Several women had taken young children with them to the 20-week scan because they expected to see 'nice pictures of the baby'. I know it is still early days. Sam reassured me, but the guilt had hit me along with the feeling that our world was falling apart. Wishing to be anywhere, but here being told the same agonising truth over and over again. My partner's face was lit up, seeing the baby for the first time. 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. This scan takes place between 18 weeks and 20 weeks 6 days of pregnancy and is commonly called the 20-week scan. The only thing you're thinking now is the birth, and what if something goes wrong in the birth? 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. But no. So obviously quite relaxed. For example, the babys brain, kidneys, internal organs or bones may not have developed properly. And again, you know, you read all the books and it tells you 'this is the diagnostics', but after a while you don't hear that inside your head any more No, no, no, I'm fine - because everything's perfect. Many parents were shocked by findings from the 20-week and later scans. I didn't want to be convincing him to agree with me. And everybody knows and everything is right. We left the hospital a couple of hours later. For five months my body had known there was something wrong, yet I had felt fantastic. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, midwife or hospital immediately. or sort of light chat that we'd, we'd experienced before with previous scans. We had the baby cremated. But other than that everything was fine. Next most likely (but actually in the minority) they identify something which whilst not 100% healthy is treatable. The first midwife seemed to understand what we were trying to say, and said she would ask the doctor to come and talk to us. I had to wait for a doctor to explain the situation. And I assumed my partner would feel the same. We scattered his ashes over a bunch of snowdrops. And so we talked about it euphemistically, never saying the word "research". You will be able to discuss this with your midwife or consultant. This one cannot show you anything, that's what's inside your mind. And they took us out of the scanning room, into a more quiet room while they typed up the report. The same unique expression he had when he saw our two year old born. The termination would be averting a tragedy. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. Can you remember that minute. And having read, since read my information on Edwards' syndrome, a good 85 per cent have problems with the heart. She advised I be referred to the EPU to be assessed. Seated in the antenatal clinic with lots of expectant mothers with baby bumps. 80 percent of my pregnancies have ended in death and I felt like they were telling me those babies didn't matter. You may need to have a full bladder when you come for the appointment. Originally I hadn't wanted to go down that road. And so we had to go out a couple of times, [wife] had to walk around, and she had a drink of water, which is supposed to sort of change things inside, or help the baby turn around or something because the sonographer couldn't get the measurements she wanted. 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 doctor gave her consent, and I took the four little tablets. It was interesting - well it was fantastic to see this fetus and to see this child that was yours that was horribly ill - but you didn't really get much opportunity to see that because the consultant was more about measurements and all sorts of blood flow and various other screens coming up. I've realised that being a nice person is a luxury some can't afford. I tried to show him the notes and the photos. At first the closeness came through a sense of guilt. I've been incredibly lucky to have such amazing support from Sam, my mum, and close friends and family. hi ladies. 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. I thought I was going to burst into tears. See more information about the 20-week ultrasound scan. It's part of our family. In some very serious rare cases, where no treatment is possible, the baby will die soon after it is born or during pregnancy. The scan can provide information that may mean you have to make further, important decisions. 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. Cardiac surgery can do some amazing things. And it was Christmas Eve and at the time I didn't think, the sonographer did spend a little bit of time scanning us and queried my dates several times and then explained that she couldn't quite see the baby's heart properly and would we come back in a couple of days? 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. Very occasionally this second scan cannot be completed, for example because: In this case you will not be offered another screening scan but you will offered an all over physical examination for your baby after birth. And, for a few hours, I'm convinced I've made a terrible mistake. In this information, the word we refers to the NHS service that provides screening. For example, you may be offered further tests that have a risk of miscarriage. Sam squeezed my hand and told me it was ok. I felt more informed, and I felt that that was what I needed in my head to see you know, that I've got to accept now that this, all these things are real on the screen and this was really my baby that's suffering all these things [sighs], but I was sad as well. 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. She describes having to make a . We must have had one before that as well, we must have had one before that, but it came back quite normal. I did think it was a bit strange that she wasn't talking, and then she sort of said, 'Oh, I think there's a problem. I was booked back in to discuss management options, if nothing had happened. And in this instance the scan was very evident that there was something very seriously wrong. And even at that early stage it was beginning to sink in that there was something really not right. What were babys measurements at 20 week scan? 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. Many parents were shocked by findings from the 20-week and later scans. The consultant explained that this was just very bad luck and not, as far as they knew, genetic. Public Health England (PHE) created this information on behalf of the NHS. I was becoming numb to the whole process. And I know I can't hurry up the process of grieving. This might be uncomfortable. 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. But you could see there was something wrong? Immediately I knew what decision we should take. 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. Our position in our families has shifted. Your mind has closed to the possibility that there could be anything wrong. Some stories I hear are amazing! We've joined the grown-ups and we both feel very different. Picture every packed football staduim up and down the country - all healthy pregnancies and births. 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. I want to be nice again. And, sometimes, I wish I had invited my whole family into the hospital room to see him. It doesn't remove the guilt, but I don't know what else to do. Which is what I'd seen. It went from bad, to worse, to worse, to dire, then to better. We needed closure, to allow us to grieve properly. My belly was growing and I was feeling great. 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. 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. Another sick joke. After preparing myself to face having to take the medication. The baby kicked, blissfully unaware of what I had done. It is also sometimes referred to as the mid-pregnancy scan. And they actually asked my husband to come in before they spoke to me. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. 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. I was saving my child from pain and suffering. Christmas came and went in a blur of emotion, it felt so wrong to be celebrating when we were in such turmoil. Is it the same scan or is it the same equipment? Our baby was beautiful. We're still not at the end of our journey, but we're much further along. But with time although we will never forget, I know we will be ok again. I felt empty, scared, guilty and incredibly heartbroken. Looked exactly like our two year old as a baby. I pray it's just her heart but I can't see anything else is wrong as I have been scanned by a consultant since I was 14 weeks and every time he has said everything looks okay and she is growing consistently. Entering the labour ward, I waited for someone to say, "Go home, you are 16 weeks too early." So we gave up and said we'd arrange the funeral ourselves. He's now had the all clear and is wriggling round on . The "why me?" There was cause for concern. I couldn't bring myself to push. And I couldn't escape the feeling that I was being selfish. And you could see, where you should have a picture of 4 chambers, you could really see 2. Not marginalised into being a victim. Sometimes specialist scans such as 3D scans, or MRI scans, are used to examine the baby in greater detail. I get terribly irritated by my close friends and family. And the first few things they said it didn't sound as thing, as though things were terribly wrong. The contractions started very quickly and within an hour my waters had broken. And thank God I did. Yeah, yeah. It was exactly like the labour I had with my first child. 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. 2022. We talked about the different sorts of pain relief I could have and I opted for a morphine drip, which I could control. And attribute some blame to them. 18-20 week scans provide clinicians with more information than earlier scans because by18 weeks a healthy baby should be larger and better developed. That was the first time I had heard him cry. I think there might be a problem'. You've had, you've had your Down's Syndrome check and that's okay. 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. I didn't think my instincts were worth much. I didn't sleep that night I don't think. 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. Fine, go on my own. If you are not sure, you can contact them and ask. Instead, I had to raise a glass of water to my mouth, take a swig and swallow the tablet. We had to discuss what we wanted to do with the little body after delivery. 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. The scan was inconclusive, but the size of my little bump was measuring a lot smaller than it should have for 10 weeks. Most scans show that babies seem to be developing as expected, and none of the 11 conditions are found. Everywhere you look, there are happy, fat, smug pregnant women. By 7pm, I still hadn't delivered the baby. As soon as we arrived, we were shown to this little room. And still we asked to see a, Impact of the 20-week and later specialist scans. We couldn't say we'd lost the baby, because he was still kicking away, but we couldn't pretend everything was fine, either. 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. We were denying him his life. The baby was kicking so hard that I began to believe him. It was a bit worrying but on the plus side I got an extra couple of scans and an extra couple of pictures. SO much upset and needless angst has been caused by 'soft markers' found at scans. And I remember, the first thing I remember when something might be wrong, was I saw, I finally, we finally saw an image of the skull on the screen, and there appeared to be a sort of black hole shape in the middle. An hour passed and I started to panic. You do not have to have the scan. Just wonder whether anyone had ever been told? Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, NHS fetal anomaly screening programme (FASP), Screening tests for you and your baby (STFYAYB), nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, more information and details of support groups. 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 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. We saw the consultant, who was reassuring, saying that he would rescan me and was sure everything would be fine. The scan will find about half (50%) of those babies who have heart defects. They said the brain was okay -, We were in there for a matter of minutes, literally -, In and out. 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. the amniocentesis) and the pregnancy had already ended, or because the scan was not routinely offered in their region 5 or more years ago. My wife turned the screen away from her. He looked excited. On January 18, my baby was born, at 23 weeks - a little boy. I felt I needed proof of what was wrong before I take such a huge decision and that I couldn't do it based on what someone had written on, on the paper. We're going to go and see them. I believed at this point I had miscarried, they wanted me to come back I'm for a follow up scan. These opinions do not represent the opinions of Tommys and are not advice from Tommy's. 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. So on the Monday we went in to see the senior sonographer, I think she was a consultant at the hospital. The thing that I have a very strong memory of is this child's face in amazing detail. I have horrible thoughts. (See 'Resources'). As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. And that was extraordinary to see the detail that that could offer. I wanted to let nature take its course. Within it are a number of recommendations for the communication of findings from ultrasounds. 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. But that was too easy. 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'. 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. She brought up a picture of the heart on the screen. And she sort of got up and walked out of the room and called someone in. And I, and, I felt the weight of deciding what to do about it. Many people were deeply affected by their experiences of the 20-week and subsequent specialist scans. 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. Well, at the regional hospital it was a 3-D scan. I was told they needed to do a blood test to get a bench mark of my hormone levels. 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). 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. x. 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. We don't know, but it's not looking good'. (See. So had to come back in a week's time for a scan, which again is quite a common thing I found out. b>Bad news at 20 week scan. Most scans are carried out by specially trained staff called sonographers. All my plans were beginning to fall down. 15/02/2014 08:02. The weeks since that day have been very weird. We decided that we wanted medication to help me. . The same sense of expectation. 'I was having nightmares and panic attacks. It felt like a lifetime to reach our 12-week-scan. 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. My baby might have Down's syndrome. It was just sort of deadpan faces, very serious looks, someone else coming to check. It was another consultant, who said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news - your baby has Down's syndrome." But even if I was there, I still think I would have wanted to see the detail on the scan. It would be a personal tragedy for my partner and me, but that is all. Some say this estimate is really below the reality, and the out-of-pocket average costs are higher. factor is very strong. I had hope that the little bumps inside me were fighting just as much as I was to stay with me. I didn't have a clue. Severe chromosomal conditions such as Edwards' syndrome are now often picked up in the first trimester antenatal screening but itwill usually be more obviousat the 18- 20 week scan, though usually a firm diagnosis will not be made until one or two specialists have weighed up all available evidence about the baby - which usually means that another expert needs to scan the baby again, or until the woman has had an amniocentesis. 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. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? The pain was bearable but uncomfortable, the hospital rang me a few days later and asked me how I was. I couldn't work out what was taking so long and put it down to the doctor being young and inexperienced. 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.'. And shortly after that, that scan we'd finished and the consultant leant back and said, 'I'm afraid we have some problems here'. Abortion has never raised any moral dilemmas for me and I am an atheist, so there are no religious issues. Tissue paper will be tucked around your clothing to protect it from the ultrasound gel, which will then be put on your tummy. Maybe. But for those few days they were torture. The doctor explained the options I had to manage my miscarriage. The clinic advised a follow up scan the week after, to check on progress and to see what to do next. 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 'Resources'). And, so they sent me home at that stage because they said the specialist wasn't available till the following day, which was awful. Our nightmare began when I went for my 20-week scan. 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 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. 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. 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). Eventually, the doctor finished the scan and said that some of the baby's measurements were very small. You get extra care and monitoring as appropriate and baby is proactively treated. 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. I was wondering if anyone has been is this situation and can give me a glimmer of hope. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. 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. You will then be asked to raise your top to your chest and lower your skirt or trousers to your hips. And it turned out the baby's heart wasn't forming properly, the chambers weren't forming properly. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. The milk came and stayed for what seemed like for ever. On the next shift, the new midwife asked us again. This short video explains screening for 11 physical conditions in pregnancy. 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. There were also two spots on his heart, which were "soft markers" for Down's syndrome. I still feel guilty, I still cry at random times. I want to stop having such horrible thoughts. 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. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. Thanks girls, it's amazing how protected our babies are in there isn't it?! 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. I was disgusted - disgusted that such a tablet existed, let alone that I should have to take it. As I left the room to compose myself. But everything seemed fine and we'd been sitting waiting to see the consultant, and I'd had an examination on the bed. So I lay on the bed and my partner sat next to me. I wrote a few things down last night when we were trying to go over things, just to remind myself. The hardest thing I have ever done. But before he could speak, he, too, had broken down. Some people had underestimated how serious any abnormality found at this stage could be for the baby. I just want to be normal again. Trying to carry on as normal, working and putting on a brave face. So we had to go in and out a couple of times, and we were just waiting around for ages and ages. 1. 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). Desperately trying to hold onto the glimmer of hope we'd been given. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. And so began the most bizarre day of my life. I guess the morphine made it easier. A black and white picture of your baby will then be seen on the ultrasound screen. 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. I wasn't unduly worried at all. I had no issues at my 20wk scan with DD - and neither did any of my antenatal group (9 mums). The blood test confirmed it was twins. We had so much power, we could decide that this little thing should die. If necessary, you will be referred to a specialist, possibly in another hospital. They would then re-test me in two days time. I couldn't really believe what they were saying. She describes having to make a momentous decision very quickly, and the ferment of relief, guilt and grief that followed, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. So I no longer trusted my instincts. And it's like, I really wanted to see it and I didn't, and it was it was very mixed. By my own hand, I had to end the pregnancy. And then all of a sudden, I was still laughing and we were all very upbeat, and then suddenly, he suddenly said, but I was still, still laughing, and he said to me, 'Oh, there might be a problem, there might be a problem with the, I think this baby has hydrocephalus'. Rather sharply, my partner tried to explain.

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