Anxiety about early reassurance scan

[Hodgeheg95]

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone will be able to calm me down a bit about my early reassurance scan I have booked tomorrow with the NHS at 7 weeks.

After a missed miscarriage in February and a previous loss in 2023, I’m now pregnant again for the third time (30F).

Because of my previous losses I’ve been booked in for an early reassurance scan with the NHS but I’m freaking out about it and wanting to call up and cancel.

The way I see it I can’t see a benefit to it. Either there is something wrong with the baby or it has already died, in which case I’d rather not know because the pain of waiting around last time was torture, or it’s all fine but that might not be the case at the next 12 week scan as I last my last baby at ten weeks.

The thought of going back to the place where I was told I’d lost my last baby is causing me a lot of stress and anxiety.

If anyone has had an early pregnancy reassurance scan with the NHS before, please could you tell me step by step what happens? Do they scan, take blood pressure, do blood tests, take height and weight? Or is it literally just a scan and you’re out? Did it make you feel any better? I’d like to be there for as little time as possible but I am
honestly still considering cancelling it stop all this anxiety and stress.

Sorry this has been so long and rambly, I’m so stressed out 😰

Thank you in advance to anyone who can help x

Hi @Hodgeheg95 so sorry to read how stressed you are and for your loss.

i have had 2 previous losses myself. I had a private reassurance scan at what I thought was 6 weeks. It was awful, they saw a sac it was empty and they said “come back in 2 weeks” I was so sorry upset as they didn’t reassure me at all. I convinced myself I had a blighted ovum.

my friend encouraged me to ring EPU the next day which happened to be a Friday and she was so nice to me I cried. She offered me a scan on the Monday.

I walked in, felt listened too, supported and cared for. They did an abdo scan initially and then did internal because the detail wasn’t too good. Well, we saw a heartbeat and I was measuring 6 weeks.

im now 8 weeks and 🤞🏼 everything is going well so far. The NHS experience far surpasses any private experience I’ve had.

your stress and anxiety are valid and understandable, but trust me when you see that little flicker you will be overjoyed and all your anxieties will melt away.

I know it’s still early, but for that moment, that’s all that matters. I really hope you feel like going and it’s a good experience for you. They didn’t do my blood pressure or height or weight or anything. Just two lovely sonographers who looked after us really well x

I am having (private) early reassurance scans. Had one at 6 weeks and having one at 9 weeks. I have talked it through with my husband because I'm anxious about it as well. But we both agreed that we would rather know earlier if something is wrong, than wait for a 12 week scan and find out something went wrong weeks ago. Its a completely personal choice and you don't have to have the early scan if you don't want to x

I'm on my third pregnancy in a year. After the first loss I qualified for reassurance scans. At my hospital they have a rainbow room for the reassurance scans which has a small waiting room and a scanning room and is away from the epu and regular maternity scanning rooms.

In my second pregnancy last year I had a scan at 7.5 weeks, I was asked to come with a full bladder and that they would start with an abdominal ultrasound. Unfortunately what they could see was behind so I was asked to go for a wee and she switched to an internal ultrasound. There was a pregnancy and a heartbeat but it was dating about 10 days behind. I don't track ovulation so it was possible my dates were out. I was booked in for a repeat scan 2 weeks later and unfortunately this showed only a little growth and there was no longer a heartbeat. Again this started abdominally and switched to vaginal when it was measuring smaller than anticipated. I was transferred back to the epu for a final scan to confirm the loss of the pregnancy a week later. I started bleeding the day before this scan and passed the pregnancy the day after the scan. I found the miscarriage easier emotionally as I had had the forewarning that it wasn't likely to be a successful pregnancy. In my first miscarriage I just started bleeding one day around 10 weeks pregnant and two days later when I had an scan at the epu they couldn't see any evidence of pregnancy. It was much more of a shock, I had awful sickness which continued for a week after passing the pregnancy. It took longer to get my head around compared to second time when I knew it was coming

This pregnancy I had a scan at the epu to help date the pregnancy as I hadn't had a period since my last loss. I had had my HCG measured the day before to see if it was likely to see anything on the scan. It came back over 100k and the scan showed I was already 8 weeks! I didn't have any further scans until the dating scan. After seeing the pregnancy was in the right place they prescribed progesterone and I'm now 25 weeks.

Totally understand. I didn't want any scans when I got pregnant after a couple of miscarriages. I went anyway, feeling very nervous beforehand. My darling boys are now 18 and 20 years old. All the best, OP.

I've had early scans through the EPU for the last 3 pregnancies due to recurrent loss. My thing is just that if something has gone wrong I want to know as soon as possible. Each scan for me is pretty traumatic, but I'd rather know sooner than wait until 12 weeks (I've had 4 missed miscarriages, all discovered on scans). It's always just a scan, no additional tests or checks, and my EPU won't do it before 7 weeks to try to avoid extra anxiety through not seeing a heartbeat just because it's too early.

There's absolutely no right or wrong though, it's whatever is best for you.

I think it would be worth you having a proper think and a chat with your partner about the early scans & go from there, you don’t have to have them, it is a totally personal decision.

I think how “worth it” they are totally depends on what you see them as. I had one with my daughter and again in this pregnancy for my son, for me it was just some reassurance that I was actually pregnant, it confirmed the pregnancies are in the correct place, and it also (hopefully) gave me the chance to see their little heartbeat. But I did that knowing that it wast a guarantee of a healthy pregnancy or a healthy baby, it’s just a snapshot that on that day for that period of time, everything is okay. I was okay with that, that was enough for me and it did give me that little boost. But I can totally appreciate why after a previous loss at 10 weeks, a scan at 7 weeks wouldn’t necessarily give you any real reassurance so if you don’t think it will be helpful for you then please don’t feel you have to go x

Hi everyone - thank you so, so much for all your lovely replies and kindness! It’s meant to much! I called the Early Pregnancy Unit to ask them to walk me through the process and I felt a lot calmer about it - knowing I wouldn’t be in the same room as where I was told I lost my baby was a big help!

My scan was this morning and baby is all well! There is a heartbeat and it’s measuring 6 weeks (but the sonographer said the baby might catch up by the next scan!)

I’ve also been offered an eight week scan before my 12 week one which is great!

Thank you all for your support, I so, so appreciate it!