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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Anyone not having scans?

91 replies

amitymama · 19/01/2008 09:21

I've been reading more about scans and am not sure that I want to have both of the standard 12-week and 20-week ones. If I'm reading it right, the 12-week looks to see how many babies there are, that the placenta is in the right place and that's when they do the nuchal testing. That one seems more important to me. But what is the purpose of the 20-week scan other than to test for abnormalities? If I know I wouldn't abort even if there were something terribly wrong with the baby, is there really any point in having it done? I know most people jump at the chance to have as many scans as possible but I think they are kind of needless and studies have not concluded that they are completely harmless to the fetus.

Has anyone refused a scan? If so, why and how did your care provider react? Which scan(s) did you skip?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LaDiDaDi · 19/01/2008 14:27

I loved having my scans, I had one at 14 weeks, one at 20 weeks and then a further growth scan.

I loved having my scans and I really wanted the early one to prove to myself that I was pregnant!

I felt that there were some medical conditions that I might terminate for, eg anencephaly, hypoplastic left heart, Edward's syndrome or Patau's.

More importantly I'm very aware, from having worked on a NICU, of the problems that babies can have which, if identified on an antenatal scan means that they can get life saving care at birth. This is why I would recommend them to you.

PetitFilou1 · 19/01/2008 15:02

I am 35 and my mum's generation didn't have scans. But personally I generally like to go with the advances in medical science. Some people aren't so lucky as to have the choice! But it is your personal decision to make.

LOVEMYMUM · 19/01/2008 16:09

PLEASE have a scan - if only to check the position of the placenta. My friend had terrible placenta previa (symptoms include bleeding) and she had to have a c-section. Luckily both she and her son are ok but it was touch and go for her for a little while.

I understand that you don't want to expose LO to anything s/he doesn't need. Like the other poster said, scans can diagnose problems in utero which can be dealt with after birth. Please think about your decision carefully.

cece · 19/01/2008 16:18

When I had my scan done I had to tick boxes and sign a form saying whether I wanted the nuchal test at 12 weeks - otherwise they would just date the pg.

The box for the 22 week scan asked if we wanted to be told if they found anything wrong or not. I guess they still give you the second scan if you say you don't want to be told.

Snaf · 19/01/2008 16:29

Re: placenta praevia and scans - the 20-week scan is notoriously inaccurate at predicting true placenta praevia. It has an extraordinarily high false-positive rate. It suggests a low-lying placenta in approx 20% of cases, leading to enormous amounts of - mostly unnecessary - worry and stress until the 36-week re-scan which usually shows the placenta has 'moved' to a safe position!

Placenta praevia will very likely present with painless bleeding from around the 34th week, in which case a scan would definitely be advisable to confirm and I'm fairly sure the OP would agree with that.

If you have already decided that you would not terminate for abnormalities and you are aware of all the implications around that, then refusing scans is perfectly reasonable and you should be supported in that decision.

sweetkitty · 19/01/2008 16:40

I only get one scan up here at 16 weeks but since I got one at 13 weeks for bleeding that's my lot now no more unless theres any problems. I am nto happy with that so am paying for a 22 week anomoly scan as well. I know a scan cannot pick up everything but it's reassurance that all is well and if there is a problem, what it is and how to deal with it.

I have a friend who was having fortnightly scans at the end of her pregnancy and none of them picked up a previa, surgeon cut through the placenta during her c section and ultimately the baby died (not directly from the previa but the surgeons incompetence).

3andnomore · 19/01/2008 17:01

Franny, you cna have a Homebirth whatever...well by rights...but of course proffessionals like to bully people out of those anyway, it seems, to refusing scans might just be another excuse...

amity, any chance you could afford an Independent midwife...they are often in favour of no scans, and most certainly are more prepared to go with the woman, etc...

3andnomore · 19/01/2008 17:03

the kind of statements that Trolley has made is teh kind that makes me so ...that is exactly the kind of attitude that bullies women into things they don't want...I don't think many people actually realise the true in accuracy of scans....

btw, Trolley, I am sure you meant well.

needmorecoffee · 19/01/2008 17:05

nope. And I wouldn't abort even for abnormalities 'incompatible with life'. Mainly because I'd like to meet and hold my baby even if it was stillborn and especially if it lived a few minutes. I think that would be precious.

3andnomore · 19/01/2008 17:09

I also would think, that usually, if sometthing turns out to be wrong after birth, they would be quickly able to asses the situation anyway and treat quick....it's not like they can see everything on a scan anyway...and for instance if Baby comes out and goes blue, oxygen will be given anyhow and a scan of heart and lungs would be able to be performed quickly and would give the same, if not better info about the status then a antenatal one...just an example...

FrannyandZooey · 19/01/2008 17:29

3and is right of course about the homebirth scenario

I should have said "I am not sure if they will be co-operative about you having a home birth if you refuse scans"

the independent midwife idea is great IMO

needmorecoffee · 19/01/2008 17:47

I was allowed a homebirth without having scans. They were more snotty about the fact it was a vba3c.
But its a right.

Trolleydolly71 · 19/01/2008 18:22

Message withdrawn

3andnomore · 19/01/2008 18:34

My problem was, that your post sounded scaremongering...and it something used to bully women out of doing things naturally...

Trolleydolly71 · 19/01/2008 18:58

Message withdrawn

3andnomore · 19/01/2008 19:12

Well, I agree there are things that "natural" is over rated for...but natural Pregnancy and Birth is NOT one of those in my personal opnion

Not that I had much of a natural Birth last time...but that is a whole other story...

StripeyMamaSpanx · 19/01/2008 19:24

I was told I would not be able to be booked for a homebirth until the results of the 20 week scan were in my notes. I had the scan, and the homebirth.

If I ever have another baby, I won't have any scans unless there is a clear medical need for it. There is actually very little evidence that they improve outcomes for babies - the main thing they do is reassure mothers. There is also surprisingly little research into their safety - no proper controlled trials that I am aware of, of their benefits and risks. The problem seems to be that scans have become so routine that there are not enough babies with no exposure to form a control group.

3andnomore · 19/01/2008 19:29

Stripey, how annoying to be told you can't unless....winds me up so much...especially as HE's get away with it so easily...grrr...unless you do your research and know your staff it's tough to fight back...

And I totally agree with your 2. part!

SallyInYorkshire · 19/01/2008 19:41

Hi, I just wanted to say that it is YOUR choice and nobody else's. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts as a mother-to-be. It is not worth putting yourself through a stressful test if you are not 100% happy about it. It is true nobody has proved ultrasound to be harmful, but then it is impossible to prove that they are absolutely harmless either.

I was actually offered a very early scan for dating purposes (on the NHS, bizarrely) but refused it for the same avoiding-induction reasons as you! I think midwife thought I was a bit strange to refuse a scan, but she supported my decision. I nearly didn't have a 20 week scan either (also offered to me on the NHS) on the basis of not wanting an abortion under any circs - but then changed my mind as DH had some decisions to make about applying for jobs and if we'd discovered any disability/fatal syndrome etc then it would have affected those decisions for him. Of course no scan can completely rule out problems in the baby and I have heard they are not even that great in picking them up at 20wks, so they are not the be all and end all they are made out to be.

One of my friends had so many problems with miscarriages that for her last pregnancy she refused all scans until 2nd trimester (the same unit where she had had the m/c's... SO stressful!) until just before 20wks when she had started to feel the baby move and her DH (a doctor) finally persuaded her to get the 20wk scan. The scan went fine (although she was very nervous beforehand!) and she went on to have a beautiful baby boy

Her midwife was very understanding and very supportive of her decisions, both the original decision to have no scans and then the later decision when she changed her mind!

So don't be afraid to discuss it with your midwife! remember you DON'T have to justify it or give a reason if you don't want to, but she should be able to answer any questions you have about exactly what they look for on the scans and how often it's actually useful!

FrannyandZooey · 19/01/2008 19:45

Can people point me at more information about ultrasound and in particular dopplers (please 3and?) which I don't know anything about

I did try to do a little reading when deciding whether to have an early 11 week scan (we did) but could not find too much

StripeyMamaSpanx · 19/01/2008 19:47

At the time I was 21, first baby, no family (who are likeminded) close by, and I just took the decision that I'd rather have the scan than the argument I saw looming!

But now... I'd just ignore them. If I developed any complications that a scan could offer a real benefit in terms of treatment, then I'd have one. But not just because its what has become 'routine'.

Obviously it should be an informed choice to refuse ultrasound - but it should also be an informed choice to have scans. Women should be aware that routine scans do not really offer any improvement in outcome.

See here for what the WHO say, and here for info and links from RadMid.

slinkiemalinki · 19/01/2008 20:09

I'd go for the 20 week scan over the 12 week scan because of the many abnormality checks they do; they can see so much more at that later stage. Even if it would not affect my decision I would want to be aware of it, particularly if it was something that needed quick action straight after birth. But if you are refusing a second scan because you are worried about the effects on the baby of ultrasound, I would look pretty seriously at the way you live your life because there are just thousands of things we do that we can't say for sure aren't damaging in utero or to tiny babies (e.g. electronic equipment in the home, using a mobile phone, live near a mast, in a city, flying, using chemicals to clean, electric power lines - you even want to think about the fields generated by giving the room a good hoover quite frankly). So to me the benefits of a scan way outweigh the negatives - and with the NHS in the state it is I seriously doubt they would waste the millions of pounds it costs to give nearly every pregnant woman a scan if it was actually pointless like many people seem to be saying.

Unfitmother · 19/01/2008 20:17

My 20 week scan must have shown something as they asked me to come back in 2 weeks and another scan revealed that my baby had died.
Had lots more scans in next pregnancy, like you I would not have had a termination for anything but was much reassured that my baby was at least alive by the scans.
Do what feels right for you though.

3andnomore · 19/01/2008 20:41

Franny, I don't have the links anymore...and I remember a very good article about Sono-doppler use...but it's been to long ago to even try to remember where that was...sorry!
But stripey did some good links...

CoteDAzur · 19/01/2008 20:41

I can't imagine why you would want to skip a scan. There are many conditions/problems/abnormalities that, if discovered early enough, can be solved. At least doctors will know what is in store and will be prepared to act when baby is born. Or they might induce early if there is anything wrong.

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