Anyone overweight have issues with Early Scan?

[Hopefulandwaiting]

Hi all
I’m 7ish weeks pregnant with our first baby, and I’ve booked a private early scan as I want to make sure everything is ok as this still doesn’t feel quite real!
I’ve realised today though that the clinic only does abdominal ultrasounds, and that I have to go with a full bladder. I’m a size 16 and carry a lot of fat around my lower stomach, and am feeling very bloated at the moment.
has anyone had experience of this and they’ve seen baby easily on the scan? Hoping I’m just worrying for nothing
thank you

if you are overweight at that gestation they would normally have to do an internal scan . Im not overweight but even when I was 10 weeks before they did the scan she said there was a chance an internal one may be needed.

I'm sure if it's early on they will need to do an internal scan.

they will likely try to complete scan on your stomach first however if they can't see anything they will ask if you want internal

x

At 7 weeks it will be internal and may still not be able to see anything which can cause worry. If you can hold off for a fortnight it'll be abdominal and baby can be seen.

I may be wrong but isn't 7 weeks too early for an abdominal scan anyway? I thought at that stage any pregnancy needed an internal scan

At 7 weeks most clinics would only offer an internal scan - it would be difficult to get a clear picture in most women at that stage, even just to hear the heartbeat. Even in very slim women, internal is still the standard protocol.

Can you cancel and rearrange with a clinic that offers internal scans?

I'm not saying don't get an early scan, jusr remember the nhs don't scan til 12 weeks for a reason- firstly it's possible to abdo scan most women by then, but also because everything could be fine at 11 weeks and not at 12. Early scans, except for medical issues like ectopic/ ivf pregnancies are not really advisable. It's a nerve wracking 8 weeks to get to the 12 week scan but it's parenting- worry for yh rest of your life! ❤️

early scan should be performed internally anyway so if the clinic does not offer these I'd choose a different one

I'd push the scan later. Before 8 weeks you often need an internal scan. Decent places that only offer abdominal won't even book you in before this point.

I'm a size 20. I had a scan at 7+3 and they couldn't see properly with the abdominal scan but could see there was a hb. They then did internal so they could see better. I would look to book a place that offered internal though because I wouldn't be happy paying the money and not being able to see.

I think 7 weeks usually needs an internal regardless of weight - no judgement I am also a size 16!

I had a scan recently at 7 weeks and external could only see a tiny flicker and clear sack but internal was a lot clearer. I don't think this was due to my tummy podge 😅

@grunttheterrible I am not sure if that's really why they wait till that point - I truly believe nhs 12 weeks is due to resources. The country I am in does a dating scan as standard 6-8 weeks then another at 12 + 3 - 13weeks .

As everyone else has said - 7 weeks should be an internal scan anyway, overweight or not. I went for a scan the other day and I also found out I have a retroverted uterus (tilts backwards). Sonographer couldn't even see my uterus until she did an internal scan, let alone check what was in there!

I've had two scans, both at 6.5 weeks, and neither were internal. And I am a size 16 (I was 12-14 for first pregnancy though). You don't see much, a flickering blob, but there's not much to see either way. They'll probably try externally first and then if you consent do an internal one.

(Oh and I would try to push it to maybe 9-10 weeks if you can wait - it'll be a lot clearer and be starting to take shape. Both of my pics from early scans are not really of anything recognisable!)