when did u have your first ultrascan?

Question

im 11 weeks pregnant and 2 doctors have told me that in the area i live in i wont get a scan untill im 20 weeks gone, i thought u had one at 12 weeks tho

im in england so we dont have to pay( except with very high taxes)

Answer 1

I had my first at 7 weeks to confirm the gestational age

Answer 2

It all depends on the maternity unit you are booked at.
Some units offer a 'dating' scan from 9 - 13 weeks approx, to assess how far on you are in your pregnancy. This is then followed by another scan at about 20 weeks to check that your baby is healthy.
Some maternity units don't offer the first scan unfortunately, and will calculate your 'due date' from the onset of your last period.
Try not to worry too much about this. It is very difficult to check for a lot of abnormalities before 20 weeks gestation, and the 'dating' scan does nothing to reduce any of the risks associated with pregnancy. The picture of your baby on the screen at 11 weeks is almost indecipherable to the parents anyway.
Had the doctors been concerned about you or your baby in any way, they would have referred you for a scan straight away, so try and gain some reassurance from this.
PLEASE, don't visit your maternity unit or midwife and lie about having some bleeding like another answerer said.
Your pregnancy would be classed as 'high risk' from then on.
You might get the scan, but you would also get a lot more interference later on too. And you definitely wouldn't be allowed a 'low risk' delivery room, where the whole atmosphere is more relaxed and has a home from home feel. A water birth (if your unit offers them) would be out of the question too.
I really hope this helps. Take care and good luck.

Answer 3

Well, it depened with each of my pregnancies.
In the first one I had one at 13 weeks, in the second one at 8 weeks, the third at 9 weeks, the fourth at 17 weeks and with my last child at 19 weeks. I think it depends on how your pregnancy develops, how the doctors see fit and, unfortunately, here in the USA, how the insurance has described and allowed to be billed for uterine ultrasound.

But many doctors nowadays go by the following rule: If there's no medical history to believe that there's something wrong which needs to get checked out at the earliest, it's better to just let nature do what it's intend to do. Call your insurance and find out when the earliest ultrasound can be performed. Some Insurances only pay for 2 total during a pregnancy as a routine check. If you have any concerns, you can always talk again to your doctor and explain your reasons why you would like an ultrasound. But...be prepared to pay for it out of pocket if your insurance doesn't allow/won't pay for one at this stage of the pregnancy.

Sorry that I can't be of better help, except praying for you and your little unborn one that this pregnancy will be well and the endresult as healthy baby and a happy mommy!

Answer 4

I always thought you had a scan at 12-14 weeks to date and confirm the pregnancy, although it may well depend on which NHS trust you are with. I had one at 7 weeks because I was being treated by a fertility clinic and they wanted to confirm that I was actually pregnant. After that I had one at 13 weeks and one at 21 weeks. I'm in South Wales.

I always understood that a first scan at 12-14 weeks was the norm, but it may be that is not the case with your local authority.

I'm not sure what you could do if you really want a scan earlier than 20 weeks, you may be able to get one done at a private clinic but it may be expensive. I'd chat to your doctor about it if I were you.

Answer 5

It depends where you live but most areas offer healthy women their first scan at 20 weeks. You can have a scan on the NHS at 12 weeks if there are concerns about the pregnancy, doubts about the date or if the mother is over 35 (as the risk of Downs rises after that stage). The scan at 12 weeks is normally to assess the risk of Downs and is known as the nuchal translucency scan.

If you really want to have a 12 week scan and your doctor won't refer you for one, you can pay to have one at a private clinic. They normally cost around £150.

Answer 6

Your dating scan should be done around 12 weeks which would also show up some abnormalities and the correct time to have a blood test to check for Downs Syndrome and Spina biida. Then you should have another scan about 20 weeks when they check the babies organs are working and maybe able to tell the sex of the baby. THis sexing however should not be taken as 100% correct as it can be different.

Answer 7

yep, i had a scan b4 my 20week one with all 3 of my kids-at about 10-12 weeks, im not sure how it works now, my niece only has 7 weeks left to go and shes only had one scan, that might have been somethiing to do with the **** of a doctor who said she was 7 weeks pregnant when she was infact 21 weeks pregnant!!! I know she should have had a rough idea how far pregnant she was, but she was probably scared silly as she was 15 (16 now!!) but there must be bit of a noticable difference to a doctor the sees quite a few pregnant people in his time!
Im sure she was told she had missed her 1st scan, so surely ur due one?
Only other way round it is to say ur worried about the pregnancy or u are unsure about how far gone u r to ur doctor or midwife, depending on how nice they are, they might book u in for a scan just to put ur mind at rest?
Good luck either way! xx

Answer 8

It depends on the area you live in. I was not scheduled to have a scan until 20 weeks.
I lied and told them I did not know how pregnant I was, so I got a scan at 12 weeks to work out the age of the baby!

Answer 9

I live in the north west and for all pregnancies they offer scans at 12 weeks and 20 weeks. My sister inlaw used to live in Blackpool and they don't do theirs until 20 weeks.
I think sometimes they do it this late is because this is when thye can perfom all the important tests, they 12 weeks scan is only really to make sure the pregnancy is normal, you due date and to see how many babies there are.
I know it must be really hard for you waiting until then, you must be really anxious to see your baby is ok, but there is away around it, pretend you have fallen and hurt your stomach, they will offer you an emergency scan!!
But for gods sake don't fall really
Good luck for the future and don't worry about the birth it's not that bad or everyone in the world would only have one kid each!!

Answer 10

In a normal, healthy pregnancy - it's customary to have an ultrasound around 20-22 weeks of pregnancy. This is the best time to have one, as the important organs can be seen (heart, lungs, kidneys, etc) - and the bones have formed to get more accurate measurements. Ensuring the baby's health, or finding out defects, is the best at this time. Not to mention baby's sex! A baby's sex can be found out after 16 weeks of pregnancy.
If you have an ultrasound earlier, not all of this can be seen, as it's not formed yet. Having an ultrasound later on is harder to do, as baby is taking up quite a bit of room and measurements are harder to take.

Here, in the states, many of our clinics have portable ultrasounds that the doctors keep in their offices. Not all of the clinics, but many. My doctor gives me an ultrasound every visit, and as I'm pregnant with twins - I get one every 2 weeks. But, the major ultrasound - the one where you have to drink a ton of water, have to pee like a racehorse - and then hold it for an hour while you lay on a table and they take measurements - this is what we call the "big one." I'll get one more in two months, to make sure that my twins are growing at the same pace.

The big ultrasounds do not come cheap. They cost around $1000.00 a piece for the procedure, and that's on the cheap end. There are many places that offer 3D & 4D ultrasounds around the usa - most packages are around $200. They're a lot cheaper, because they're not used for medical purposes, only to get the babies on a video.

But - be glad that you have a healthy pregnancy. If something was wrong, you'd be getting more. And besides - you'll have many more cherished memories of your child, after the baby's born.

Answer 11

The usual for a healthy pregnancy is around 20 weeks, but, i found that by asking my consultant i was able to have an earlier one too, at 12 weeks.
If you are concerned and want a scan to reassure you ask your midwife or gp.
Hope this helps, good luck