Ultrasound scan: when too many?

[LaRusse]

Hi, all. I have had 3 US scans and just about to have my 20 week structural check, etc. Have read that ultrasound scan's benefits DO NOT outweigh the possible hazards on baby's future health. Dead worry about it and about to cancel any visits to maternical clinique and just let it go naturally but my DH has gone allo bonkers about it. Any thoughts?

Fruitful, of course, you should go for scan if you bleed and suspect placent praevia. I guess it is important that you DO have choice - and go for scan if there is a good reason for that. Currently, there is no much information on risks and women are sent to scans too easily.

i had my second and am having my 3rd in AUstralia and it depends on your GP and consultant - some ob consultants still like to scan like mad. On the equivalent of the NHS you get one scan at 20 weeks unless you opt for a nuchal translucnecy or your pregnancy is one of high risk.

WIth dd2 I was given a scan at 36 weeks cause I wanted a vbac and they wanted to see how big dd2 would be - I was huge and so without even scanning it was pretty apparent that dd2 would be on the big side.

It seems here in Aus to be more about what sort of care you are having rather than the research and of course the big factor - cost.

I live in Hong Kong where, in the private system at least, u/s are done with great frequency.
I am currently 36 weeks pregnant and have had at least 9-10 scans, with one a week from now until baby is born.
This is the norm here.

I, like Spidermama, didn't have any scans during pregnancy. It was very difficult for midwives to understand but I felt there was no need. I also refused blood/urine tests which made it even more difficult. It seems that medical professionals have got into the habit of doing all the 'regular' stuff that they forget it's a woman's choice and she can decide what tests/procedures she wants. If you choose something that is not the 'norm' you really have to fight.

If I have another child, I will definately consider an independant midwife so that I don't need to justify my decisions at each appointment.

Good post asur. Sheila Kitzinger writes really well on the subject of choosing not to have scans. She helped me state my case in her book Pregnancy and Childbirth.

Fruitful, as for placenta praevia and the like, there are signs from the body (bleeding for example) if these issues arise. I would certainly welcome a scan if I did show such signs. It's the routine use of scanning I objected to and I know of so many women who had miserable and stressful pregnancies, needlessly, because they were told there may be some sort of problem.

In all of these cases everything turned out to be OK after all. What a shame these women were denied the right to enjoy their healthy pregnancies.

I realise that there can be problems, but the body tends to give signs for these and for me scanning is just another way of medicalising birth, taking it away from women and frankly, looking for problems. Medical professionals have a habit of viewing pregnancy as an illness and pregnant women as patients to be healed or interferred with in some way.

I'm sure there are many women who enjoy this sort of support and monitoring of their pregnancies, btu those who don't, like me, are treated as freaks who aren't to be trusted. I felt forced to fork out for indie mws each time because of the medical establishment's inability to support my pregnancies and births in the way I wanted.

I don't think there is a need for routine scanning at all, but I very much enjoyed the chance to see my baby and feel reassured at 12 weeks (I had been feeling quite anxious about miscarrying or problems with the baby up until then).

Personally I refused the other tests - the blood test thing, was it? as it would not have made any difference to the way I handled my pregnancy and I think there is something to be said for being unprepared for disabilities - just my personal feeling.

Franny I would argue that spotting a disability or possible disability on a scan doesn't really prepare you for the reality.

I had a strong sense of not wanting to pry into my growing babies own personal world and of wanting to follow things through in a natural sequence. I didn't want the computer images to be the first I saw of my baby. I wanted the sticky warm thing fresh from my body laid on my belly. Bliss.

I know I'm unusual in this feeling (just for a change then ) but it's a strong feeling for me none the less.

I've known so many women who have been caused unecessary stress by their scans. For example, what's the point in telling a woman who is 21 weeks pregnant that her baby is breech?

I was worried about bonding - that old chestnut - I knew I didn't want to abort a disabled child (with the sort of disabilities that are shown up at that test), but didn't know how I would cope with carrying one to term, giving birth and so on. I felt if I gave birth, saw my baby and was then told about a disability, I would have already fallen in love and everything would be a lot easier.

However I am just hypothesising so maybe I am talking utter crap

shhh...don't get me wrong, I do know where you are coming from, but I suppose I also have experienced myself that a scan indeed can cause more heartache then it's worth....with es, I had a scan after I started bleeding (this was only a few month after my first m/c) and well, my Ob/Gyn was on Holiday so, went to his stand in one...she scanned and said that she can't find a embryo yaddayaddayadda...I was heartbroken and well...the next few nights I drowned my sorrows, wondering what was wrong with me and would I ever have Kids...well...a few days later my proper Ob Gyn was back and I was asked to see him, and he scanned me and viola there was es on the screen and all was fine...so...I had been upset for no reason whatsoever....!

Fruitful, that must have been very scary to wake up haemorghaging (sp?) I mean...!
Saying that, if a woman does have Placenta Previa they sually bleed in pg, so, therefore one can assume if one doesn't bleed that one doesn't have it, and therefore a routine scan to see about this is unecessary, iykwim!
I think especially the Placenta Previa is such a worrying thing that women are told at their 20 week scan, where indeed at that time it doesn't mean anyhting, as by the time a woman gives Birth the placenta may well not be anywhere near the cervix anymore...so, for those women it creates unecessary anxiety!

Do what is the norm in your practice, and don't be bullied or scare mongered by some stupid comments people with strong personal opinions make.

What a grown up attitude,pennygaff

strange thing to say pennygaff - very trusting to just do what the practise midwife/doctor says. I think women should be informed and know what they are doing rather than just agreeing with doctor, afterall, how many times have doctors/midwives made mistakes? Each to their own though.

Just as an aside, in my notes, it was written several times that "patient thinks that pregnancy is 'natural'" - like I was wrong! Just shows what Spidermama said about medical professionals seeing pregnancy as an illness.

Lol asur at 'thinks pg is natural'.
I was given a sealed envelope by a grinning midwife after my 2nd NHS consultation and told to 'take this letter to the obstetrician at St. Thomas's hospital'. Naturally I opened the letter to discover the words, 'This woman is insisting on a home confinement and refusing to have a scan'.

Up to that point I thought I was planning a home birth choosing not to have a scan. It was a shock to realise they clearly thought I was a nutter and had no intention of humouring me. I suppose they have a point. I'm only the birth giver after all.

Anyway, I went on to hire indie MWs and had the same woman deliver all four of my babies. I'm still broke as a result, but it was worth it.

Spidermama and asur....how bad is that...about made to feel unormal if believeing PG is a natural physical state, lol, and about being unormal because one doesn't jump at the chance of having every test in the book, etc...!
I have to say though...after my very bad experience with ys...there was a point where I wished I could just have gone with the flow and just let them get on with it and not being involved, not wanting all info available...as maybe it is easier, as you can just blame anyhting going wrong on someone else if you don't make truely informed decisions...but then...I don't think that would be for me! The older I get the more Info I like having, lol!I rather take responsibility for my own decisions I suppose!