Scans. Why do we bother?

[spidermama]

I expect I'll be a lone voice on this matter but here goes.

I never had scans. Didn't see the point. I think routine scanning is an expensive waste of NHS money and regularly scares women during pregnancy.

I've lost count of the number of women who've had needless, sleepless nights because of comments made or action taken as a result of scans.

I don't need them for bonding. I can bond perfectly well without a grainy picture.

Yet the vast majority of all women I meet seem to love scans. Why?

[Flamesparrow]

I love the grainy picture

Not for bonding, just something physical. I remember DH's face showing it to people.

[Twiglett]

love scans .. first introduction to what is going on inside you .. and so amazing to watch

also reassuring if you are lucky that things are progressing as they should

[Nemo1977]

scans to me are vital

if i hadnt had a scan at my missed mc tin dec then i would have continued to think i was pregnant and had already had to go 6wks thinking i was which was hard enough. I had already had 2 mcs prior to that but naturally passed baby.

With ds and this baby i have had to have scans to check viability of pregnancies...so to be honest for me the scan isnt about seeing the baby its about checking everything is all right which can be a relief

[spidermama]

I knew this would happen. Am I really the only one who doesn't do scans?

[paolosgirl]

I loved seeing my babies for the first time - though sadly one of my scans confirmed that the baby had died, so we had time to prepare.
The first picture of each of my babies is something I'll treasure always

[Redhelen]

spidermama

I love scans - have one every week if I could. Find them fantastic for bonding and reussurance.
Paricullary after my mc and treatments to get preganant.

But each to their own - and I realize they are expensive, but they are worth their weight in gold to me!.

[nutcracker]

I had to have weekly scans from 26 weeks with Ds to check he wasn't developing hydrops. If i hadn't had them he had developed hydrops he may not be here today.

But even if i hadn't had to have them for that reason I still think they are great and I have had loads........3 kids and a total of at least 37 scans

[golds]

same here, if it wasn't for a scan that I had, I wouldn't have know I was having a ectopic that was just about to rupture and I may not have made it into Hospital

[anchovies]

Disagree about scanning being a waste of money. My early scan discovered a bicornuate uterus (nothing to do with the baby) but led to a high risk pregnancy that both myself and the doctors would have been completely unaware of.

[nutcracker]

Ooooooh Anchovies I have one of those too , was reffered to as the lady with the funny womb when pregnant with Dd1.

[spidermama]

Kama detecting ovarian cysts is a different matter. I'm talking about routine scanning of all pregnant women for no particular diagnostic reason.

[aloha]

because i would have terminated for severe abnormality, and because i found mine so moving and thrilling

[misdee]

i'm not foind of scans. but had loads with dd3 even fetal cardiac scans. loads of details, and because of gestanional diabetes to check her growth. they also keep a check on my ovarian cyst. only seems to appear during pregnancy, speaking of scans, i have another thread to start under health. lol.

[spidermama]

For me it's just another example of a pregnancy being treated as a pathological event.

[spidermama]

Kama, on that logic why don't we all go and have exploratory operations all the time, just in case?

[aloha]

yes scanning discovered complete placenta praevia whivh can be fatal if you go into labour - how did i forget that!

[misdee]

scans are non invasive.

[Nemo1977]

SM i think if u have been in position of finding out ur baby is dead via scan then perspective is a little different. They obviously only offer them with reason and are limited in offering. Despite my history so far with this baby i have had one scan at 8wks to check viability and i have another at 21wks.

[spidermama]

aloha, placenta praevia will also cause bleeding more often than not. It would, of course, be worth scanning if a pg woman were bleeding.

The only scan I had was during my first pg, when I was bleeding, and found out I was miscarrying at 13 weeks.