chances of bad news at 20 week scan mumsnet

chances of bad news at 20 week scan mumsnetcharleston, wv indictments 2022

These opinions do not represent the opinions of Tommys and are not advice from Tommy's. 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. And the next day we went back to the hospital and we had another scan with a specialist, and he confirmed it was a condition called holoprosencephaly, which I'd never heard of any of these words before, they were just such long words. Still, the consultant thought things would be OK. This was a ray of hope for us. The decision to terminate the pregnancy was my partner's and mine. Have I misunderstood what's going on?' And I said, I was still laughing, and I thought he was joking with me, and he said now I sort of could tell from his face that by that point he wasn't really joking anymore. During the examination, sonographers need to keep the screen in a position that gives them a good view of your baby. Despite this new discovery, the sonographer was still concerned. I couldn't work out what was taking so long and put it down to the doctor being young and inexperienced. There were also two spots on his heart, which were "soft markers" for Down's syndrome. Living in this world must be unbearable for them. We left for home feeling completely numb. I thought I was going to burst into tears. As though I went power mad for a week, killing my innocent unborn child, and now I am tainted for ever. As I waited for the doctor back on the EPU unit. Which she reassured us that she'd be absolutely fine, this was a one-off. We didn't name him. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. I remember thinking, 'that doesn't look quite right'. And they took me to another room and they explained that the baby had what they thought was ventriculomegaly or something. Your mind has closed to the possibility that there could be anything wrong. I wasn't ready to make a decision straight away, and I was told I could call them in the morning. . As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. Finally, Monday came and we went back to the hospital. I hadn't thought about the mechanics of such a late termination, but had assumed it would mean some kind of operation. I tried not to sit still for too long, because then I became too aware of the little thing inside me. Our position in our families has shifted. There was cause for concern. She brought up a picture of the heart on the screen. We talked all night and thanked God for crap television. Most scans are carried out by specially trained staff called sonographers. And, for a few hours, I'm convinced I've made a terrible mistake. But no. Then I picked myself up. He told me that they may want to do blood tests, but that 'he didn't see the point'. And, so they sent me home at that stage because they said the specialist wasn't available till the following day, which was awful. And thank God I did. He felt doing more blood tests would only cause me more discomfort and false hope. As soon as we arrived, we were shown to this little room. Can you describe the difference between the scan at this later stage in a pregnancy? That was an extremely difficult day. Scans cannot find all conditions. Yeah, yeah. 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. On the third day, we got a phone call. No one else attended and we didn't have a service. And they actually asked my husband to come in before they spoke to me. 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. We were convinced everything would be OK. There was an extra digit on one of the hands. 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. I used to think the feeling of your baby kicking inside you and the sight of a foot poking against your skin were the most fantastic things in the world. Eventually, the midwife said to us very sweetly, "I think we should deliver the baby now." We would terminate the pregnancy. Tissue paper will be tucked around your clothing to protect it from the ultrasound gel, which will then be put on your tummy. 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. I had never imagined having an amniocentesis. The midwife was on the verge of tears and I felt responsible. It took 20 minutes to push him out. If you are not sure, you can contact them and ask. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. 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. Could you tell? Those two weeks were agonising for us both. It's quite common, perhaps 1 in 10 they find these, and within a few weeks they disappear. 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. We're going to go and see them. That he was small. He's now had the all clear and is wriggling round on . The appointment usually takes around 30 minutes. At first the closeness came through a sense of guilt. But you know I knew we had, we had to make a decision that was right for the baby as well. And I couldn't escape the feeling that I was being selfish. He had to come to the decision by himself. 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. 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. I couldn't really believe what they were saying. But you could see there was something wrong? Nice people shouldn't hear about what we'd done. All the hopes, dreams, and plans we made with our little bumps has been taken away from us. Others said they were shocked because all the early diagnostic tests (e.g. How common is it to get bad news at 20 week scan? | Mumsnet DS had 2 soft markers: talipes (club foot) and 'echogenic locii' somewhere - heart I think. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. I agreed to an internal scan as the sonographer said we could get a better picture of what was happening. It was over. And it's like, I really wanted to see it and I didn't, and it was it was very mixed. 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). Fine, go on my own. I am a darker, harder version of myself. (See. Emma was 20 weeks' pregnant when a routine scan revealed that the baby she was expecting had Down's syndrome and heart problems. Not marginalised into being a victim. Again the legs were quite twisted, they said that the baby's sternum was very short - things weren't in proportion you know - the head was quite large, the neck was very thick, there wasn't really like a neck as such it was just things were kind of - there were lots of things that obviously the consultant could see that we weren't aware of. Eventually, the doctor finished the scan and said that some of the baby's measurements were very small. I broke down and started hitting my disgusting body that had done this. I was willing the results to be normal. Let a mum know you're thinking of them send one of our personalised Mother's Day cards today, Home 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. No, we really didn't, with hindsight we probably should have, but not at all, it never occurred to us to be worried about it. And I, my husband and I both ran our own business at the time so we were desperate to get back and do some work, and things were going really well, so.. A long process of blood tests, scans, doctors and hospitals. So that was it. He was tiny, perfect and a Down's syndrome baby. No one else felt him kick. I was sent home with a leaflet, strong painkillers and two types of antibiotics. And there [sighs] was a very dark patch over one, where the eye socket was, and they didn't know it, in the Edward's babies sometimes the eyes don't develop properly, or it might have been bleeding, they weren't very sure. The results come in stages. We bought a two tests that evening (quite lucky as I messed the first one up!). 1. In order for the sonographer to get good images of your baby, the scan is carried out in a dimly lit room. Soon, the doctor came and inserted the tablets that would induce labour. Any delay in receiving more information about the abnormality and its implications will be distressing for women and this should be acknowledged. Some people want to find out if their baby has one of the 11 conditions and some do not. The same sense of expectation. My baby might have Down's syndrome. If you are offered further tests, you will be given more information about them so that you can decide whether or not you want to have them. And that was extraordinary to see the detail that that could offer. And this baby sort of floated, and occasionally there was a slight movement, but it was very you could almost see that he was really poorly just from looking at the screen. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/screening-tests-for-you-and-your-baby/11-physical-conditions-20-week-scan. Bad news at 20 week scan | Mumsnet The 18-20 week antenatal scan and further tests. Thankfully I was met by an amazing sonographer, she was compassionate and understanding. 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 . A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales company number 3266897. Because, when you're angry with the world for dealing you such a shit time, you begin to hate the people who populate it. I then had to wait in the room along with many other patients for an hour so they could observe me. We had so much power, we could decide that this little thing should die. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me - Tommy's As you felt that, you know, it was probably going to show lots of problems and it just wasn't what we wanted, but at the same time we needed to sort of see it and, we needed to prove it I suppose. 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. Everywhere you look, there are happy, fat, smug pregnant women. I can't remember the exact words but she said, 'There might be some fatal problems with your baby'. Parents get a chance to emotionally adapt to news and plan. It was positive, and I felt elated. Some say this estimate is really below the reality, and the out-of-pocket average costs are higher. 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. I think the whole experience has made me a pretty nasty person. If necessary, you will be referred to a specialist, possibly in another hospital. I wasn't unduly worried at all. We need to have your opinion'. 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. hi ladies. It was a bit worrying but on the plus side I got an extra couple of scans and an extra couple of pictures. 11 physical conditions (20-week scan) - GOV.UK She didn't say at the time that it was a major problem or that it was something to watch out for. But it was very evident. But that was too easy. Is it the same scan or is it the same equipment? It was all going wrong and I wanted to get as far away from the hospital as possible. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, 'it didn't look good' and that 'my womb looked raggedy'. Life expectancy of 30 or 40. Tears started to roll down my face. And I assumed my partner would feel the same. So, in the end, we said we would arrange our own funeral. I give pregnant women dirty looks. Slightly marked from our peers. I have horrible thoughts. I noticed the box of tissues on the table. But on, in the middle of March, 10th March it was, we had a 20 week scan. I was given a leaflet and told to return four days later to see the consultant. 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), tbh, they never give you good news at scans. So I no longer trusted my instincts. 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. The same unique expression he had when he saw our two year old born. SO much upset and needless angst has been caused by 'soft markers' found at scans. I was young, I didn't need one. Went back a week later for the scan and, you were with me for this one, weren't you? The thing about that which I felt was difficult is that we could tell when being scanned that there was something very seriously wrong. In most cases the scan will show that your baby appears to be developing as expected but sometimes a condition is found or suspected. At first, I still had to deal with the physical implications of having given birth. It was real. 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 '. Thinking back, I don't know how we left without him. The hardest thing I have ever done. All my plans were beginning to fall down. I was then told yet again bad news. The chances that anything bad will be discovered are v v small. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Well, at the regional hospital it was a 3-D scan. So we'd gone through the Down's syndrome or worse scare, we'd had conversations about what we would do, if it was confirmed that it was Down's syndrome or another syndrome, another sort of chromosome abnormality. For many other women, the 18-20 week scan was the point at which they discovered the baby had serious problems. In some very serious rare cases, where no treatment is possible, the baby will die soon after it is born or during pregnancy. I tried to show him the notes and the photos. . I think it's the same - in fact I think it was probably the same room, same consultant - and [sighs] I suppose it felt upsetting because at the dating scan you're full of hope and this scan we knew wasn't going to be good, we knew it was maybe the last time we would see the baby moving around. Away you go'. And I can, the words that the scanning member of staff used, "Everything's fine", will stay with me forever. 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. He was sure the consultant on Monday would see that the measurements were completely normal and that there was nothing to worry about. You will be able to discuss this with your midwife or consultant. He suggested he perform an amniocentesis immediately, to rule out any chromosomal problems. I think there might be a problem'. But with time although we will never forget, I know we will be ok again. She endured many agonising rounds of scans and tests, and unfortunately met with some unhelpful attitudes from some healthcare professionals. Baby loss support 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? Some of the other conditions, such as heart defects, are more difficult to see. 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. the amniocentesis) and the pregnancy had already ended, or because the scan was not routinely offered in their region 5 or more years ago. So I trusted him. I don't know how we got through the next couple of days. And, faced with feeling sorry for myself or feeling sorry for my child, I know which I'd choose. He then told us what the prognosis would mean for the child. He looked excited. Most scans show that babies seem to be developing as expected, and none of the 11 conditions are found. Many people were deeply affected by their experiences of the 20-week and subsequent specialist scans. 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. Next most likely is that baby doesn't co-operate and they can't see some parts of anatomy and call you back 2 weeks later just because they couldn't see (i had this but because twin pregnancy I was due to be scanned 2 weeks later anyway). Instead, I had to raise a glass of water to my mouth, take a swig and swallow the tablet. I felt empty, scared, guilty and incredibly heartbroken. The doctor told me he was 98% sure this was a failing twin pregnancy. Another sick joke. And still we asked to see a, Impact of the 20-week and later specialist scans. I had a horrible feeling of relief. So when that happened to us I really didn't worry, I thought, you know, it was literally the baby was in awkward position, they couldn't see the heart and that was why. I was disgusted - disgusted that such a tablet existed, let alone that I should have to take it. I was another one who did get bad news at the 20 week scan. Within it are a number of recommendations for the communication of findings from ultrasounds. 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. blood tests, CVS) were clear - and as one woman put it, 'after the triple test* (Down's syndrome screening) you stop thinking anything can go wrong'. He wanted to talk about it, but I didn't. Most hospitals do not allow children to attend scans as childcare is not usually available. I think they perhaps could have done, if they had looked a bit closely. 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'. . So once again we were right back down, really no, really not knowing what to expect. The scan was inconclusive, but the size of my little bump was measuring a lot smaller than it should have for 10 weeks. I've been incredibly lucky to have such amazing support from Sam, my mum, and close friends and family. 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. Christmas came and went in a blur of emotion, it felt so wrong to be celebrating when we were in such turmoil. We bought little outfits, teddies, and researched all the vitamins and foods that I could eat. These were said to be soft markers fo a range of trisomies, 2 of which were incompatible with life. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. Thick milky discharge at 14 weeks.tmi pic attached. I was told they needed to do a blood test to get a bench mark of my hormone levels. [Husband] couldn't make it. I believed at this point I had miscarried, they wanted me to come back I'm for a follow up scan. We had the 20 week scan yesterday and got some devastating news. Mm-hm. It felt like a lifetime to reach our 12-week-scan. You get extra care and monitoring as appropriate and baby is proactively treated. 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. 12/12/2012 22:41. We understand the real meaning of "shit happens". 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. Impact of the 20-week and later specialist scans Some people had underestimated how serious any abnormality found at this stage could be for the baby. Getting through the 20 week scan - My BabyManual The termination would be averting a tragedy. That was the first time I had heard him cry. Can't seem to find info on the Internet. I know it sounds odd that you want to hear that it's wrong, but you, you know it's wrong, and you, you want to be reassured either that it's okay or is there something seriously wrong. 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. If you choose not to have the scan you can still have all other parts of your routine antenatal care. As I left the room to compose myself. I couldn't bring myself to push. Again, we weren't understood. Please ask your hospital about this before your appointment. By this time, we were tired. However, at the time neither of us could articulate that. The only thing you're thinking now is the birth, and what if something goes wrong in the birth? The consultant explained that this was just very bad luck and not, as far as they knew, genetic. So we gave up and said we'd arrange the funeral ourselves. ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT AT 20 WEEK SCAN. And as soon as she said those words, both of us were like, 'Well what's wrong?'. I think I don't everything just seems a real blur because it was, it was such a strange experience. I didn't want to go through anymore scans. I wrote a few things down last night when we were trying to go over things, just to remind myself. So we went home really and I sort of had to think about it all night. Thanks girls, it's amazing how protected our babies are in there isn't it?! I didn't want to be convincing him to agree with me. 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? We both thought we would like some good to come out of this horrible experience, so wanted to talk to somebody about the possibility of using the body for research purposes. And it's, I can't remember exactly what it was now, it's about where the brain is supposed to form. I was becoming numb to the whole process. The scan looks for 11 different conditions in your baby and cannot find everything that might be wrong. 10/03/2021 16:13, @Cormoransjacket Some stories I hear are amazing! So I took the test and jumped in the shower. The sonographer will be able to tell you the results of the scan at the time. But here I was, minutes later, lying down, waiting. Sometimes specialist scans such as 3D scans, or MRI scans, are used to examine the baby in greater detail. But now that's changed. I know I could have delivered him in a quarter of the time, but I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving me. The hormone levels had dropped, but they wanted to scan me again. After half an hour of lying on the bed, I was starting to get nervous, but was excited to find out that the baby would be a boy and that I could see his little heart beating strongly. Actually you could tell from the brain development as he scanned up through the chambers of the brain, that one quarter of the brain, one chamber was not evident. We went in, had a scan, I can't remember the exact sequence of events because the baby was still in the wrong position. Limitations of the 18-20 week scan I was becoming numb to the whole process. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? So I lay on the bed and my partner sat next to me. I didn't sleep that night I don't think. We're still not at the end of our journey, but we're much further along. Sam followed and I broke down. And that was Monday afternoon. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. 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). Has anyone been told the sex incorrectly at their 20 week scan? Several women had taken young children with them to the 20-week scan because they expected to see 'nice pictures of the baby'. This scan takes place between 18 weeks and 20 weeks 6 days of pregnancy and is commonly called the 20-week scan. 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. And I wish that I'd been told at that point, that somebody had actually turned round to me and said, 'Look, I'm sorry, but I think there's something very wrong. I mean, you just, you're just overwhelmed, it's so much fun. 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'. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. But even if I was there, I still think I would have wanted to see the detail on the scan. My partner tried to remain calm, and at my request rang my mum. I hated my body and hated every feeling I was having. It is as though our pain means we've earned the right to be taken more seriously. When I told him what had happened, he refused to believe anything was wrong and said he'd sort it out when he came home. 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. 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. And I knew there was no way out. So I suppose from that aspect, mind you having not been told that or sitting there, I wouldn't have thought necessarily that was odd. In a small number of cases some very serious conditions are found. 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?' No sort of questions about, 'Do you want to know whether it's a boy or a girl?' You have rejected additional cookies. Not surprisingly, people aren't quite sure how to deal with me. Last updated July 2017. Our baby was beautiful. This article was amended on 24 November 2015 to anonymise the writer. We had the baby cremated. Instinctively, did it feel right? So she said, 'Come back on Monday. 80 percent of my pregnancies have ended in death and I felt like they were telling me those babies didn't matter. Several parents said they would have preferred being told something, even it was vague. My wife had been very, very healthy, more healthy than the first pregnancy, and of course was shattered by the fact that the news, the news was appalling, very serious faces. I returned to be told they wanted to scan me again, another internal to see exactly what was happening. The scan will find about half (50%) of those babies who have heart defects. We had the same conversation, but obviously were not making any sense to her at all. 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. This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated.

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