Is it worth having an early scan if I'm overweight?

[thecolonelbumminganugget]

Hi, I'm expecting our first and DH and I would like to go for a private "viability" scan. I'd be 8 weeks on the date we're looking at (9 if you go by the date of my last period but I have a regular 33 day cycle). I'm a size 18 and have a BMI of 32, I'm a bit concerned that the extra flab will mean they can't see anything in an ultrasound and we will worry unnecessarily. There's no medical reason why we want the scan (although in the back of my mind I do worry that the only symptoms I've had so far are sore boobs and cramping) it's just because we're first time parents and want to put our minds at rest that everything is ticking along ok. First midwife appointment is in 2 weeks time, after the date of the scan.

Anyone else overweight and had a successful early scan?

Hello ! Congratulations on your pregnancy how exciting:)

At your stage of gestation they will likely do an internal scan, I dont think your weight will affect this.

Best of luck xx

Thank you!

Hello & congratulations!

I have had early scans and as early as 6 weeks, I am bigger than you and have had internal scans, i even had a normal tummy scan at 9 weeks have seen baby fine :)

Hope your pregnancy goes well xx

Most early scans will be internal, so weight won't make any difference. Also, you are hardly all that overweight. I'm a size 18 and a BMI of 30 and I've had early scans in my last 2 pregnancies. In this one, I had 2 actually at 7 and 8 weeks. At the 7 week scan, which was just a private viability scan, so not much she really needed to see other than get a measurement and check for heart beat, I didn't even need an internal. She could see everything abdominally. The 8 week scan was in the EPU (due to bleeding, all was fine, I just bleed a lot in pregnancy) and they did to an internal there as she couldn't see well enough with the abdominal one. But still it was fine and the internal ones aren't a big deal.

I had several scans before 12 weeks. One as early as 5 when there was just a sac and they saw plenty because it was an internal. Even the external scans haven't been a problem.

Thanks everyone, I've booked it.

I got married a few months ago and the process of buying a wedding dress was soul destroying despite having lost 2.5st and being a size 16 on the day and i felt like something that should have been a fun experience was made awful for everyone involved because of my weight and the same seems to be happening so far with this pregnancy. The nurse who did my midwife referral made me feel awful about daring to fall pregnant whilst overweight. I just didn't want to book in for an early scan and be setting myself up for more disappointment and embarrassment.

From my experience, private scans don't tend to be internal - if they can't see anything then you go back the next week.
I am a similar size to you and have had viability scans (privately) as early as 6weeks. I just drank litres and litres before the scan to make sure my uterus was right out of my pelvis and have never had any issues!
Check with the company that you have booked with as no point in drinking loads if they do internal but if they don't then you know what to do! X

My BMI is 41 and I carry weight in my stomach and a tummy scan was fine

My BMI IS 36 and I had an internal scan at 8 weeks Which was very clear. I would try not to worry about your scans as felt the same but we have had no problems with seeing baby at 12 and 20 weeks. The midwife also made me feel bad about my BMI... so know how you feel, but i think as long as you feel healthy baby will be fine. Good luck with everything xx

I had a scan at 8 weeks. I'm not overweight but they tried an abdominal scan but couldn't see anything as I had too much gas so they had to do a transvaginal scan!

Ignore the midwife and enjoy your scan. It was magical seeing the heartbeat and made me feel much more reassured

Oh goodness, how insensitive of that midwife!
You don’t sound considerably overweight, certainly not enough to affect a scan, we have them here from 6 weeks, I’m not a skinny but that shouldn’t be an issue at all

Congratulations on your pregnancy,

Had my scan yesterday, beautifully clear pictures of our tiny 8+4 little one (clear until I couldn't stop crying at just how beautiful that fuzzy little blob is, but I can't blame that on the ultrasound )

Thanks for the support on this one, so glad we did it, it all seems a bit more real and worth the rough bits of early pregnancy now!