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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How long before your scan do you stop going for a wee...

26 replies

gingertoo · 19/04/2010 09:12

... in order to ensure a full bladder?

Silly question, I know but when I went for my last scan the sonographer was a bit stroppy saying that my bladder wasn't very full and I hadn't been for a couple of hours!

My appointment is at 12 so when do I start holding

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babylove2 · 19/04/2010 09:29

Is this your 21 week scan, i dont think you need to worry to much about a full bladder on that one.

Have a wee about 2 hours before then fill up on water and try and hold it if you do need a full bladder, i used to make sure i was on bursting point :-)

Original poster

gingertoo · 19/04/2010 09:36

It's my 12 wk scan so will def need full bladder

Have just 'been' so I think I'm going to hold on now and then have a big glass of water before I leave at 11!

OP posts:

confusedfirsttimemum · 19/04/2010 09:40

It's so weird the way some places still say this. I was specifically told (in big, bold type on my appointment letter) that a full bladder was not necessary. Is it older equipment, or different machines or something I wonder?

babylove2 · 19/04/2010 09:45

Good luck with your scan, maybe as you are waiting in the waiting room drink a bottle of water , i think the fuller the bladder better chance of seeing the little one

Original poster

gingertoo · 19/04/2010 10:08

Thanks babylove2

Not sure whether it's the equipment or just the stroppy sonographer I seem to get confusedfirsttimemum! When I had my early scan she told me that my bladder was not full enough so she'd need to do an internal scan so she sent me to empty my bladder. She then told me when she started scanning again that I hadn't emptied it enough. She said I should have 'rocked' while I sat on the loo to ensure a completely empty bladder ...

Hope I get a different person today...

OP posts:

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 19/04/2010 10:10

I was told to drink a pint of water before my 12 week scan. I drank a pint travelled to the hospital and was absolutely busting for a pee when I got there - didn't dare have a wee in case I got into trouble.

When they started scanning they sent me away to have a wee because my bladder was too full and they couldn't see anything and they thought I was going to wee if they pressed down on me at all

mistressploppy · 19/04/2010 10:11

ItsAllGoingToBeFine - exactly the same thing happened to me!

Pepsiginn · 19/04/2010 10:38

Crikey! I wonder why there are such inconsistencys within the system. I was never told anything about full bladder for either of my scans.
To me it seems absolutley ridiculous to ask a pregnant woman to try to have a full bladder whilst you are going to push away at it with a probe. I have enough trouble with going to the loo only 200 times a day let alone bloody holding it for a while!

NoTeaForMe · 19/04/2010 10:42

I was told to drink a pint and a half of liquid an hour before the scan and then not go to the loo until after the scan had taken place. The sonographer was fine with that and we have a lovely clear scan picture! I was worried about really needing a wee but actually I was fine. When I stood up after the scan I really needed a wee but was fine!
Hope that helps!

Octaviapink · 19/04/2010 11:40

I wasn't told to have a full bladder before my 10-week scan last time, and that was fine. Then for my 20 week scan they said 'full bladder' - and got a diagnosis of placenta praevia. So three months of no sex etc, worry and so on, then when I went for the 32 week scan to check, the sonographer said I didn't have PP it had been caused by having a full bladder at the 20 week scan - apparently he got this all the time!

nunnie · 19/04/2010 12:51

I was told drink a pint and half of water 1.5 hours before scan as it takes that long to travel to your bladder. Mine is at 2 and I have just finished a pint, I am struggling but hopefully will be okay.

Lovethesea · 19/04/2010 14:20

My early scan with DD got me sent to the toilet because my bladder was squashing her too much!

With this pregnancy's early scan they kept me waiting for ages and I had to pee or I would've burst - bladder dodgy since my forceps birth. So I just drank a couple of glasses about 15 mins before the scan but it wasn't mentioned as a problem.

Original poster

gingertoo · 19/04/2010 14:30

Thanks for all your replies

I've had my scan - everything went well - and no comments about the fullness of my bladder

They've given me 9th Nov as my EDD, everything looked fine and I've got a lovely photo

How did you get on nunnie?

OP posts:

nunnie · 19/04/2010 19:42

Thank you for asking gingertoo, I got on well baby has a lovely heartbeat which made me cry Good job my bladder was bulging as apparently I have a anterior uterus (not sure what that means to be honest, I was too excited after she said there was a strong heartbeat to ask) which made it difficult to see the baby, but got a decent pic with the zoom.

nunnie · 19/04/2010 19:44

Glad yours went well it is sooooooooo lovely to see them moving and such a relief

beanlet · 19/04/2010 20:15

Both scans I was told in big bold print that a full bladder was NOT necessary; our maternity hospital has new state of the art scanning equipment, so I suspect the difference between hospitals has something to do with old vs. new scanners.

cinnamongreyhound · 19/04/2010 20:17

Congrats on your scans!

I had to empty my bladder twice when I had my last scan as it was too full but the sonographer said it was better to be too full and need to empty it. Very difficult to know how much to wee though!

Original poster

gingertoo · 19/04/2010 21:33

Great news nunnie. I cried too!

Dh and I were like excited kids on the way home - It's our 4th baby, you'd think we would be used to it by now, but seeing that little tiny baby and it's little heartbeat on the screen is still nothing short of a miracle...

OP posts:

Bellz12 · 01/08/2019 22:19

Hi I have my 12 weeks scan Tomoro and I’m extremely nervous to a point where I cannot sleep, anyone else felt like this?

Starlight84 · 01/08/2019 23:45

@gingertoo I had a full bladder on my dating scan to the point she couldn’t see what she needed to! She asked me to empty slightly, still couldn’t, I went back to empty some more to the point she said just fully empty on the third time! I had no idea it could be too full!
I had a private scan this week and again I was too full and had to empty! When I went back for the re scan I went for a wee and hour before thinking I’d be ok and drank a small drink on the way and she got what she needed but said my bladder was still very full 😂 it’s all fun and games! Hopefully I get it right on my 20week one!

Everafter1 · 02/08/2019 01:35

I didn't have a full bladder at my 12 week scan. Probably nowhere near it. Want advised to either.
I had a private gender scan at 16 weeks and was advised to have a full bladder. Was asked to drink more during the appointment and come back. That was difficult.
20 week scan was told to empty my bladder during the appointment as it was filling up.

Kinsters · 02/08/2019 02:45

I didn't have a full bladder at any of my early appointments. Even at 8 weeks it was still possible to see the baby just fine via abdominal ultrasound, by 12 weeks it was no issue at all.

Alislia17 · 02/08/2019 02:51

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TwoShades1 · 02/08/2019 05:47

I wouldn’t worry about it. I had hyperemesis gravidarum so a full bladder was an absolute joke, I didn’t even have enough fluids to keep my hydrated! It just meant at my scan they had to use the internal probe to get a good image. It was well lubricated and the technician was gentle. She didn’t seem too bothered that I hadn’t managed a full bladder.

KatieMurr · 02/08/2019 10:45

I went for a private scan and drank the pint of water an hour before, I was bursting before we got to the place so stopped at a supermarket before. Drank water for the 10 mins from the shop to the place and they had a good look and eventually told me to go and empty my bladder.

12 week scan it asked me to do the same, I refused and just drank water on the way up to the hospital and while I was waiting and they never told me it wasn't full enough so it was fine as I wasn't too uncomfortable.

20 week scan I didn't have to have a full bladder so that was much easier.

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