Taking children to scan

[Nancy155]

Hi,
i was thinking about booking a private scan for around 16/17 weeks and taking my children along. I think they would love it and it would help them feel more involved. Has anyone done this?
I think I’m worried in case anything has gone wrong since my 12 week scan. Do you think it would be better to leave it until later in my pregnancy?
Thanks!

I wouldn't absolutely not before the 20 week anomaly scan. And even then i probably wouldn't. You can surely show them photos etc?

I wouldn’t for the reason you said and not til after the 20 week scan. Could you book one where they record it on video so if everything’s okay you can show them when you get home?

I wouldn’t take children to a scan ever, for whatever reason. If something has gone wrong you absolutely don’t want them there. There’s no need at all for them to go.

I wouldn’t do this. Photos or a video from a scan will be plenty to show them.

Agreed.
Scans are medical appointments for the pure purpose of looking for anything going wrong. People forget e.g. when they call the 20 week scan the 'gender scan' instead of the 'anomaly scan'.

(I do get it though as I would love to take my dd along to one of my scans).

I took my son to a scan at 16 weeks, where we found out the sex. He’s 4. He loved it, I loved having him there and the sonographer telling him he was going to have a little sister (which is what he wanted) was magical.

I should add that it was a private scan, obviously.

We took our children to our private scan around that time, they loved it :)

I don't have any other children but the place I went to at 17 weeks for a private wellbeing and gender scan, advises they welcome families but they invite the children in once the wellbeing checks are done and all clear, so that could be an option? Of course you then have to think about how to explain to them if they can't come in if there is something picked up on the wellbeing scan.. it's difficult, I saw plenty of families leaving reviews for this place saying their current child revealed the gender for them etc.

No don't take them. Show then a picutre after.

I wouldn't take children. A friend had devastating news at one of hers and it would have been made even worse if their child had been present.

Do it after the 20weeks anomaly and anatomy scan.

I’ve had scans both private and NHS this year at various hospitals and all of them warned no children were allowed at the scans. It can also be very distracting for the scanner, who you want to be fully focused on the job at hand.

I took my 12 year old to a private scan earlier in my pregnancy. Was such a lovely moment and made him feel more involved and made it more real for him. I understand what people are saying with their reasons for not taking kids but we made such a lovely day of it and he's coming to another scan later on too x

Thanks for the feedback, I will wait until after the 20 week scan 🙂

It's so tricky as obviously if everything is fine it will be a lovely experience for them, but could be awful for all of you if something isn't right. I'd book one for a few days after the 20 weeks when you know everything is okay. x

I took DD(3) at 16 weeks for a 'gender' scan, with the proviso that my husband take her out immediately if it became clear something was wrong. She loved seeing the baby 'waving at her', so it was a nice experience. Just make sure you have a plan in case of bad news.

I took my daughter (2 and a half) at 16 weeks but we didn't tell her about it beforehand so we waited for the woman to check everything was ok and then she went "look it's a baby!"
It was really really nice and definitely made it much more "real" and exciting for her that she was going to have a baby sibling

I agree it will be a lovely experience for them if all is ok, I can obviously show them a picture but there’s nothing like seeing a wriggling waving baby on the screen to make it more real for them!
thanks!

Everything was going text book perfect until I was given an unexpected complicated m diagnosis at the 20 week scan which led to multiple tests and a lot of soul searching about whether to continue the much wanted IVF pregnancy. I would leave it until after this as you are planning.

When you have a private scan you can get a video of it so they can see the baby moving and wiggling and you can refer back to it whenever you like.