chances of bad news at 20 week scan mumsnet

The results come in stages. 26/09/2019 22:46. The thing about that which I felt was difficult is that we could tell when being scanned that there was something very seriously wrong. Several parents said they would have preferred being told something, even it was vague. Sometimes specialist scans such as 3D scans, or MRI scans, are used to examine the baby in greater detail. And before they gave me any of the results she asked a colleague to come and told me she wanted to check something, with a colleague, and by then I was getting very concerned because I'd never had that happen before. The pain was excruciating, but nothing compared to how I felt inside. And at the end of the day however much we talked about it - that it was going to be the two of us to make the decision and me to actually you know, go through it and decide that that was what was going to happen for him - and I just, I didn't want to do it. I think I was about 20 weeks cos they, the hospital I think did the 12 and the 20, that was their standard thing and, yeah, so I got the 20 weeks one. Although the anomaly scan is often called a 20-week scan, you may have it any time between 18 and 22 weeks, although it's usually done between 18 and 20 weeks. So I was, they couldn't actually finish the scan then, the baby was moving around too much, so they couldn't scan the heart and the stomach. We walked all the way home. By my own hand, I had to end the pregnancy. My mum arrived early to look after our son, and my partner and I got a cab to the hospital. See you in -. If an abnormality is confirmed or suspected, referral is usually required, although some obvious major fetal abnormalities, such as anencephaly, may not require a second opinion (this should be decided by local guidelines). Purpose of screening. But even if I was there, I still think I would have wanted to see the detail on the scan. I was then told yet again bad news. But the closeness has remained after the drama has died down. I was experiencing some light bleeding for the past few days. Where we were living then at the time you only had a scan at 20 weeks. We left the hospital a couple of hours later. So we gave up and said we'd arrange the funeral ourselves. And I thought that if I were faced with the possibility of having an amnio, hours of discussion would follow - I would spend days mulling it over. The consultant showed us the letter with our result on and, yes, there were the words "Down's syndrome". The termination would be averting a tragedy. So at least then we went to that next stage prepared for the worst really. So obviously quite relaxed. Thanks girls, it's amazing how protected our babies are in there isn't it?! A few people recalled how frightened and alarmed they became when they sensed that the atmosphere in the scanning room changed in an instant from 'jokey' to serious when the baby's problems were detected. And the first few things they said it didn't sound as thing, as though things were terribly wrong. The midwife was on the verge of tears and I felt responsible. Within two days I was waiting in my local EPU unit for further tests. We just couldn't use the words. The milk came and stayed for what seemed like for ever. Can you remember that minute. And my partner and I would have a completely different life from the one we'd imagined. So it was, there was very, very little movement from the baby because I remembered first time round by that stage, you know, that the baby was quite big and it moved around a lot at a later scan. So carried on with the plans, and, you know, planning for the, another baby to come along and then we went for a 20- week scan which is obviously the big one and very exciting, seeing all the arms and legs and once again everything was going fine, 'Look here's the baby, here's the length of baby'. Though the 18-20 week scan can detect when certain parts of the baby's body have grown abnormally, it may not be possible for clinicians to identify why it has happened or make a firm diagnosis based on the scan alone. I think the whole experience has made me a pretty nasty person. I tried to keep positive. I was told they needed to do a blood test to get a bench mark of my hormone levels. It was all going wrong and I wanted to get as far away from the hospital as possible. Scans cannot find all conditions. She endured many agonising rounds of scans and tests, and unfortunately met with some unhelpful attitudes from some healthcare professionals. I was told that while bad news at the 12 w scan is often of the life or death kind, bad news at the 20 week scan is often of the 'needs an operation in childhood' or 'needs to wear a brace for a year' kind. It was a bit worrying but on the plus side I got an extra couple of scans and an extra couple of pictures. And my husband, we never got to sit next to each other in the consulting room, my husband was across the room from me, and I was sat next to the consultant, and we were laughing and joking with him about, you know, the home delivery, and everything was going to be, 'Are you still on for the home delivery?' In the case of a suspected abnormality, women should be seen for a second opinion by an expert in fetal ultrasound, such as a fetal medicine specialist. He's now had the all clear and is wriggling round on . 'Yes, if that's okay with you,' kind of thing, like you do. Some of the conditions that can be seen on the scan will mean the baby may need treatment or surgery after it is born, for example cleft lip. I sat and waited to be called for my scan. Originally I hadn't wanted to go down that road. A long process of blood tests, scans, doctors and hospitals. Could you tell? Christmas came and went in a blur of emotion, it felt so wrong to be celebrating when we were in such turmoil. Mumsnet carries some affiliate marketing links, so if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale (more details here). We strongly advise readers not to take drugs that are not prescribed by your qualified healthcare provider. Nice people shouldn't hear about what we'd done. I went away and came back, and she couldn't get a good picture. I couldn't have the added responsibility for changing his mind. I was booked back in to discuss management options, if nothing had happened. It felt as if we had gone power crazy. I didn't sleep that night I don't think. So he was about two weeks smaller than what he should have been. Mumsnet carries some affiliate marketing links, so if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale (more details here). At first, I still had to deal with the physical implications of having given birth. Most scans show that babies seem to be developing as expected, and none of the 11 conditions are found. So we went home, me to rest in an attempt to prevent miscarriage, my partner to reassure us both. If this happens, you will be offered one further scan by 23 weeks of pregnancy. Maybe. And attribute some blame to them. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. All women are offered a dating scan, and an 18- 20 week fetal anomaly ultrasound scan, in line with NICE and UK National Screening Committee recommendations. Thick milky discharge at 14 weeks.tmi pic attached. We had so much power, we could decide that this little thing should die. This short video explains screening for 11 physical conditions in pregnancy. We thought it would all be over very quickly but, in fact, it was another 11 hours before the baby was delivered. It would have been nice to see someone straight away because I was in such shock. They sort of drew some diagrams, and they said, 'But we need to refer you to a specialist to confirm the diagnosis'. I was told this was common as my body and hormones still thought I was pregnant. We left for home feeling completely numb. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me - Tommy's The consultant at the time wasn't really that interested in that imagery. Well send you a link to a feedback form. Limitations of the 18-20 week scan If necessary, you will be referred to a specialist, possibly in another hospital. I let out an animal scream and [wife] kind of leapt onto me on the bed. It seemed a very arbitrary system, and so you quite often sat outside in the waiting room for a couple of hours before you actually got to see the consultant, which was, seemed you know, I kind of remember thinking before we went in to see him on the particular day when we found out there was a problem, 'Why are we sitting here? This is not what I imagined pregnancy to feel like', Baby Loss Awareness Week - Voice Five - Bryony Seabrook. There was a very marked lack of amniotic fluid which made it difficult, not even for the scanners to see, that made the picture of the scan look very, very different. My partner watched the baby come out, and for a split second I saw a look of joy on his face. Because, when you're angry with the world for dealing you such a shit time, you begin to hate the people who populate it. We bought little outfits, teddies, and researched all the vitamins and foods that I could eat. In a small number of cases some very serious conditions are found. And it was then because we were at 20 weeks by this point, there was only fairly short window to actually, to get some more tests done, find out what the problems were, and then make any decisions that might have to be made. I give pregnant women dirty looks. Sometimes women were told that the sonographer had found a 'marker' or sign of a chromosomal condition and had to wait for an amniocentesis to confirm the findings. And of course some other measurements she needed to take like the width of the skull, which she couldn't take because the fetus was in the wrong position. And that was Monday afternoon. Specialist scans are performed in specialist fetal units and if clinicians feel that there might be problems scanning will be done up to 32 weeks. This time, they discovered the baby has a two vessel cord (only one vessel from placenta to baby instead of two) and I've been monitored to make sure the baby grows properly and kidneys aren't damaged. Have I misunderstood what's going on?' Sometimes a post mortem was needed to confirm the 20-week diagnosis to see if the baby had inherited a genetic problem (such as Fowler syndrome - see '. 11 physical conditions (20-week scan) - GOV.UK Just wonder whether anyone had ever been told? The nursery I had selected for our two-year-old son; my maternity leave; the bunk beds; the summer holiday suitable for a newborn baby. Slightly marked from our peers. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. Sometimes women were told that the sonographer had found a 'marker' or sign of a chromosomal condition and had to wait for an amniocentesis to confirm the findings. Abortion has never raised any moral dilemmas for me and I am an atheist, so there are no religious issues. Your mind has closed to the possibility that there could be anything wrong. Health professionals use the 18-20 week scan to examine the baby's size and position, and also to check if his/her brain, heart, lungs and other internal organs are developing as expected. As I was called for my scan I was nervous and emotional. When I think about how long it took them to deliberate ultimately, maybe not, but it just felt like a bit of a fast food situation, didn't it? ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT AT 20 WEEK SCAN. The blood test confirmed it was twins. Others said they were shocked because all the early diagnostic tests (e.g. But I was struggling mentally with the anguish, grief and endless hospital visits. At that point, I got very not upset but quite sort of strongly severe sort of with the people at the hospital saying, 'Look, you know, that's 24 hours, possibly a 48 hours' wait - that's not something that's tenable. So, in the end, we said we would arrange our own funeral. While some parents understood the clinician's restraint - even when they had to wait an hour or more for a definite diagnosis - others disliked being kept in suspense and wanted to be told what the clinician was thinking. However, at the time neither of us could articulate that. Most scans are carried out by specially trained staff called sonographers. The hormone levels had dropped, but they wanted to scan me again. I remember thinking, 'that doesn't look quite right'. You do not have to have the scan. Thinking back, I don't know how we left without him. I was saving my child from pain and suffering. Baby loss stories Sometimes doctors will wait to give the baby more time to develop and carry out repeat scans - this had confused several parents we talked to who had gone for repeat scans not knowing that the baby might have a problem.

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