How to wangle myself an early scan?

[namestasher]

Hi!
Roughly 5/6 weeks pregnant - experienced a pretty traumatic miscarriage last year so I'm really keen to find out if this pregnancy is viable so I can prepare myself, either way.

Has anyone managed to get offered a scan esrlier than the usual 12ish week one?

Willing to bend the truth.

Thanks!

You go to a private clinic and pay for one

Book a private scan? You can get really early assurance ones I think.

This.

Why would you need to lie when there's a perfectly reasonable alternative to resolve your issue. Surely no one is that tight that they would rather bend the truth than just pay for a private scan?

"willing to bend the truth"= willing to pretend to be seriously ill to use NHS resources when I don't fit the criteria.

Find a private clinic.

Don't bend the truth. An early scan won't affect the outcome, although I do understand how stressful early pregnancy is after a traumatic loss.

Speak to your GP. There may be provision for an early scan for psychological reasons - there was when I was pregnant although that was a long time ago.

Otherwise, considering private would be the way to go.

Gently, do you think it will help? Surely you'll just be worrying for the weeks afterwards? The scan is only a measure of a particular moment.

Besides, the baby has to be at least 45mm in order for the midwife to do the viability checks.

You pay for one. I had one at 7+4, I’m fairly certain you can have them from 6.

I am sorry for what you went through, but that’s not an excuse to lie in order to access an early scan on the NHS, potentially taking a slot away from someone who needs it.

Plus, you could end up compromising your own care if you falsify symptoms.

Willing to bend the truth? So you’d lie about possible miscarriage symptoms even though you’d previously had a loss/losses?

wow…

Pay for a private one.

Very rare to get an NHS one before 8 weeks unless you have medical conditions or severe bleeding/pain. I have had multiple mc's and twins but was only offered the usual dating scans. My last mc the scan they offered after bleeding started was 4 days later and 2 days after passing the baby in sac at home. Lying to get an early scan is just not right.

Call your local private clinic. I expect you can have several extra scans for reassurance if you’re willing to pay.

Sending best wishes for a healthy pregnancy @namestasher

You phone the EPU at your hospital and say that you have a history of misacariage and would like to have an early scan.
I had one at 7 weeks. It had been advised by the sonographer. They either book you in or they brush you off.

Willing to bend the truth? Oh piss off, you'll be taking an appointment away from a mother who genuinely needs it.

You get a private scan and pay for it yourself like everyone else who wants one

Pay for one. They are only about £50

Not wise to make your pregnancy seem high risk from the off for a free scan.

45 quid midweek mini at meet your miracle.

Thankyou! :-)

Pay for one. Not fair to take an appointment when not necessary: but wait til you’re 8 weeks. Good scan places should only offer over 8 weeks anyway

Pay for one at a clinic
But you must know that a viable pregnancy on a scan doesn't guarantee a later issue sadly. I understand the anxiety but maybe consider how you can manage it scans are not the answer they might even fuel it.

Oh love, I completely get the awful anxiety after suffered the hell of a miscarriage.
I also understand you needing to know something, anything to allay those anxieties and that an early scan might do that for you.
You don’t need any excuses to get a private scan though, it’s just no good this early as there will be nothing to see and you will just be so much more anxious.

If you can hang on another 2-3 weeks you are more likely to see something.
It does not guarantee a single thing at all though, nothing.

Good luck x

I really doubt qualified sonogrpher would be doing it that cheap.

Do you really this it's appropriate to ask for advice on how to scam the NHS?

If your only 5 weeks don’t book a scan. The NHS will not see you either - even if you explain about the previous miscarriages

There will only be a yolk if you are before 6 weeks and that is not confirmation of a live pregnancy. This will cause the NHS to have to rescan you in two weeks time and it takes valuable time away from women who are in trouble. The EPUs are backed up, getting an appointment at this point is basically zero chance.

With private clinics only choose one that actually says qualified sonographer. If they don’t see the baby ( because you are too early) they will have to check that it’s not growing outside the uterus. ( eptopic)

They may allow you to come back for free but most are charging now for follow up appointments because it’s clear mum just came in too early - and that’s her fault not the businesses.

You will most likely go home stressed out because you didn’t see baby.

Just wait an extra 7 days

Some EPUs make it incredibly hard for women to access their services. Some you can’t physically ring up, some you need a GP referral, some will only see you if you are having severe abdominal pain and bleeding - this is because if it’s very early pregnancy they want you to pass it at home instead of using up recourses.

I can understand why some women embellish the facts sometimes it shouldn’t be that hard if you’re having concerns to be seen by a HCP. In some countries in Europe transvaginal scans are offered straight away.

But in OPs case there is no point as there maybe nothing to see yet

I’d encourage you not to. I had a scan at 7 weeks once which looked ‘normal’ and started to miscarry the next day.

Wait until at least 8 weeks before paying privately.

Even with a history of multiple miscarriages (under the care of recurrent miscarriage clinic at my hospital), they have said the first scan they will do is 7 weeks because of the much higher chance of getting a clearer picture/heartbeat. And I'm ok with that. In my first pregnancy I had a perfect scan at 7 weeks and still had a missed miscarriage, so it is only a snapshot in time (for me it's just to stop me waiting longer than needed if the pregnancy has ended in missed miscarriage as I've had 2 of those and it feels like wasted time if baby has already passed).

I know that for my hospital at least you can get one from earlier than that for ectopic symptoms but wouldn't ever say to lie about it!

Yes to call the EPU and ask, appreciate lots of Trusts are different hopefully yours will help (mine would) try and wait a week or two just incase they can't tell that much and tell you to come back and leave you worried for a week