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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Early scan or not?

32 replies

Marshmallow1992 · 24/05/2019 22:28

I’ll be 5 weeks pregnant on Sunday, still at the early stages but have been thinking about getting an early scan.
No problems so far (I know it’s early) but is this something that most people do? Or should I wait to 12weeks? This is my first pregnancy and I’m really really nervous/anxious.

OP posts:

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Wolfiefan · 24/05/2019 22:32

Some people get scans before 12 weeks. I never did. That’s because my anxiety would be calmed (or heightened illogically) by what I saw until the next day. It can be a really worrying time. Can you talk to people IRL? Are you normally anxious?

jenn88 · 24/05/2019 22:48

Hello @Marshmallow1992!!! I will also be 5 weeks on Sunday!!!
I have decided against an early scan!! I'm going to wait the life time till the 12 weeks!!
Do what you feel!! A friend of mine who is now 19 weeks did have one and it was a great picture!!

hipstercat · 24/05/2019 22:53

I got one at 7 weeks, money well spent for me. Not much to see but I heard a heartbeat and knew it wasn't ectopic, and not twins. If you can afford it and if will help you be more relaxed, go for it. I thought 12 weeks was far too long a wait!

Bubblebubble123 · 24/05/2019 22:58

If you can afford it, then I definitely would. It’s great peace of mind to know everything is in the right place, see the heartbeat etc. There’s no way I could wait the 12 weeks. I’m too nervous. I had one at 6 & half weeks and saw a heart beat and I’ll have another one before the 12 week scan as I’m too impatient to wait!!

MsSquiz · 24/05/2019 23:00

We went for an early scan at 6+6, but that was because I was 3+5 when I got my positive test and I was too impatient to then wait until 12 weeks for the scan.

We were really lucky in that it was a clear scan and we saw the heartbeat and that it wasn't twins (they run in both our families!) and it helped put my mind at rest (I had done daily pregnancy tests from the first positive until the day we went for the scan)

shirleyschmidt · 24/05/2019 23:04

I did it and it was worth every single penny. You get several pics, a report and might get to hear the heartbeat (depending on where you go). I had great experiences both times, and having that reassurance carried me through to the 12 week one. I'd personally recommend hanging on until 8 weeks if you can. Congrats!

ELM8 · 24/05/2019 23:05

We weren't planning to, but after a lot of my symptoms subsided at 9 weeks I booked a scan for the next day. I was so glad I did as it reassured me that there was a baby in there and everything was progressing as it should (the lack of symptoms made me wonder if the whole thing was a huge hoax).

The symptoms came back literally the next day so I don't know what happened there.

As a side note the difference between 9 and 13 (by the time I had mine) week scan was mind boggling - it was a bit of a blob at 9 weeks but definitely a baby at the later one.

If you can afford it I'd say it's worth it for the peace of mind and if you're impatient.. I found weeks 8-12 were the slowest ever!!!

ReganSomerset · 24/05/2019 23:08

I think at 8 weeks go for it, but I wouldn't earlier than 7. I've seen far too many threads started by panicked six-weekers who couldn't see a heartbeat because the dates had been slightly off. Lots of unnecessary stress.

Maddis136 · 24/05/2019 23:13

If you think it will relax you until 12 weeks then do it. However, the NHS scans at 12 for good reason. You can cause yourself unnecessary stress with an early scan if your dates are off and the information they can give is limited. Just worth considering if it will actually make you more nervous.

Bambamber · 24/05/2019 23:28

I don't find early scans reassuring at all to be honest. But then that's because I miscarried within 5 days of seeing my baby with a heartbeat.

This pregnancy I paid for a private scan and it was reassuring for the length of the scan. Then it was back to the usual anxiety. I only paid for the private scan as I found it comforting having a scan photo of the baby I lost, and if I was to miscarry again I wanted a scan photo. Thankfully this pregnancy seems to be progressing well.

I know that seems really gloomy but I wanted to share the other side of things

Original poster

Marshmallow1992 · 25/05/2019 07:50

I really appreciate all your answers. I’m not normally anxious, but after ttc for 10months and having a chemical this whole ttc process has made me feel anxious! I feel like if I saw a heartbeat it would make me feel a bit less stressed. I think I’ll wait until 8 weeks and go for one. Thank you so much again for your replies it has been so helpful xx

OP posts:

RMarieClaire · 25/05/2019 08:05

I had one at 7 weeks. I found it reassuring but I was fortunate and there was a heartbeat. The risk is there won't be but is there ever a good time to find that out? I would do it again. FX everything is perfect for you.

SleepingStandingUp · 25/05/2019 08:11

Like RMarieClaire said there's always a risk it will be bad news, but thst bad news won't go away. I'd rather know on Sunday when we got for ours than 5 weeks down the line at my 12 week or somewhere in between when I have a miscarriage. I just want to know there's a heartbeat and a baby in the right place. Like MsSquiz I found out at 3+5 and will be 6+6 so my anxiety just won't cope that long.
Good luck

Botanica · 25/05/2019 08:14

In my last pregnancy I had scans at 6w and 7w5d, saw the heartbeat both times and very reassuring. At the 12w scan there was no heartbeat and the baby was still measuring 7w5d. For nearly five weeks I had continued having symptoms and thought I was still pregnant, blissfully unaware that I had had an MMC. That's a month of my life I carried round a baby without a heartbeat, a month where I could have moved things on sooner if I'd known and a month early I could have started what was to be a long and hard healing process.

This time I'm scanning at 6, 8 and 10 weeks. I never want to go through the same again, completely unaware for so long, planning the future, when there wasn't one.

Sorry for the morose post but if you feel you would benefit from the reassurance, even if it only lasts a few days at a time, you do what you need to do. It's a very personal thing and everyone has different needs.

EnjoyItAll · 25/05/2019 08:33

we chose not to as although I would find it reassuring at the time panic would have set in until nhs one. it's a completely personal choice but I was also put off thinking if I ovulated late or anything they might not hear heart beat and I would assume the worst. it was very difficult waiting until 12w though

Frizzy1986 · 25/05/2019 10:49

I'd say if it makes you feel better then get one, but the longer you can leave it, the better.

Firstly, you are more likely to get a heartbeat the later it is (an early scan and no heartbeat doesn't mean bad news as it can just be too early) and also there is a chance that things can still go wrong so the further you are the chances of that drop significantly.

fonxey · 25/05/2019 11:38

I had one at 9. I wasn't particularly or overly anxious, but a bit worried. 12 weeks is a long time to wait to see evidence of a baby. I'd had not many symptoms so was finding it hard to believe and it definitely helped my oh to start feeling more...i wouldn't say more interested, but it made him more real to him. Before it was more of a strange medical condition to him that required vitamins.

It cost £90 and i got shine great photos that surprised me how developed the baby was. They also dated me a week ahead.

I'm glad i had it. The image quality is so good. I'm interested in seeing what my nhs scan will be like in 2 weeks and compare. I hope i won't be disatisfied by it if they turn out to be not so good.

I don't see the point in going back for the other scans privately. Yet. Depends on my experience will be later! But £90 is ok for an early preview.

Anyway, have one of you feel it will be worth it for you. But it isn't necessary. Some people feel it gave them a false confidence or it might only make any complications feel worse. Once you see your baby you just become more attached.

Before the scan i was trying to keep myself detached from it all but moment i saw the baby that went out the window.

Anyway, good luck with your pregnancy. I think

fonxey · 25/05/2019 11:41

I agree with @Frizzy1986 5 weeks might be a bit early. At 9 weeks (turned out to be 10) it was really recognisable as a baby and was moving around, definite heart beat. I imagine at 5 weeks it'd be hard to even date with any accuracy (if at all?)

Personally i feel the nhs should offer a scan at 8 weeks as well as 12 especially for first time mums or those service had mc in the past.

kikibo · 25/05/2019 11:47

FWIW early scans are standard in the rest of Europe. All internal though.

The difference between 8 and 12 weeks is indeed mind-boggling.

ReganSomerset · 25/05/2019 11:53

Sounds like a you've got a plan, OP. You can book it now if you like so you've got something to count down to. I get what PP are saying about getting bad news sooner but in reality if there's no heartbeat at six weeks they just tell you to come back in a week and see if it's changed. You don't get to move on with things faster, you just fret more in the interim.

fonxey · 25/05/2019 12:12

When i said good luck with your pregnancy. The i think was from something I'd deleted.

Definite luck with your pregnancy and scan.

GivenchyDahhling · 25/05/2019 16:16

I had two, one at 7 weeks and one at 10 weeks. I had no reason to be anxious but I suppose I couldn’t quite believe there was a baby in there, I never really felt pregnant up until I was 14/15 weeks as was v. lucky and more or less symptom free beyond a little bit of nausea when I was hungry (oh and being hungry all the time for carbs), a few aversions like tea and coffee, and tiredness up until about week 8.

It helped to some extent but I was v scared in the hours leading up to the scan, cried with relief both times when ok (heard heartbeat both times), and a few days later I went back to worrying. So in terms of making me feel better it was quite a short lived relief, but I still think I’d do the same with my next pregnancy.

HJWT · 25/05/2019 16:28

I think as long as you can tell yourself that something could still go wrong after seeing baby at an early scan then go for it, some people see a heartbeat and think they are out of the woods but is isn't always the case so its about being realistic and just having the scan for the enjoyment rather than reassurance? IMO xx

Lauren83 · 25/05/2019 17:54

I had weekly ones from 5 weeks and really glad I did (IVF pregnancy and history of MMC)

Eliza9919 · 25/05/2019 19:26

I wouldn't.

I had one at what I thought was 7weeks. She said it's showing as 5w, come back in a week.

Went back, the sac & yolk had grown but nothing else. She said it was a MMC and to contact the epu.

The epu booked me in for a scan today, where there is now a fetal pole and it's measuring at 6+4 I think she said. By my dates I should be 9w.

I have to go back next week for another scan to see what's happening.

It could be my dates are out and a slow grower (all the babies in my family have been small, I was 2lb 12oz, the biggest was my nephew at 5lb something) or it could be a MC on the way.

All my sister's 3 were small and she had to have extra scans and sizing scans and they wanted to induce early due to them being small.

Anyway, after all the googling I've been doing, it looks like early scans just cause more anxiety than they are worth.

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