Husband still not allowed in scan?!

[PoleFairy]

I was 6 weeks pregnant yesterday and I had a small, painless bleed Friday night and today I've had a lot of cramping. Went to the doctors this afternoon and they've booked me a scan at the early pregnancy unit on Friday to check if it's ectopic/not viable/all okay. I've been told husband is reluctantantly allowed to sit in the waiting room (and this was very reluctantly!) but he can't come into the scan at all 🙁. I'm really upset (and haven't even told him yet!). How can they be so cruel, its not even a normal scan I'm literally going there because there is something wrong. This is 50/50 bad news.

Wtf. 19 weeks and 4 scans down, 2 private, 2 NHS and DH has been allowed in every time. I have my 20 week scan v soon and fully expecting DH to join this important event in both of our lives.

Which hospital said this?

This is so wrong. My husband was allowed to come to my scans (one private, one 12 week scan).

I thought these restrictions had stopped now?

My DH was allowed to come with me 5 weeks ago. I would contact PALS and ask why your hospital is different to all the others in the country.

Best of luck at your scan, I had a lot of cramping at 6 weeks too, and went to EPU for a scan - everything was fine 😊

@DangerouslyBored Princess Anne in Southampton. I don't know if it's because it's the EPU rather than the Maternity unit. We both have to take lateral flows too. Even him just to sit in the waiting room and wait for me.

I'm so confused. I just rang to check and they said he can come in AFTER the scan but not during. So presumably if they turn off the scan and ask him to come in then it's bad news. Why can't he be there during the actual scan 🙁

My sympathies OP.
I had my third miscarriage in August last year, DH wasn't allowed in the EPAU at all. We conceived again v quickly & I had fortnightly scans from 6-12 weeks, and he wasn't allowed to any of those, but was allowed into the regular 12 week dating scan & 20w anomaly scan (in the same hospital but a different department).
Made no sense to me either.

That's crazy! I've had 4 scans now 3 of them in EPU and DP attended all of them, I'm in South Wales but still! I'm so sorry 😞

That's horrible @AwkwardPaws27 im so sorry!

That's rubbish. I don't know what the rules are here for the epu but for scans partners wait downstairs and are summoned when the scan is about to start so I can't see why the epu shouldn't be like that.

I hope it turns out OK.

I had two epu scans recently. Their policy was that partners had to wait in the corridor (as the waiting room was small) but they would then be called to join you as you went in to the scan appointment

Did they say it was due to covid? Maybe it's a long term rule there?

@Useranon1 youre right it might be a long term thing. I hope not though as that seems extra mean as surely the only reason to be at the EPU is because you're worried about something so to permanently exclude people being accompanied is harsh

@PoleFairy thank you. I hope everything goes OK for you on Friday.

@Useranon1 different hospital to the OP, so can't say for sure, but my husband was allowed into EPAU scans pre-covid during previous miscarriages and we were told it was due to covid restrictions limiting how many people (the scan rooms are quite small & there are usually at least 2 members of staff as they are internal scans, so can't social distance on them).

Our Trust isn't running any antenatal classes or allowing pre-birth visits to the labour ward or birth centre due to covid too.

I had to have a scan at the EPU at my local hospital and they would not let anyone in thankfully it was good news but if it had if been bad I would have needed support.
I had my normal dating scan and I was allowed someone in there with me for that.
Different departments have different rules it's so annoying.

I had a bleed 9 weeks ago and DH was allowed
in the EPU with me for a scan. There was no question. I can’t imagine going through something so traumatic without his support.
I was (thankfully incorrect) convinced I had suffered a miscarriage.

That definitely seems odd, I had a scan at Princess Anne EPU Sept 2021 and then have had growth scans throughout with DH being allowed to be present if his lateral flows were negative. The last few scans they didn't even ask to see it?!

That's so bad and it really makes me mad.

They still have mask wearing in place so your DP should be able to go in.

I have a private one later and I can take my DP, DS and my mum.

@PoleFairy I'm under the care of the Princess Anne and I had to be given a special exemption letter for DP to attend scans with me (was issued by the mc clinic as being told bad news 3 times - alone - is pretty traumatic) but even then he couldn't attend EPU with me at 7 weeks. The room is quite small, but the sonographer was amazing. As soon as we moved to a consult room he was allowed in.

It's just because there's the sonographer, the equipment, an assistant and then you. With covid restrictions still in place the room is at max.

It's rubbish, I've been in your shoes. The waiting room is pretty poor. DP had to sit there and watch all the new parents leaving with their babies when I was miscarrying, and then again when I was having surgery.

The care is fantastic but the set up needs a lot of work!!!

Thanks @SareBear87 . Sorry for all you've been through. Hopefully I have good news and it won't be too bad. I'm just dreading it and the waiting is worse

I had a bleed just over a year ago, partners were allowed in for the scheduled scans but not in the EPU, it was horrible waiting alone. Things were ok for me, but not for the poor woman before me.

I'm sorry you're going through this OP, I hope everything is OK. I would definitely speak to PALS. Good luck x

How bizarre. I'm 28 weeks and my husband has been allowed at all of the five scans I've had so far - all at an NHS hospital! I think earlier on he was required to bring proof of a negative LFT, but more recently even that has stopped.

Even back in August 2020 he was allowed at the 20 week scan.

This happened to me last year at the EPU. Strange as he was allowed into all the 'normal' scans, but not the one where I was bleeding and we were finding out whether the baby had died.

@CoalCraft did you have an early pregnancy scan though?
My husband was allowed into all 'normal' scans but when I was bleeding and we had an early scan at the EPU he was not.

@Trinacham

Yes, two EPU scans back in Feb, husband invited to both as long as he had a negative LFT.

@CoalCraft ah right, seems unusual for EPUs! They wouldn't let him in the scan room, but once I'd had the scan he was allowed in the consultation room to talk about it (whether good or bad outcome). I think because they had a sonographer and an assistant, they wouldn't have another body in the room.