Early scans - what's the deal?

[Allsigns]

I'm from the UK and I thought it was standard practice to have a scan around 12 weeks and another at 20 weeks. However there are regular threads here talking about 6/7/8/9 week scans like they're standard. As in not 'i had my 8 week scan today' as if that's something everyone does.

Does it differ by country? Or is it more normal than I know to have scans before 12 weeks? Or are people paying for additional reassurance scans? Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks!

Most likely paying privately for additional reassurance scans. However, you are also offered earlier and more frequent scans on the NHS if you have suffered from recurrent miscarriage.

I think it might be all of the above? Some countries do do a scan earlier than 12 weeks as standard (for example: the US often does, though there it seems to vary a bit by doctor. In Germany the standard scan is at 10 weeks). Lots of people do pay for additional scans and the numbers who do so have increased significantly in recent years. There are also quite a few reasons (fertility treatment, suspected miscarriage, medical history, unknown date of conception) why you would have a scan earlier than 12 weeks as part of your medical care. So lots of people would have a scan before 12 weeks, but you're right that the standard NHS scans are offered between 11 and 14 weeks and then between 18 and 21.

12 and 20 week scans are the normal NHS scans that I had 6 years ago. But you can get early scans if you pay private (some parents, understandably, can't wait to see a scan or are maybe anxious if they've had a miscariiage in the past) or if there are concerns for the fetus ie bleeding the NHS can scan early. Xx

You will be offered early / reassurance scans if you have had recurrent losses, are having a baby via fertility treatment or are prone to ectopic. Due to recurrent miscarriages, I have a scan at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 20 weeks and then pretty much every 2-4 weeks after that.

Then there is a whole industry of private scanning!

Thank you, that's really helpful

With my first I had bleeding at 8 weeks, and a NHS scan to check all was well. In-between my DC I had an early loss, which made me a little more anxious so with my second. I paid (about £50) for a private scan at 6 weeks, for my own peace of mind.

While it's not standard to have it, the relatively low cost makes an additional private scan accessible to most, so I think it's relatively common to choose to have one. People who are at increased risk or who conceived following fertility treatment can also be offered them.

Also outside of the medical reasons, it can feel really odd to go from TWW, positive pregnancy test, 3 more just because you're so excited and just want to confirm... to "nothing" i.e. great, see you for your booking in and 12 week scan, assume you're still pregnant unless you find out you're not!

For our first we had a private 8wk scan just to give us something to look forward to. We didn't with the second but had NIPT (including a scan) at 10 weeks. I would assume either of those are pretty common even among people with "normal" medical histories.

I guess because I've only seen it on here and not known anyone talk about them irl it seemed unusual to me. But then many people keep things quiet in the first trimester so not utterly surprising it wouldn't come up in conversation. This is #3 for e and would say even the talk online seems to have increased dramatically compared to with my first. I wondered if I'd missed something.

If it's your third I'm guessing you had your first a few years ago? I think (and this is just anecdotal) the number of private scan clinics, and the number of people getting them, has increased a lot in the last few years. I did have both NHS extra scans and a couple of private ones for my eldest 8 years ago - all for reassurance because I'd had three previous miscarriages. I had to travel to a different town to find a private scan provider then, now there are three in my town. That's quite a big difference in 8 years.

Also, if you have a NIPT they do an earlier scan (around 10 weeks) so they can work out when to take the bloods at the appropriate time. Mine was early through the NHS, as my first daughter has Down’s syndrome, so I was able to skip the combined test. Although funnily enough they still asked me to do the CT for the PAPP-A results, and even though my eldest and my age were going to be against me, so I was fully expecting a 1 in double figures chance, it ended up being over 1 in 2,000! 🤷‍♀️

My hospital offers reassurance scans after a miscarriage so I had an early scan in one of my pregnancies because that. There was a mismatch between the expected gestation and the scan so I had further scan which showed the loss of the pregnancy. In my following pregnancy I didn't have a last period so they did a hcg test and scan to estimate the date of the pregnancy to know when would be best to book the 12 week scan as well as offering reassurance after 2 losses.

On here I see it being quite common to book reassurance scans but I've been on conception/pregnancy after loss threads, I'm also see more scans at 16 weeks bridging the gap between the 12 and 20 week scans. Something else that may factor is these are scans that are before a lot of women are comfortable discussing pregnancy. I know I only discussed early pregnancy with a couple of people and haven't mentioned my early scans, similarly I have discussed the growth scans i had in later pregnancy either

I had my 1st scan at 4 weeks due to 1 sided pelvic pain, but all they could see was a tiny line, so I had another at 5 weeks. I'd paid for the NIPT so also had a scan at 10 weeks.

The next pregnancy, I again for the 1 sided pain so had a scan at about 5 weeks. They think it was the affects of the hormones on a small fibroid. Like others, I was also offered a reassurance scan on the NHS at 7/8 weeks due to miscarriages.

When I had IVF, they also did a scan at 8 weeks. Alot of people pay for early scans, but I never did.

I’m always troubled by this for several reasons (I know my approach is old fashioned!) I do think that it can trigger rather than appease anxiety, and give you even longer to worry than “in my day”! Also, when I was having mine, there was concern about the effect of ultrasounds on baby’s development, specifically hearing, and Mumsnet sort of parents had as few as possible. I know that has been disproved, but it still makes me twitch when younger friends have loads. Also- along with multiple pregnancy tests - they cost money, and I hate to see women being commercially exploited in the name of reassurance.

I think they're becoming increasingly popular, and not always a good thing. Missed miscarriage & molar pregnancy awareness have grown a lot, and people seek reassurance any way they can.

I opted into them for my pregnancies and paid through the nose for them. I do think it's exploitative but I was irrationally desperate to hear the heartbeats.

I have one at every appointment here in Germany.