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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Private scan and epu seeing different things 👀

27 replies

rubye · 05/04/2021 19:05

Hi,
After have bloods done at the epu and hgc not doubling I was worried about eptopic as I was bleeding as well. Epu couldn't scan me straight away due to being fully booked.
So I went for an early scan 8 days ago at a private clinic. They saw a little baby measuring 1.6mm but no heart beat, so they said come back in a week to see if it has progressed.
The next day I got a call to say I could get a scan at the epu so I went down and got scanned but they could only see a gestational sac and yolk sac, no baby. They said to come back in 2 weeks to see if there was any progression.
Yesterday I went back for a private scan and they said the baby was measuring 1.3mm and had not grown therefore it was a missed miscarriage. They were really nice and called the epu who are looking after me to explain and get my appointment with them moved forward, so I could start the process of removing this pregnancy.
So fast forward to today I went back to the epu expecting to be getting rid of the baby and the sonographer saw a 3mm baby with no heartbeat. They said as they have seen progression from no baby to 3mm in a week that they cannot give me medication to remove the baby and go back next week for another scan.

I am just so confused! How can the epu have seen completely different things to the private scan? I feel like I'm on such an emotional rollercoster and just wish I knew what was going on.

OP posts:
FelicityPike · 05/04/2021 19:08

Private scans very often aren’t staffed by medically trained people.
They’re not reliable at all.

ekausbsj · 05/04/2021 19:10

Having been in your situation I'd go with the EPU over the private scan.

Beyondhumanity · 05/04/2021 19:10

@FelicityPike

Private scans very often aren’t staffed by medically trained people. They’re not reliable at all.
Hmm
Original poster
rubye · 05/04/2021 19:37

@ekaubsk did you end up having a viable pregnancy?

It's just a waiting game, but so frustrating!

OP posts:
Coachee · 05/04/2021 19:41

That last comment about medically trained staff is not true of the place I went. In fact, on more than one occasion, I’ve been scanned by the same sonographer at 12 weeks in the nhs as I had been privately. Conversely, at EPU I’ve been scanned by nurses who are less well trained than sonographers - and been given some crap advice. Epu scans are often extremely rudimentary as a result.

TwittleBee · 05/04/2021 19:43

I had this with my 1 year old. Private clinic was shocked.

FTEngineerM · 05/04/2021 19:45

@FelicityPike

Private scans very often aren’t staffed by medically trained people. They’re not reliable at all.
Hmm, not sure this is true on the whole. Ultrasound direct closest to me is staffed by nhs staff doing it as a ‘Saturday job’ one being my very much qualified radiographer cousin.

Every time I’ve been (4 times) I’ve asked and they have all worked for the NHS.

ColourfulElmerElephant · 05/04/2021 19:48

I’m sorry. Unfortunately this is one of the reasons it’s best to stick with the same machinery and ideally the same person scanning you. In all honesty, your scan results were a foregone conclusion after being told your HCG wasn’t doubling and I think you should have been told that at the time.

FelicityPike · 05/04/2021 19:49

Yes that’s why I said “very often”.
I fully understand that fully trained NHS sonographers do it too, just as NHS staff can also work privately.

ParadiseIsland · 05/04/2021 19:52

@FelicityPike

Private scans very often aren’t staffed by medically trained people. They’re not reliable at all.
Sorry but that’s not the reality for the ones I know.

The sonographers were as well trained as the NHS ones and often we’re doing that ON THE TOP of doing their sonographer job in the NHS

Littlepaws18 · 05/04/2021 20:03

Early scans are so unreliable and early private scans are even more unreliable. Ignore the private scan results, listen to the hospital advice. I was in a similar position, where the baby wasn't appearing to grow and sadly didn't get a chance to return for another scan because I had a miscarriage.

It's such a heartbreaking position to be in, follow the advice of the epu x thinking of you x

ekausbsj · 05/04/2021 20:16

@rubye unfortunately not 😢

My 'issue' was first detected by a private scan but they said I had ovulated later and it would all be fine. After the private scan I ended up in the EPU a couple of days later who said it was likely a missed miscarriage, I had to wait 2 weeks for another scan where they confirmed this was the case as the baby hadn't got any bigger.

So sorry you're stuck in such a tricky situation xx

ekausbsj · 05/04/2021 20:18

The waiting to find out is so hard Thanks

On another note my friend went to EPU and saw baby with no heartbeat. Went back two weeks later and everything was fine. He's turning 4 next week Smile

Original poster
rubye · 05/04/2021 20:20

@Littlepaws18 I am sorry to hear you lost your baby.

I am pretty sure it won't be viable and was prepared for 'expelling' the pregnancy today. It just seems so unfair to be given the slight bit of hope again when I know it will probably not be viable.
I had a missed miscarriage in September at the 12 week scan and loosing hope that I will have a baby.

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 05/04/2021 20:26

I've had early miscarriages, so a bit of experience with the viable/non viable tiny stage - I've been told the measuring process is not an exact science and can be a bit fiddly to get right.

It must be really difficult to cope. Sorry you have been given inconclusive info.

Could you ask about having the betas repeated in the light of this info? That is usually the most conclusive tool they have at this stage, before a heartbeat can be detected. Although TBH if the hCG wasn't doubling before then I'd be inclined to feel pessimistic about the pregnancy as well.

One "good thing" (it's not really, but it helped me to look at it this way) is that after two miscarriages you at least know the next pregnancy will lead somewhere: You'll either get a baby out of it or investigation into why it is potentially happening.

Rach247 · 05/04/2021 21:09

I don’t want to give any false hope but my HCG levels were rising but not doubling at the start of my pregnancy, and I was told it was ‘unviable’. But every scan showed progression, and the pregnancy continued without any problems, and i have now got a lovely, healthy 10 month old baby. It was unbelievably stressful going for those early scans at the EPU every two weeks and waiting for bad news, so I really feel for you. But I just wanted to say that HCG levels aren’t always definitive.

BabyC21 · 06/04/2021 08:49

Hi @rubye I think it might have been down to how small the fetal pole was. The EPU told me there was a questionable fetal pole at 1.8mm - they even put a question mark beside it on the scan picture as they said it was so tiny they couldn’t be sure. So as yours was a little smaller it could just have been missed. They told me it was wait and see at that point and I went back 8 days later and baby was measuring 4.3 with a heartbeat. I’d imagine 3mm may just be too small for a heartbeat. Wishing you all the best x

ChunkyButFunky87 · 06/04/2021 14:57

I've sadly lost all faith in private scans.

Only recently at 17 weeks my friend was told by private happy, healthy baby . . 3 weeks later at 20 week scan baby has no arm, no toes and half a missing face due to a syndrome. This was a private place ran by 2 midwives which upsets me more, not just some backstreet/unqualified.

Stick with the NHS x

LittleTiger007 · 06/04/2021 15:38

Private scanners are often not medically trained as stated above. Last October at a private scan I was told that there was no baby. Now I’m 34 weeks pregnant. It’s crazy.
I really hope things work out OP. I personally won’t be going to a private scan for a medical opinion again.

Littlepaws18 · 06/04/2021 16:16

Don't loose hope op. I had three miscarriages last year all early and all unexplained. I was transferred to the miscarriage unit for further testing but Covid closed the unit.

So I decided to do some detective work of my own. With the help of a GP I discovered I was anaemic and had high blood pressure. I was given really strong iron tablets and aspirin. It did the trick! Then was given hormone pessaries for the first 12 weeks. I'm now 24 weeks pregnant!

Miscarriages are soul destroying but don't be put off by trying again. It can happen xx

Original poster
rubye · 12/04/2021 16:10

Hi here's a quick update. I've been for a scan this morning and they now say they can see a heartbeat although it is slow and that it hasn't grown any more. So got to wait another week for a scan. This little baby is fighting to stay alive even though it looks very unlikely it will progress 😪

OP posts:
Rach247 · 14/04/2021 21:15

Thanks for the update, OP. I’m so sorry you have another week of anxiety and uncertainty over this. Be kind to yourself.

wlshawlwishs · 14/04/2021 21:57

Sorry it is dragging on without any certain answers OP. I hope it is good news at your next scan.

Rach247 · 20/04/2021 19:58

Any further news, OP? Hope you’re doing ok.

Original poster
rubye · 20/04/2021 21:34

Hi, thanks for asking. I had another scan this afternoon and it has shown that pregnancy has ended. I've decided to have the operation to remove it as last time I had a bad experience with the medical management.
I am just relieved that I am finally able to try and move on, as it has felt like such a long drawn out process waiting for the inevitable to happen.

OP posts:
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