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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

First scan- what should I expect?

27 replies

BeckyG86 · 13/06/2019 07:57

Hello!

It is my first scan tomorrow afternoon (I say first scan- we paid for an early scan at 7+4 weeks, but this is the first hospital scan) and we are excited! I am also feeling some worry about everything being ok but I think that is normal. I found out about the appointment last week and I think most of that time I have had some worry but have been excited to get to see our baby. I am 12+1 weeks according to my LMP and my early scan said I was measuring about a week behind, but to stick to my dates until the hospital dating scan. I said I would have the blood test to test for the risks for Down’s Syndrome, Edwards’s and Patau’s at the hospital at the same time.

Obviously I understand that I will be having an ultrasound scan and a blood test after it, but what should I expect? How long will it generally take, how do you go about getting photos, how many are you allowed to buy, etc?

Also the letter says I need to drink a litre of water an hour before the appointment. I struggle getting a litre and a half in a day let alone a litre in an hour! I have the afternoon off work so I should get home by about 12.30-12.40pm, and my appointment is at 3pm, so aim to leave for the hospital at around 2pm to give us time to get there, park and find where we need to go but also allowing to get there 15 minutes before as informed, and pay for photos (I have been told you have to pay for them before your scan and it is a pay machine in the waiting room). Do you think that if I start drinking my litre of water at 1pm rather than 2pm and not go to the toilet I would be ok? I really don’t know how I am going to drink it in an hour! I will take a bottle of water with me to drink whilst travelling and while I am waiting, just to top up. I have even brought little 300ml bottles of water to try having one every 15 minutes, and I have thought about adding a bit of squash to try and make it easier for me to drink but it is the volume of water that worries me in such a short space of time!

Thank you in advance!

OP posts:

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katmarie · 13/06/2019 08:19

You just need to have a reasonably full bladder for the scan, my letter didn't say anything about specific amounts to drink, it just said make sure you don't go to the toilet in the hour before, and to drink plenty of water.

Maddis136 · 13/06/2019 08:23

Exciting time for you. The appt time varies. It depends how easily the sonographer can see everything they need to check which can depend on baby’s position as well as your weight. They’ll keep trying until they see what they need.

You can buy as many pics as you like in some hospitals in others the Max is 5. To be honest the scans at 20 weeks are better so don’t go crazy. You see a more “baby” shape at 20 weeks.

Don’t panic about drinking water. I’ve never been told how much to drink only to come with a full bladder. Had my 20 week scan 19 weeks ago so recently. As long as you feel like you need to pee you’ll be fine. It just helps push your uterus into position to make getting images easier for the sonographer. If there is a real issue getting the images they will get you to come back or do an internal but I’ve not know anyone have this problem.

Be prepared that they need to see and measure lots of body parts so they may not be very chatty until they are finished. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong. They will let you watch what they are doing on the screen so it’s very Interesting to watch!

Hope that helps and good luck xx

Bluebelltulip · 13/06/2019 08:23

You just need to make sure that you have a full bladder, I've never been able to drink the full recommended amount before a scan.

Original poster

BeckyG86 · 13/06/2019 08:40

Thank you, I am the sort of person that rarely goes to the toilet at work so if worst comes to the worst I won’t go to the toilet! My early scan just said a full bladder but it was early in the day so I just didn’t go to the toilet when I got up!

I will do my best to drink as much as possible beforehand. I think I will try and start drinking it at 1pm instead of 2pm, and top myself up whilst I am waiting. If I don’t go to the toilet I should be fine!

The letter said 6 glasses, then 1 litre in brackets. I thought 8 glasses was 2 litres (recommend glass sizes) so it confused me! My one friend said she used to drink a bottle of water whilst waiting and often was told to have a wee as her bladder was too full! That was the same hospital as we are going to as well!

I will just do my best, that’s all I can do. I will do my upmost not to have a wee when I am at work and before the appointment, but at desperation I will try not to have a wee at least two hours before. After tomorrow I will know what to do for future scans!

OP posts:

EscapeTheOrdinary · 13/06/2019 08:50

My scan lasted around 20 minutes but they over ran slightly so I was in a tad late. Start drinking an hour before gradually and just keep yourself topped up. Don’t try and hold a full bladder as that’s just uncomfortable! I took my last swig in the waiting room. I think it depends on hospital as to how many photos they give you but we were very lucky and got given 9 photos but I don’t think this is standard! At 20 weeks we only got 1 but I didn’t think we would even get that.

They check baby all over and it does get a tad confusing trying to work out what they are looking at but I did get told what I was suppose to be seeing. They looked at his organs, arms and legs and took all his measurements and gave me estimated due date. They originally gave me about 5 days less but he stretched so got a better measurement so don’t be alarmed by dates if they aren’t what you expected.

EscapeTheOrdinary · 13/06/2019 08:51

Ps I wasn’t bursting for the toilet but full. Don’t feel like you need to wet yourself as they will push down!

Heyha · 13/06/2019 09:11

My 12 week scan was in the morning when I was rocking a bit of sickness still so sloshing around a load of water wasn't high on my list of good ideas!

I had one normal sized bottle of water starting about an hour and a half before, finished it about 15 mins before we went in. Not foolproof as everyone is different but that seemed to be more than enough.

We were told £5 in coins for 3 photos but we didn't pay for them, were just handed them- I think that was because we had a student in with us so it was a kind of thank you. Other trusts might not be able to afford to give them away, though.
I think a side benefit of the 12 week appointment is that it gets you used to the run of these things- I was nervous about that appointment being the unknown but felt totally different at 20 weeks and it also helped knowing the routine when I've been in twice for monitoring for reduced movements.

newmomof1 · 13/06/2019 09:13

We could only pay cash for our photos and they were £5 each, just so you know OP

newmomof1 · 13/06/2019 09:16

Oh we also saw a nurse after the scan who weighed me, gave us vitamin supplements, lots of advice and checked all our details, as well as doing the blood test.

We had to wait about 10 minutes after the scan (which took about 10 mins, too) to see her, and that appt took about 15 mins.
You're also allowed to go for a wee straight after your scan. You'll definitely need it!

Original poster

BeckyG86 · 13/06/2019 10:41

I will definitely need a wee! I am the type of person who doesn’t like using public toilets if I can help it, but I don’t think I will be able to wait until we get home so will just have to bite the bullet and go at the hospital! I could get some Tena ladies for emergencies! Hehe!

I am also emetophobic and I know the hospital recently had ward closures due to norovirus (reopened about a month ago), and there are bugs going around at the moment so I am dreading going to the hospital for that reason, but I know it is needed and we will see our baby so that is the big thing and of course the best thing! I will avoid touching things and will use hand sanitiser all the time!

I have a load of change! My Mom changed us £30 of pound coins (and some £2 coins) and my Husband has some silver coins for extra with parking (it’s something like £3.80, so wanted the correct change so going to take £1 worth of silver change). I will look like I have robbed a bank with all the coins!

OP posts:

ELM8 · 13/06/2019 11:50

Exciting! I would warn you there is such a thing as drinking too much water before your scan.. sonographer sent me to the loo to empty out some of it which is easier said than done! No big deal though..

We were just asked to give a donation to reception in an envelope which the sonographer gave us for the photos (£3 for 12 week scan £5 for 20 week scan) but I think each trust differs.

As PP waited about 15 minutes after the scan to see a nurse who took blood.

Good luck!

Heyha · 13/06/2019 15:09

In some ways going to wards that have just HAD a norovirus or similar problem is better, OP, because everything will have had the deep clean and they'll be on high alert, so in many ways you're less likely to be walking into a problem.

I forgot to say I also had a midwife appointment afterwards for a chat about screening tests, urine and bp and results of my booking bloods then got sent to the blood ladies for the screening test bloods (if I wasn't having the screening, I wouldn't have had bloods because I'd already had my booking ones a fortnight before).

It was all nice and straightforward, I think the minute you see a heartbeat on the scan you get into the flow of things a bit more. I used to be quite hospital phobic but being pregnant has certainly cured me of that, mainly due to familiarity I think!

scratchbass · 13/06/2019 15:39

I'd recommend that you get some pee sample pots from the hospital while you're there because you're going to be asked for a pee sample at nearly every appointment. I don't have a problem with public toilets, I just find it easier to do this at home and then I know I can go to my appointments without feeling like I'm going to pee myself

The full bladder thing will only be required for your 12 week scan, by 20 weeks the baby is bigger so they don't need your bladder to be full to get a good ultrasound picture.

Original poster

BeckyG86 · 13/06/2019 15:49

When I had my booking appointment with the midwife at 10 weeks I had it at my GP surgery and they did my bloods and took a urine sample away. The results are on my maternity notes app (our hospital are doing notes on an app now instead of on paper) but they told me that unless there is a problem I won’t hear back from them. They did send the automatic text messages saying my results have been received and no further action was required, so I am not expecting them to go through any blood or urine test results. I will be having the blood tests for Down’s Syndrome, Edwards’s and Patau’s, so I am guessing I will have to go to another department for that one, but I know that is after the scan as they need to do the scan first.

OP posts:

Heyha · 13/06/2019 15:54

You'll have your urine done at every appointment so as pp says get and keep a good pot. I say good because I had a lovely wide hospital pot all the way through which was easy to collect a sample in but it got chucked away at 36 weeks when I saw a different midwife and I'm now back to the original horrible crappy tiny narrow one for the last few weeks. Genuinely sad.

Jarjarblinks · 13/06/2019 15:59

A litre sounds like too much!! I drank a pint of water (doesn't have to be water so squash totally fine!) And they said that I had to go to the toilet and HALF EMPTY my bladder. How do you know how much is half? Didn't let enough out and had to go back again. It's not fun stopping mid-wee when you are desperate to just let it all out.

So moral of my story OP is dont over do the water.

LHMB · 13/06/2019 16:21

I was asked to go for a wee too but to not completely empty my bladder, which was difficult

Original poster

BeckyG86 · 13/06/2019 17:14

I don’t know how you do that! I think I will have a litre of water but over 2 hours and just not go to the toilet from when I start drinking the water

OP posts:

newmomof1 · 13/06/2019 19:38

I was never asked for a urine sample at a scan, only at midwife appointments

Original poster

BeckyG86 · 13/06/2019 21:36

No, I don’t expect one at a scan, but would do for midwife appointments. I am going to go in my doctors closer to my next appointment to get a urine sample bottle as my midwife appointments are at my doctors.

OP posts:

Heyha · 13/06/2019 22:06

The appointment straight after your scan relating to the screening tests is a midwife one....unless my trust is very weird.

Original poster

BeckyG86 · 14/06/2019 13:34

Well, the mammoth drinking task is underway. I can’t do one litre, but since I last went to the loo I have drank 600ml, so if I can get another 300ml bottle drank within the next half an hour or so that will take me to 900ml, it is 100ml under but I already need a wee so I am hoping that will be enough!

OP posts:

mistermagpie · 14/06/2019 13:37

The drinking thing is weird, I am on my third baby and every scan have been told to go to the toilet because my bladder was too full!

All my photos have been free as well.

Good luck!

Bluebelltulip · 14/06/2019 13:39

If you already need a wee I would stop drinking now otherwise you could end up very uncomfortable.

Original poster

BeckyG86 · 14/06/2019 14:00

I think since my last wee I have had about 750ml. If I can get to the end of this bottle I’ll be happy!

OP posts:

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