan and I genuinely thought I was going to wee all over the waiting room haha

good luck! :)

I hated the full bladder thing. First and second dc, I went with a full bladder and it was bloody uncomfortable. Did the same the third time, and because of the bladder and placenta, she told me to go to the loo and empty my bladder. Saw the baby much better.

I would drink if I was to be pg again but wouldn't go overboard.

My hospital letter actually stated that the pint of liquid was not to be alcohol!