Male sonographer kept rubbing his arm on my pubic bone. Is this normal?

[RebeccaAndBump]

Hi,

I am having my first child and I had my 12 week scan today with a male sonographer.
Just wanted to know is it normal for the sonographer to be rubbing his wrist against my Pubic area and applying pressure whilst scanning? This happened well over 10 times. I had a scan at 6 weeks and the only thing that touched me during that scan was the sensor and the gel. Any advise would be great?

Thank you

I have had similar in my scans. I am a bit overweight and due to previous c sections, my tummy overhangs slightly and the sonographer would definitely use a bit of pressure to get a better look because of my tummy and be quite low down on my pubic bone.

Like poster above says - you're allowed to feel uncomfortable, of course - I think the issue here is he didn't explain to you what he was doing. All sonographers I've had have asked before touching me.
The position doesn't sound unusual to me, I've experienced it/similar but I think communication was the problem here

It sounds normal to me too and I've had umpteen scans. I have had sonographers very low down having to angle the handheld device thingy in all sorts of positions to get a clearer image of baby. I've also found they're generally very quiet and don't explain much when they're checking all is normal - it's still a bit awkward for me and I'm on my 4th baby.
Wrist brushing pubic area when scanning something that is JUST above your pubic area and requires certain positioning doesn't scream sexual assault to me. But I wasn't there and don't know the finer details, so it's entirely up to you what you do OP. X

Do you think it was the guy himself that made you uncomfortable rather than the procedure?

Ive had invasive procedures done by males where I was completely at ease. Had they been ignoring me or not explaining I would've felt violated- if that makes sense

I wouldn't like somebody lifting my top up etc without talking to me, or asking if I do it myself.

Wouldn't think it's SA, but you get the point.

Doesn't sound quite right to me, I would just raise it with PALS at the hospital, that way it can be looked at. Because these scans can be fairly intimate, communication between sonographer and patient is vital.

Seems normal. They don’t always explai. What they are doing. Some sonographers yank your knickers down Halfway over your pubes. Some are gentle some aren’t. Without being there can’t really say. I guess if you felt uncomfortable then maybe he needs to rethink his bedside manner. Sound like he was using your bone as a pivot point tbh.

Sounds pretty normal to me but my scans were done by a female, not sure I’d of felt any different if it was a male. She didn’t tell me she was putting the tissue down the pants or explain when she was going particularly low but I just let her get on with it.

No it sounds like sexual assault to me but I would complain

Oh get a grip honestly.

Op sorry it was uncomfortable for you, but it sounds normal to me. If anything his communication just wasn’t great so upto you if you want to raise that or not.

Thank you everyone for your input, I really appreciate it.

On my 6 week scan the sonographer found the baby immediately as she said I'm petite and her hand didn't touch me at all. She explained what she was doing and looking for and said this I the heartbeat and talked to me. The sonographer today said nothing to me apart from 'move closer to me', 'the baby is in a good position' and ' can't see any pro worm' and all was said in a rude way. He didn't ask to tuck the tissue in he just did it and just lifted my top up even further than it already was. He didn't explain about the pressure at all and just rubbed his wrist with pressure on my pubic area. There was more pressure on his wrist than on the sensor. There was one other woman and one other man who was I. Twining in the room but he shut the curtain once I had laid down so they couldn't see. The female eventually shouted scacastically ' when we ever you're ready' through the curtain. I'm going to complain as if it is innocent which I'm sure it isn't otherwise I wouldn't of felt so upset then perhaps it will make him more aware to explain what he is doing going forward and if it is not correct practice then hopefully my complaint will stop anything further happening to anyone else. Thank you all again I'm really greatful for the support x

Happened to me but I have a tilted uterus, so the sonography was struggling to get a good view. She also explained what she was doing and apologised for pressing so hard.

No one has ever done that even when I had an internal one.

Creepy.

It all comes down to how you've been made to feel. In my experience, I think it sounds normal.. I had lots of extra scans as I had a cervical stitch put in at 16 weeks.. I was scanned by male and female sonographers and pressure was applied in that region.. When you say he lifted your top up further then it needed to go, how far are you talking? It's obviously compelled you to write a post as you've been made to feel uncomfortable. There's no right or wrong answer in this situation. It's about how you've been made to feel.

It sounds perfectly normal to me tbh

It depends on where the baby is and the angle they need to get the ultrasound. Also presumably it will depend on the sonographer as to how they hold it

Presumably he assumed you knew what was happening as you'd had one before? His bed side manner doesn't sound fantasic but I don't think the actual procedure sounds abnornal

It sounds like you were uncomfortable and possibly felt violated. It's hard honestly to understand what went on. I have had something similar but it was neither violating nor threatening. In my case, the foetus was hard to 'image' and sonographer had to manipulate his wrist a lot, pressing to get better view and measuring. In my case it was very clear why. The manipulation of the wrist to get a better image caused the wrist to bump against pubic bone sometimes. This is just one experience. At the end of the day, my experience doesn't matter (but wanted to give another perspective). Next time ask either for a female sonographer or for a chaperone. If you are reasonably sure this was nefarious, report it.

If I look back, I feel as if sometimes there has been slightly odd arm pressure in unexpected places as they try to get a good view.

But. I didn’t feel uncomfortable about it.

That’s the material difference.

This sounds off. I’d absolutely raise it - if for no other reason that, in future, this so-called professional can use a bit of cop on, and explain what he’s doing to the person in his care.

How hard is it??

Yep I've had this. Female sonographer and it was really embarrassing, she also put the tissue in my underwear very low down!

I'd raise it. If nothing else, he needs a bit of extra training in communication. I had loads of scans with twins and had to move around a lot so as to get the angle right, but no wrist contact at all.

The 6 week scan is not as in depth as the 12 week scan, so of course they are going to feel different. Usually a 6 week scan is only checking where the embryo is to make sure it is not ectopic. It sounds completely normal to me although I am sure his bedside manner could be improved, so you could consult PALS about that, because it is important that patients are told what is happening, but apart from that it sounds completely normal.

I perform ultrasound scans of the carotid arteries in the neck & sometimes rest my wrist on the patients collar bone to stabilise my scanning arm.

However, if I was scanning any sensitive area I would always say what I was going to do & get consent first.

If it made you feel uncomfortable then I would definitely raise it with the hospital. I doubt you're the only patient who has had the same experience.

Also a female Sonographer here, sounds normal to me too. Especially if you had an underfilled bladder / slightly higher body habitus. When we ask people to lower their lower garments to bikini line, they still don’t seem to appreciate how low down the uterus / baby is in the first trimester and so we have to repeatedly ask them to lower their clothes. Much the same as when women are not keen to lift their tops to give us access to their pelvis / abdomen.

Our male sonographers all have a chaperone with them whatever the scan, I’d say here the chaperone should have pulled the curtain back slightly as they should be visible during the scan.
Our male sonographers dislike doing any female scans (specially Obs and Gynae) and will swap anything else to get out of them!

Baby is still behind your pubic bone at this stage so of course they need to put the probe near it, often at an awkward angle. Men tend to be more heavy handed that women simple due to the size and strength of their hands and arms. It sounds completely normal to me.

Did you not have a chaperone? If you feel uncomfortable going to appointments again, ring in advance of your appointment and request someone else who is trained is in the room (someone i know got a receptionist in the room so if you call in advance they'll arrange for a nurse or someone medically trained)

It really dose depend on the situation, I’ve had scans where I’ve felt them put pressure on my pelvic bone and pull both my pants really really low and top up high over the course of 3 pregnancy’s. My DF was in the room when my pants were pulled low and he had to turn away. I’ve also had to have internal scans when there have been issues with normal scans.

If it made you uncomfortable ask for female next time and ask them to explain things as they go along.

I think the point is that op felt uncomfortable, her instinct was telling her that something wasn’t right. Hopefully, this just turns out to be a case that the sonographer needs more training in taking care of patients but if it isn’t we need to have them removed from these positions.

I’ve gone through two pregnancies, the last one high risk resulting in even more scans and if they needed to apply extra pressure anywhere or have my clothes moved it was all explained why and with compassion.

Op, I’m sorry you were made to feel like this, hopefully it isn’t anything sinister but if he’s up to no good you contacting the hospital to raise a concern could stop it evolving. Hopefully the rest of your pregnancy will be uneventful.

So I think the pressure is normal, I’m not sure if he should’ve touched you with his arm so I can’t say but what I would be focussing on is his bedside manner. If he’s said “there will be pressure and I need to put my arm here to do XYZ, is that ok” then you’d probably not be feeling uncomfortable because you’d be prepared for it but touching you to put the tissue in and touching your top without warning/asking is absolutely not ok.

Wish I could have had an external scan at 6 weeks. After the amount of internal scans I've had (both for pregnancy and other issues) I don't think I'd notice their wrist leaning on me tbh.