Why are scans too far apart

[loveyourself87]

For a first time mum, I would like a bit more reassurance. Last scan was at 12 weeks, then a midwife app at 16(no scans just routine blood test) and I have to wait to 20 weeks for the anomaly scan! I'm worried because I feel between 16 and 20 weeks is an important time for most people as some feel movement (I haven't yet and no bump). Is this normal to have no scan between 12 and 20 weeks? I feel fine but worry so much in case something has happened to the baby and I wouldn't know until 20 weeks.

Because the baby needs to grow !! The nhs first have money to reassure to be honest !

doesnt

@WinnieTheW0rm I don't get 16 week scan here, just a midwife app and they only do blood test x
@stargirl1701 I meditate but have found during pregnancy that I am a lot more anxious, I will try more mindfulness but worry that isn't enough x
@PotteringAlong even so, 8 weeks of not knowing especially when a lot of people have movements and bumps is still worrying for me! I'm not usually a worrier but this pregnancy has me so anxious x

Thank you all, recurring to know I'm not the only one.. hopefully I start to feel some kind of movement that I don't mistaken for gas soon to reassure me x

I know it’s worrying, but the purpose of a scan isn’t to relieve anxiety.

They aren't meant to reassure you but to pick up any issues.
To be brutally frank if something went wrong between 16 and 20 weeks there would be nothing that medical science could do, so a 'reassurance' scan would be a totally pointless waste of money.

Completely normal to only have 2 scans. Scans are for a purpose, not for us to ‘see’ the baby.

Also agree with pp you might not feel movement for a while yet I was about 22/23 weeks with my first before I felt flutters & didn’t need maternity trousers until a month before I gave birth (long torso &, apparently, good abdo muscles).

The NHS12 week scan is only a recent introduction where I live. I had my last DC in 2009 and I happily paid for a private 12 week scan with one of them after what I now know to be implantation bleeding

The other thing I wanted to say op is I don’t want to upset you but If something happens, you are very likely to have a bleed. So I always thought it’s sensible to assume all is fine until you know differently

@HoppingPavlova wow, the odd mum getting her jollies? Perhaps you've never suggested the anxiety of a miscarriage or baby loss , perhaps your wording would be somewhat kinder rather than stat based, yes, taxpayer funded (taxpayer here for over 20 years), my post isn't about money, or the "inconvenience" to the NHS or yourself , it's about what to do during that period! Most comments here are helpful and hopefully a future mum to be can read this and know it's ok to ask questions and it's ok to be the "odd mum getting her jollies"

I had 4 weekly scans with my first as they thought she had a cyst, which turned out to be nothing once she was here. 12 & 20 week scans only with 2nd and felt odd that I didn't see her much but reassuring because it meant there was nothing to worry about!

Having too many scans is not good for baby or mother.

It’s radiation

No it isn’t, it’s ultrasound which is not radiation and there is no evidence that this is in any way harmful to either baby or mother.

@Passthecherrycoke hello again :-)... I know however, I've also read no bleed is necessary for a late miscarriage etc.. maybe best for me to stop googling everything and just go with it.

Thank you all again.. signing out x

I had two miscarriages before this 39 weeker stuck. When I paid for private scans, it made me even more anxious. Haven't had a scan since 20 weeks and my head is 100000% times better for it.

It's normal not to feel any movement/flutters in first pregnancies till later on... So don't feel worried if you don't feel anything before your 20wk scan. With my first pregnancy I didn't feel nothing till after 20 weeks as most ftms x

I had a late miscarriage at 18 weeks so I understand where you're coming from but a 16 week scan wouldn't have made any difference, it might have brought the d&c operation forward by a couple of weeks but that would hardly have made any difference to me in the long run

@3rdtimelucky2019 @CodenameVillanelle sorry for your losses x

@CodenameVillanelle I think for me it's the not knowing anything in between.. yes it's not rational thinking at this stage and nothing can be done, I'm assuming my anxiety is based on comparing other women's stories and seeing women around the same gest age as me with obvious bumps etc.. I know i know, every bump and body is different x

Can I just say that my first born was very chilled and rarely moved. I was clueless so wasn't worried. That's not to say later this isn't an indication of an issue if they move regularly but I certainly didn't feel anything till quite late on and quite rarely. She is 12 and fine by the way! Second child was different though.

It’s really tough OP. FWIW at the 16 week midwife app my midwives have always let me listen to the heartbeat with a Doppler

You could buy a doppler to use at home for reassurance

The NGS can’t afford to do the bare minimum. That’s why they’re so pushy on home births. They do one scan at 12 weeks to date the pregnancy and then one at 20 as thus is optimal for anomaly scanning. If there are no apparent issues they aren’t going to ‘waste’ resources on further scans for reassurance.

@Passthecherrycoke my MW said if the sonographer don't let me hear it at 20 week scan (which I know they don't have to , they also don't have to tell you the Sex either) then she will do it for me at 24 week scan! By then I would probably have paid for a private scan lol x

@Passthecherrycoke app not scan

Midwife here. Congratulations on your pregnancy! It's a really exciting time but it's also entirely natural to be anxious. Try not to let this anxiety be a cloud over the pregnancy though - enjoy it.

I would suggest asking your midwife about perinatal mental health provision in your area - this level of anxiety isn't normal and can be a risk factor for PND later, but you CAN do something about it now.

Scans are routinely at 12 & 20 weeks. The purpose is to detect anomalies and to "accurately" date the pregnancy. That's it. Even private scans can't really offer you reassurance - they are purely for "bonding" unless they are done in a medical clinic.

Most women don't feel movements before 20 weeks, especially with their first baby.

Please please ask your midwife for some help. And step away from google. I can't stress that enough. The only information you should access online should be from reputable websites such as the nhs ones.