20 week scan, do I have to drink only water?

[Rinnyx]

It may be a stupid question seeing as this is DC#2 but can you really only drink water before the scan.
I did what they told me with DD and drunk 1 ltr of water for both scans and I did for my 12 week scan for this one but what can I say I am a fussy moo and find it hard to down all that water before the scan.

I have my 20 weeks scan next friday but was wondering can I get away with adding a bit of elderflower cordial so I dont mind drinking all that water before hand?

Thanks

You don't need a full bladder for the 20 week scan

Unless your hospital has ancient equipment I don't see why you would. I didn't need to drink water for my 12 or 20 week scans [done last year] although the bed was tilted on both occasions.

I drank coke to wake him up

I guess its cause thats what I was told, drink 1 ltr of water a hour before the scan.

I was told this when I was having DD in Cambridge 8 yrs ago and I am having #2 in Norwich.
I asked the midwife at my 16 week check if I still needed a full bladder for the scan and she said yes

You dont need a full bladder for the 20 week scan. Who told you that you had to drink only water?

For my 20 week scan they told me to drink water or squash and not have a wee for 1 hour before. Actually by that stage the not weeing for an hour wasn't feasible for me. But the scan still worked.

Thats what the letter stated, I guess its diff rules in diff areas.
Like I dont think you can do tours of the hospital here in Norwich you have to ask for a virtual CD which are limited but in Cambridge they suggested you go on a tour

Our letters always say that, although the sonographer tells us to ignore it.

I was told to have a full bladder for 12 week scan but was told it wasn't necessary for the 20 week scan because things are bigger and have moved up by then. They managed to see everything OK. If it was me, I wouldn't bother with the water (it's really not going to make a difference) and if questioned about it, just lie !

If you have been told to have a full bladder it will make absolutely no difference whether you drink water or squash or whatever. Once it is in your bladder it is all the same anyway . I guess some things take slightly longer to filter out of your system than others, but as long as you feel your bladder is full then it'll be fine. Like the others I agree, it isn't so important at 20 weeks, but may well be your hosptial's policy.

For the 12 week scan any fluid is fine, it doesn't make any difference what it actually is! wine not ideal.

but for the 20 weeks scan you don't need a full bladder anyway, no.

My hospital letter says the same, drink one litre of water one hour before scan and dont wee. And i was told off at my 12 week scan for my bladder not being full enough even though i drank loads!! So midwife said i need to make sure i do it properly this time!

I think generally they advise as long as you drink something still, it doesnt matter. Thats what ive been told anyway. So squash, fruit juice, water etc is all the same. I was also told though that tea and coffee dont count!

I had my scans for dd and ds 20 mo apart at two diff hospitals (both part of the same trust) One machine needed full bladder the other didnt

It depends on the scanning equipment; if they're still using old equipment, you will need a full bladder, but if they are using new equipment, you won't. Just ring the scanning department, who will tell you exactly what you will need to do.

I had my scans at the Rosie in Cambridge recently, and you no longer need to drink water/have a full bladder beforehand.

You don't need a full bladder for this scan - it's only the 12 week one - but I drank a large coke before my 12 week scan and it did the trick. Any fluid is fine.

I was told to have a full bladder for both 12 and 20 week scan. It won't do any harm to have it full but if you do need it full and don't you will either have to wait around or come back.

Mine was too full at 12 week scan so had to empty it (twice because I didn't wee enough the first time!).

If the letter says have a full bladder then have a full bladder, the 1 litre of water and hour before is to give you a rough idea of how much you need to drink and doesn't mean it has to be water, FWIW my letter said exactly the same and I had my scan in newmarket, not sure if its the same trust?

Jeez, you don't even get a hospital letter in my area, let alone any instructions on what to do.

I tried to drink before the 12 week scan but I needed the loo while I was waiting and so ended up with an empty bladder by the time I got in there. Didn't make much difference other than that the sonographer had to press a little harder to get a good view. I didn't really drink anything more than normal for the 20 week scan and you could see everything perfectly. I really wouldn't worry.

do what the letter tells you - doesn't matter what kind of liquid (but i am guessing caffeine free would be better as you won't be depserate for a wee quite so quickly). for my 20 week scan you definitely did need a full bladder, said so on the letter and was re-iterated by the sonographer... indeed because it was a hot day not enough had filtered through to the bladder and they made me leave and drink some more!

Thanks for all your replies

I guess I will make sure I have a full-ish bladder but sweeten the water up with elderflower, now I know time will drag til next Friday!

I live nearish Norwich. Had all my scans at the N&N, dd born there. Did NOT need a full bladder for the 20 week scan. And they've had new scanners since then (my niece is 6 months old and was scanned and born there). The difference in pic quality is very obvious between my dd and dn's scans. My SIL didn't need a full bladder either. We were both told to drink normally.

I had to have a full bladder for my 20 week scan - in fact when they first tried to scan they decided it wasn't full enough and I was sent back out to the waiting room to drink some more!

And I was told any non-fizzy liquid was fine.

Oh nothing at all to do with drinking but am very glad to hear they've got new scanners at the N&N! I live in Norfolk and am 10 weeks pregnant with DC2 and currently waiting for my 12 week scan appointment (whenever they eventually decide to send it!) and was looking at my scan pictures from DS which was 5 years ago and they are really quite blurry so can't wait to see what the new ones are like.

I wouldn't worry about drinking before the 20 week scan tho...the only reason they usually ask you to do before the 12 week one is so they can see things clearer and by 20 weeks baby has moved up enough to see it anyway.

Is N&N the same place as the NNUH?
Sorry if silly question, only been living in norwich since 2006 and this is the first time I have ever needed to go there, well first was when we lost the 2nd baby last Oct