Anomaly scan

[Pol96]

I have my scan on Tuesday at 20+5 and was just wondering what peoples experiences of this were like? I know they check for certain conditions (which I'm a bit nervous about) do they do bloods too? I got a really nasty bruise from my last lot of bloods. I think I get the whooping cough vaccination at this appointment too. Do they do anything else? I had a private scan at 18+2 to find out sex and I'm assuming if they saw anything abnormal they'd have to have said something? I feel him moving daily and am getting a bit nervous about them finding something wrong with my baby.
Thanks in advance for any advice/words of wisdom! X

No bloods and I had to book at GP for whooping cough but it might be different in different areas.

It's much more in-depth than the 12week one, lots of measurements and different bits to check as you can see the baby much more clearly. If they can't get certain measurements you might be asked back for a rescan.

Hi, at my local hospital the only people you see if the sonographer and then they send you on your way as it's in the afternoon most staff have dispersed to other areas (I assume if something was noticed they would notify a doctor to come and have a look and discuss any findings with you)
I didn't have my bloods taken and didn't get my whooping cough vaccine either I think I got this from my midwife at a later app at the doctors.
If the purpose of the private scan was to find out the sex then they would only have been looking at this, at your normal 20 week NHS scan they tend to do lots of measurements of head, tummy, femur, check blood flow through cord, check the heart that it has 4 chambers and the input and output is as it should be, as well as much more, which I assume a private company wouldn't have done as that isn't the purpose of the scan you went for. I get anxiety before all my scans (I have them fortnightly due to twins) but even with my first I'd always be really nervous before hand. It doesn't go away unfortunately but I'm sure all will be ok.
Good luck and hope that helped x

I am in Central London and they didn't do my bloods at all. Just a detailed scan which lasted around 30 mins and then urine test. That's all. They really take their time looking at every possible condition the baby might have. We had a really good sonographer who kept chatting to us and told us why she was looking for certain things e.g. the baby had covered his face with his hands and she kept on trying to see the lips. Didn't stop until she had a look at the lips. We weren't sure why she was so focused on the lips and she told us she wanted to rule out Cleft Lip. Was very thorough.

Thank you both! I'm a ftm and the scans make me so anxious!
@emma911030 if it makes any difference I think it was a reassurance and gender scan..? They pointed out things like the line that shows both sides of the brain.. Obviously wouldn't be as in depth as the nhs one but do you think if there was a glaringly obvious abnormality they'd have said something? X

Thank you @MnM156

I had my 20 week scan at St Thomas London. We had urine, blood pressure etc. (as we don't have any f2f midwife appointments until 28 weeks), but not bloods.

Scan took quite a long time and much more detailed than an assurance scan I had privately at 17 weeks. I had to go away for a while to try and get her to move as they couldn't get all the pictures they needed.

Also had whooping cough vaccine (excellent idea as means less trips to care providers). I had a really sore arm for ages after this!

But yes, i think if anything really significant they would have found at the reassurance scan.

@Pol96 to be honest I'm not sure, I never had a private scan so I don't know what they do and don't have to say as it would depend I guess if they had medical professionals In the way of midwives and doctors on sight too as it would be unfair for the sonographer to say something they noticed to then not be able to provide someone more clued up to then talk you through it if that makes sense x

Thank you @Bumbers I've only had phone appointments too and she said to ask for my whooping cough vaccination at my 20 week scan (hoping I'm not too achy afterwards as I work on a preschool and can imagine that being quite awkward!) I'm assuming as they did BP and urine after my dating scan they'll do it after this scan as it's not been checked since.. Thanks for the reassurance with the private scan, I think on their website (wttw) they say they'd tell you and sort out a hospital/midwife appointment for you if anything was seen but just wondered if anyone had any experience of this.

@emma911030 yeah I totally get that, fingers crossed all is okay with him! X

Anything obviously abnormal during your gender scan they will tell you about. I had an early scan with a private company and they saw something unusual. They booked me in for another scan free of charge To check and all was fine.

If they find any abnormalities at your 20 week scan they will tell you then and there. It’s normal to feel anxious but try to focus on getting to see your baby during the scan rather than anything going wrong

I had a much better 20 week scan this time round than with my first. Mostly because I had a trainee sonographer in there and they spoke through everything in such detail as was training her. Was a lovely experience.

At my hospital now it's literally just scan and bloods at the doctors and whooping cough at the doctors separately

I had the scan, went into the antenatal bit got my urine, blood pressure and bloods taken. I had my whooping cough vaccination at my next midwife appointment.

Thanks everyone!
@bedjolly I think that's what I've got to do (except the midwife told me at my 16 week phone appointment to ask for the whooping cough vaccination at the 20 week scan) what are the bloods for at this appointment? It seems that most people don't have bloods at this appointment..

I'm not entirely sure what the bloods are exactly for but after having them done and going back she told me my blood type and said that I was borderline deficient in iron. So just to make sure you're healthy most likely. My bloods from my first midwife appointment which was probably around 9 weeks said I was deficient, so this time around it lets me know I need to eat even more iron. In my hospital there's a sign at reception saying after having your 20 week scan you MUST have your urine tested and bloods taken, every woman does it. Maybe it's different in different hospitals.

And I had my bloods taken again at 28 weeks. The NHS website gives not much info but if it helps: www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/antenatal-care-checks-tests/

@Pol96 I had my whooping cough jab at my scan. Just asked when I checked in and they told me to just wander down to another department and ask, was easy.

Thanks @bedjolly

@Sanch1 Lovely thanks, I will remember to ask about it when I'm there.

As others have said it’s very detailed. If anything obvious was seen at the reassurance scan yes they would have had a legal duty to tell you, however it’s important to remember that at the private reassurance scan centres there is no legal obligation that the person scanning you is a trained sonographer so they could just be someone who’s been taught how to use a machine and spot a boy from a girl so it’s still really important to go along to the anomaly scan regardless.

Thanks everyone
All done (waiting for midwife) but all looking good. Hopefully I can start to relax a bit now! X