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Taking children to a scan

17 replies

Chickenandpenguin · 14/04/2015 12:14

Hi
I'm currently pregnant with dc3 and have a scan next week to date my pregnancy (irregular cycles) so most likely a trans vaginal one. We don't have anyone to care for our other 2 chn (3.5 and 1.5 approx) and my husband can't get off work. So they're going to have to come with me...I really can't see how it'll work but have no choice. Will the scan people be ok with it? I'll take an iPad and sweets or something but bribery doesn't work too well with them normally. Any ideas? Anyone taken theirs and it's been ok?

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applecore0317 · 14/04/2015 12:25

I'd ring the place you are having it done, my letter said no children but each hospital will be different

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 14/04/2015 12:25

I'm having to do the same. The letter from my hospital said they'd rather people didn't in case of bad news but I have no other options. My DS is quite young though so won't really know what's happening anyway

Original poster
Chickenandpenguin · 14/04/2015 12:28

I think they're ok with kids - we had to take dc1 to dc2 scans. But my husband was there to control them. I'll put them in nursery for the more detailed scans but a dating one is normally really quick so it seems daft to put them in. Or does it?

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duckyneedsaclean · 14/04/2015 12:29

I had to take ds1 to my first scan with ds2. It was fine, in fact I did have bad news at the scan, but despite that it was still OK. He was a nice distraction.

Original poster
Chickenandpenguin · 14/04/2015 12:38

Sorry to hear that ducky. I'll be ok if it's bad news, it's early days pregnancy wise and anything can happen can't it. Probably be nice to get a cuddle from my other babies if the worse happens.

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LostMySocks · 14/04/2015 12:58

My hospital says kids fine if no options but have to have an adult to look after them.
In terms of bad news I had a MMC picked up at scan and having DS who was 1 at the time was fab for me as I could cuddle him.

3rdbump · 14/04/2015 17:28

We took our youngest age 2 to our dating scan. Nursery couldn't fir him in and everybody was busy so we took him with us. He sat in his buggy the whole time. Sonographer was fine with it. Also he sometimes comes to my antenatal appointments if it falls on a day where he is off nursery. Midwifes always fine with him being there :)

NickyEds · 14/04/2015 20:42

The bad news thing isn't just for you, it's for other women receiving bad news then having to go into a waiting room with small children in. That's what I was told anyway.
I had to take ds to my first (12 week) scan but dp was there and they made him wait outside with ds (he was one) whilst I had the scan then invited them both in just for a look afterwards. It's really not ideal but if you don't have anyone to take them what can you do? For the 20 week and my next one we've arranged for dps family to visit from bloody miles away and look after ds, TBH I found this really stressful as he doesn't really know them that well. It's hard when you don't have loads of freely available family.

wildpoppy · 14/04/2015 20:47

I had 12 week scan today and it was v long and actually quite boring. Was two hours in the end because takes 90 mins to get blood test results for downs testing plus I had to go away and drink something to try to wake the baby up to move around so they could get the right shot. My 2 yo would have found it very difficult I think.

Original poster
Chickenandpenguin · 14/04/2015 20:48

That's a good point about other women, I hadn't thought of that. I'll speak with nursery but it's pretty last minute so unlikely. It's hard when there's no one to watch them for you, if they don't want them there then I'll just have to wait until erm who knows!

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StarsInTheNightSky · 14/04/2015 22:34

Just wanted to reassure you about the other women aspect. I'm a recurrent late miscarrier, and I've been in plenty of waiting rooms with small children after receiving bad news. I have never begrudged them being there and its never made me more upset - I wanted my child to be alive, other peoples' children have no bearing on that. Through investigations etc I got to know lots of women in the same position as me, and this topic came up at a coffee morning one day. Not one of them (out of about ten) would have minded other people's children being there.
It might bother some women, but I personally think that if you want to/have to take your children then do and don't worry about it. I'm not in the UK but I'll be taking my ds (11 months) with me to my appointments and scans, if I have bad news I want him close by to be able to cuddle, and if its good news I still want him close by as I've yet to spend any time away from him and I don't want to start now.

Levismum · 15/04/2015 01:01

I've previously had bad news at a 12 week scan. I would only bring my dc as an absolute last resort.

Thankfully that day, I had organised childcare as i ended up being admitted, there & then!

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 15/04/2015 07:53

Interesting point about the other women. Without wanting to upset anyone I'm not sure if that's NHS policy as if something happens late on some women are on the postnatal ward or recovery with the women with their babies. Luckily mine was ok in the end but I still think they shouldn't have put me there as I didn't know that at the time.
My sonographer last pg said they didnt want older children running riot as some families think it's a day out to see the baby rather than an important medical check. This was when there was a family of about 8 in the waiting room, 2 kids, 6 adults!

anthropophagus · 15/04/2015 09:36

I don't think quiet children would be a problem but agree with the running riot thing - I got bad-ish news at a scan (turned out ok in the end, but I didn't know that at the time) and was interrupted just as the sonographer was explaining the situation by a small child bursting into the scan room looking for his mother. The sonographer was pretty pissed off and it wasn't great for me either, to be honest.

Pigriver · 15/04/2015 11:16

I would ring the hospital and check. Both of my scan letters have stated no children in the scan room. It's better to know and maybe reschedule than to turn up and them refuse to do it.

Nolim · 15/04/2015 11:30

My hospital had a no kids policy.

Original poster
Chickenandpenguin · 15/04/2015 12:09

Thanks, I've managed to book them both into nursery luckily. Expensive though, oh to have helpful family! They'd probably be ok but it's not worth the risk

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