Why all the early scans?

[maryd84]

Is this a new thing. See a lot of posts from people getting lots of early scans even at 5 weeks gestation. A scan is not going to show much at 5 weeks. The private scan places must be making a fortune.

With my first three pregnancies I don’t think early scans were around (or maybe they were but I was never concerned enough to feel I needed one). When I was pregnant earlier this year I became aware through another pregnant lady that early scans were a thing so decided to book one mainly out of excitement and impatience as 12 weeks seemed so far away! I found out at that scan at 8 weeks I’d had a missed miscarriage. It was awful but I’m glad I found out then rather than spend another 4 weeks thinking I was still pregnant and finding out at 12 week scan there was no heartbeat, that would have been so much worse. Because of that experience, in this pregnancy I’ve had several private scans up to 16 weeks. I’d hate to have to wait another 8 weeks to find out at 20 weeks the baby had died several weeks prior and I was just walking around thinking i was still pregnant.

Exactly my situation more or less. I’m glad in found out at 8 weeks as otherwise I’d have gone all the way to my 12 week scan thinking I was pregnant still. It was heartbreaking but at least I didn’t spend another month happily in love with a no longer viable fetus.

My first was at about 6 weeks I think. I had bleeding. I wouldn't have had it had I not had bleeding. Never did find the cause. I lost a gush of blood later on during sleep one night. It was awful and I thought my pregnancy was over again that time. Luckily baby was still fine and still no idea what caused it (he's 19 months old now)

My private recurrent miscarriage clinic do them from 6+5 (as should see a heartbeat then) and then every 2 weeks until the 12 week scan. In this pregnancy they spotted a subchronic haematoma and also a small fibroid during some of those, so for me they've been important/useful.

My ivf clinic did them just at 7 weeks then discharge you.

Whatever works for the individual woman.

This.

I have lots of scans on the NHS because it's a high risk pregnancy, but frankly, since every single scan and test has shown me to be in good health, it makes more sense for someone else to have a check up scan than me.

I had a scan at 6 weeks pregnant with my first baby 8 years ago due to heavy bleeding, all was fine though.
I'm currently pregnant with my third baby and Inbetween my 2nd baby and this baby I had a ectopic pregnancy so I paid for a private scan this time around at 6 and a half weeks just to put my mind at ease that it was in the right place after I got scared after what happened last time.
For me it was worth it and I chose to do it that time because of my previous experience with an ectopic and the NHS wouldn't give me a scan to make sure this pregnancy was in the right place despite what happened previously, that's the only reason I paid for the private scan so early on this time around just to make sure everything was in the right place otherwise I wouldnt have. I think for most people who have them done it's just for reassurance that the baby is growing in the right place or if they have had miscarriages in the past etc.