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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Do most people have a private scan?

83 replies

RosieLemonade · 20/09/2021 13:59

Talking to my friend who is the same amount of weeks pregnant as me and she was telling me about taking her children to a private scan to see the new baby and finding out the gender. I know DH will say no if I suggested it so feeling a little hard done by! Are we in the minority only having nhs scans?

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julzx · 20/09/2021 15:27

I had 2 private scans out with the nhs scans and would totally recommend.
An early one due to cramping and then one for gender and i would do it a all again for peace and reassurance, what someone said about them not being qualified sonographers is wrong, they are and will give you all the paperwork away with you with what they found and your measurement's ect.
Generally i have found they are NHS anyway they do this as a sideline....
i really enjoyed mines much more personal and enjoyable than the hospital and my little boy, my mum partner and MIL

ShushShushShush · 20/09/2021 15:39

DS1 standard NHS 12 and 20 week. Then had one at 26 weeks so my DM could see the baby. Didn't find out the sex until he was born.

DS2, private scan at 8 weeks, completely healthy 12 week scan, devastating news at anomaly scan. So I half wish we'd got a private scan at 16 weeks so the heartache would have been sooner. I also wish that in the week between the scan and losing him, I'd got a private scan so I could have a video of him and his heartbeat recorded.

Pregnancy 3, MMC: EPU at 8 weeks, private scan at "9" and back to EPU at 10. Never had a heartbeat but my body didn't recognise it so didn't MC. I'm glad the in-between private scan was available to me so I could plan the next week when I knew I would need some time to MC at home with medication.

I got a positive pregnancy test last week, I'm assuming it will be another MMC so I'll probably book a private scan at 7/8ish weeks (if I haven't already started bleeding) to confirm.

Hardbackwriter · 20/09/2021 15:39

I suspect they're more common than some of the posters who say that no one they know had one realise. There's a bit of stigma to having them in some circles - look at how many of the posters on this thread have made a point of giving their 'justification' for it (anxiety, difficult previous experiences or time TTC-ing, etc). I didn't tell many people that we had a couple of private scans with DS1, and when I did I also emphasised that it was because of previous recurrent miscarriage, as if I had to prove that I hadn't had them just because I was frivolously unable to wait. I think they're in the same box as gender reveals to a lot of people, and so a bit embarrassing.

lillylemons · 20/09/2021 15:41

pregnant with my third and I've never had a private scan just had the ones provided by the NHS

ReeseWitherfork · 20/09/2021 15:44

Best of luck @ShushShushShush, hope everything goes ok.

Wallabyone · 20/09/2021 15:44

I only had private scans with my third. The first time was because the NHS couldn't fit me in in time for the early testing-Nuchal etc and I would have been over 14 weeks for my 12 week scan
The second was because I had GD and they thought I might have polyhydramnios and I wanted some reassurance that the baby was ok. I wouldn't bother with a scan for siblings or 4d, etc because we haven't ever found out the sex before birth.

Mellous · 20/09/2021 15:45

Yes because of a previous missed miscarriage

BelieveInRainbows · 20/09/2021 15:45

I never did with my first 2 children, just NHS scans. I booked a private scan at 10 weeks when I was pregnant with number 3, not sure why but something just felt off. Sure enough I went to the scan and baby had no heartbeat. I was glad I found out then instead of going to my 12 week scan and getting the news. Sonographer was great, very professional and she'd been a sonographer in the NHS for 14 years and does her private scanning on the side.
This time around I booked a private scan at 8 weeks due to miscarriages but ended up bleeding and needing to be scanned at EPU anyway so cancelled the private one (all was fine thankfully!).
I do have a private 'gender' scan booked for the first time too. This will be our last child and I thought I'd like to go all out as such this time, the package is 2D 3D and 4D imaging as well as pictures and a USB with videos and a lovely keepsake box. I'm a bit sad I never did it with the other 2 kids tbh! Won't be taking the kids along though but thought it would be nice to do something fun to tell them the sex of their sibling afterwards, probably the cupcakes with the colour in the middle as they both love a cake
I don't think private scans are the norm but I definitely think you should be able to discuss it with your DH without him giving you a straight up no!

ShushShushShush · 20/09/2021 15:52

@ReeseWitherfork

Best of luck *@ShushShushShush*, hope everything goes ok.

Thank you ❤️ mentally and emotionally I can't be positive, so I appreciate your kindness.

EggSheeran · 20/09/2021 16:06

I had some private scans due to some concerns (also ended up being asked by the hospital to go in for checks due to the same concerns too!)

Comparing my private scans with the NHS scans I'm so glad I had private ones. The experience was so much nicer and relaxed than in hospital. I was close to tears during my NHS one as the experience and the Sonographer were so horrible. The scans were a lot clearer on the private ones too and overall it just felt like the checks were more thorough and less rushed. The private doctor went through everything with us, explained everything in far more depth the the sonographer at hospital.

It's down to personal preference whether you get private scans but due to the medical concerns I had that was why I had some and I'm grateful now that I did have some.

Didyousaynutella · 20/09/2021 16:20

Are the private scans often correct?

The majority are. Have had a couple wrong recently.

whoknew23 · 20/09/2021 16:24

I had booked a private scan because I thought my DH wouldn’t get in to the 12 week.

But before we went to the private scan I had a bleed and needed one at the EPU so cancelled the private.

Then I had one at 12 ,20 weeks then at 35,37,38 weeks (they were keeping an eye on baby’s growth) .

Roonilwazlib1 · 20/09/2021 16:25

@eggsheeran It makes me sad to read that your NHS sonographers were horrible.

The scans I've had on the NHS so far have been performed by such kind and reassuring sonographers, it must have really tainted your experience

MayorGoodwaysChicken · 20/09/2021 16:30

The alarming thing for me that sticks out of your posts is that your husband appears to treat you as a child. He will ‘say no’?! Even though you as a family can easily afford it? He may have legitimate concerns about how it’ll affect your mental health but how about discussing those with you as a fellow adult, with respect, as the person who is actually going through the pregnancy? The way you said he will say no just rang alarm bells for me. I

In any case I had early scans with both mine for reassurance as I found 12 weeks too long to wait to check all was ok. But no more after that.

slapmyarseandcallmemary · 20/09/2021 16:34

1st baby I did. I had a huge haemorrhage and this made my anxiety worse, so wanted to check all was ok and have a gender scan. 2nd baby I did as I had a miscarriage between 1st and 2nd and also wanted to know gender. This time, I had a private scan at 14 weeks because my partner couldn't come to my 12 week scan as we had no childcare and kids weren't allowed in this time. Each to their own. If it helps people feel less anxious and more reassured, that's lovely. I know more people who have had private scans that not.

Didyousaynutella · 20/09/2021 16:39

Eggshearan. For the majority most private scans are sonographers not Drs. I assume you are in a big city such as London.
They are not always clearer. Most nhs hospitals have equipment replacement programmed so always have the latest machines. Private businesses obviously are deepened at on profits. I have done a lot a private work myself. Most are sonographers that just do it as a side hustle to earn extra pennies. The good ones have links to the local hospitals so can pass patients on if there is bad news. It does lengthen the process of you do get bad news though as you still have to have an nhs scan to confirm so it’s a lot of pain and waiting. The bad ones are beauticians who bought a machine and went on a quick course.
In the Uk Drs are trained by sonographers to scan so I do kind of resent the implication that Drs are better.

Dyra · 20/09/2021 16:40

For my first I didn't. I never felt any anxiety or worry, so never felt the need to. This time, I technically have. I work in obstetrics, so have plenty of colleagues who are trained and there's usually a scanner free. I haven't had many symptoms, so I wanted to make sure everything was going ok.

SickAndTiredAgain · 20/09/2021 18:14

There's a bit of stigma to having them in some circles - look at how many of the posters on this thread have made a point of giving their 'justification' for it (anxiety, difficult previous experiences or time TTC-ing, etc)

I’m not sure that’s all due to stigma. I have no issue saying I had one, I was more just explaining my thinking and reasoning behind it than justifying. The reason of a previous missed miscarriage also explains why I had it in the second pregnancy, but not the first.

annlee3817 · 20/09/2021 18:28

We had two, but it was at a clinic where the sonographers were ex NHS sonographers, so felt happy with that. One was because I was anxious due to no pregnancy symptoms in the first trimester and the other to find out the sex.

I had multiple NHS scans due to a shortening cervix

FTEngineerM · 20/09/2021 18:45

To be fair I’ve been to 3 different clinics over the course of the last 2 years getting the scans and they have ALL been nhs sonographers doing a bit on the side. My own family member also does it, never been to the one they work in but that’s 4. I don’t think the majority are crap staff members with no clinical experience.

shas19 · 20/09/2021 19:05

I have with all 3

JackJack84 · 20/09/2021 19:08

I've had 2 private scans in my current pregnancy. After previous losses I wanted some reassurance so I had a private scan at 8 weeks, then another at 16 weeks so that my parents could come along as well. I chose a clinic where I knew the sonographer worked for the NHS (I used to work with her). Both scans were a great experience & I have wonderful quality images & videos.

brewstoo · 20/09/2021 19:35

I didn't have any private scans. I had the worst news confirmed by scan in my first pregnancy so every scan I had in subsequent pregnancies I found extremely stressful. I had to have more than the usual ones because of various issues and I worried at the time I was having too many.

jolota · 20/09/2021 19:51

I would imagine that in reality the majority don't have private scans. For a large portion of people the costs can be prohibitive (we wouldn't get private scans for this reason) & until I joined online forums I'd never even heard of anyone getting a private scan.
So for those on this forum the awareness & therefore potential to get a private scan is probably a higher percentage than in the general population.
It doesn't really matter if other people are getting private scans though, it's up to you if you want them & to discuss that with your husband.
I can understand that he doesn't want you to be constantly worrying & waiting on your next scan for reassurance but maybe you guys can communicate and come to a compromise if you really want the experience of a private scan and feel it would be beneficial for you.

PanicStationsAhh · 20/09/2021 19:54

Three DC. Nevrlrr had anything but standard NHS scans

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