Any1 nervous about 20 weeks scan??

a.man

Just wondering is anyone else feeling the same.. we have ours on Tuesday and while I'm trying not to thing of anything of it, it's obviously on my mind and I've being having such horrible dreams... Has anyone had a 20 week scan yet and if so how did you feel??

midnightdream

Hi There,
I know exactly how you feel, I think everyone is nervous before the 20 week Scan! I am 38 weeks today, but remember on mine I came up (thanks to the Internet) with all the horrible things that could be wrong and it turned out to be just fine!
I have a few friends since then who had their Scans and they all where nervous and everything turned out well!
I went to the Rotunda and my Husband came with me it was a great experience! They had two Screens one for the Nurse and a big one on the wall for us! They talk you through it as they do it, showed us the head, hands and feets (checked fingers and toes), all the intestines, placenta and bloodflow, heart and face looked for eyes, mouth and ears and then did measurements of everything!
They could even tell us that we expect a little girl, also I asked them to tell me! Got some nice pictures as well!
Nobody can promise that verything will be fine and not too worry but hope its a great experience and all will be well!

silly

Is this just for private patients?
I'm going public, just had my 14 week scan this week, don't think I'll be getting any more scans when public.

a.man

Thanks MD... Thats just it isn't it, you'd love to just be going already knowing that everything was fine. I am excited and then I keep giving out to myself for feeling so excited! Probably because we are planning on finding out what were having too so were all the more nervous...

Silly I am public with the coombe my first scan was at 12 weeks so I'll actually be 21 weeks on Tuesday for the scan... As far as I know everyone should get a scan at 20-23 weeks, Its' called an anomoly scan because they check that everything is growing properly and is in the right place and also to check the sex of the baby if the parents want to know of course!

silly

a.man wrote: »

Silly I am public with the coombe my first scan was at 12 weeks so I'll actually be 21 weeks on Tuesday for the scan... As far as I know everyone should get a scan at 20-23 weeks, Its' called an anomoly scan because they check that everything is growing properly and is in the right place and also to check the sex of the baby if the parents want to know of course!

I have an appointment in the CUMH at the start of march , I'll be 21 weeks, but there is no mention of a scan on the letter??

staticdoor71

yeah, im 30 weeks on sunday and i only got one at 12 weeks.. i think you only get more than one if your private. Im on combined care

a.man

Just double checked my letter there and it say's appointment Midwife U/S scan... After I was finished my last scan at 12 weeks the doctor told me make another appointment for 20 weeks at the hatch on my way out which I did and a few days later got the letter in the post... And I'm public

Squiggler

Scan policies seem to vary a great deal from one hospital to another for public patients. At least one of the Dublin hospitals ONLY offers routine anomaly scans at 20+ weeks, no 12 week (dating) scan. Others offer both.

If you're going private I would imagine you get as many scans as you're willing to pay for.

a.man

Well I'm public with the Coombe, had first midwife appointment in tallaght hospital on a Friday and 12 week scan the following Tuesday, then had a consultants visit in December which I was 16 weeks at and now this scan at 21 weeks and midwife appoinment in Tallaght on Friday because consultant gave go ahead to use the Domino Scheme.. Are you doing combined care with your doctor, Maybe iot works different then?

silly

a.man wrote: »

Well I'm public with the Coombe, had first midwife appointment in tallaght hospital on a Friday and 12 week scan the following Tuesday, then had a consultants visit in December which I was 16 weeks at and now this scan at 21 weeks and midwife appoinment in Tallaght on Friday because consultant gave go ahead to use the Domino Scheme.. Are you doing combined care with your doctor, Maybe iot works different then?

I am combined care..
Sucks that I don't get another scan.
I think because the CUMH is now the only mat hospital in cork they must just do the minimum scans.

a.man

God silly thats really bad form that you don't get another scan, especially if its for something as important as checking the baby for anything wrong.. I just assumed that it was a nessesity to get an anomaly scan, like even if the maternity books they mention the "20 week scan" as this is when a lot of people find out the sex of the baby.. Maybe give them a ring and check for definate that you won't be getting another scan?

silly

a.man wrote: »

God silly thats really bad form that you don't get another scan, especially if its for something as important as checking the baby for anything wrong.. I just assumed that it was a nessesity to get an anomaly scan, like even if the maternity books they mention the "20 week scan" as this is when a lot of people find out the sex of the baby.. Maybe give them a ring and check for definate that you won't be getting another scan?

I'll ask them on march 7th when I go in to meet the consultant.
Thanks for the info.

midnightdream

I think the Dublin Hospitals are some of the few who do a anomaly Scan. Doesn't seem to be standard in the Regional Hospitals! I heard that before!
I got a 12 week Scan at Rotunda, a 22 week anomaly and whenever I am there for Doctor if they have a Scan machine in the Room they do a Mini one! Also I heard from a Midwife most Docs do the Mini Scan because they are not as good and experienced as the Midwifes feeling positions and such through Tummy! The one in my GP is brilliant, she just has a feel and can point out where Baby is lying and all its amazing!

chirogirl

In my opinion the Anomoly scan is essential. Aswell as checking the babies anatomy it checks the vascular flow around the baby and placenta . Whilst I was pregnant last year, it picked up a problem with the blood flow in the artery that flows from the placenta to the baby. Once the prob was detected I was scanned once a week till delivery. Thankfully, all was well and I had a little girl weighing just 4lbs, she's now 5months and piling on the weight. My advice is if your hopsital doesn't offer the service, go private for one. Its money well spent.

silly

chirogirl wrote: »

In my opinion the Anomoly scan is essential. Aswell as checking the babies anatomy it checks the vascular flow around the baby and placenta . Whilst I was pregnant last year, it picked up a problem with the blood flow in the artery that flows from the placenta to the baby. Once the prob was detected I was scanned once a week till delivery. Thankfully, all was well and I had a little girl weighing just 4lbs, she's now 5months and piling on the weight. My advice is if your hopsital doesn't offer the service, go private for one. Its money well spent.

Thank you. There is a private scan place near me, so I will definatley look into it.

Cherrycola

Yes, the 20week scan seems to be hit and miss all over the country.

If you are lucky enough to be public in one of the large maternity hospitals in Dublin and other large cities, then you will most likely have one.

However if you are unfortunate enough to be at the mercy of one of the smaller regional hospitals for your maternity care, then all you can expect as a public patient is one scan in the first trimester, a dating scan.

IMO this is disgraceful. It should be the same level of care across the board regardless of which part of the country you are going to give birth in!
As it stands, a woman in Dublin has a much better chance of an irregularity being picked up before the birth, than a woman in the midlands.
And why should that be the case?!:mad:

As far as im aware, in the UK the 20week scan is standard with the NHS, it should be the same here.
This country is so backward with maternity care, its unreal.

Im a 35yr old mum to be, and have only received one scan at 14 weeks in Mullingar, despite having a congenital heart issue in the family, and scoliosis, however had i chosen Ballinasloe i would have been scanned more frequently because im 35!
So Mullingar think im not at risk but Ballinasloe would assume i could be?!

Anyway, with the money i saved on consultant fees by not going private, we paid for a 20week scan with a private clinic in Dublin, and it was well worth the money. I would recommend you do the same if you can afford it.
Why should our babies be put at risk just because some penpusher behind a desk thinks we are less deserving of a vital scan!

(can you tell this is a serious bugbear of mine?! )

silly

I agree with you there. It does seem to be hit and miss alright. But I am attending the CUMH. Which is the only maternity hospital in Cork (3 maternity hospitals joined as one) and it caters for people in places like Waterford too etc.
So I find it strange that I wouldn't be offered this scan there.
But, I was speaking to a friend of mind who's a qualified midwife. She advised me to get the scan privately. They do them in the same building as my gp. It's going to cost €160. I'm making the appointment tomorrow.

LegacyUser

Im 20 weeks tomorrow and i am public with the Coombe. I had a scan at 12 weeks & 16 weeks. And i have my anomally scan in 2 weeks. As far as i know everyone gets these scans. Its routine. To make sure baby is ok!

taxus_baccata

Hi all, I'm going public at Limerick Regional Maternity Hospital. I received a 12 week scan (well it was at 13 weeks!) and I had to REQUEST the 20 week scan. They don't come as standard here. I asked the registrar (consultant's underling, whatever they are called) about it and he was really rude! He basically said that I didn't need one, as I'm 30 and low risk. Low risk on paper does not equate to low risk in reality!

We went a few weeks ago and the doctor told us absolutely nothing. The doctor doing the scan barked at me as if I had committed some sort of crime by requesting the scan! We didn't want to know the sex of our baby (I love surprises!), but I pointed out that I'd like the best for our baby and if there was something the matter that there would be time to prepare etc. I had to ask repeatedly if everything looked alright. Afterwards I came to the conclusion that if there is anything the matter with baby it'll be noted on the file, whether I know about it or not.

Anyway a friend of mine has speculated that, how do I phrase this...., some people or groups may use the anomoly scan as gender screening, hence the reluctance of some hospitals to offer the anomoly scan as routine

Neyite

taxus_baccata wrote: »

some people or groups may use the anomoly scan as gender screening, hence the reluctance of some hospitals to offer the anomoly scan as routine

I heard this too - I know I heard some hospitals in the UK have a policy of not checking or revealing gender on the scans due to the risk that some groups or cultures have a very strong preference for a certain gender. I think I read it on a baby forum.

I'd imagine that if it were not offered, there is nothing to stop people from booking a private scan to find out. Its also possible that the wrong gender sometimes is told to parents during the scans so maybe the hospitals in question are doing it to avoid human error, and angry parents with a nursery full of the wrong colour stuff? :pac:

I heard that some Irish hospitals were either phasing it in or considering adopting the same policy but I know we were asked if we wanted to know. (we didnt, we wanted a surprise, and it really added to the birth experience for us wondering, especially since it turned into an emergency c-section it was good to be on the table and distract ourselves from the c-section preparations by speculating about baby's gender)

In Galway, outside of a complicated pregnancy, only a 20 week scan is offered - usually around 23 weeks or so depending on the waiting lists, but I got earlier and later ones due to a pre-existing condition. They scrapped the dating scan a while back.

ariana`

Neyite wrote: »

In Galway, outside of a complicated pregnancy, only a 20 week scan is offered - usually around 23 weeks or so depending on the waiting lists, but I got earlier and later ones due to a pre-existing condition. They scrapped the dating scan a while back.

Neyite is the 20-23wk scan in Galway a full detailed anomoly scan?

I'm public in Galway, i had a dating scan at 11wks and i have the next one at 21+5wks so i'm hoping this will be a detailed anomoly scan? But i'm getting worried reading these reports of some hospitals not doing anomoly scans.

Squiggler

I think it is more likely that places have scrapped the earlier "dating" scan (usually around 12 weeks) for the reason above. 20 weeks plus is too late for taking any trips.

Holles St certainly don't offer early/dating scans (in fact a friend had to threaten to sue to get his wife scanned even though they had complications early in her previous pregnancy).

ariana`

Squiggler wrote: »

Holles St certainly don't offer early/dating scans (in fact a friend had to threaten to sue to get his wife scanned even though they had complications early in her previous pregnancy).

This is awful. Do they have an EPU? I was told at my 11wk dating scan that i would have been scanned at any stage prior to that if i had walked into the EPU in Galway off the street with no appointment because of previous m/c. Of course how i was supposed to have known that i don't know

Squiggler

ariana` wrote: »

This is awful. Do they have an EPU? I was told at my 11wk dating scan that i would have been scanned at any stage prior to that if i had walked into the EPU in Galway off the street with no appointment because of previous m/c. Of course how i was supposed to have known that i don't know

I don't know, but given they are extremely quick to push for interventions in a "post dates" scenario it is pretty bad that they don't provide a dating scan to ensure that the dates are right in the first place.

Neyite

ariana` wrote: »

Neyite is the 20-23wk scan in Galway a full detailed anomoly scan?

I'm public in Galway, i had a dating scan at 11wks and i have the next one at 21+5wks so i'm hoping this will be a detailed anomoly scan? But i'm getting worried reading these reports of some hospitals not doing anomoly scans.

Yep,I went public in Galway too. My scan at 21 weeks was a full one - they checked the skeletal system, head, brain, heart, face for cleft palate, kidneys and other internal organs, stomach and abdominal walls, and did the measurements of all limbs, head and amniotic fluid. Also checked is the position of the placenta. We were offered the gender to be revealed if we wanted.

The sonographers there are lovely - I think all of them have scanned me at one point and none of them rushed, all of them took the time to point out things on the screen for us and explain what they were looking at and why.

ariana` wrote: »

This is awful. Do they have an EPU? I was told at my 11wk dating scan that i would have been scanned at any stage prior to that if i had walked into the EPU in Galway off the street with no appointment because of previous m/c. Of course how i was supposed to have known that i don't know

In Galway, you should just turn up to the EPU if you have concerns - they wont turn you away. I made the mistake of ringing them instead at 9 weeks to try and get seen after I had a missed miscarriage on the twin. If I had walked in off the street they would have checked me out, but the woman on the phone was one of the most unhelpful and discouraging person I've ever spoke to. But I was told discreetly by a midwife when I mentioned it later on in passing that if I had came in instead they would have been obliged to check me out.

That was my only negative experience of Galway - and that was an administrative person, not medical staff - all of whom throughout my pregnancy and birth were excellent.

ariana`

Neyite wrote: »

Yep,I went public in Galway too. My scan at 21 weeks was a full one - they checked the skeletal system, head, brain, heart, face for cleft palate, kidneys and other internal organs, stomach and abdominal walls, and did the measurements of all limbs, head and amniotic fluid. Also checked is the position of the placenta. We were offered the gender to be revealed if we wanted.

The sonographers there are lovely - I think all of them have scanned me at one point and none of them rushed, all of them took the time to point out things on the screen for us and explain what they were looking at and why.

Thanks this is great reasurance, my scan is in a couple of weeks, i can't wait now

Neyite wrote: »

In Galway, you should just turn up to the EPU if you have concerns - they wont turn you away. I made the mistake of ringing them instead at 9 weeks to try and get seen after I had a missed miscarriage on the twin. If I had walked in off the street they would have checked me out, but the woman on the phone was one of the most unhelpful and discouraging person I've ever spoke to. But I was told discreetly by a midwife when I mentioned it later on in passing that if I had came in instead they would have been obliged to check me out.

I got a letter from them with an appointment for 11wks, the letter clearly said in bold writing that I would NOT be getting a scan on that day. So i paid for a scan at 10wks privately. Then at the 11wk appointment first thing they said to me "oh you're here for a scan", i said i didn't think so but they said i was top of the list for a scan! And not only that she told me had i walked into EPU at any stage prior to that i'd have had a scan! So i could have saved the 100E for the private scan but how was i to know? Bit annoying but i didn't mind, the private scan was very thorough and i would have paid anything for the reassurance.

jakeypooh

Im combined care and had a dating scan at 10 weeks in the hospital, have my 22 week scan in the hospital in June and my gp has scanned me anytime I go in so in total I have had 6 scans so far
My gp has the internal probe scanner and its brilliant