Early scan - over the belly or up the...!!

[madeinthe80z]

Hi all, I want to book an early scan for this weekend for reassurance and to tell my parent all being well.

I do not want a transvaginal scan, for a number of reasons and would only want a belly one!

In your experience, how far along will I need to be to guarantee this?

I will be 8 weeks this Saturday according to LMP date, however by my calculations I reckon I'll actually be 7+4/7+5.

Thanks

that early it will likely be TV, sorry.

I was a size 10 when pregnant with DD 6 years ago and had an abdominal scan at 7+4 weeks.

I was a size 20 with the pregnancy before this one and had to have a transvaginal scan at 7+1 (she tried to do it abdominally at first)

They’re honestly not that bad!

I had an eight week one trans-abdominally. Make sure you're bursting for the toilet to give you the best shot at abdominal only. I think it depends on the position of the embryo and how accurate you are with your dates.

I’ve had tv ones at 5 and 6 weeks, ime they have tried the external one first (as you need to have a full bladder) and then if that doesn’t show enough you’re asked to empty your bladder and they do the other way. You would need to ask to make sure your wishes are followed. But if you’ve been told to have a full bladder that’s a sign about what they’ll start with.

Transvaginal scans are really not bad at all, no where near as bad as giving birth..

Sorry have just seen your booking a private scan, in that case you can just say what you want though there’s a chance they won’t see as much as you hope, at 7+ I have certainly seen a pole thingy and a heartbeat.

.....or if it's that important just wait.

Thanks all, I have a cervical ectropian (cervical erosion) have had it for years and whenever I've had anything up there, particularly for smear tests, it has caused a lot of bleeding and I really don't want to do it, even if it's perfectly safe. So maybe I should wait another week to be on the safe side. I'm a size 14/16 so could affect it too by the sounds of it!

I wouldn't have an early scan unless it was medically essential. I found them very stressful, frequently gave unclear results and often need repeating a week or two later...The opposite of reassuring really.
Good luck with your pregnancy though and whatever you decide is right for you.

I had one at 6+3 and they managed fine abdominally and could see heartbeat etc. I had a very full bladder - she even remarked on it!

I had an abdominal scan at 6 weeks and saw baby/heartbeat although I was told to prefer for a TV if they couldn't see anything.

I had abdominal just under 8 weeks with second pregnancy, I don't know if it makes any diff like pp said but I was also slim

DD had one Friday at 7+4 and they warned it may need to be tv...however, they were able to see perfectly. She had drunk about half a pint of liquid but was not 'bursting' for the loo or anything.

@madeinthe80z I'm a size 12/14 and had an early scan at 8+2 which was abdominal 😊

I had to have my 12 week scan TV as I have a tilted uterus.

Thanks all so much for your replies, I think I'll leave it a bit longer to be on the safe side

I'm a size 10 and had a scan at 7+1. It was abdominal and I could see a tiny blob with a heartbeat. I'm now 31 weeks

I barely felt much while having an internal one couple of months back....

I had a private scan at 7+2 which was abdominal. The dr said she always tries that first but goes TV if the picture isn't good enough. I'm a size 6-8. Other people have said that private practices often have better machines which makes abdominal more likely to succeed, don't know if that's true. But definitely more time to keep trying of course.

I had an early scan at 7+3. I’m a size 16, she tried abdominal scan first but said my bladder wasn’t full enough so had to do TV, and I actually found it more comfortable because I could empty my bladder before the TV, I found the abdominal scan really uncomfortable because my bladder felt really full to me! Can totally understand why you don’t want the TV scan, so just make sure your bladder is full, you need to drink 1-1.5 litres a full hour before the scan, I’d sort of forgotten and only finished the water half an hour beforehand.

Pregnant with no. 3 DC and I had never had a TV scan or needed one before but had one this time at 12 week dating scan due to having 2 previous c sections and scar tissue . Baby could been seen on belly scan but tv much more detailed and can see why doctors use this for looking into more detail of baby, but I honesty would never like another one very uncomfortable but knowing it was to check baby just have to grin and bare it hopefully I will be ok for 20week scan

I had an early pregnancy scan at 7.5 weeks and it wasnt TV

I had a scan at 7 weeks, 6+6 and the abdominal didn't show anything but the TV did.

9 weeks is the lowest gestational age where you can guarantee an abdominal visual however if there is an issue due to potential slow growth then TV may needed then too.

This pregnancy all have been abdominal from 6 weeks, I'm a size 16/18. My last pregnancy was tv early on and they will let you put it in if you wish, really not bad and always a clearer result early on when tv.

Sorry I should read full thread before posting haha. Private will be abdominal not sure if they do tv.