20 week scan….no more scans?!

[Waitandsee86]

I had my 20 week scan (well over 2 scans as baby wasn’t on right place), it was all fine and nothing untoward, which is fantastic. However, I was shocked when the sonographer said I’ll next see him when I’ve popped him out!! I thought there would be more growth scans? I mean how do they decide if someone needs a caesarean etc?!
Obviously this is normal and he wasn’t making it up but I really thought there was a scan towards the end? Any input welcomed 🤣🤣🤣

Generally baby’s weight and position can be gaged by midwife in routine appointments. You’ll be referred for a scan if they have any concerns. You can book private ones for peace of mind if you want though.

Unless there are any issues with growth or you’re seen as high needs you only get 12 weeks and 20 weeks on the NHS

It’s standard to not have any further scans if you are low risk and everything looks good. However, there are scenarios where they’ll book another scan for you - e.g if the midwife thinks the baby is measuring big, or if you have 2-3 of episodes of reduced movements.

They can usually feel though your tummy if baby is breech.

If you do want another scan though, you could always book one privately? There’s lots of options around.

@Waitandsee86 if you want more scans pay for a private one. There's no clinical need for an ultrasound after 20 weeks unless you have issues with the baby

Yeah it’s crazy imo!

With my first kid I was at a research hospital who routinely scanned everyone at 36 weeks.

My other 2 were c sections so scanned at 36 weeks, for some reason my last baby was scanned every 4 weeks but can’t remember why (was only beginning of this year!) Probably because I have a high BMI and they can’t possibly believe I can grow a normal size baby 😄

So you may end up with more scans :) if the MW feels they’re the wrong way round, if you have reduce movements etc.

Also private scans are an option!

my friend was actually a midwife at the research hospital I was at, and was anti-extra scans as apparently they’re an unnecessary intervention or something. But I like to see my babies 😄

I just think even though there is no clinical need, there is a lot to be said for the reassurance they provide. I do plan to have a private scan but I know for some people this would not be an option 😬

It just really shocked me, surely the MW can only judge a limited amount by feeling/listening and I’d feel a lot more confident going into labour knowing that everything was in the right place etc.
Saying that I do have a phone call from a consultant due to being on Venlafaxine and a glucose tolerance test at 28 weeks as BMI is 32 🤦‍♀️So perhaps things might change!

@Waitandsee86 ok so if there is no clincal need for a scan, then why should the nhs pay for it?

Sorry posted too soon, the nhs should pay because women want to see their baby more? Because they can't afford a private scan?

So when does the service scan miscarriages, and appendixes, and high risk pregnancies, and cancer patients? Should they just take a seat and sit down because some woman who doesn't need a scan but wants to see their baby has booked a free scan?

A scan cost the NHS £160 per go, why would they offer everyone extra scans at that price when there is no clinical need for it. This would also cause more traffic on maternity departments which are already struggling, it would take away from people who genuinely need the extra care

Book yourself a private one

Why such an aggressive attitude?

I am of the opinion that everyone should be treated holistically and if that means scanning a pregnant woman who is suffering with crippling anxiety due to multiple miscarriages then so be it; anxiety/stress is of course not good for the baby either.
It’s not something I’m personally planning on implementing so I can’t advise you of the logistics of it in regards to the appendixes and cancer patients as you so rightly mentioned.
Those are my thoughts and you’ve shared yours also, thank you for your input and may I politely decline any further input.

Crippling anxiety won’t be put to rest by one more scan though. One a week? One a day? When there is nothing to worry about or monitor?
Better to get help to deal with the anxiety itself. Scans aren’t the answer.

I wouldn't bother with private scans tbh. They can't do anything if they find anything and will just tell you to go back.

I was low risk but with both mine I had scans after 20 weeks.

With DS I had a scan at;

24 weeks due to size at 20 weeks
27 weeks due to a bleed
30 weeks due to size again
36 weeks due to size

With DD I had

22 weeks because she curled into a ball at 20 weeks

You'll likely find that they send you for another scan at some point.

My DSil had a devastating late loss in her 1st pregnancy, and because of her natural anxiety when she was pregnant again, they did order her extra scans. So it’s not like there is not support where needed.

They have referred me to the perinatal mental health team due to my crippling anxiety. I don’t expect extra scans to help at all with this but I am getting extra scans for medical reasons. If you speak to your midwife they can refer you for mental health support, they should of asked these questions at your booking appt and referred you to the relevant places. You could book private scans if you want more reassurance that way but I wouldn’t really recommend that it’ll help much x

One more than when I had mine! 18 week scan only

My trust does a 36 week scan as standard! According to the website it was introduced for reassurance as it’s so long between 20 and 40 weeks

@Waitandsee86 the midwife can tell a hell of a lot from routine examinations. For context, I was having regular growth scans in my second pregnancy as my first was big baby. From looking at scans, consultants thought second baby was big too. Midwife, on the other hand, said baby was normal sized from feeling my uterus etc. she was right - baby was less than 8lb

It doesn't make any difference, I had my last 2 babies in Germany where they scan you all the time, you can't see anything past the 20 week one as they are too big to fit in the screen properly.

Anything picked up from other monitoring that needs a scan you'll get one. I found because they scan you routinely here you don't get the hands on checks that you get in the UK and they never told me what position baby was in except for when DS3 went breech near the end.

Don't worry. They can tell the position etc of everything important.

Thank you, anxiety is awful and I know so many people experience it. I’m under the mental health team too as pre-existing MH and also had 4 missed miscarriages in 2 years. I think it’s worse at the moment as I’ve not yet felt movement so I get so worked up that the heart has stopped beating etc. Hopefully when the movements start it will ease off as I’ll have ‘proof’ all is ok.
The early pregnancy clinic is really good in my area and I’ve had 6 scans up until now, which has really put my mind at rest so I was just a bit like ‘Woahhhh no more’ 😨
Just really scary times, taking each day!
I really wish you all the best of luck 😊

What reassurance would it give though? Movements give you reassurance, if you have reduced movements you would then go in to be monitored and if it kept happening you would go in for a scan.
Your community midwife will measure your bump and that should follow the centile line. If it doesn't you'll get sent for a growth scan. Look at it this way, be thankful you aren't being sent for more scans because if you are it could be because something is wrong.

When I had my daughter in 1995 you only got a 12 week scan unless there were any concerns, lack of movement, growth, position. This was in Scotland so may have been different elsewhere

I got 4 weekly scans and an mri

it was because everything wasn’t ok. I didn’t keep the first scan picture and refused offers of others along the tortuous journey.

you don’t need to waste nhs resources being reassured. Get a stethoscope and listen to the heartbeat if you need more reassurance than the dating and anomaly scans

scans are not done to reassure you or so you can see they baby. They are done to date the pregnancy and to detect abnormalities so you can be offered an abortion. That’s the brutal truth.

Congratulations, try to relax and enjoy you’re pregnancy. Once the baby is out they will be crawling, eating dog food and trying to stick they fingers in plug sockets before you know it.
Now is not the time to let yourself get obsessed

I think you naturally feel more reassured as the baby gets bigger. Once they're washing machining away or you've got a fist coming out one side and a foot the other or they're hiccuping for the 15th time that day, it all becomes more real and less 'are you still in there?'.

Maybe just give it a few weeks and see if that happens for you. Good luck!

@Waitandsee86 you can't ask me to stop posting on your thread. Pay for your own scans. Mental health isn't a good enough reason to constantly scan you