Are fathers/birth partners allowed to attend the 12-week scan where you live?

[AngeloMysterioso]

I’m 6 weeks pregnant and atm it looks like I’ll be attending the 12-week scan alone . I’m pretty anxious about it and so DH and I are considering paying for a private scan, to the tune of roughly £100.

As it stands he will be allowed to attend the 20-week scan. Not sure why there are different rules for what is essentially the exact same situation. If anything surely it’s more important for partners to be allowed into the 12 week scan as you’re more likely to get bad news at that one than the 20-week one?

@AngeloMysterioso it varies on the individual hospital. Where I am it's a no for the 12 week and they can only attend the 20 week if they have a COVID test and then self isolate until the scan. I agree, I would prefer it to be the other way round but I suppose they have to make a policy.

They are welcome at scans in the ultrasound dept, they have little 2 seater pods set up in their waiting area.

We had a private well being and gender scan at 16+4 because dh was looking after our older kids while I had the NHS scans. It cost us £59.

[quote IndigoNC]@AngeloMysterioso it varies on the individual hospital. Where I am it's a no for the 12 week and they can only attend the 20 week if they have a COVID test and then self isolate until the scan. I agree, I would prefer it to be the other way round but I suppose they have to make a policy.[/quote]
Same here. I don’t see why they can’t just implement the same process for the 12 week one?

I’m in Scotland and yes OH was allowed but I went on my own as we didn’t have childcare for our daughter x

Yes to all scans at Kingston, London. Also search around for private scans- no way should you be paying £100! You can get scans in most regions for half that.

@AngeloMysterioso I know but at my particular hospital it is because the waiting area can only take 4 people at a time socially distanced so they have to restrict numbers

Yes. I think, although I may have got the wrong end of the stick, that he's allowed to attend the 12 week but actually not the 20 week.

@IndigoNC That’s not the case at mine, the waiting room is massive.

@sundowners that’s for a scan at an actual medical scanning facility, not a window to the womb type of place

Mine was allowed in and that was back in February! He's just come for the 20 week scan, but isn't coming to the next one.

With the virus level this low guidance really should be more standardized.

Although keep an eye on the guidance as things may change in 6 weeks!

Yes my oh is allowed to all scans at my trust. He’s also allowed to any consultant appointments. Just currently not my midwife appointments, but even if he was allowed, I wouldn’t take him as they’d be super boring for a guy lol.

They are ok for both scans here but not the midwife appointment after the dating scan, which is fair enough I think. I agree with you that the 12 week is the one where I wanted more support each time so it does seem odd.

Will you need a scan in an actual medical facility for a private one if you have your NHS ones as well, which you should even if you have to go alone as they inform so much of your care? We're paying £55 for a private 17 week scan this time.

Well we’d want the private scan before the 12 week one (thinking around 10 weeks) as if there’s something wrong I’d obviously rather not find out alone. And from what I hear the more commercial places aren’t so good at handling that kind of thing.

Not allowed to 12 week here, but yes to 20 week. They said it’s to do with how they run the clinics as the 12 week clinics are a shorter time per woman so more women in the waiting room.

Not allowed to 12 week scan here, which was pretty nerve wracking to say the least. Not allowed to any midwife appointments either so missed out on hearing the heartbeat which he was disappointed about. He was, however, allowed to the 20 week scan.

I think it's appalling that women are expected to attend these scans on their own without any support when there is the potential for bad news. I think they changed the guidance in December to say that women should be allowed a support person in with them to scans/appointments but it was left up to the discretion of individual trusts how they would apply that. So we're left in the position where there is differing provision across the country and some women are still left attending these critical appointments alone.

Partner has been to all my scans (8 private, 12, 20, replacement 20, 22, 28 and 32) but I'm in Scotland.

Very sadly, if you were to receive bad news at the 12 week scan it’s very unlikely that there would be anything to be done. At the 20 week scan any bad news is more likely to lead to some very difficult decisions which you would want to approach as a team.

Our hospital is allowing one adult to attend both the dating and the anomaly scans along with the mother.

They are allowed at my hospital in London. They can't wait in the waiting room they have to wait outside, so you have to call/text them when you called through to the scan room and they can run up!

Yes but only for the last 5 minutes. He had to wait outside the building to be called in once they had completed the measurements etc. Same for 20 week scan.

Our trust allows a support partner for both the 12 and 20 week scans but not to any additional scans that may be required, or to any midwife appointments.

I’m in London, my husband could come to the 12 week scan but not the 20 week scan 2 weeks ago. It’s a shame it’s not uniform for every trust or that every trust doesn’t follow the guidance that partners can attend each scan for support. Hope yours goes well x

Our trust allows for partners at the 20 week scan (though they don't tell you this in the letter - you have to find out on your own and they have to wait in the hallway rather than waiting area until you are called in)
They don't allow partners to the 12 week scan unless there is a reason.
For example due to my pregnancy history I have a lot of anxiety surrounding scans so I spoke to the department ahead of time and they told me that if my midwife wrote a letter for me to bring along explaining then our situation they were happy to allow me him there for support.
As it turns out they hadn't checked their system to see I had booked in an extra person to the scan and they didn't even look at the letter either. But when I explained they still let him in 🤷🏻‍♀️

Your partner should be allowed to attend both! It is not up to the hospital. Please look up Pregnant then Screwed on Facebook who have all the latest official advice collated.

My hospital is allowing partners for 12 week and 20 week scans but not additional scans. Really unfair that you have to go alone! However I've had two private scans and they were so lovely and relaxing compared to the hospital ones so I would recommend booking one if you can afford it. Ours cost £80 each XX

Yes, but varies by hospital. Birth partner allowed to both scans but 'only for five minutes' - then asked to leave. Seems a bit stupid to me since surely it's the same risk whether they leave after five minutes or ten??

I'm at a North London hospital. The whole way through the pandemic they've been reasonably good about allowing partners in for birth, and at least some of the scans. So much so that apparently loads of people transferred there!

Up until now my trust has been dads to attend 12 week and 20 week scans only. However I approached them as I have a very stressful appointment coming up in a few weeks and really need support of my husband
They said they were making an announcement shortly and yes my husband would be able to attend
So seems the rules are changing! Fingers crossed for you