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The sonographer will be able to tell you the results of the scan at the time. Your mind has closed to the possibility that there could be anything wrong. Being deeply unhappy and kind to others at the same time is nigh on impossible. Have I misunderstood what's going on?' In a small number of cases some very serious conditions are found. I did. The same rush of excitement. So at least then we went to that next stage prepared for the worst really. And they took me into another room. At this point it wasn't looking great. Only this time, no cry came. 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. But my brain had been given a train of thought that was impossible to stop. The people who did know what was going on seemed far too sure that we were doing the right thing, that there was really no choice to be made. 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. I have horrible thoughts. The chances that anything bad will be discovered are v v small. I couldn't bear to see the baby and asked the midwife to take him away immediately. 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? The only thing you're thinking now is the birth, and what if something goes wrong in the birth? But it is a soft marker for Edwards' syndrome. Except for the persistent, nagging doubts. hi ladies. Some people had underestimated how serious any abnormality found at this stage could be for the baby. I want to enjoy my son again, without any reservations. She wanted to have a look at the skull, which was the main thing, but she couldn't see it from where the baby was. Having the scan does not hurt but the sonographer may need to apply slight pressure to get the best views of your baby. . 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. I had to wait for a doctor to explain the situation. And I'd been on the internet looking up all sorts of things and everything was so negative, it was very depressing, because I thought, 'Well, maybe they've made a mistake, or maybe it's something they can fix, I don't know'. 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. Again, we weren't understood. As I was called for my scan I was nervous and emotional. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? He felt strong and fit and healthy. There were also two spots on his heart, which were "soft markers" for Down's syndrome. 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. Like many things, the theory is very different from the reality. Just wonder whether anyone had ever been told? We had so much power, we could decide that this little thing should die. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. Baby loss support In some very serious rare cases, where no treatment is possible, the baby will die soon after it is born or during pregnancy. And as soon as she said those words, both of us were like, 'Well what's wrong?'. Thinking back, I don't know how we left without him. It felt as if we'd gone underground, that we were part of the criminal fraternity. I hated my body and hated every feeling I was having. The thing that I have a very strong memory of is this child's face in amazing detail. Possibly with hindsight we could have been more worried about it, but was probably a good thing we weren't, because we weren't worried about anything basically. Some people want to find out if their baby has one of the 11 conditions and some do not. I thought I was going to burst into tears. The baby was kicking so hard that I began to believe him. The rarest scenario is that the baby is severely ill and choices will need to be made. And even at that early stage it was beginning to sink in that there was something really not right. So and you could see the exomphalus, this little pouch, which was obviously just the intestines where they are. I felt crushed, I wanted him to at least acknowledge what had been found already. But she told us, she told us, she gave us some more detail, she said, 'There's this, there's a big gap in the brain where there shouldn't be'. As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. 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. And that was Monday afternoon. the amniocentesis) and the pregnancy had already ended, or because the scan was not routinely offered in their region 5 or more years ago. Well send you a link to a feedback form. Registered office: Nicholas House, 3 Laurence Pountney Hill, London, EC4R 0BB. But worse was to come. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/screening-tests-for-you-and-your-baby/11-physical-conditions-20-week-scan. And I know I can't hurry up the process of grieving. They would then re-test me in two days time. This is not what I imagined pregnancy to feel like', Baby Loss Awareness Week - Voice Five - Bryony Seabrook. And I could see, before she even said anything I could see that there was something wrong with the heart. We need to have your opinion'. Baby loss stories But that was too easy. You've had, you've had your Down's Syndrome check and that's okay. I then found that soft markers means 'vague unproven suggestion of a link', and that echogenic locii are small concentrations of calcium which are incredibly common and harmless. I took my vitamins, stuck to the healthy diet and put on a brave face. And everybody knows and everything is right. This might be uncomfortable. 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. Last reviewed July 2017. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. So we went home really and I sort of had to think about it all night. I was wondering if anyone has been is this situation and can give me a glimmer of hope. 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. 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'. That he - I think I was 21 weeks and 3 days, and he was coming up at 19 weeks and 4 days, or something like that. I had never imagined having an amniocentesis. Sometimes it is difficult to get good views of a baby. 1. It was exactly like the labour I had with my first child. I've realised that being a nice person is a luxury some can't afford. 'I was having nightmares and panic attacks. So we hid in our house. 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. 80 percent of my pregnancies have ended in death and I felt like they were telling me those babies didn't matter. . We, I was with my mum, and they scanned and found choroid plexus cysts on the brain, which is just a mark, it's a marker on the brain, it's a, what they call a 'soft marker'. Fine, go on my own. So he was about two weeks smaller than what he should have been. But for those few days they were torture. . Forcing my hand to my mouth to take the tablet was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Emma was 20 weeks' pregnant when a routine scan revealed that the baby she was expecting had Down's syndrome and heart problems. Sometimes specialist scans such as 3D scans, or MRI scans, are used to examine the baby in greater detail. Christmas came and went in a blur of emotion, it felt so wrong to be celebrating when we were in such turmoil. I'd had the scan in the scanning room, I can't remember what they call it now, it's silly, it's gone from my head. Originally I hadn't wanted to go down that road. We talked about the different sorts of pain relief I could have and I opted for a morphine drip, which I could control. There is always a chance that a baby may be born with a health issue that scans could not have identified. So on the Monday we went in to see the senior sonographer, I think she was a consultant at the hospital. The anomaly scan, also called the 20 week scan or mid-pregnancy scan, is used to detect pregnancy irregularities significant in diagnosis of any of the following conditions: In most instances no serious issue will be found during the scan and many parents-to be will come away knowing that all is progressing nicely and, perhaps, having found out . I noticed the box of tissues on the table. We've got the same battle scars. As two youngest siblings, we were both permanently stuck in the irresponsible, childish role. Sometimes specialist scans such as 3D scans, or MRI scans, are used to examine the baby in greater detail. Wishing to be anywhere, but here being told the same agonising truth over and . I should stop being dramatic and pessimistic. I had to take a tablet there and then, under the supervision of a nurse, to end the pregnancy. I felt sad, but not the complete devastation of the last scan as they had seen a change of some sort. It felt as if we had gone power crazy. So at 20 weeks I went for my scan with my husband, with my daughter, to get our photographs. During the examination, sonographers need to keep the screen in a position that gives them a good view of your baby. All my instincts were to protect my belly, yet here I was allowing someone to stick a huge needle into it. ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT AT 20 WEEK SCAN. It is impossible to escape them and each one underlines your loss. Many parents were shocked by findings from the 20-week and later scans. I was then told yet again bad news. The scan looks for 11 different conditions in your baby and cannot find everything that might be wrong. The doctor wanted to do another blood test to confirm a significant drop in my hormone levels. 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. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, 'it didn't look good' and that 'my womb looked raggedy'. If one of the conditions is found or suspected, the sonographer may ask for a second opinion from another member of staff. However, a few hours later there was another shift change. And, so they sent me home at that stage because they said the specialist wasn't available till the following day, which was awful. We spent the next few weeks in a happy bubble. And at that, I let out a scream I think. He then told us what the prognosis would mean for the child. It felt like a lifetime to reach our 12-week-scan. 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. (See. And they took us out of the scanning room, into a more quiet room while they typed up the report. So we went home, me to rest in an attempt to prevent miscarriage, my partner to reassure us both. You've had a scan, you've had the blood tests, you've been good. And they actually asked my husband to come in before they spoke to me. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. After the triple test you stop thinking, you stop thinking that anything can go wrong. I mean the lady who was scanning was very quiet for a long time. I couldn't have the added responsibility for changing his mind. Did you, how did that scan make you feel? So, in the end, we said we would arrange our own funeral. My mum arrived early to look after our son, and my partner and I got a cab to the hospital. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. It is a noise that will stay with me for ever. I can't remember the exact words but she said, 'There might be some fatal problems with your baby'. You're in and out and that was it. We're still not at the end of our journey, but we're much further along. We'll make an appointment with the senior sonographer, the consultant at the local hospital, and she'll do your scan and she'll be able to tell you more things'. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Tears started to roll down my face. Yeah, yeah. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. I get terribly irritated by my close friends and family. So it was quite common, this is what happens. 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. 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. I just feel very unlucky. She describes having to make a . Which she reassured us that she'd be absolutely fine, this was a one-off. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales company number 3266897. And I couldn't escape the feeling that I was being selfish. It was horrible. On January 18, my baby was born, at 23 weeks - a little boy. The ultimate betrayal. Some hospitals do offer earlier anomaly scans of the baby, but they will not show as much detail as scans performed between 18 and 20weeks. I was given a leaflet and told to return four days later to see the consultant. When he came back, he agreed on a termination. I was sent home with a leaflet, strong painkillers and two types of antibiotics. It would be a personal tragedy for my partner and me, but that is all. It's been a heartbreaking nightmare. It wasn't measuring at all the right measurements for the age - there was a heart defect, the limbs were sort of distorted, the arms were, you know - you could see that the arms were very sort of contracted, the hands were contracted. This scan takes place between 18 weeks and 20 weeks 6 days of pregnancy and is commonly called the 20-week scan. I mean, you just, you're just overwhelmed, it's so much fun. The first result, which tells you if the baby has Down's syndrome, is ready in three days, but the other chromosomal problems cannot be eliminated for up to three weeks. 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. My partner went out with him, wanting to see him. I felt empty, scared, guilty and incredibly heartbroken. I was willing the results to be normal. By this point I had stopped bleeding, this caused problems. Cardiac surgery can do some amazing things. What were babys measurements at 20 week scan? 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. She advised I be referred to the EPU to be assessed. By my own hand, I had to end the pregnancy. . My partner was away working and was waiting to hear whether he was having a son or daughter. For once in my life, I had been organised. He sounded like a wild animal in pain, deep pain. From losing my dad to his battle with cancer, to then having to face another battle with cancer and my mum; thankfully she pulled though. Some of the other conditions, such as heart defects, are more difficult to see. He was sure the consultant on Monday would see that the measurements were completely normal and that there was nothing to worry about. And the doctor - because it was a doctor rather then just the, a sonographer or whatever the correct term is - was scanning my wife, and she hovered over the heart of the baby and said, 'Oh there's the heart, we'll come back to that'. Never lacking a sense of the dramatic, it felt as if we shared the responsibility for the terrible, dirty act that we had committed. Which is what I'd seen. We decided that we wanted medication to help me. 'Soft markers'. Our week-by-week PREGNANCY emails are a must for parents-to-be. And they, sort of two of them were looking at the scan machine and then they sort of switched everything off and said, 'Oh, I think we have, might have a problem'. Away you go'. And that was a terrible moment to be sort of hanging on, waiting. I thought surely everything is ok, as they couldn't detect twins the week before. Still, the consultant thought things would be OK. 15/02/2014 08:02. There is more detailed information about the main conditions that are looked for during this scan on NHS.UK. The consultant at the time wasn't really that interested in that imagery. It was all going wrong and I wanted to get as far away from the hospital as possible. 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. It was positive, and I felt elated. See more information about the 20-week ultrasound scan. Most scans are carried out by specially trained staff called sonographers. I broke down and started hitting my disgusting body that had done this. Being generous and kind generally happens only when you're happy. This image shows a baby's face and hands at 20 weeks, and gives you an idea of what you'll be able to see at this scan. Others said they were shocked because all the early diagnostic tests (e.g. Reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified health care provider. chances of bad news at 20 week scan mumsnet. (See 'Resources'). No one else ever met the object of my grief. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. My partner watched the baby come out, and for a split second I saw a look of joy on his face. Nice people shouldn't hear about what we'd done. Smiling at myself and picturing me and Sam becoming parents. By 7pm, I still hadn't delivered the baby. I wasn't unduly worried at all. No one else but my partner saw how similar he was to our son. However painful and traumatic the labour was, it was better than what would happen at the end of it.