chances of bad news at 20 week scan mumsnet

And, it does not occur to you in the slightest. For example, you may be offered further tests that have a risk of miscarriage. I was sent home with a leaflet, strong painkillers and two types of antibiotics. 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?' 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. Many described how sonographers and doctors were very restrained and didn't speak at all until they had analysed all the baby's details. And how wrong could they be? I had to stop myself from yanking out the needle. The doctor or midwife looking after you will let you know before you come. 11 physical conditions (20-week scan) - GOV.UK Maybe. So I took the test and jumped in the shower. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. Seated in the antenatal clinic with lots of expectant mothers with baby bumps. But the closeness has remained after the drama has died down. Some people we talked to had not had a 18-20-week scan, either because their babies' abnormalities had been detected by earlier . We strongly advise readers not to take drugs that are not prescribed by your qualified healthcare provider. But with time although we will never forget, I know we will be ok again. The scan looks for 11 different conditions in your baby and cannot find everything that might be wrong. Instead, I had to raise a glass of water to my mouth, take a swig and swallow the tablet. 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. Then, three days later, I would go to the labour ward - the ward I had been expecting to visit in two and a half months. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? 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. What are the chances of bad news at the 20 week scan | Mumsnet And that was scanning up from the above the head, then you were coming up through the child's head, so you were seeing the chambers in the brain, sort of it was evident in all four chambers of the brain, then suddenly one chamber was empty. During the examination, sonographers need to keep the screen in a position that gives them a good view of your baby. Scans cannot find all conditions. Wishing to be anywhere, but here being told the same agonising truth over and over again. The scan can provide information that may mean you have to make further, important decisions. The chances that anything bad will be discovered are v v small. Unfortunately I was not met with a compassionate sonographer. I have a terrible hatred of pregnant women and a new respect for infertile couples. And you could see, where you should have a picture of 4 chambers, you could really see 2. And shortly after that, that scan we'd finished and the consultant leant back and said, 'I'm afraid we have some problems here'. I would be put to sleep, and when I woke up I wouldn't be pregnant any more. Having the scan does not hurt but the sonographer may need to apply slight pressure to get the best views of your baby. Most hospitals do not allow children to attend scans as childcare is not usually available. It was the end of January, very end - about the 29th - I'd gone into, I'd gone into 5 months by then. And then, so I went to my next scan, which was the 20-week abnormality scan, and we took our first child with us, I think he was 17 months old at the time. And, so they sent me home at that stage because they said the specialist wasn't available till the following day, which was awful. 20 week scans look for 11 different anomalies as a rule, however, indicators (markers) are not terribly reliable and in all the literature I found, the targets set for stonographers look like they only pick up around 50% or less of these variants. We walked all the way home. My son's congenital heart defect was detected at the 20 week scan and he had 2 other markers, no . By my own hand, I had to end the pregnancy. It was horrible. For once in my life, I had been organised. Another sick joke. I don't know how we got through the next couple of days. Others said they were shocked because all the early diagnostic tests (e.g. Somehow, I walked from the sofa up to the bathroom and told my partner. Good luck has not come easily over the past few years. A black and white picture of your baby will then be seen on the ultrasound screen. Or, at the very least, heart problems. This was on the Friday. There's nothing wrong, you know, we've had all the tests, everything's fine,' and being very upbeat about it all. You have accepted additional cookies. You will then be asked to raise your top to your chest and lower your skirt or trousers to your hips. You've had a scan, you've had the blood tests, you've been good. We were bound to each other because of the blood that was on both our hands. It was just sort of deadpan faces, very serious looks, someone else coming to check. I just feel very unlucky. We'd just spent some time away on a, on a summer holiday and come back expecting to have this scan and be told, 'All fine. See more information about the 20-week ultrasound scan. Some people want to find out if their baby has one of the 11 conditions and some do not. 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). . The baby was very, very small. I think at that time she had come to terms better with the fact that this baby was going to be terminated, and I don't think I was quite there. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. Still, the consultant thought things would be OK. So it was just, we were coming up to the 20-week scan and I was just getting more relaxed, just actually starting to look at maybe baby catalogues or, you know, going down the baby aisle at the shops, which I'd always avoided. No, you couldn't see there was anything wrong. For instance a couple who knew their baby was 'on the small size' were told he was fine at the 18-20 week scan, but discovered at 32 weeks that he had microcephaly. I remained positive, we researched lots of cases of mistaken dates, inconclusive scans, and compared them to our situation; scrutinising everything to try and believe it was all one big misunderstanding. It was all going wrong and I wanted to get as far away from the hospital as possible. I was becoming numb to the whole process. There is more detailed information about the main conditions that are looked for during this scan on NHS.UK. So I was a bit ignorant of the kind of things, you know, what the scans were really doing - maybe it was, a bit na've I think. Eventually she got the measurements she wanted. I think there might be a problem'. Being generous and kind generally happens only when you're happy. It felt as if we had gone power crazy. The same anxious wait for a little, pathetic cry. And as, and as soon as I saw the pictures of the scan, having had two normal pregnancies, even I could see that there was a marked contrast between this pregnancy and the pictures that I'd had previously. For women who have been given distressing news about their baby during the scan, there should be a health professional available to provide immediate support. The scan was inconclusive, but the size of my little bump was measuring a lot smaller than it should have for 10 weeks. And that was a terrible moment to be sort of hanging on, waiting. It is as though our pain means we've earned the right to be taken more seriously. I couldn't have the added responsibility for changing his mind. 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. I swallowed the tablet and we left the building. Except for the persistent, nagging doubts. But at the 20 week scan, which was on a Wednesday, we saw the nurse at the local hospital, the sonographer, and she did a scan and she found that the femur length was quite short in the, in the fetus. We had the same conversation, but obviously were not making any sense to her at all. It feels very lonely and isolating. Anyway we went in for the meeting with the consultant on this particular time, and we'd got to, I was 30 weeks pregnant by then. And, faced with feeling sorry for myself or feeling sorry for my child, I know which I'd choose. I've realised that being a nice person is a luxury some can't afford. So we went back the day after Boxing Day, the 27th, and the consultant greeted us, which made my alarm bells go, and she started scanning us and I think her lines were, 'What concerns me about this baby is that they've got a diaphragmatic hernia, which has meant that part of the stomach of the baby was in its chest cavity.'. There, I would give birth. No one else ever met the object of my grief. And the first few things they said it didn't sound as thing, as though things were terribly wrong. And I am slowly coming to terms with what has happened. At which point they turned round and said, 'Well, there is something very seriously wrong with the baby, we don't know exactly what, but you do need to have a more in-depth scan at your regional hospital to find out the detail'. Away you go'. I let out an animal scream and [wife] kind of leapt onto me on the bed. And it's, I can't remember exactly what it was now, it's about where the brain is supposed to form. It is also sometimes referred to as the mid-pregnancy scan . I am a darker, harder version of myself. So, in the end, we said we would arrange our own funeral. So I sort of went home quite, fairly kind of happy and I, at, at this point I hadn't any idea things could go wrong anyway. I was then told yet again bad news. The hormone levels had dropped, but they wanted to scan me again. There was cause for concern. Back on the EPU unit, a doctor organised for me to be admitted into the ward, to take the medical management under supervision as the sac was now to big for me to safely miscarry on my own at home. 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). 1. I couldn't bear to see the baby and asked the midwife to take him away immediately. We spent the next few weeks in a happy bubble. And I went for, I went for a normal 12-week scan, at my local hospital and everything, they said everything was fine, there was no problem. We were told to go to the hospital immediately. 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. It went from bad, to worse, to worse, to dire, then to better. He sounded like a wild animal in pain, deep pain. As I left the room to compose myself. Last reviewed July 2017. I went away and came back, and she couldn't get a good picture. It is essential that all practitioners performing fetal anomaly ultrasound screening should be trained to communicate abnormal findings to women, as such information is likely to have significant emotional impact. Then I picked myself up. the amniocentesis) and the pregnancy had already ended, or because the scan was not routinely offered in their region 5 or more years ago. As I waited for the doctor back on the EPU unit. As soon as we arrived, we were shown to this little room. Again, no notes can have been written down because the midwife asked the same question. What were babys measurements at 20 week scan? He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, "it didn't look good" and that "my womb looked raggedy". After preparing myself to face having to take the medication. And I can just remember flashing a look at you as if to say, 'Have I made a mistake here somewhere? And thank God I did. You've had your, you know, you've had your triple test and everything was fine. We thought it would all be over very quickly but, in fact, it was another 11 hours before the baby was delivered. The screen may be directly facing them or at an angle. My partner spent the weekend trying to convince me that things were OK. At first the closeness came through a sense of guilt. 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. I travelled to work that day feeling amazing. SO much upset and needless angst has been caused by 'soft markers' found at scans. Please note that the opinions expressed by users in Tommys Book of #misCOURAGE are solely those of the user, who is unlikely to have had medical training. You could see her face, and the major aspect that was, that was the indication of what was wrong was the thickening at the back of the neck in this instance, which, when you're looking at a fetus is, you know, sort of half a centimetre thicker or not is completely immaterial to me, and would look like a completely normal neck, but from the point of view of the consultant was severely abnormal. My belly was growing and I was feeling great. I've been incredibly lucky to have such amazing support from Sam, my mum, and close friends and family. So we went home, me to rest in an attempt to prevent miscarriage, my partner to reassure us both. She didn't want to see the baby. 26/09/2019 22:46. As two youngest siblings, we were both permanently stuck in the irresponsible, childish role. In some very serious rare cases, where no treatment is possible, the baby will die soon after it is born or during pregnancy. It felt so wrong. Others, including those who had been given leaflets to read about the scan beforehand as well as some who were health professionals, said that they had been nave about the 20-week scan. I couldn't really believe what they were saying. So choroid plexus cysts on their own, no problem, but if there's something else wrong, then that's a problem. We left the hospital a couple of hours later. Again, we weren't understood. This article was amended on 24 November 2015 to anonymise the writer. x. And at that point I don't think we, I don't think we realised that there might have to be a decision, because we'd talked about it with, with Down's and the other possible problems, but at this point it was, well okay what can be done to fix the problem - because yes the heart's not developing properly but there must be something we can do. My baby might have Down's syndrome. I didn't sleep that night I don't think. Please ask your hospital about this before your appointment. You will be able to discuss this with your midwife or consultant. In a small number of cases some very serious conditions are found. So she said, 'Come back on Monday. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. The following is a quote from their report: If the scan reveals either a suspected or confirmed abnormality, the woman should be informed by the sonographer at the time of the scan. And they actually asked my husband to come in before they spoke to me. I was saving my child from pain and suffering. I faced another internal scan where I began to feel helpless and alone. We're going to go and see them. Forcing my hand to my mouth to take the tablet was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Spina bifida can usually be seen clearly on a scan and of those babies who have this condition, around 9 out of 10 (90%) will be detected. I wasn't ready to make a decision straight away, and I was told I could call them in the morning. I get terribly irritated by my close friends and family. With my oldest it turns out she has a minor thing that affects 1 in 1000 of the population and wont harm her at all it's just "there" and with my second the issue turned out to be nothing. We saw the consultant, who was reassuring, saying that he would rescan me and was sure everything would be fine. Maybe our son would have overcome his problems, survived his illnesses, led a happy life. But he was wrong. b>Bad news at 20 week scan. Laura miscarried her twin babies in February. So I lay on the bed and my partner sat next to me. How common is it to find anomolies at the 20 week scan? - Netmums And it all seemed so near at hand, you know, 31, 30 weeks, you feel like you're nearly, you're on the home stretch. Just doing it. I want to be happy again. We'd sort of put those discussions to the back of our mind, and then all of a sudden there are other abnormalities so yeah it was a bit a bit of a shocker [laughs]. The first words I said were: "If there's anything wrong then it's my fault", I had been working 70, nearly 80 hours the previous weeks and pushed myself hard. I was becoming numb to the whole process. Fine, go on my own. Registered office: Nicholas House, 3 Laurence Pountney Hill, London, EC4R 0BB. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, "it didn't look good" and that "my womb looked raggedy". But everything seemed fine and we'd been sitting waiting to see the consultant, and I'd had an examination on the bed. Nights were impossible. You've had, you've had your Down's Syndrome check and that's okay. This might be uncomfortable. The sonographer will be able to tell you the results of the scan at the time. Finally, Monday came and we went back to the hospital. Public Health England (PHE) created this information on behalf of the NHS. Three midwives came and went. He bluntly told me, he wasn't interested in whatever was seen before, he was only going to go by what he saw that day. Some people we talked to had not had a 18-20-week scan, either because their babies' abnormalities had been detected by earlier diagnostic tests (e.g. At the time the same thing had, exactly the same thing had happened to my friend a month before, and her scan was absolutely fine. 18-20 week scans provide clinicians with more information than earlier scans because by18 weeks a healthy baby should be larger and better developed. I just want to be normal again. 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. There are no known risks to your baby or the mother from having an ultrasound scan but it is important that you consider carefully whether or not to have the 20-week scan. Sometimes it is difficult to get good views of a baby. The only thing you're thinking now is the birth, and what if something goes wrong in the birth? Specialist scans had a powerful effect on some parents because they could see the baby more clearly and in some cases people recognised which parts of the baby's body were not working properly. All the time, the baby was kicking and I felt like a murderer waiting to strike her victim. Went back a week later for the scan and, you were with me for this one, weren't you? We didn't name him. My heart goes out to you OP. The thing about that which I felt was difficult is that we could tell when being scanned that there was something very seriously wrong. I sat and waited to be called for my scan. 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? For example, some babies have a condition called open spina bifida, which affects the spinal cord. Why me and not you, you bastard? So he went out for a walk. And nothing prepares you at all. And still we asked to see a, Impact of the 20-week and later specialist scans. I had to take a tablet there and then, under the supervision of a nurse, to end the pregnancy. I should stop being dramatic and pessimistic. There was an extra digit on one of the hands. 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). Everywhere you look, there are happy, fat, smug pregnant women. You're in and out and that was it. 80 percent of my pregnancies have ended in death and I felt like they were telling me those babies didn't matter. Specialist scans And also what the prognosis would mean for our two year old: now a very happy child, he would have a completely different childhood with such an ill sibling. Several women had taken young children with them to the 20-week scan because they expected to see 'nice pictures of the baby'.