Fetal Medicine Centre - London

[HarrietTheSpy]

Hi there. Am thinking of having my 12wk scan here. Any thoughts on these guys? Previous pregnancy used a private OB - won't return to him following failure to diagnose my subsequent ectopic in 2nd preg.

It's not that I don't have confidence in the NHS, it's the waiting times for results. I really like knowing straightaway what the story is.

very pleased with my scan there which also pointed out the cause of my early pg bleeding, despite several 'early scans' at nhs hosp which found nothing...

Harriet - not sure where you are based but I am under Kings College and I had an on the spot result for my 12 week nuchal scan with bloods and I had a 6:45pm appointment (all NHS). They really are very accomodating and have some excellent consultants.

However, I had an early viability scan at Fetal Med Centre and found them great.

Lauren - the FMC is run by the same people as Kings. The Drs work in both places. When I was there (FMC) I was chatting to the Dr doing the scan who told me that the FMC funds most of the research done by the Prof and at Kings.

Been to both Kings and FMC - FMC wins hands down in terms of experience. Waited 5 hours at Kings once and had lots of other issues - but I'll save that for another thread!

I had a nuchal scan there after an NHS one. FMC have better equipment and do more thorough checks so my risk of Downs went from 1:200 to 1:1800 which was v v reassuring. We did wait but that was to see Prof Nikoliades (sp???) who was lovely.

Had my nuchal and CVS there a few weeks ago. They treat their patients very well. Everything was explained in detail and they really took their time. Yes, there was a delay of over an hour but we were told how long the wait would be and given the option to go out for coffee/food and come back.

I had my 22 week scan there. There were no problems with 12 week scan but as anxious 1st time parents we wanted to go to the best. A wonderful place. The staff are lovely. The best money we have EVER spent. (Scan is fine.) Don't worry about the waiting time - if you live in London then call a few hours before the appointment to find out when you may be seen. NB: Scan photo MUCH better than NHS - more detailed.

Fantastic place. The Professor is amazing and quite a character. He is the person who developed the nuchal test and you will also see his name on many of the fetal growth charts used by hospitals - definitely the fetal health guru. Hopefully though, you wont need to see him as everything will be fine from scans with his doctors. I usually had early appointments and no problems with waiting, all very efficient.

There is definitely a particular day to avoid, the one where Prof is there and he sees problem cases - they do try and see all of these as soon as possible so that is why it gets so busy - someone told me he often sees 70 women in a day(!)

We had a nuchal scan there as the hospital I was at didnt offer one. Later when we had a problem (an erroneous NHS scan at 24 wks that led us to be told that we were highly likely to have either DS or dwarf baby and to have amnio immediately ), we called them at 9am and they told us to come in at 11am that day. Obviously we didnt mind waiting around a bit then. A doctor saw us and did a scan and then the prof came in and re-did it to completely reassure us that there was no indication of problems. Cant praise the place enough and I am heading back there in a couple of weeks for a nuchal scan with my second, even though this time the NHS are offering one.

I'm booked in for nuchal scan at fetal med centre on 2nd Jan (early planning I know, but what with xmas and new year...) I'm 39 so worried a bit about results. I can have CVS same day if necessary, but think I need to decide an 'acceptable' risk before I go as DH can't come with me. How on earth do you decide? DS1 and DD1 are 11 and 9, so the baby in itself will have a big enough impact on our family, let alone one with Downs. It's such a hard decision! How much advice do they give you re having CVS?

EEC if things work out we are currently planning to go there a week after you so I am really keen to find out more like you

My! Haven't been around for a while. Thanks so much for all the replies. We've booked there for the nuchal. Going in a couple of weeks' time. I got a late afternoon apt.

My goodness I wish I'd had access to the FMC through this PG - or had had the foresight to go to them from the beginning rather than have nuchal elsewhere followed by weeks and months of worry, further inconclusive scans and finally being pressured into an amnio at 32 weeks. My initial risk of D/S at 13 week nuchal scan was 1:21 - what I wouldn't have given for someone like Dr Nikioladies to have reduced that to something more like 1:500 which I would have been quite happy with!! I'm 38 BTW.

Anyway, to try and answer your question EEC (and of course at the end of the day this is going to be quite a personal choice) I think you have to be very clear in your mind first about what you would do if you did get a definitive D/S diagnosis (i.e. if you ended up having the CVS and it came back positive). I also have a nearly 6 year old DD and before this PG would probably have said I'd consider termination but after I got the 1:21 nuchal result I really sat down, thought long and hard, read up loads, looked at the posts on MN by mums of D/S kids, talked to a few close friends and reached the conclusion that there are a lot worse things than D/S that can't be detected antenatally and that I wouldn't terminate regardless.
If you're not sure you could make that judgment now without "knowing" for sure one way or the other then it kind of comes down to your tolerance for risk.

I would encourage you to read this article. I think it sets out a very balanced arguement. It is focused on Amnios but my understanding is that risks with CVS are similar.

Do keep in mind that at 39 your background age-related risk will be between 1:100 and 1:150 and the nuchal fold results will be adjusted for this - i.e. where a 25 year old's risk factor for the same nuchal measurement might be 1:1000, yours might be age-adjusted to 1:100. IMO this makes it doubly hard to know how to react. And I guess is also why many people in the late 30s/40s age group decide to go straight to the amnio/CVS.
It sounds to me from what others have said tho that if you go to the FMC you could have both procedures done the same day so there's no reason not to have the nuchal first and then make a decision. Maybe find out what your background age-risk is more precisely and then go in thinking that if the nuchal result is higher than this you'll have the CVS??

I had a viability scan there at 8 weeks -- they were definitely fab, fantastic equipment, and I hardly had to wait at all. I would love to have all my scans there.

buzzybee - thanks, that was really helpful. Still not sure what I'm going to do but gives me a bit more to think about. (I don't have enough to think about already, of course!).