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?

friend of mine's baby was diagnosed with a severe diaphragmatic hernia at 20 weeks (means that internal organs don't develop properly as they are all over the place in the abdominal cavity). If it had been undiagnosed she would have carried to 40 weeks, given birth, and it would have died within 5 - 10 mins.
It was traumatic, but much less so, for her to know at 20 weeks and have it terminated then.

Have another friend whose completely praevia placenta was spotted on a scan so she was sectioned early. If not she would probably have haemorraged to death in labour.

Maybe you don't see the point because you have always been lucky and don't know anyone who has so obviously benefitted from them. It is rather short-sighted and insular of you, though.

Misdee we can't say for certain that scans have absolutely no long term effects on the baby. For instance, it;'s known that they flinch and move out of the way of the high pitched noise which is being bounced off them.

I'm not saying there;'s likely to be severe long term damage, but I think we should be more questioning.

So you honestly think its worth not scanning because "more often than not" bleeding will indicate placenta praevia? What about the ones that don't?

lots of people would terminate for abnormality. not all cases of pp cause bleeding and if you do have it, it is better to know and not go on holiday to Greece thinking all is well when you could die.
Pregnancy can be a dangerous time - I'm glad personally it is treated with care. It used to kill an awful lot of women. We seem to forget that nowadays because we are lucky to have good antenatal care.

Absolutely Anchovies. In fact, I think I'll just pop down to have a cat scan every couple of minutes, because you never know do you?

it might have already been said, but..

without them some seriousproblems can go undetected. i had OC and had several scans in late pregnancy and was thankful of the close monitoring to put my mind at restthat they knew exactly when to get my DS out safely.

you are idiotic spidermama.

SM in that case are u also against dopplers?

That is ridiculous, bit of a cost/benefit comparison needed on ultrasounds and cat scans I think?

Aloha, the huge majority of women who died in childbirth did so because of pre-eclampsia. That's why I've always agreed to having my blood pressure taken regularly in pregnancy.

I have met so many women who have been made to worry and have carried out other unecessary procedures because of scans, is all.

If you'd choose to terminate a pregnancy for any reason, that's different. I wouldn't, so see no point in having scans. I trust my body more than I trust man-made machinery in dirty hospitals.

So do you also oppose screening for cervical cancer?
I think it's fine to refuse scans. It's absolutely your choice, but that doesn't mean they have 'no point'.

i couldn't forgive myself if i refused vital scans and there were awful conseqences from it. could you live with that??

There are more babies saved as a result of abnormalities detected in sacns there there are babies damaged by them BY FAR.

Surely ignoring statistics can be classed as neglegence???????

I am certain you are wrong about pre-eclampsia.
Breech babies, placenta previa, uterine growth retardation, many many conditions are picked up by screening.

Exactly there is a big difference between personally not seeing the point and describing them as being an expensive waste of nhs money

i think the scans are more about the safety of the unborn child and mother rather than the cost or to bond.

i cant belive this. Scans can be vital in pregnancy, and if you dont like then then its your choice. no-one is pushing you to have scans, and you can refuse them. for most people its reasurance. the fetal cardiac scans on my daughter were done to check for signs of DCM (what my husband has). the scans can back fine, tho all of my kids will need echo's etc later on in life. i dont just cart them off for CAT scans, echos etc at the drop of the hat.

omg,looks like i've walked in here in the middle of a arguement LOL
i'm also a lover of scans but not really for the reasons given, although they are enough, but because i suppose i am a little selfish and love to see my unborn baby inside of me, it's also helped my 6yr old dd understand the whole baby scenario a little better. i've just returned from my 3d scan, so i guess that shows just how much i adore to see my baby.

Ultra-sound has effects on the body that are not yet fully understood. It causes heat to be generated in body tissues and tiny bubbles inside tissues may dance in reaction to the soundwaves. Not proof of danger, but surely we need to ask searching questions about possible long-term effects, however subtle.

Research on ultrasound suggests that, in the words of the British Cheif Medical Officer of Health "All Ultrasound should be justified and limited to the minimum necessary for the diagnostic purpose. The greatest risk is from inaccurate interpretation of the image"

.... I know so many people who had risky amnioscentesis as a result of scans and for no good reason. They went through terrible worry and guilt for nothing.

gosh..i too can't believe this thread..scans are not detrimental on the baby, they will even give a pregant woman an x-ray if it is vital..
thinking you might be one to cause trouble on the drinking in pregnancy thread spidermania...
would you rewfuse foetal monitoring during labour because it's harmful and unneccesary? i think not..
just to emphasisew previous posts, not only do the sacns provide reasuurrance, and help with bondong for the parents, but they can detect any problems which can mean interventuon before it becomes a serious issue/heartbreaking tragedy.are you one of those women who want to give birth naked on a mountain?..he he

damn..forgive my badass typing..kind of distracts you from what i'm trying to say...slaps own wrist..must try harder

Scans cause unnecessary worry and

I refer you to a current thread by worriedmum, who is grieving because an early scan has shown she has lost a twin. Others have posted with similar stories. They need never have known. This happens regularly, our clever bodies ingest and re-use the fetus, and we know nothing of it. Nor should we. Nature has worked it out this way.

Ok, Ok I suppose it's not a waste of NHS money if you find it reassuring to have ultrasound. But it shouldn't be taken as read that everyone 'should'.

I was vilified by the medical profession for declining scans and felt untrusted. It meant I felt forced to hire independent midwives who would support me and my decisions. In effect I had to pay to NOT have scans.

Hiring Indie MW's was the best thing I ever did - even though it was very hard finding the money.

I hate them

and so does my mum, fwiw

but I wouldn't dream of denying anyone one

Goodness me babyonboard.

They wouldn't routinely x-ray though would they.

'thinking you might be one to cause trouble on the drinking in pregnancy thread spidermania...'
Don;t understand this reference at all. Explain please.

Luckily my clever midwives didn't ever offer foetal monitoring during my labours, (all 4 of them, at home).

I can bond quite well without these man made devices as women have done thoughout time.

Don't understand the 'naked on a mountain' bit but by all means dig in. Get it out of your system if you feel angry. Better out than in I always say. Phewy!

Oh, for heavens sake, why do you feel the need to start yet another thread where you have no intention of accepting that other people have valid opinions? Pregnancy and raising children isn't one size fits all - you are entitled to your opinion just as we all are, but to actually seek to alienate most of the women on this thread seems very odd to me.

Most of us think scans are useful in detecting problems with the pregnancy, which can be better dealt with the earlier they are caught. If you don't agree then that's fine, but please don't act as if your opinion is the only one that matters.