How important is the 12 week scan?

[SarahS89]

Hi, I’m currently 9 weeks pregnant. It’s my first pregnancy so everything is completely new. I got my BFP just 6 days before lockdown was announced and although I’ve been able to talk to a midwife on the phone it’s just not the same. The community midwife based at my GP sounded really friendly but the midwife where I have my scan booked sounded quite formal, not horrible or anything, just too formal for me. I never feel at ease if I find someone formal and being just on the phone didn’t help.

I have my 12-week scan booked in for 15th May. I’ve been told I have to go on my own. I really, really, really don’t want to go on my own. I understand why but I just can’t bare the thought of it.

Like I said, this is my first pregnancy and I really don’t want to do the first scan without my husband there. It’s a massive deal to me, seeing our baby for the first time isn’t something we can have a second chance at.

I do understand why but it feels so unfair, especially as we’ve both been able to stay at home for the last month. I don’t feel like having both of us from the same household that hasn’t been anywhere is going to add any risk.

Anyway, what I wanted to ask to those of you who have been through pregnancy before is ... **how important is the 12 week scan? I don’t want to do it by myself if I don’t have to.

If I didn’t go would it make a difference? As far as I’m aware of the baby is healthy then it’s healthy and if it’s not then it’s not and there’s nothing a scan can do to change that.

I’m looking into getting a private scan to see if there’s somewhere I can go where my husband can go to. If I can just have a scan with him there then I’ll feel better but if not then I’d rather just wait, providing delaying having a scan means I’m not putting myself or the baby at risk. I have no medical history or anything like that that puts me at obvious risk so if I can avoid the distress of a solo scan then I’d like to hold out for the coronavirus pandemic to simmer down, even if it means waiting until the 20 week scan.

The 12 week scan is really important if you want your baby to have chromosomal screening, if you don’t then you can delay the scan until later. At the scan they will check multiple things, they will date your pregnancy, make sure the baby has a heart beat and that it appears to have a normal bodily structure. You can have this all done privately but the chromosomal screening privately is usually in the price range of £200+ for things like the harmony test. Although it’s shit going alone, I really would recommend you do go, although it’s lovely seeing your baby it is a medical appointment and a necessary one at that your husband can hopefully go to your 20 week scan which is a lot more detailed look at the baby, my partner didn’t come to any of my scans as he is self employed and couldn’t take the time off work but could see the scan pictures etc

Yes it is important as they will take certain measurements to determine the risk that the baby has certain genetic disorders - based on what they see if there is something "wrong" you get referred to consultants etc

My friend at the 12 week scan was told the baby was high risk for Edwards - a non survivable condition.

Me at my 12 week scan showed the baby had passed away.

Yes the scan won't change the outcome if the baby is "healthy then it's healthy If it's not it's not" as per your post but it means you get the additional testing and specialist support to be able to make a decision how to proceed

Certain tests aren't able to be done past 14 weeks so can't wait until 20 weeks

Book a private scan with your husband to attend too if that's important to you but you do need to attend the 12 week one

The 12 week scan is very important, as it's when they determine your babies due date. After 12 weeks they start to find it harder to determine the date.

Unfortunately it's just something that we are all having to go through at the moment, I had to have a growth scan as baby was measuring small and had to go on my own.

I would suggest to have a private scan with your husband, and then you will feel more at ease attending the 12 week scan on your own

Very important, they do the checks for downs during the scan and you’ll also have bloods taken to check for other abnormalities. I know it’s shit having to go alone and I’d be upset about it too but you really do need to attend.

It's really tough at the moment no doubt. However you're putting yourself and baby at risk not attending.

These scans are in place for a reason. Please consider going. If you have a private one you'll need to still attend the NHS one as I believe most private ones don't do the same checks

You won’t always get the person who booked you in doing the actual scan. It isn’t fair and it is hard, I had mine 3 weeks ago without my husband but it’s just a difficult situation everyone pregnant at the moment has to deal with, I know there’s a lot of us in the same situation.

Personally I would never miss it, you wouldn’t know if something was wrong and equally your husband might not be allowed to go later either as we have no idea how long this will last. For me checking the baby was the most important thing over not, but obviously you have the right to do what you want.

If there is something wrong such as a missed miscarriage sadly they can’t save it but they can act should it be necessary to. I have a friend this happened to and she had no idea until the scan.

You have to attend. Your baby's wellbeing is more important than your husband being there.

Just go.

I don’t wish to put the fear of god into you but if something has gone awry that’s when you will find out. IMHO the scan is necessary for all the reasons given above but from personal experience you need to go to know it’s all ok in there.

I completely understand your upset over doing the scan alone. It may be that you ask your sonograhpher to turn the screen away so you and DH can “meet” the baby at a private scan later or the 20 week appointment.

Don’t leave it to chance because you’ll have to go in alone, just go.

Private scans near us are patient only, no partners.

Why don’t you have a private scan first so you can go and see the baby together for the first time, then attend the dating scan on your own? I’m sorry, I know it’s not what you imagined having your first scan would be like, but nobody wants to be in this situation.
They check there is a heartbeat first and foremost. It’s not a case of you starting to bleed if you have miscarried, sometimes you can have a missed miscarriage.
They then “date” the pregnancy, by taking measurements of the baby and giving you a due date. Although you can go by your last menstrual period to work out an estimated date, having this dated at scan is how the hospital will know when to offer you certain tests, induction of labour etc etc.
And as above, the sonographer will also look for certain markers which are indicative of certain conditions.
During this appointment the midwife also refers you to any specialists you may need in your pregnancy, and takes bloods to check your blood group and iron level, things that may have an impact on your pregnancy. She will also refer you to other tests that you may need later on in the pregnancy. This is all done in the same appointment as the scan.
Also, it is very unlikely that visiting restrictions will be lifted from hospitals within 8-10 weeks. Does this mean youd miss the 20 week scan too?

Yeah my husband works all week so when I had my 12 week scan I had to suck it up and go. Not having your partner with you isn’t the end of the world. If your going to get sucked into firsts when it comes to everything you’ll get nowhere, especially with everything going on. The baby is the priority here. Everything else is secondary

I’m sorry but you need to go, I know it’s hard and not how you imagined it but you and your baby’s health has to come first. If god forbid there is a problem then they need to pick that up as soon as possible, you might need further scans or additional monitoring. It’s quite a short appointment compared to the 20 week one (I’m about to do a 20 week one alone, did my 12 week alone too) so hopefully you’ll have more time together seeing the baby if your husband can come to that one. And if you can book a private scan in between then you can experience seeing the baby together too.

Well, it's where I found out one of my pregnancies had ended. One of four miscarriages. So I'd say it was pretty important.

Honestly, the midwives and doctors are being incredible and really do go the extra mile at the moment; please go to the scan- it's very important.
It looks like I'll be giving birth alone as it stands. It's so shit being alone but honestly your baby and it's health are 100x more important than being alone

I had my 20 week scan yesterday. It was sad to leave my DH waiting outside in the car park but we wanted the reassurance that the baby is developing as it should. We don't want to know the gender so that also helped the situation. I was so grateful to know that the baby is doing well and passed all the checks they do. As my DH was waiting in the car I could tell him all of the details of my experience and show him the scan photo straight away (our hospital gives a couple for free at the moment as a 'sorry you have to be alone' peace offering. I bought more for our parents too).

You should go, even though you'd prefer to go together. It's a medical appointment and therefore really important.

Hi I totally get why you don’t want to go. I’ve posted on here about not wanting to attend appts too and asking how important they are. However, 12 week scan is so important. Without trying to scare you some people have no mc symptoms and are told there’s no heartbeat at the 12 week scan. Or perhaps you will have a different date to what you imagined. In my last pregnancy I went to my 12 week scan to be told I was 18 weeks. I was so shocked as I had periods in that timeframe etc.

It sucks your husband can’t go, even if you feel you don’t want to you have to put your own feeling aside I’m afraid and have your baby’s best interests at heart and go x

It’s very important. It was at our 12 week scan we found out it was twins!!

It's so important to go, as PP have said they've found out about MC etc at their 12 week scan. They check for any defects/syndromes in baby, check for all organs and limbs and do measurements to make sure you're at the point of your pregnancy that you think you are. It's not nice to be told you have to go alone but many women do this on a daily basis, I myself had to go to my 12 week scan alone. But I'd rather have had done it alone and known my baby was safe and healthy than not do it at all.

It’s fucking shit op, I had to go to my 20 week scan alone and both of us were so upset about it. But the NHS wouldn’t be offering them if they weren’t important, you do need to go.

If it’s possible to get a private scan before with your partner then do but please don’t miss the scan.

Private scans are patient only so you'd have to go alone regardless. Just go for the nhs scan.

The NHS doesn't have the funds available to offer more than the bare minimum of essential scans, so that should tell you how vital it is! FWIW I had a missed miscarriage discovered at my 12 week scan and required surgery to remove it, so yes it was incredibly important for me

I had my 12 week scan today and the sonographer was wonderful as were the midwives that took my bloods afterwards, I honestly didn't feel so bad alone once I got there . My due date changed a bit also so without the scan I wouldnt have known.

Missed miscarriages are rare but it could be difficult to find out even later along when you thought you d had a healthy pregnancy for more than 3 months or that baby has a condition at birth that you could have found out about in the pregnancy and had time to prepare.

I didn't have a 12 week scan due to being a "late booker" it caused issues for me as they struggled to accurately date my pregnancy. My son was born at 39+5 according to the scan I got around 20 weeks but when he was born they reckon he was closer to 42 weeks and it could've ended differently of left much longer

Do it for your baby.

I know it's shit but you have to go. At a 12 week scan I found out that mine had been dead for 3 weeks (missed miscarriage). If I hadn't gone and the situation had been left I myself would have been in danger the longer it went on without help. You would also miss out on screening for Down's syndrome and other tests. I know it's the first time you'll see your baby and it's awful that your partner can't go, but this scan is important to check on the baby and you need to see it that way. Best case scenario is that you go ahead and all is fine but your partner misses out. You'll have a lovely picture to show for it.