20 week scan

[nataliekristin]

hi all

I have my 20 week scan tomorrow and wondering what to expect. how long does it usually take? I know it's to check for anomalies too - do they take time trying to check this and do they just tell you outright if something looks abnormal?

thanks!

It depends on how the baby is lying - mine took about 45 mins but that was in two blocks as I had to go and walk and eat chocolate to see if the baby would shift around so they could see the face / lips (checking for cleft palate). I also had to go back a week later because the little monster was still being coy.

I am sure that they would say if something looked abnormal (perhaps by getting another sonographer in for a second opinion). It might be something that they need to refer to a higher authority, but you would be told that there was some area of concern.

The prime purpose is to check for anomalies (they call it the Anomaly scan on my notes) - they look all over and measure things like head and belly circumference, length of femur (these give an indication of whether the baby is growing according to plan), plus look at the heart, kidneys and so on. She worked out that our baby's kidneys are functioning properly by seeing that the bladder was fuller on our second trip after an hour or so.

Mine took about half an hour and dd was in a good position so it can take a while.

They're looking for all sorts really. They tell you straight away if anything looks abnormal, I know this because it happened to my friend.

They also usually ask if you want to know the gender but they make it clear it will only be if they can see easily, they won't waste time looking and trying to move baby to get a clear view for gender.

It is primarily about anomalies, so don't be surprised if there is quite a serious atmosphere in the room. Obviously it can vary from sonographer to sonographer but some health trusts will point out in the appointment letter that it might be quite quiet - which I think is pretty useful given that they might have to give you bad news. The time it takes depends on how the baby is lying - if it's facing your spine it can take a while.
Best of luck.

Thanks