Early scan dilemma

[Clemmie83]

I was wondering if I can get some advice....I'm currently pregnant with my first (7+3) after 15 months of trying, I'm also 36 so I feel that time is not on my side so I'm terrified of anything going wrong! I was due to have an early scan on Saturday however it's now been pushed back to 5th May. I feel like I'm driving myself crazy and just want some reassurance that everything is progressing as it should be. I'm so scared of a missed miscarriage. I've found somewhere else where I can have a scan on Sunday however it's a 30 minute drive....so my question is would you book it or do you think it's unnecessary travel??

I’d book it. Plenty on here will be out with their pitchforks telling you it’s unessential though.

I'm pregnant with my first at 37 and remember being so anxious in the run up to my dating scan. I had no bleeding or anything but just had an irrational fear that i'd had a MMC.

If you scroll through the threads on here, you'll see it's really common to feel like this regardless of age or circumstances so you're not alone.

I ended up having a private scan when I thought I was 7+5 but baby only measured 6+1 so that brought about a whole new issue to be anxious about. Luckily there was a heartbeat and baby had grown proportionately at a follow up 2 weeks later so that helped ease my worries somewhat but they never go completely and I was still a nervous wreck before my dating scan.....and then my 20 week scan!

My current anxiety is because I haven't felt much movement at 23 weeks....Even though I know it's because I have an anterior placenta and i've seen baby kicking about and moving at the 20 week scan. It just never stops.

Only you can answer whether an early scan is essential or necessary for you. If it would be detrimental to your mental health to wait then I'd say go for it. If not, and it's just something you'd like to do, then there's your answer.

I had one at 8 weeks and I think it was definitely worth it. I was just wishing time away, counting days until the 12 week scan and having that private scan really put my mind at ease. A 30 minute drive doesn't seem that much either.

I had an early scan yesterday and it has made me feel less anxious. I am 7+6 and feel better about waiting for the 12 week scan now. I say go for it. Mine was 25 min car journey away.

Thanks for all the reassurance about going for it - ironically the slots on Sunday have now gone so that might be decision made. The next slot is on 26th and seeing as I have a scan booked for the 5th I feel I might just have to wait.

I just so wish I could relax a bit. I swear this forum makes it worse with all the talk of MMC, it's made me so anxious. I know it might sound silly but I'm also worried as I haven't been sick yet, I almost want some strong symptoms to make it feel real!

book the private one as they may cancel it again.
If your worried about your age You could also purchase a harmony test - they usually do a scan at the same time and I got mine at 10 weeks. Results followed 5 days later.

@Marpan Sorry, I'm a bit clueless, what does a harmony test involve?

It’s just a blood test, google it - most of the private scan clinics do it. The nhs will not ever give you this.

It does Down’s syndrome and some other stuff it’s extremely accurate.

The sex is also checked and is 99% accurate. (If you want to find out!)

When I had mine they did a scan and checked heartbeat etc. It was about £400.

Gave me so much piece of mind though.

I know how hard it is to balance what might be viewed as non-essential against the reassurance of knowing.

I decided to go ahead with all private scans etc - and have a scan and the harmony blood test tomorrow at a private clinic. The original private clinic I was using closed but I found a different one I was happy with.

I was terrified of having a missed miscarriage and still am. I am older than you and the risk is higher. I haven’t really had any symptoms and was so scared - I found I wasn’t able to feel excited or happy and was mentally keeping the pregnancy “at a distance” if that makes sense - like I couldn’t quite attach to it. I ended up feeling really spaced out and emotionally blunted - I think because of lockdown as well - it was all so different from how I imagined it to be and hoped for.

The various scans have helped me massively - helped me accept that it is there and this is real and I have felt happy and able to think more proactively about the future and what we need to plan. Yes it is absolutely true that reassurance scans only reassure for a matter of days - but I found those days to be so helpful in terms of getting my head round it believing in it feeling excited and making it all seem real. I think if circumstances were different and we weren’t in lockdown it would be easier - more things to distract me, more women to talk to who would reassure me. Then I think waiting the twelve weeks would have been easier. Impossible to say really.

If you do decide it is essential for you to have one then I would get it in the diary because who knows what will happen over the next couple of weeks. You can cancel closer to the time if you change your mind. A private clinic might also let your partner accompany you - this was important to me as I have been so scared of a missed miscarriage and the thought of hearing that news by myself was very difficult.

Please all note I am not saying anyone should or shouldn’t travel and have interactions outside the household - just explaining the difficult decision process I have gone through over the past couple of months xx

I would do it, I had a private scan at 8 weeks, I m theoretically low risk but having watched people go through miscarriages at 10 weeks, I didn't want to wait 8 weeks (turns out it would have been nearly 9 weeks as my 12 week scan is a bit later) to find out I d had an MMC. I know it only guarantees baby is okay at that moment but I felt better after having it.

I had two scans before 12 weeks because I had huge anxiety having had a mmc last year after seeing a heartbeat. I had one at 7+1 and another at 10+5. I got myself totally worked up before these and I actually had a full panic attack in the waiting room at the first one. The second one required a 70 mile round trip as I got worked up on the day and found the first place I could to get a scan for that same day! For me they were essential (not the same of course because this was back in January) but my anxiety was hideous and I needed to calm the f down.

I would book it . I had an early pregnancy scan a couple weeks ago . I know it’s not ideal right now but my mental health was more important. I was in tears, worried, couldn’t sleep . After my scan I felt sooooooo much better .

I just re-read my message and I feel bad saying “ after my scan I felt soooooo much better “ because I know not everyone feels that way after a scan . I had a missed miscarriage 2 years ago and I know that feeling well 😔. Sorry if that comment hurts anyone .