Are private scanners irresponsible?

[SophieRules]

Hi all,

I had a private scan when I knew I was 6 weeks, I measured a week behind with a heartbeat and they said everything was fine. Due to advice from my sister I booked an EPU, a week later, there was limited growth and eventually missed miscarriage confirmed. However the private scanner didn’t even suggest that I go to an EPU in around 7-10 days to check growth. I keep seeing posts where women are measuring significantly behind, even more so than I was, and whilst it could be nothing for various reasons, it could be something and I think the advice should be go to an EPU in 7-10 days. Surely private scanners should be saying this rather than just telling women everything is fine, it seems immoral. Due to my experience it’s really put me off private scanners, great if everything is good but not so much if there are issues. Just wondering if anyone else feels the same? I appreciate my experience have affected me but I worry about women not being given the right advice.

I've had early scans in both my pregnancies. First one I waited until 9 weeks and this one I've had one 7.5 weeks and another booked for almost 10 weeks.

I'm still anxious and I still know it could go wrong but at least I feel like I've got a bit more information on my pregnancy and I feel more in control. I think I'd have gone mad waiting for 12 weeks.

In lots of countries they scan you at 8 weeks as a standard. I think that should be offered here but I understand its resources etc.

I do worry about them, especially with scans before 8/9 weeks. That seems to cause more angst! I did have private scans in this pregnancy due to anxiety after previous miscarriage. But I’m very much of the opinion that they don’t change anything, and can provide false hope.

I don't really understand why so many women are having private scans these days?! They can't give much useful information and even if all is ok in such early days it's no guarantee that it's a viable pregnancy, just a waste of money imho. What's wrong with waiting until NHS 12 weeks dating scan

It’s also that scans are a moment in time - I know personally I had my 12 week scan a week ago and I rode that high for a week and then the anxiety has started creeping back in…. it’s definitely just preying on fear.

I wish EPUs were more consistent - fine if they don’t have the resources to offer everyone an 8 week scan but it does seem that some offer a scan if you sneeze wrong and others don’t even if you have a clear need (eg severe fall, car accident, heavy bleeding )

But if it is not OK at least you know earlier and can be then referred back into the NHS. This could save women from any extra physical or emotional trauma from having a Mmc at a later date.

My 7.5 week scan I learnt it was a viable pregnancy (at that point only obviously but it does change the odds), it was in the right place, around expected date and there was only one. All very pertinent information to me!

I’ve had two miscarriages, the first I had some bleeding at 8 weeks and my local EPU was closed over the weekend so I booked a last minute private scan. The sonographer said she couldn’t see anything at all, so it could be a pregnancy of unknown location or an Ectopic but I could just have my dates wrong. Even when I said I knew my dates, she insisted that I could be wrong and that some people bleed a lot in pregnancy. She did the referral to EPU but obviously just didn’t want to confirm the bad news. I was packed off with a few leaflets about ectopic pregnancies and a cheery “try not to worry though it could all work out”.

When EPU reviewed her referral they couldn’t understand why she’d said it was a pregnancy of unknown location because they could see the sac (unfortunately with no heartbeat). The nurse I spoke to found it unbelievable that as a qualified sonographer she’d got it so wrong.

I bled a lot so private scan was reassuring for me. The thing is in the first trimester things change quickly….even a day or two later can result in changes and the miscarriage risk is high so it’s important people know there are no guarantees….but generally the risk is largely reduced when they find a heartbeat.