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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Did you / would you have an early scan privately?

34 replies

BananaStand · 14/12/2017 15:54

I am 9 weeks. I am a real worrier and have been stressing about my very on / off symptoms and occasional cramps / back pain. My first NHS scan is not until early January.

My DB has very kindly offered to pay for a private early scan as my Christmas present. However, I am unsure whether to go for one. Firstly, because even if everything is ok, there's still a fair chance things will go wrong until the 12 week scan. Secondly, because (and I know this is ridiculous) I know I will be miserable over Christmas if anything is wrong, and maybe it is best to live in blissful ignorance.

On the other hand, I really want the scan, I think I would find it reassuring, and I really want to see my baby!

Any thoughts / advice / experience you can share would be greatly appreciated :) I just don't know what to do for the best!

OP posts:

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CinnamonAndSpice · 14/12/2017 15:56

I did. For the same reason and I know theres still risks after but it's good for peace of mind now x I'm now 28 weeks

MerryMarigold · 14/12/2017 15:57

I remember the thrill of hearing the heartbeat? Could your db buy you something so you can hear the heartbeat and then you would also have that in future to reassure you if you were worrying.

LuchiMangsho · 14/12/2017 16:00

Yes. But I had one problem free pregnancy. And then with my second at the 12 week scan there was no heartbeat. The pregnancy hadn't progressed beyond 5/6 weeks. Of course things can go wrong between weeks 9-12 but I have since learned that once you see a heartbeat for a foetus that is more or less bang on for dates the chances of things going wrong are MUCH MUCH lower. I spent 12 weeks waiting when I could started the process of finishing the previous pregnancy much much earlier and saved myself heartache.
So for that reason alone, I would.

TonicAndTonic · 14/12/2017 16:03

Currently pg with dc1. We decided not to have an early scan because it only tells you that everything's ok on that day, it could still theoretically all go wrong the next day. But part of me did want an early peek, as I was getting zero symptoms and didn't think the whole thing was real! It's a very personal decision.

Could your db buy you something so you can hear the heartbeat

My midwife office is full of posters saying don't buy home Dopplers etc because they can give false reassurance that your baby is well.

Daisy91 · 14/12/2017 16:07

Yes would absolutely recommend. I had a private scan at 7/8 weeks and we got to see the heartbeat which was very reassuring- I was panicking a lot! She also found I had a cyst so I’m glad I am aware of that now.

My 12 week scan is next Friday- I hope everything is okay. I’m still excited/ worried about it but would have been more so if I’d not had the early scan. I think 12 weeks is far too long to have to wait! X

pastabest · 14/12/2017 16:13

I had a missed miscarriage with my first pregnancy and found out at a private scan at nearly 11 weeks (NHS scan wasn’t due until nearly 14 weeks)

Although the lady that scanned me was herself lovely the private scan place handled it really badly. I got text messages afterwards from them saying things like ‘congratulations on meeting your baby’ and encouraging me to book another scan at 16 weeks. You obviously still have to pay as well regardless of the result and that was the worst thing in the world having to stand in the waiting room completing a card payment trying not to cry and with other pregnant people Aron d you.

I didn’t consider a private scan for my second pregnancy as I was offered an early dating scan by the NHS as I had no idea when I had conceived (v soon after my MMC happily)

I did consider it with my 3rd pregnancy and probably would have booked one if dates had been available, however with it being the run up to Christmas they were fully booked. I had my 12 week scan recently and all was fine.

Only you can make that choice really.

LastOneDancing · 14/12/2017 16:14

It's a very personal choice.

I didn't have an early scan for either of my pregnancies. I saw scans as very much a medical/diagnostic thing, so no way did I want an additional anxious event! As another poster said, it's only a snapshot in time.

But if it makes you feel better, go for it!

lljkk · 14/12/2017 16:20

No, but I'm not a worrier. I like knowing I'm fully not in Control. Pressure off.
Even if the scan seems perfect, there is no guarantee it will be perfect the next day.
Knowing the scan was bad & that nothing could be done to fix it would not make me happy, either.

lljkk · 14/12/2017 16:22

Actually, I'm scan adverse, if anything. Each scan is another chance for them to find "maybe" things that they investigate for months only to decide in the end there was nothing to worry about at all. This happened with my first pregnancy. Lots of pointless worry. Less scans is my choice, every time.

roobrr · 14/12/2017 16:22

I have had early scans/ private scans throughout my pregnancies and always found it to be worth it :) if it would put your mind at ease even a little I say go x

Sunshinegirl82 · 14/12/2017 16:33

I had a couple of private early scans and I found them very reassuring. Nothing is guaranteed, obviously, but if you have a pregnancy that looks right for dates and can see a heartbeat the chances of something going wrong are much lower.

My big fear was a MMC discovered at 12 weeks where the pregnancy hadn't progressed past 5/6/7 weeks. If that had happened I wanted to know as early as possible.

It is a very personal choice though so I don't think there is a right answer and early pregnancy is a very anxious time whatever you do! Wishing you all the best.

LucyDolly · 14/12/2017 16:34

I’m having a private scan in 9 days. I will be 9 weeks then, only reason really is so we can use the scan photo to announce it on Christmas Day. :) otherwise I don’t know if I would have just waited another 3 weeks x

CrossFreelancer · 14/12/2017 16:36

Just to let you know it might be worth it!

The obstetrician who scanned me said that if you see at heart beat on an ultrasound at any point before 12 weeks, the chance of miscarriage goes down to only 10%

starsandcookies · 14/12/2017 16:42

I did and will always pay privately for an early scan. With my first pregnancy I had a missed miscarriage at about 5/6 weeks and didn't find out until the 12 week scan. They left me to miscarry naturally which took another 10 days and I had an awful infection which took several months and rounds of antibiotics to get rid of.
If the scan all goes well and the dates look good, as well as a good heartbeat, at 9 weeks the chances of anything bad happening are very very slim.
Plus god forbid if the worst case scenario did happen, it would be much better and safer for you to know.
Good luck, I wish you all the best. It really was the best £70 I'd ever spent.
I'm currently expecting baby no 2 and my private early scan is already booked! X

zaalitje · 14/12/2017 16:44

Could your db buy you something so you can hear the heartbeat

No no no

That's medical equipment to be used by those trained to use them.

The chances of finding it yourself that early are slim or you may instead pick up an artery instead!

You are not trained to recognise if the heartbeat sounds healthy, or how to pick it up.

Midwives often don't use a doppler on women till the 25 week appt as it's so difficult to detect and causes huge amounts of stress if not found immediately.

starsandcookies · 14/12/2017 16:46

Just to add DO NOT get a Doppler....repeat DO NOT! My friend did this and had several emergency midwife appointments in a panic that she couldn't find the heartbeat even though everything was fine. Even Midwife's struggle to find them sometimes and they are the experts!!

muddlingalong42 · 14/12/2017 16:57

I had a missed miscarriage so when I got pregnant again I went for a private scan at 9 weeks. I did this on the basis that if all ok at 9 weeks the risk of miscarriage after that is a bit lower, so I thought it would be more reassuring.
I was extremely nervous at the time but I'm very glad I did it, I didn't think I could get through to 12 weeks being so panicked! I also didn't want to back to the hospital for my first scan when I'd had bad news there the previous time.
I still worried all the way through the pregnancy, but I'm still glad I had the private scan!

AnMum · 14/12/2017 17:02

Sorry to be the voice of doom here but I had a private scan at 8.5 weeks, saw the heartbeat and everything and then found out at 12 week scan that things had not progressed beyond just under 9 weeks. So although it can be reassuring, things can still go wrong. On the other hand, I’m eligible for an early scan on the NHS this time and they want to do it at 9 weeks becasue that is apparently a milestone and the risks are a bit lower after this. So maybe that would reassure you?

fizzingwhizbee · 14/12/2017 17:03

I did with both of mine. It really put my mind at rest

BrutusMcDogface · 14/12/2017 17:53

I've been trying to book one but not much luck- all fully booked as so close to Christmas! I want to know everything is ok in there before telling family over Christmas. I'm 9 weeks now. Had an early scan with my last baby at 8 weeks, because I'd had two miscarriages. Put our minds at rest!

BrutusMcDogface · 14/12/2017 17:54

Plus I really REALLY need to know it isn't twins!!

Original poster

BananaStand · 14/12/2017 17:59

Thanks everyone! I think I might go for one next week so that I am 10 weeks. Hopefully everything will be fine and not too long to wait then until the official scan!

Don't worry, I won't buy a Doppler!

OP posts:

pomegranita · 14/12/2017 18:08

I did. My NHS appt wasn’t until about 14 weeks and at that time they didn’t offer a nuchal fold test anyway. I thought that if there was something wrong, I would rather know at nine or ten weeks than be pressurised into making fast and difficult decisions at 14 weeks +
(** Not all private scans are diagnostic remember; some are just “meet the baby”. Mine was at the Fetal Medicine Centre in Harley St I think, and did include diagnostic tests. It wasn’t as expensive as you would think - £150 ish - though that was 12 years ago - well worth it for the extra piece of mind in my view).

MrsKrantz · 14/12/2017 19:16

I have a private scan booked for next Friday evening. I'll be 9+0 and I'm now unsure if I want to go. I booked so I could share our news with family on Christmas day (only DH knows) but if its bad news Christmas will be horrible. I also don't know how I'd cope with the false hope of a positive early scan. I have my booking appointment next Wed, I'll speak to the midwife then.

Sunshinegirl82 · 14/12/2017 19:20

You might not be interested OP so apologies if not but I had the harmony at 10 weeks too which was great for me as it helped me relax a bit and meant we didn't have a further wait after the 12 week scan for the anomaly screening results.

My NHS scan was on Christmas Eve which played a part in that decision, if we'd got a high risk result it would have been difficult to follow up with further appointments/tests at that time of year. As it was we already knew we were low risk for the 3 main trisomies (plus the sex!) when we went for the 12 week scan and so declined the NHS screening and were just able to enjoy the scan.

The FMC in London do a package of two scans and the harmony for £400 I think if you have the harmony in week 10.

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