16 weeks scan

[JustMe18]

Hi all!!

I have my 16 week appointment tomorrow..

Just wondering what to expect?

You won't have a scan, and depending on your area they may or may not use a Doppler to listen to the heart beat.

They take blood pressure and dip urine.

16 week appointment was the most useless and boring I found. I skipped it this time!

@mortifiedmama I don't know why I said scan in the title 🙄 I didn't mean to!

I'm hoping I get the heartbeat.. My husband can't make it so my mum is coming with me..

Thank you for getting back to me xx

I had a doppler at my 16 week appt but she made clear at that stage if she didnt get anything it wasnbt cause for panic so she looked at me to make sure I wouldnt start crying or something before she did it.

JustMe18 are you planning to have someone with you at every appointment? They are really boring!

I’ve never had anyone at a midwife appointment with me, they’re pretty dull! My 16 week one was the shortest and dullest... wee check, blood pressure check and on my way. They don’t do the heartbeat until 24 weeks in my area.

They did bloods and urine at my 16 week appointment. My husband came with me as he happened to be off work, he's glad he did as they did check for the heartbeat and asked if I wanted to record it on my phone

I thought it was totally useless, no blood took, done a urine test only because I requested due to recurrent water infections. Didn't hear no heart beat or get blood pressure taken or anything like that all she done was weigh me and ask how I'd been!

You dont get much done at the 16 weeker, blood pressure etc, that's it.

Where we are it's a general check - BP, urine, bloods to test baby's blood type as I'm RhNeg and they listened to the heartbeat. My DH came to my appt but only because it was with the consultant not a MW

SnowOne how do they check the baby’s blood type? Are they doing some kind of NIPT test (looking at baby’s DNA in your blood)?

I’m RhNegative too but haven’t been offered a check of baby’s blood at any point (am in the SE). If I can find out baby’s blood type I’d love to know more!

I had the blood type to check my baby's blood type at 16 weeks too as I am Rhesus Neg. They can tell by checking the baby's DNA from yours but I don't think it's offered in all areas. It's so that if the baby is Neg too, you don't have to bother with Anti D.

I didn't take anyone to any of mine as they are all really boring, just urine, BP and asked if I was ok that was pretty much it, I think I had the whopping cough vaccination too

You don’t get to find out the baby’s blood type though, at least I didn’t. I just found out if baby was positive or negative.

Yeah the PP is right, it isn't type it's the Rhesus Factor so positive or negative. Even then I don't think they can be 100% as my results said what they predicted it to be.

@mortifiedmama No, I'm not taking someone to every appointment.

I just thought I might hear the heartbeat so it would be nice to have Mum there.

Thank you for everyone's input

TinyMarie and teacuptale
Thanks, if it turns out the baby is negative too does that mean you can stop having antiD? Does the test result cause any changes to your care?

Sorry OP for asking separate questions!
Hope you enjoy listening to the HB at your appt! (I heard it at mine and my recent 20 week one).

@YouSetTheTone Don't worry! I'm interested in what you're saying too

@JustMe18
Phew.
I actually had a Harmony test at 12 weeks but it doesn’t appear to have looked at baby’s rhesus status.
I’d love to know where I can get this test the pp have had- would probably need to do it privately as obviously my area doesn’t offer it or I’d have had it.
I have an ectropion on my cervix so currently any small bleeds require an antiD but if I don’t need it that’s obviously a bonus!
DS2 is also ‘o negative’ like me but didn’t find out til after he was born.

Yes, you don't need Anti D if the baby is Neg. I've dug out the leaflet and the blood test is called 'Cell Free Fetal DNA Test'.
I read somewhere that it is quite a costly test which is probably why the NHS don't offer it everywhere yet.

And the result didn't change anything. I am Neg, my baby is predicted to be Pos like her Dad so I had my Anti D injection at 28 weeks and will have another after birth. You need it again if you bleed at all throughout the pregnancy or knock the bump hard enough but other than that, my care has remained the same.

@TinyMarie - thanks so much for digging out the leaflet!
Do you happen to know whether if the baby was found to be negative whether you would then not need the antiD if you bleed? (I am assuming so as not sure why they'd do the test otherwise?) In your case obviously you do as baby is predicted to be positive, so in fact they definitely know you need to be covered in event of a bump/ bleed.
Thanks again!

waaah sorry just read your first reply properly!! Ignore me!

@YouSetTheTone No problem
The leaflet does say that even if the baby is predicted to be Neg, you can still opt to have Anti D as they can't be 100% with the results.

@TinyMarie - ok thanks very much for that. I had no idea about this test.
Now I just need to find out where I can get it done!