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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Scan experience didn't feel right......

21 replies

Worried55 · 01/10/2020 18:47

So first of all I have pcos so i have no idea how pregnant I am. I've had positive then negative then positive again. And having had a chemical in the past I thought I might as well go for a private scan just to see. My nurse said going by my last period it's 7 weeks....

So anyway... I went into the scan room, I laid down. And within 5 minutes it was over. She used an external scan.... Looked at my uterus and straight away said "well I don't see anything" and "I'm. Wondering if you're getting false Positives"..... No offer of an internal scan (which BTW I had to sign a form to consent to if needed) and I just walked outside feeling like it didn't seem right. Surely if she couldn't see anything she would have done an internal scan? Why didn't she? Why did it feel like she literally took my £70 looked at my stomach for 5 minutes and then it was over. Oh and then... Come back in 2 weeks and we'll have another look. Yeh... So I can hand over more money probably! I had prepared myself for it to go either way. I'm having symptoms... Back pain, weird twingy feelings, slight cramps, pains at the tops of my legs. But I told myself that I would be ok if there was nothing there. But am I wrong in thinking that she's done a very half assed job here. Why didn't she do an internal scan to see if she could see anything there?

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Kaboomba · 01/10/2020 18:55

Hello!

I'm third time pregnancy here. When they do an abdominal scan they are able to see the sac but probably not the baby as too tiny, if she could see the sac she would have offered an internal to see the baby and a chance at seeing the heart beat.

Hope your doing ok and you get baby dust very soon!!

LynetteScavo · 01/10/2020 19:01

Back pain, weird twingy feelings, slight cramps, pains at the tops of my legs.

These aren't symptoms of early pregnancy. These are more symptoms of late pregnancy.

I think it's best you are patient and wait. Harder than said, I know.

ivfbeenbusy · 01/10/2020 19:05

At 6weeks1 day I saw both gestational sacs and babies (twins) so I'd say you were definitely earlier than 6 weeks

Personally I wouldn't have spent money on a private scan until I got a 3+ reading on a clearblue digital with weeks test. A sac can't be seen until hcg is over about 1500

ttcchapter1 · 01/10/2020 19:18

@LynetteScavo

Symptoms vary for everyone, i had those symptoms in early pregnancy and I'm 6 months now, think twice before commenting next time :)

@Worried55 i know its hard to wait and see and much easier said than done but please try and wait, maybe contact your gp and ask for them to do a blood test? They might be more likely to do it if you have pcos

Cookies47 · 01/10/2020 19:24

Private clinics like BabyBond/Ultrasound Direct aren't really there for medical reasons for the most part, I thought?
When I booked it said that if you're having any issues, you should really be contacting the hospital, so as far as I was aware, they're mostly there for reassurance scans.
You should be calling your local early pregnancy unit at the hospital.

SunnySideUp2020 · 01/10/2020 20:30

Sorry you had such a disappointing experience.

I also think you should go to your epu.
Private scans are more for when you are definitely pregnant (consistent positive tests or bloods) wanting to see your baby in between nhs scans...or just for reassurance of heartbeat etc...

Most of these places Don't scan before 7 weeks anyway for this reason. If your pregnancy tests are coming back positive and negative it could be too early or unsuccessful.
But either way nothing a private scan place can do for you now...

ivfbeenbusy · 01/10/2020 21:57

Just on the EPU point - highly unlikely they will see you at the moment with the covid situation ongoing unless you are either bleeding or have a history of ectopic

ApolloandDaphne · 01/10/2020 22:01

Surely if there was nothing on the external scan they wouldn't go on to do an invasive internal scan.

mamangelo · 01/10/2020 22:10

I had early scans in both pregnancies at 7 weeks first baby and 5 weeks second. They didn’t even attempt a tummy scan as said they wouldn’t be able to see anything. Both were internal scans.

They couldn’t see my second baby at five weeks even with an internal scan. They had me doing blood tests to make sure he wasn’t eptopic. He wasn’t, was defo cooking in the womb just to small to see.

Totally normal pregnancy, he was all over large 80th percentile except his head which was 100th

I would be calling and stating I was unhappy with the scan and requesting a free of charge follow up. Especially surprised they didn’t do blood tests or recommend you get some via GP to ensure not ectopic.

Really hope you get another proper scan and that there is a baby x

Sevo7 · 01/10/2020 22:18

I would ask your gp for a blood test to see what your hcg is and if you are pregnant. I have a very tilted uterus making it difficult to get a clear abdominal scan until around 9 weeks. However in my last 2 pregnancies I have been scanned at around 5 weeks (due to pain) and they’ve always been able to see a thickened womb lining and the gestational sac with an abdominal scan before the internal scan revealed that only a yolk sac and tiny fetal pole was present. However saying that if the scanning equipment is poor it may affect what they can see.

How long ago did you get a positive pregnancy test?

Cookies47 · 01/10/2020 23:20

Private baby scan places don't do your bloods, OP needs to see her doctor or early pregnancy unit..

Everyone saying EPUs are unlikely to see you because of covid are wrong - I have PCOS and was seen at 4 weeks (I had a bit of cramping), 6 weeks (to finally see baby, who didn't show up on the first scan!) & 9 weeks (I had a bleed). They were wonderful, covid hasn't changed that.

Pinktruffle · 02/10/2020 00:57

@Cookies47 Everyone is not wrong, it depends very much on your local Trust which is why people have said its unlikely rather than they wom't see you.

Its fantastic that yours were happy to see you but this is not a universal experience. I had bleeding 8 weeks with PCOS and a history of miscarriage and my EPU point blank refused to see me. Just told me to go home and wait it out.

FizzingWhizzbee123 · 02/10/2020 08:23

I’d be questioning why they didn’t do any internal scan that early. I’ve had both NHS and private scans and before 8-10 weeks, they’ve al just gone straight to internal, haven’t even bothered with external. When she couldn’t see anything externally, I think she should have looked internally to check.

AegonT · 02/10/2020 10:29

That sounds terrible! I would complain. I went at 7 weeks for a private scan which I do regret because it caused more stress. Nothing could be seem trans-abdominally. She asked me to take a pregnancy test with the weeks indicator and then did an internal. I was over a week behind, with a heamatoma and my uterus was tilted right back. By my first NHS scan I had caught up a few days, no haematoma anymore and my uterus was making it's way to a normal position.

Cookies47 · 02/10/2020 12:34

I don't think anyone should be put off ringing their EPU after hearing horror stories of others being turned away.

pooopypants · 02/10/2020 12:51

My EPU won't see you unless you're bleeding or have a history of ectopic (I have so have spent many hours there) but they always did internal scans early on. You can't just rock up and tell them you want to see your baby etc. I do appreciate that it can vary from trust to trust but I'd have thought with CV, they won't see you willy nilly

Ring and complain that they didn't do an internal scan and see what they say. Though I'm not sure why you didn't ask them at the time.

loobyloo1234 · 02/10/2020 13:55

These aren't symptoms of early pregnancy. These are more symptoms of late pregnancy.

I have all of these symptoms at 17 weeks

Pinktruffle · 02/10/2020 14:24

@Cookies47 I agree, I think everyone should always seek medical advice - I was just pointing out that your statement was a sweeping and incorrect one.

OP, i think you should complain, they should have done an internal scan. The sonographer also sounds very insensative and should be pulled up on that. Telling someone they must have had a false positive is out of order and not her place.

Cafeaulait27 · 02/10/2020 14:29

I think you should get a free internal rescan. It makes no sense that they didn’t do an internal at your stage of pregnancy.

I went to window to the womb and I’m sure they said they do internals up to 10 weeks gestation as it gives a clearer image. Xxx

Original poster

Worried55 · 02/10/2020 16:58

Thank you all for your replies. I just feel absolutely devistated. I don't know what I was expecting but to be told there's just nothing there was heartbreaking. I don't a test this morning and the line is there but it's faint. I'm guessing whatever was there isn't now, maybe had she done an internal she would of seen something very small. It obviously wasn't meant to be 😔 x

OP posts:

SunnySideUp2020 · 02/10/2020 18:25

@Worried55
I genuinely think that the sonographer couldn't locate any sign of pregnancy and that's why she didn't do the internal.
Having faint positives and negative means you are very very very early (probably less than 4 weeks) and nothing a scan would show. You might have suffered a chemical pregnancy or perhaps you are still very early?
Have you tried a clearblue digital test?

In the future i would really wait until you have consistent clear positive tests for at least 3 weeks before booking a scan. Especially with pcos and being unable to date. Otherwise booking scans too early will just create more stress and anxiety (talking from experience).

It is heartbreaking but i really wouldn't blame the scan place OP.
Nothing you could do about it and nothing they could have done at this stage...

Take care of yourself x

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