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Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum.

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum.

Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

should i go for an early scan?

24 replies

lalatele · 03/11/2008 15:16

hi, found out i was pregnant last week, which was unplanned but very welcome...i am excited but am so worried about having another mc(had one last year after 9 weeks). Went to gp today and she was really useless not understanding and tactless...anyway, i have been asking her to be referred for early scanbut she did not want to refer me as she said it should be fine...after lots of persuasion, i finally got a letter but she tells me i shouldnt go really as it increases the risk of miscarriage...when is the best time to go for an early scan as i heard that some people went after 6 weeks and it was fine but at 8 weeks, baby was dead...i don't want to give myself false hopes but i am dying to reassure myself as i keep thinking an other mc will happen (have been stressed lately, running around constantly, eating bad food and been on sterod creams, etc,...).please advice...

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Habbibu · 03/11/2008 15:19

I have never heard that early scans increase the risk of m/c. Is there an Early Pregnancy Unit in your local hospital? I'd ring them directly and ask their advice, tbh. I think at 5-6 weeks it can be a bit stressful, as you should be able to see a heartbeat, but can't always. If I get pg again, I think I may aim for 8 weeks before asking for a scan. Will hunt around for info on what your GP said. Good luck!

Swedes · 03/11/2008 15:20

Fetal Medicine Centre in Harley Street do an early pregnancy scan at 5 - 6 weeks. Google Fetel Medicine Centre.

Good luck.

Swedes · 03/11/2008 15:23

FMC early scan I think it costs £50.

Gateau · 03/11/2008 15:27

The sonographer told me a heartbeat wasn't usually seen until 6/7 weeks. My hospital doesn't do scans until 7 weeks.

lalatele · 03/11/2008 15:27

there is an early scan unit, the one i went to last year where i found out there was no heartbeat...you are right, i may want to phone up..

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muppetgirl · 03/11/2008 15:32

I had early scans due to a previous missed miscarriage.
1st was 5 weeks then 7 weeks then 10 weeks.
Saw the heartbeat (or 'his' I should say as he's now sat in front of me playing with blocks!) at 7 weeks.

I've never heard that early scanning can increase the risk of miscarriage though I am not a doctor!

We are ttc no3 and I'm wondering if I would be able to have an early scan again due to pregnancy no3 being fine (although pregnancy no2 wasn't) Or is it that everything was fine last time so it should be okay...

HeadFairy · 03/11/2008 15:37

I would phone up the epu, GPs aren't always that sympathetic. At our local epu when you fill in the forms to request an early scan, they ask you why ie bleeding, pain etc, and anxiety following previous miscarriage is listed as a legitimate reason for having an early scan.

I don't think early scans can cause miscarriage as they wouldn't offer them if they did.

If I were you I'd try and wait to 8 weeks. There's not a lot you can do to prevent a mc if it's going to happen, and at least if you do wait and it's all fine then you can be reassured straight away. If you go too early they won't be able to see anything and they'll send you away to come back in a week or so, and that week will be awful because your imagination goes bonkers thinking everything under the sun is wrong, when really it's just too early to see anything. Good luck, hope it's all ok

lalatele · 03/11/2008 16:53

thanks try to wait until 8 weeks if i could wait...probably at 8 weeks we will see a heartbeat!

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HeadFairy · 03/11/2008 18:19

Should do... will be so much nicer than "hmmm weellll, we can't see much, there's a sac there but hmmmm can't say at this stage.... hmm come back in a week". Instead it'll be "yep, there's the heart, nice rhythm, everything looks fine"

lalatele · 06/11/2008 11:56

thanks headfairy! will try to wait but soo hard!

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Sabs1981 · 06/11/2008 12:59

My EPAU unit have also offered me a scan at 7 weeks when I get pregnant again...they call it a reassurance scan....

LullyMummaOfOne · 06/11/2008 13:20

Hi Lalatele, i am paying private for an early assessment scan next weekend when i will be 8 weeks PG.
I had a MMC at 7 weeks back in July so am hoping the scan will give me some positive news although i know it can not guarantee a healthy scan at 12 weeks. I have chosen to do this as a) my GP wont refer me to have an early scan as ive only had one MC (aprantly you need to have 3 or more to be considered) and b) for my own peace of mind as these last 3 weeks have been hell with worry.
I hope you will be able to put your mind at rest soon and if you can hand on until your 8 weeks then you will be able to see a much better result with the scan.
Good luck

Sabs1981 · 06/11/2008 13:29

Lully I have only had 1 MC (1 pregnancy) but I have been offered an early scan but it was the EPAU who said I could and not my GP.
Think there seems to be a different policy depending on what hospital you are at.

laltele may be best to contact the EPAU directly, especially if they have a record of you already

lalatele · 06/11/2008 23:20

hi all,
Lully, it is strange how GPs do not want to refer for an early scan after 1 mc. My Gp was very reluctant but i kept asking again and again even saying at the end :you don't know until you have gone through it! sabs, i have contacted the epu and they told me i could come anytime from tomorrow...hubby and i have actually decided to go at 9 weeks now as i will be working next saturday(8 weeks)...i am also going through a lot of stress not knowing if @baby@ is ok but do not want to go too early just to be told it is not clear...
i feel reassured when i feel that my nausea is getting worse and worse , probably the hc levels are going up...but who knows hey! I cannot wait...

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Sabs1981 · 08/11/2008 18:25

oh, good luck latele!...make sure you keep us updated....sending you lots of positive thoughts....

silvermum · 08/11/2008 20:01

LullyMumma i'm in much the same boat as you - had a miscarriage at 7/8 weeks in July and am now pregnant again (i hope) and have been very anxious.
My GP was pretty unsympathetic and refused to refer me for an early scan - her attitude is that early miscarriages are no big deal - so i am going private next week when I will be 8 weeks. It's costing me £125 (central London...] but for me it's worth it, even if it's bad news, to know what's what. I agree with other posters who think it's best to wait until around this stage when there's more chance of a clear answer. The waiting game is absolutely horrible - time has been dragging until this scan - made worse by the fact that I haven't any strong pregnancy symptoms, so I do feel very uncertain how things are. Good luck to all in the same situation.

lalatele · 09/11/2008 21:47

hi, just to keep u updated, i have gone for a scan at what i thought was 7 weeks as i was soo worried (had stomach cramps the night befor) and eded up even more worried as we could not see anything and it was dated 5 weeks old rather than 7! Am now facing an agonising 2 weeks before next scan...the comforting thing is that i suffer from morning sickness(night sickness i should say) which is quite bad at times...how is everybody???

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Sabs1981 · 10/11/2008 19:51

thnx for the update latele....sorry you have to wait for another 2 weeks....hope the sickness is not too bad, but it seems like a good sign....let us know how you get on in 2 weeks...hope you're well otherwise

llareggub · 10/11/2008 19:58

lalatele, this happened to me, possibly because I ovulated late in my cycle and conception was delayed, so my dates calculated by last period were inaccurate.

I've had 2 miscarriages this year and was anxious at the beginning of my latest pregnancy. I paid for an early scan at what I thought was 7 weeks but was actually 5 weeks. I'm now 15 weeks.

I took aspirin every day with this pregnancy on the advice of my GP. She said it might help reduce the risk of miscarriage. Who knows if it worked?

But it definitely helps to relax, as hard as it is.

lalatele · 14/11/2008 22:05

hi all!
llareggub: Congratulations! it is quite encouraging...
I still feel quite nauseaus and cannot stand strong people smells! Am eating very well but feel quite bloated and have not gone for my next scan yet but my belly is already showing! Is it bloatedness??
Sorry about late reply btw...

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lalatele · 14/11/2008 22:05

hi all!
llareggub: Congratulations! it is quite encouraging...
I still feel quite nauseaus and cannot stand strong people smells! Am eating very well but feel quite bloated and have not gone for my next scan yet but my belly is already showing! Is it bloatedness??
Sorry about late reply btw...

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Glimmer · 16/11/2008 04:53

lala - well my post is now a little late, but I think the needs of everybody are different. I ended up having three scans (at 6, 7 and 8 weeks). I had to pay for all of them although I was bleeding, had a mc, incomplete ERPC and cervical stenosis. For me it was absolutely worth it. Actually, to my knowledge research has shown that early scans REDUCE the risk of mc for women who had had recurrent (>=3) miscarriages. It is know know why, but they hypothesize that the relief and caring support helps with the implantation and blood supply. All the best for your next scan.

lalatele · 16/11/2008 16:20

oh well, i will ask for more scans then! hope you are well glimmer...have u had the baby yet?

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Glimmer · 17/11/2008 04:36

Yes, lala. He is almost a year and sound asleep. Obviously, he survived all my adrenalin surges... I wish you all the best and sorry for the typos...

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