Pregnant Friend - her first scan

mel123

she just told me, its not for another few weeks, which will make her about 5 and a half months pregnant. The waiting lists are so long apparently. I am shocked at this!!!! What if there is something wrong, so now she wont find out until the first scan which is at almost 6 months!!??

silja

If it's a normal, low risk pregnancy, it is usual in most maternity hospitals to only get one scan, around 20-22 weeks. If her midwife or GP suspect something wrong, or if she has complications (bleeding etc), she will of course get a scan right away.

bea2200

It is a shame, I’m sorry, but it is. This woman won’t find out things like if she is carrying twins and OF COURSE won't have the possibility of the nucal test and other tests that can detect anomalies in the foetus.

Get yourself a scan earlier in other place.

littlebitdull

It was always the norm in Hollis Street to do the first scan at 20 weeks. When I attended the Rotunda - last time being eight years ago - they did a quick dating scan on your first visit.

Interestingly enough, I think, is that for my first pregnancy I attended Kings college hospital in London. And they too did the first scan at around 20-22 weeks. And this in a country where if you found something wrong, you had the choice of actually dealing with the problem.

If she is carrying twins, she could find that out before the scan, as the doctor/midwife would feel the babies, her measurements would be an indication too. I would imagine if she has a family history of problems the doctor would push for an earlier scan.

Or she could probably find some place where she can hand over some money and get it done privately...

But assuming all other indications are good, there would be no reason to worry about waiting that long for a scan.

After all if she was going for a home birth - she would have no scans at all. Nor did our grandparents or for that matter even most of our parents...

Its not a medical necessity after all.

littlebitdull

mel123 wrote: »

she just told me, its not for another few weeks, which will make her about 5 and a half months pregnant. The waiting lists are so long apparently. I am shocked at this!!!! What if there is something wrong, so now she wont find out until the first scan which is at almost 6 months!!??

Finding out something is wrong ... well that only really makes a difference if you intend to do something about it.. like taking a boat ...

Assuming your friend intends to continue her pregnancy.. well then she still has almost four months to learn to live with it.

mel123

littlebitdull wrote: »

Finding out something is wrong ... well that only really makes a difference if you intend to do something about it.. like taking a boat ...

Assuming your friend intends to continue her pregnancy.. well then she still has almost four months to learn to live with it.

No i dont mean getting the boat at all!!!
I dont have any kids, so I am not an expert, but i thought it was quite late to leave it for a scan. There could always be some kind of complications and i would have thought better to deal with these earlier rather than later thats all.

flyz

mel123 wrote: »

No i dont mean getting the boat at all!!!
I dont have any kids, so I am not an expert, but i thought it was quite late to leave it for a scan. There could always be some kind of complications and i would have thought better to deal with these earlier rather than later thats all.

A lot of complications can't be picked up until the 20 week scan anyway. That is where they check to see everything is developing as expected.

The purpose of an earlier scan would be for one of the following reasons: 1) confirm dates 2) confirm suspected multiple pregnancy 3) Nuchal test (not very reliable ) to test for Downs Syndrome.

ETA: As it is they don't offer option 3 in Ireland anyway

Nevyn

The Nuchal test is done in Ireland if the mother is in the age risk bracket.

flyz

Thaedydal wrote: »

The Nuchal test is done in Ireland if the mother is in the age risk bracket.

Oopsie! my apologies.
I am living outside Ireland so have only been comparing to people outside the risk bracket I would say.

Goldenquick

I wouldn't worry mel123, if they thought something was wrong they would have had her in already for one. I'm sure she's had her blood pressure done and all the other tests like listening to the heartbeat at the local doctor's.

I had scans every two days with my second pregnancy, but it was only because they were worried (quite rightly as it turned out) about the baby not growing, but it was the midwife that suspected this first, the ultrasound only confirmed it. The same with multiple heartbeats, the doctor will usually detect this first with a stethoscope & then send the mother on for a scan if he thinks she needs it. So I'd say your friend and her baby are in the fullness of health .

My friend is pregnant atm and she has only had one scan as well, she's due in 4 weeks .

rs

The reason for the scan being so late is that many of the problems they are looking for at the 20 week scan cannot be properly detected earlier. I know this because our dates were wrong for our son and we had the first scan at about 17 weeks.

Because of this we had to have a second scan a month later (21 weeks) because they could not do all of the checks they wanted to as junior was not quite developed enough. So from a medical standpoint the first scan was pretty useless. The problems they were looking for could not be detected that early (Not that we cared, we got to see the little guy twice)

If the pregnancy has been normal so far then the chances are that baby is going to be just fine.

Lizzykins

Thaedydal wrote: »

The Nuchal test is done in Ireland if the mother is in the age risk bracket.

I was 41 having my fourth child and was never offered that test. The girl I shared a room in the hospital was a year older having her first and she had the test. Both of us had perfect babies.

ArthurDent

Lizzykins wrote: »

I was 41 having my fourth child and was never offered that test. The girl I shared a room in the hospital was a year older having her first and she had the test. Both of us had perfect babies.

from my own experience and the experience of friends of mine - you have to ask, it's not offered routinely - even at "advanced maternal age" like me having no 3 at 38!

Clytus

Surely the first scan you have gives a more accurate picture of dates??..I remember we thought my wife was 13 weeks pregnant whereas in fact the scan showed she was only 8 weeks.