can anyone recommend s/where for a private utrasound in London?

[madgirl]

friend at work had scan at 21 weeks with ealing hospital, it's her first baby and it sounds like she had a horrible experience - really cold sonographer, wouldn't give out any information - when asked if there were 10 fingers and 10 toes, was told that parents-to-be were expected to love their child whatever they looked like, i was quite shocked. anyway, they have decided they would like to have another look and are happy to pay for it- does anyone know of anywhere in london/greater london that does private scans? thanks.

Carriemac - Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you saying I'm irresponsible???

Ok forget my last message, I'm still half asleep... DD not sleeping well... Sorry

Carriemac - If ultrasounds are so risky why have the government in Scotland recommended that every woman should be given 2 scans..... and why was I never informed of any risks when I had 4 scans in my 1st pregnancy?

We are made to sign all sorts of consent forms in pregnancy to say we are aware of the risks of all sorts of things, but NOT ultrasound!

IMO - Your post sounded a bit off-ish.

Carriemac, perhaps this will explain...

In my 3rd pregnancy, last Nov. I asked private hospital for a scan at 6/7 weeks, but they wouldn't do it ( had them early in first pregnancies) About 5 days later I went to Paris, where I ended up in hospital in agony ( 4 hours after I arrived for romantic weekend!!)

It turned out I'd had an ectopic which had ruptured, (if you don't know how dangerous these are - I could have died!!) They operated immediately, and I lost a fallopian tube, and about 1.5 litres of blood. A little scary I can tell you.

When I arrived at the hospital ( who were fantastic by the way) They did an internal scan, and were amazed that english women do not get routinely scanned until 12 or even 20 weeks. They, scan all french women at 7 weeks, internally, and they have, I think, 5 scans throughout their pregnancy.

I am therefore, thankful for the chance of scanning, as in my case I did need it, but wasn't allowed it. About 2 days after I got home, a consultants secretary phoned me from the hospital to offer me a scan ( he had just started working at the english hospital who originally refused to scan me because I was pregnant ) So i had to inform her that they were a too week late!!

I will be scanned as a matter of urgency, at 5.5/6 weeks WHEN & IF I manage to get pregnant again. I think you may agree Carriemac, that this may be necessary.........

carriemac, I had in excess of 20scans with DD(had 8wks, 12wks, then 3 at 20weeks to get measurements then from 28wks had atleast 2 a week until 36 weeks) and they did not affect DD at all she is a very bright 7 year old and has never realy been ill.

I think it is quite harsh of you to say that it is unethical for places to offer videos etc scans as surely if it was dangerous why are they allowed to do it.
Also from reading other threads also it is becoming apparant to me that most other countries with in europe offer more that just the 12 and 20 weeks scans as standard.

I'm not saying you should'nt have ultrasounds, I have lots with my twin pregnancy,BUT they were medically indicated for a high risk pregnancy. Iwould never have one just to see the baby. I think that is irresponsible. Also what kind of backup and counselling would the private clinc have if if found an abnormality? Remember these private clinics are just to make money for the owners.

I second Babybond. I didn't have one but passed on that info to a mate and she was delighted.

Not sure Carriemac's link really backs up her points - at least not for the age of foetus under discussion, but not sure it is worth a line by line analysis.

We had private scans at the Lister, though not a formal anomaly one. We also had Babybond scans done. The one in Ashford does have a NHS sonographer who specialises in obstretic scans, but again they may it very clear that it is not an anomaly scan.

I guess my reasoning was different from carriemacs: we had a high risk pregnancy, and there was a reasonable probability that our long-awaited child would be born severly prem, and possibily not survive (at least that is what we were told). To have the video meant that we would at least have some "souvenir" in the event that the worst happened.

In one sense it didn't fill us with confidence about the NHS 20 week scan - we had been told ds1 was almost certainly a girl! But that said, in very tricky situations I'd still opt for NHS any time.

This is a study on the association between frequent ultrasound in pregnancy and low birth weight

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=8105165&dopt=Abstract
sorry here is the link

Ha!!!! my kids weighed 8lbs 2oz 9 (1 Day early) and 8lbs 4oz (10 days early).......

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry 8lbs 2oz....

ignore the extra 9

carriemac, i am interested in your strong views on private clinics have you had a personal experience?

IME experience they have been extremely thorough and carried out all procedures with utmost tact, care, kindness and consideration by all concerned.

My DH works in the NHS and and very small amount in the private sector. His opinion is quite simply that private clinics are there to make money, the quality of care is patchy ie no cardiac arrest teams etc and he provides a limited specialist service because if he did'nt somebody miles less quailifed would do it. (and of course he gets very hansomely paid for it). He absolutely would not have any of his family use anything but the nhs if at all possible. We dont have private health insurance either.We had our IVF privately because we did not have an option locally and i had to refuse an anasthetic for a proceedure one day because the anaehestist on duty in his opinion was not fit to practice and no one would work with him in the NHS. In fairness the ivf care was otherwise good, if very expensive.

I was also admitted for a frozen embryo transfer which was cancelled on the day due to all the embryos perishing when thawed. the private clinic broke the news to me via a nurses aide who then reminded me to pay for the room on the way out! I had,nt even sat on the bed.

Carriemac i have to say that it does sound like you have had bed experiences possibly also your anxiety is fuelled by your husbands inside knowledge.

I have to say that i have also had both sides of the system both natally and non. In each instance i have felt completely let down, no less than an animal or number that someone may get round to in time if youre lucky in the NHS. Fairly much the same for my father when he was dying in the NHS and whilst i can also offer critisms for the private sector i have to say that almost all the care i and my family have recieved has been almost exemplary. Nursing staff in particular seem to earn enough to actually enjoy what they are doing and give the best of themselves instead of being overworked and underappreciated in the NHS.

I had a very very tricky pregancy and birth privately and was very well cared for. And although a very fraught experience was made unbelievable by the doctors and staff at the birth unit.

So i guess what we all need to realise is that there are good and bad in both sectors and whether the hospital i had my ds in was private or not they provided amazing care throughout for me, my child and my whole family, so much so that i am hoping to have my 2nd child there later this year even though i now live a long distance from there.

So here's hoping that wereever we end up in the future NHS or Private we all get good care

Had DD at 38 weeks weighing in at 3.750 kg having had 4 ultra sounds. Had never heard of link (glad now).