Ultrasound scans – what to expect

[Anonymous]

For parents-to-be, especially on a first pregnancy, we wanted to post some information on ultrasound scans, about what to expect and what the difference is between hospital and private scans and if it is worth opting for a private scan too.

Most pregnant women will have their first ultrasound scan at their first hospital booking appointment, which is usually between 12-16 weeks. However, in cases where a woman has had a miscarriage, she may be offered an early scan at hospital, to offer reassurance on her pregnancy. This scan in the early pregnancy unit, can take place from around 7 weeks – by which time a heartbeat is usually visible. If you have had a miscarriage and are worried about your pregnancy and have not been offered an early scan, please make sure to ask for one. Most hospitals will accommodate you for this to offer reassurance. (We have been through this ourselves twice and the sense of relief at those early scans was immense so please so ask for one if you have lost a baby previously )

However, as the maternity services in our hospitals are often very busy and over stretched, many couples now also opt for a private scan too during their pregnancy.

While you are entitled to one scan from your hospital (in some cases, you may get 2 scans, depending on the hospital and if you need another scan for any particular reason e.g. breech baby) a private scan is a nice way to spend lots of uninterrupted time looking at your baby on screen while asking any questions you may have and to take home lots of pics and a DVD. (And no rushing, as no long queues waiting outside)

For parents who want to know a bit more about the kinds of scans available, we did a little Q&A with Rita from http://www.Babyscan.ie and here is what she told us:

Q. What are the most popular types of scans?
A. Early Pregnancy, Gender & 3D4D.

Q. When it the best time for a mum-to-be to have a scan?
A. Early scans from 8 weeks; depending on whether parents want reassurance or dating of pregnancy.
Gender scans – no particular best time although if you leave it very late there is more of a chance baby will have legs crossed or be in an awkward position. Also, there is the question of whether parents would like 3D or 2D photos. Before 23/24 weeks babies can be very slim and skeletal and a lot of parents prefer photos in 2D. At 24 weeks, baby puts on a layer of fat which makes their images fuller and often prettier! 3D4D scans are performed from 24 – 32 weeks although we recommend from 24 – 30 weeks. We try to optimise the chances of getting an image of a nicely filled out baby but yet still have room for baby to move around. We suggest 26, 27, 28 weeks.

Q. When can you determine sex of baby? Do most couples want to know this nowadays?
A. While you can often tell gender of baby from 14 weeks, an opinion at this stage is unreliable and little more than a 50:50 opinion, which is nowhere! We take mums from 18 weeks and are happy to give an 85 -95% opinion based on our excellent machine and the experience of our sonographers. No medical professional would give a 100% opinion.

Q. How much do the scans cost?
A. Early Pregnancy €99, Gender €99, 3D4D €180. There is a small discount for previous clients and medical card holders.

Q. Do you guys warm the gel?
A. Of course!

Q. How long do the scans take?
A. Early and Gender scans are allocated 15 minutes and 3D4D 30 minutes.

Q. What type of scans require mums-to-be to have a full bladder?
A. Just early pregnancy scans.

Q. Is there a toilet near the scanner, so that can mums pop out to the loo immediately after the scan and then come back in to see the baby on screen afterwards?
A. Yes.

Q. If there is bad news on a scan, do you refer the mums-to-be on for medical help? Do you offer any support
A. If it’s a miscarriage we would refer them to their hospital and give them an information sheet on miscarriage with relevant contact details. Where it is a medical emergency we would call ahead to the hospital to advise them to expect an emergency case.

Q. How long have you been in business and how many clinics do you have?
A. Baby Scan Ltd. was founded in 2006 and has four clinics; Rathgar, Swords, Cork and Derry.

We hope this helps answer some of your scan queries!

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