12 week scan... and bursting for a wee just thinking about it!

[RachaelCatWhisperer]

Hi everyone,

I have my 12 week scan tomorrow at 11.30, and will need to drink 500ml one hour before. I practised yesterday and managed 90 mins before I was fit to burst, but today I had a snack with the water on the hope that it would help me hold on and only managed an hour.

So how will this work then? They say the appointment takes 20 mins, so if I drink at 11 that should mean I make it through until after.

I'm dreading being so desperate for the loo that I won't enjoy the scan. And god knows what will happen if they're running late!!

I really needed the loo while waiting for my scan but they were running quite well to time considering I was one of the last scans of the day and it wasn't too bad actually, I survived not wetting myself. Turned out my babies were hanging out the wrong way up for scanning through my bladder to be any use anyway so having a full bladder was pointless, in the end they had to scan from the top of my belly to get measurements without a full bladder.

Scan done. Genuinely horrible experience from start to finish. Midwife mumbling to herself the whole way through, I could barely see the screen from the couch, my husband had to sit at the foot of the bed so nowhere near me, one very grainy picture that you can barely make out, and she's dated me two weeks later than I make it, meaning I conceived before a very heavy period. Oh, and right at the end she said that the scan is blurry because my bladder was too full.

She did tell me that I'm still low risk for Downs, but because she spent the whole time trying to take that measurement, I found it impossible to relax and enjoy it. I left in tears feeling so disappointed.

I'm tempted to pay for a private dating scan to get a proper look and a second opinion on the dates. Have any of you had one? Where do you recommend? £89 in mothercare, perhaps it's worth it for a bit of positive reassurance?

For my 12 and 20 w scans they sent me for a wee before I went in, said it was better to have an empty bladder and I have really clearly defined scan pics and measurements taken easily so dont worry too much xxx

Sorry hadnt realised there was a second page! x

Really sorry to hear you had a bad experience OP :( The first scan is really quick unfortunately (even quicker if you don't have downs screening!) but it should still have been a lively experience for you. The grainy image will be down to the equipment and your anatomy overlying the baby. Her comment about your full bladder causing issues seems silly - it might have squashed the baby up a bit but it wouldn't have made the image grainy, and if it was causing a problem then it would have been easy enough to send you for a wee.

If you think you'll find another scan reassuring then there's no reason not to, maybe just think about what you're hoping to get from it and whether that'll actually help. That price seems a bit steep though so maybe shop around a bit, depends where you are though I suppose!

Sorry you were disappointed. We had a few private scans this time around - more because of issues but I can imagine they'd have been a nice experience under different circumstances. The sonographer spent time explaining all the anatomy, pointing things out, zooming in and out. Was about £40 at an independent place (think they are often cheaper than the big companies in mothercare).