Private scan called me to say they made a mistake

[Beau2020]

So I went to Window to the Womb for a private scan. They have just called me to say they made a mistake a misdiagnosed me twins. I'm absolutely gutted.

They diagnosed me with twins at my 8 week scan and since then I have been taking extra folic acid and I've been mentally preparing for twins. I went for a 10 week scan which found only one baby and no signs of vanishing twin syndrome. I grieved a lost baby. Today, window to the womb admitted they had made a mistake and have offered me a free extra scan.

I'm absolutely livid!! How can experts make a mistake like that!? There's a picture of my scan on a previous thread so I won't post again.

Thank you @Flacker

The extra private scans were more for reassurance as I already lost a baby (although very early) just under 1 year ago so we were just panicking it would happen again. It's just a lot of mixed emotions but I will be sure to take care of myself for the rest of the pregnancy now x

I know what that anxiety is like OP so I completely understand.

Christ OP some people are really insensitive. You must be feeling a weird mixture of emotions. Let yourself work through the grief you felt - the grief was real even though it was due to a mistake. Then let yourself say goodbye to the grief when you are ready.
You will naturally start to put this behind you and focus on a healthy pregnancy. You can't do that if you're forced into being defensive by posters on here urging you to "get over it".

Not the same thing but we were told something incorrect and nearly life-changing by a private clinic. I was so angry but the best thing I did was let it go. The person involved no longer works there (nothing to do with me).

@Beau2020 I understand why you feel the way you don and why you have come on MN to talk about it. You are in a state of grief after being d some very mixed information. You are looking for some support and an emotional time, pregnancy is a rollercoaster at the best of times.

It's hard, but try and draw a line under this experience. Surround yourself with nice things, be kind to yourself and focus on your healthy baby.

Look after yourself OP. I get why you'd be feeling emotional about this, you have gone through the process of feeling like you have lost a twin. The fact it was a mistake and you have one healthy baby doesn't take away from that. I haven't had any private scans but have looked into them a bit. They may not be as trained as NHS but if they told me it was definitely a twin pregnancy I would have accepted that to be the case, and I think I would have gone through the same emotions etc as you. It would be interesting to know from an NHS sonographer about how easy a mistake like this is.

bless You, this is really quite a shit thing to go through, definitely complain in writing and make your feelings clear.
It may be that nothing comes of it as they are covered in their terms and conditions to state it’s not a Medical scan etc. But I still think make sure you put your experience and feelings in writing to them.

On a side note, it’s obviously completely up to you but I’ve read a few reports into unnecessary ultrasound scans, apparently it’s not ideal to have more than absolutely necessary and some countries have even stopped giving them as standard.
I know when it’s your first baby you want everything to be real and you’re impatient to experience the pregnancy but try and let things progress as per your health care needs.

OP I'm confused. Your other threads are conflicting. You said there were 2 heartbeats on the first scan and you were told you had lost one. Then you have a thread from yesterday with you saying you think you were misdiagnosed twins. I'm sorry but none of that makes sense.

It makes sense. No confusion here.
I'm really sorry, OP. You've been through a really shit time and placed your trust in these professionals, who must be bloody mortified now. Look after yourself

Why would anyone think a boutique operation would provide a VALID MEDICAL scan?

@Crystal87 yes, what doesnt make sense? I'm not lying. I was mistakenly diagnosed twins and they admitted it was a mistake when the scan was passed to a consultant for review.

We thought there was 2 heartbeats but I guess there wasn't, I don't know I'm not a professional.

Your not a professional and neither was the shop you went to. If you want medical advice you go to a proper medical clinic.

I would be extremely cross and a free scan certainly wouldn't cover it. As if you would want to go back after that.

Sorry this happened. Hope you have a healthy happy pregnancy.

Op we went to WTTW and had the opposite (told 1, got 2), which is clearly less traumatic. Of course being told you lost a baby is going be heartbreaking and then to be told no you didn't we just misread the scan is going to screw with you, you've been grieving a loss that was never truly a loss but you still had your heart looking to twins

@fallfallfall WTTW are professional medical advisors...

@SnoozyLou thank you, I appreciate that! @SleepingStandingUp oh wow really! I was hoping that they would find a hidden twin in my recent screening as I didn't want to believe it was happening, but I'm still very thankful to have one of course!

@Beau2020 you're welcome, it's so very easy for people to be dismissive on the internet, I'm sure they wouldn't be saying the things they do if it was their sister or best friend, they would at least try and understand and show some sympathy, even if they didn't agree with them.

You're previous loss is possibly making it feel worse too as I imagine it took you back to that point.

In a few months time you'll have a perfect baby and it will overshadow all of this ❤️

I'll be honest I seen your first thread with the scan picture and straight away I could tell it was only one baby and a yold sac it doesn't even look like two babies so how the person who did your scan thought it was two ill never know.

I Completly understand how your feeling though to be told 2 then be told only 1 remained to then be told there was never two. It must of messed with your mind like ur would anyone.

For those saying these people are not medically trained... Yes why that is correct they are still trained to be able to tell you what they see and a yolk sac looks nothing like a baby... But Try and move on and now concentrate on your healthy pregnancy/baby and put this behind you.

OP (original post/poster) I'm confused. Your other threads are conflicting. You said there were 2 heartbeats on the first scan and you were told you had lost one. Then you have a thread from yesterday with you saying you think you were misdiagnosed twins. I'm sorry but none of that makes sense.

It makes perfect sense.

OP, I am really sorry, your experience sounds really awful and could have been so different had someone at the original appointment taken the time to explain you may be having twins but there was a margin of error as it was such an early scan.

It would have been much easier on you to always know there may not really be two babies than for you to think there was and then think you'd lost one.

@Beau2020, it's very easy for people who are in no way invested to say how they think they'd feel, but without it happening to you, how could you have the faintest idea?

It isn't good to get stressed out in pregnancy and I'm sure you'll make your peace with it, but I think it's fair to say most people are would be rather upset and annoyed if they were actually in that position.

I'm really sorry to hear what has happened to you, it sounds awful. It's like you were expecting 2 children and then 1 all of a sudden. You went for some reassurance of an early scan but this hasn't helped. I can totally see why you are upset and annoyed. I personally think you should put a complaint in and say you wanted an early scan for reasurrance. I understand that mistakes happen.... Imagine if this happened with the NHS they'd get slated.

I also went to window to the womb as when I had a 12 week scan at my local hospital I was very disappointed, had a trainee doing it and the room had a few people in watching her. I didn't see a thing on the screen and was rushed in and out as they were behind on appointments. It didn't feel like the moment I thought it would be. So I booked a private scan as they were on offer at £49 and explained that I wanted chance to see the baby image on the screen. When I went it was very busy to my surprise. My appointment was delayed by 50 mins as the woman before me brought so many friends and family to see. She was getting all the extras - heartbeat Teddy, extra photos, balloon etc.... Felt like they gave her extra time. When it was my turn I was literally in there for 5-10 mins and although the room was lovely and there were different screens to see the images, I felt that they had no time for me as I wasn't getting all the extras. I don't think I'd go again. Thankfully my 20 week scan at the hospital was much better.

Good luck with your pregnancy and I'm sorry again to what happened to you x

@ChickenNugget86 thanks so much for your message! Yes, I can completely relate to you about WTTW, I don't think I would ever pay to go there again as the service just isn't what I thought. It's very rushed like you say and I think it can be a bit hit and miss depending which sonographer you get.

Definitely no more early reassurance scans for me now, I'm just going to let Mother Nature do it's course! X