How long does dating/NT scan take?

[grumperina]

I'm having my first (combined) scan next week, on the same day that we go on holiday. The scan's booked for 12:15, and my DH has spent ages reassuring me that our flight doesn't leave until 8pm . However, I've just checked online, and it's actually at 15:55 . We'd have to leave the hospital at 14:15 (at the very latest) to get to the airport on time. Does this sound like enough time to have blood tests/allow for baby being in wrong position, etc.? If not, I guess I'll just have to fly out the next day...

The scan takes about 5mins, and 2 mins to wipe all the jelly off your belly! But clinics often run late, so 20 or 30mins past your appointment time wouldn't be unusual.

If this is your "booking visit", then the appointment with the MV after the scan could take an hour or more, if not, it's still going to be another wait in the waiting room + MV chat and checks for 15mins or so.

I think you need to phone the hospital today if the clinic is open Sat, or Mon morning to try and change the appointment, you may be able to if you explain the flight times.

to add to that - 2 hours seems a lot, but IME of clinics, you really do need to allow a half-hour for "lateness", (and you will be waiting twice, first for the scan then to see the MW) and the first MW appointment really does go on and on as they go through your entire medical history with you!

My booking appointment/ first scan took 2.5-3 hours each time!

booking app can take up to an hour, depending on your medical history etc, there are a LOT of forms to fill out and the dating/nuchal scan will depend on how co-operative the baby is, it can be done it ten mins or less,esp for just a dating scan but with the nuchal scan they take longer and look in more detail at various things. i had one done 6 wks ago and it took about half an hour my booking app took about 20mins with the miwife but that is cos this is my 5th baby and i had her last time so we whizzed through it as old hands

hospitals can run late tho, but hopefully you should be ok, good luck xxx

Thanks for all the replies! I had my booking in appointment with the MW a couple of weeks ago so this is just for the dating scan and NT test/bloods. Are these two separate scans or will they do them together? I'll be at the Rosie in Cambridge, if that makes any difference - at least it's very close to Stansted airport

They do everything they need for dating scan and NT at the same time. I then had to go and take a ticket and wait in the same waiting room as anyone having blood tests for anything. Whole thing was about 45mins with most of it waiting for blood test. I have no idea what the Rosie is like for appointments, I chose West Suffolk as it's closer to me.

Give them a ring they may be able to fit you in earlier in the day you never know!

I was at the Rosie on Monday and the scan itself was about 15 mins I would guess. We were 15mins late due to horrendous Monday morning traffic and missed our slot, finally got in about 30mins later. They also appear to be very understaffed in reception (don't get me started about booking the scan in the first place, can now see why it took HOURS to get through). I have opted to do the POP study which added time, we were probably in the Rosie for about 2 hrs including scan (nuchal), initial interview for their study and the blood test.

Hope that helps and good luck with Cambridge traffic!

Oh, and the most irritating thing was just waiting after we'd had our scan for anyone to talk to us...we sat in the waiting room just looking at our pics for ages... this seemed to happen to everyone! Probably worth a warning as I got extremely fed up and I didn't even want to leave as I had to go to work, if you are going to catch a plane I might have cried!

Make sure you've got your multiples of £2 for the piccies too!

My scan took a litte longer as baba wouldn't co-operate. I think I was 10 minutes late going in and then the scan in total was about 50 minutes as I had to keep walking round.

However I didn't have to speak to a midwife after the scan as everything was fine so 2 hours would have been plenty of time for me. Depends on the policy at your hospital I guess as you may have to speak to the midwife after the scan even if everything is fine.