How do I find out why I've been referred to Foetal Medicine?

[vikad]

I had my nuchal + dating scan at 13+2 weeks earlier this week. It was with a locum sonographer. Felt treated like an idiot but that aside, she told me to take a note to reception and book my 20 week scan. When I did that, the receptionist told me that the note said I was to be referred to Foetal Medicine and that a specialist midwife would call me to organise the 20 week scan appointment. I can't figure out why I've been referred to Foetal Medicine. The sonographer didn't make any comments during the scan so I don't know if she saw anything abnormal. My notes from the scan seem good: alive fetus, heart activity present, skull/brain appears normal, abdominal wall appears normal, hands/feet visible, amniotic fluid normal, placenta posterior. Then it says 'Other: Booked by midwife.' Nuchal measurement is approaching/above 95th percentile. So everything seems fine and I can't figure out why I've been referred to Foetal Medicine. It's making me really worried. I was hoping the midwife would be calling me to book the 20 week scan and I could ask her over the phone then, but I simply got a letter with the appointment date and time. Can anyone suggest a way that I can find out why this referral has been made for me?

Can you not just call your midwife and ask? If they don't know, ask them to find out for you? They should at least be able to tell you the likely reasons, if not your specific circumstances. They would be who i would speak to first.

Did you have the triple test? Have you had your results from that?

this might sound silly, but my midwife isn't connected to my GP, it's a separate local service so I'm a bit confused about how to contact her. I have a mobile number for her at the top of my Maternity Notes booklet, perhaps that's the one I'll try to call...

@chariotsofFish yes, but no results yet.

The sonographer isn’t allowed to tell you if anything is wrong/comment on abnormalities as they just take images, they’re not doctors. Of course they can see if something is wrong and they will generally call in a doctor if it is urgent. I would call your midwife or go and see your GP and get to the bottom of this referral. Don’t panic though, as I said above a doctor would have been in that room ASAP if they needed to be at your scan.

I’d guess if your nuchal measurement is over 95th percentile it might be an automatic referral to fetal medicine. But it might not be that. It’s fine to call the midwife’s mobile, that’s the usual way to contact them.

Can't you just phone up the midwife and ask to speak to someone who knows?

@Baby2namehelp thanks very much that is reassuring.
I'll try to reach the midwife on Monday.

@ChariotsofFish yes you're probably right about it being the nuchal measurement. It's 2.5 so I didn't think it'd be a cause for foetal medicine referral, but who knows. I'll try the midwife's mobile number - seems obvious now but I wasn't sure whether it was OK to call her about this.

@OhTheRoses I wasn't sure before, but yes seems like that's what I should do. Will give it a go on Monday.

Definitely call, if only to get reassurance, they won't mind - it's things like this that is the reason they give you the number. Wishing you all the best (28 week pregnant person who worried about everything at both scans) x

@MissSmith80 thank you, I'm too much of a worrier! Wishing you all the best too X

2.5 is normal range. DS was that and we weren't referred.