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I am half way this pregnancy… I am 20 weeks pregnant.
This means that we had the anomaly scan and got to see Sticky Bean thanks to the advances in technology giving us great Ultrasound images.
Getting to the ultrasound scan was a bit long- winded: We drove up to the hospital just on schedule, only to discover a HUGE queue of cars waiting to get into the hospital parking lot. After idling for 5 minutes, I decided to hop out and walked, leaving Oh-so-lovely-Daddy to come up with alternative solution for parking. Made my way to the Ultrasound department, or so what used to be the Ultrasound department… now a building site. Now sign on the door. Search for someone in the know. Finally saw a security guard hiding in his back office watching a film on his laptop (?) with headphones in. He pointed out an obscure A4 sheet pinned out on the corridor to say the department has moved to level 4. Dash to the lifts…waited, waited, waited. About 3-4 mins later lift finally arrived… going down. I hopped on, went down and then went up, stopping at each floor.
Found the Ultrasound reception, lady was on the phone. Waited, waited, waited. I was 15 minutes late by the time they checked me in. After signing a consent form to undertake the ultrasound scan (It is not compulsory. As it will show up some of the possible abnormalities in the foetal development, some people choose not to have it done. That’s not me and I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t want the scan!)
I took a seat in the sparse but bright waiting area.
There was a flu vaccination lady by reception asking all expectant mums whether we’ve had the flu jab and offering it to the few who hadn’t. I think this is a great idea!
Oh-so-lovely-Daddy arrived and we waited together. We purchased the £10 voucher for the Ultrasound image printouts. I am rather outraged by the price, but I remembered from previous occasions that it went towards something to do with the department, so that was OK. Tweeting about it wound me up though and I decided to ask. …Yes, it used to go to fund special training days for sonographers, that’s when it was a discretionary and voluntary amount, now it goes to cover hospital debt!!! I was again outraged… at least it took my mind off the wait.
We waited and waited and waited. Just over an hour after my scheduled appointment I was finally called. My bladder was full, as is requested. I lay down on the table and the sonographer, who was absolutely delightful told us she was a midwife and just finished her training as a sonographer.
She started the ultrasound scan- Sticky Bean was not being very cooperative, fidgeted a lot, swam about and changed position completely every 5 minutes or so. This was fascinating to watch!
The purpose of the 20 week ultrasound scan is to take important measurements and check all vital organs have developed. A fidgety foetus and a newly trained sonographer are not a very good combination for this. As soon as the sonographer honed in on the part she needed, Sticky Bean did a flip… this one is a real little monkey!
After about 30 minutes or so I begged to go and empty my bladder. I just couldn’t take the prodding anymore. When I tried to get up I realised I was stuck: my back had totally seized up from lying on the relatively hard surface of the scan table- this is PGP (SPD) related. With help I finally managed to get up.
All done and a bit of stretching and I got back on the bed. The ultrasound took a total of 90 minutes (as opposed to a 20-40 minute scan with a more experienced sonographer and a less mobile foetus). During this time the sonographer took images and measurements of
– skull circumference and a couple of important bits at the base of the skull
– abdomen circumference
– and thigh bone length.
She also checked eye sockets, the nose and the pellet, the spine in it’s whole length, including skin cover of it. She checked the foetal heart, it’s valves, the pulmonary artery and the aorta, that our foetus had a stomach, kidneys and bladder (something that was pretty hard to find as it would seem Sticky Bean was being a little Denise the Menace and had just emptied it.) We counted all 10 fingers and 10 toes, making sure they had healthy bones attaching them to the torso. We were shown the bum and the genitals (though this later bit I’m not sure I was convinced). Everything was as it should be. At one point we even got to zoom in on an ear.
Lying on the table was torture, however the sonographer was so engaging, half the time explaining, half the time talking out loud to herself about what she was looking for in the foetus and what she was seeing from the ultrasound images. All in all it was a lovely experience!
…I have been rendered slightly immobile as a result, but nothing a few days of rest won’t help with. 🙂
Do you know anyone who chose not to have their 20 week scan? Or someone who has found out about a condition at this point? What’s the story?
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Ah, glad it went well, and how lovely to have a sonographer who involved you so much (even if that was due to her inexperience!). So…Denise the Menace?
Hope the SPD is manageable xxx
I think Denise is a unisex name. ;-P (Or is the spelling different ?)
Beautiful picture, I do know someone who’s baby was diagnosed with a problem at one of the scans, not sure if it was the 20 weeks one, it was my eldest daughter when she was having my grandson. He has a cleft palette and lip. Will ask if its ok to write about it from my point of view,as it is his story to tell not mine. Glad everything was ok. x
Yes, they looked at the palette too. I don’t know how your eldest daughter felt about finding out the news, but it seems like a good thing to be able to prepare, research if any conditions are identified, instead of a bigger shock at birth.
We were all so upset at first, its hard to tell the level of disfigurment and how well it can be fixed until they are born, my cousin also had a hare lip and cleft palette when she was born, 40 years prior to my grandson and her disfigurement was really bad. We did a lot of research, befores and afters that sort of thing, and although we knew what he probably would look like and were prepared, when he was actually born we didn’t really see his disfigurement, just this darling beautiful boy, (I was there at the birth and one of the first to see his head pop out lol) We were more upset for what we knew he would have to go through throughout his life, he is now 14 and still having treatment, he was lucky though, when they operated on him at 5 month for the first of his repairs he had everything there to reconnect, it was just hidden up under his nose, he is a handsome lad and very fashion concious and spends more time in the bathroom than the girls! lol x
Berni, Thank you for sharing the story!
It is lovely to know there is a very happy end to the story too. Yeay for scans and giving you a chance to prepare. 🙂
Half way already! Glad to hear everything is ok! Ready for tonight’s C4 One born every minute?
Happy that’s out of the way! 🙂 I might feel like slapping some women again if they go into hysterics like one of them did the other day. 😀 (Sorry not very tolerant of this sort of thing.)
We don’t get a 20 week scan up here we only get the 12-14 week scan and that is it. Not sure if that’s changed my youngest just turned 3. I have health problems so got more but I think anyone who is offered would take it. Glad everything is ok and you are in less pain soon. x
WOW! I think the 20 week scan is such a valuable scan. It can save lives in so many ways: It can prepare parents and healthcare staff to treat a condition as soon as possible after birth (for example a friend’s daughter was operated on day of birth with heart condition, as they knew already they needed to act asap) or in case it is a terminal condition then the mother is not having to go through a full-term pregnancy (which was the case for another friend- tragic, but would’ve been even worse if she went full term, with all dreams and hopes, only for the baby to die a couple of hours/ days after birth).
So glad everything is well. My 20 week scan 13 weeks ago went by in a flash. One of the things that astounded me was when the sonographer looked at individual slices of the baby’s brain checking for cysts.
Over 14 years ago my sister discovered that her daughter was going to be born with Transposition of the Major Blood Vessels, where the heart is essentially wired up back to front at her 20 week scan. It meant that everyone was prepared for my niece to be rushed to Great Ormand Street to have open heart surgery at a day old.
We didn’t get a detailed brain scan- interesting. Was there a history to warrant that or is it just standard practice in your area?
Your sister is the perfect example of why I think this scan is so valuable. I don’t understand those who choose not to undertake it.
It gave me such a thrill reading this and made me broody all over again, I’m glad it all went well.
Already broody??? With a 6 month old? That must be an extremely easy baby. 😀
I’m so glad it went well – and pleased we can get hyper about a new baby in your house!
I’m so happy for you! I hope your back is better soon too! xx