factor is very strong. The appointment usually takes around 30 minutes. At this point it wasn't looking great. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. But everything seemed fine and we'd been sitting waiting to see the consultant, and I'd had an examination on the bed. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. My partner went out with him, wanting to see him. 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. The pain was excruciating, but nothing compared to how I felt inside. He felt doing more blood tests would only cause me more discomfort and false hope. I think there might be a problem'. I returned to be told they wanted to scan me again, another internal to see exactly what was happening. Smiling at myself and picturing me and Sam becoming parents. 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. And, it does not occur to you in the slightest. It felt as if we'd gone underground, that we were part of the criminal fraternity. 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'. I was then told yet again bad news. And, for a few hours, I'm convinced I've made a terrible mistake. 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. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. And so, yeah we got to, carried on with the pregnancy, kept seeing the consultant, kept sitting in the waiting room outside, because there was a terribly long waiting time sometimes, depending on what time you had the appointment. The sonographer told me to take the notes, and the scan photos with me so they could review them also. Many parents were shocked by findings from the 20-week and later scans. In a small number of cases some very serious conditions are found. I couldn't have the added responsibility for changing his mind. SO much upset and needless angst has been caused by 'soft markers' found at scans. Rather sharply, my partner tried to explain. Sam reassured me, but the guilt had hit me along with the feeling that our world was falling apart. Limitations of the 18-20 week scan Mm-hm. Emma was 20 weeks' pregnant when a routine scan revealed that the baby she was expecting had Down's syndrome and heart problems. 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. My partner tried to remain calm, and at my request rang my mum. And it's like, I really wanted to see it and I didn't, and it was it was very mixed. We need to have your opinion'. And at that, I let out a scream I think. After the triple test you stop thinking, you stop thinking that anything can go wrong. We walked all the way home. 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]. Last reviewed July 2017. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk. Emma was 20 weeks' pregnant when a routine scan revealed that the baby she was expecting had Down's syndrome and heart problems. 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. 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. 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. The next day, it was confirmed that my bloods had again dropped. 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. They said the brain was okay -, We were in there for a matter of minutes, literally -, In and out. I get terribly irritated by my close friends and family. We bought a two tests that evening (quite lucky as I messed the first one up!). 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. Because, when you're angry with the world for dealing you such a shit time, you begin to hate the people who populate it. 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'. We must have had one before that as well, we must have had one before that, but it came back quite normal. I was saving my child from pain and suffering. We just couldn't use the words. Not a good sign in a hospital consulting room. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, midwife or hospital immediately. 2022. 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'. I was sat on the sofa working, my son was at nursery and my partner was in the bath. Having the scan does not hurt but the sonographer may need to apply slight pressure to get the best views of your baby. As soon as we arrived, we were shown to this little room. 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 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.. I went away and came back, and she couldn't get a good picture. 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. She didn't say at the time that it was a major problem or that it was something to watch out for. In some cases concerns in utero fix themselves sometimes needs treatment. Seated in the antenatal clinic with lots of expectant mothers with baby bumps. I didn't want to go through anymore scans. These were said to be soft markers fo a range of trisomies, 2 of which were incompatible with life. hi ladies. You might be offered another test to find out for certain if your baby has one of the conditions. There was complete silence during the scan. When I see a child with Down's syndrome, I have a tremendous need to explain myself and apologise a million times over. But other than that everything was fine. 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. So we decided that, to have the scan and we went along I think early in the week for that, and spent quite a lot of time with the consultant after that. It is also sometimes referred to as the mid-pregnancy scan . Another sick joke. I guess the morphine made it easier. Where we were living then at the time you only had a scan at 20 weeks. Everywhere you look, there are happy, fat, smug pregnant women. All the hopes, dreams, and plans we made with our little bumps has been taken away from us. You have rejected additional cookies. If necessary, you will be referred to a specialist, possibly in another hospital. She didn't want to see the baby. or sort of light chat that we'd, we'd experienced before with previous scans. I can feel my child kick, it responds when he shouts at football - I mean literally, this baby used to dance around whenever he'd like scream at a goal - and there cannot be anything wrong with this child because it's part of us already. It was just a few little things like the kidneys were hard to find, and the stomach was hard to find, but that might be because it wasn't filled with fluid. 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. So we had to go in and out a couple of times, and we were just waiting around for ages and ages. The hardest thing I have ever done. This was a ray of hope for us. The weeks since that day have been very weird. 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. I think the whole experience has made me a pretty nasty person. Tommys is a registered charity in England and Wales (1060508) and Scotland (SC039280). To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. 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. I faced another internal scan where I began to feel helpless and alone. I felt the dread run through me. Or, at the very least, heart problems. Seeing your baby on a screen can be really exciting. And you know, we were laughing and joking. It was exactly like the labour I had with my first child. Still, the consultant thought things would be OK. 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. As two youngest siblings, we were both permanently stuck in the irresponsible, childish role. You may need to have a full bladder when you come for the appointment. Our nightmare began when I went for my 20-week scan. For example, the babys brain, kidneys, internal organs or bones may not have developed properly. I didn't have a clue. We had so much power, we could decide that this little thing should die. As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. You know there's always that bit on the bottom of the thing, 'These are diagnostics, do not bring other children,' - blah, blah, blah.. it's not, you know, it's not a family outing kind of thing, but it feels like it. 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. 1. We don't know, but it's not looking good'. The same unique expression he had when he saw our two year old born. So even if anomolies are found, they don't always mean a problem.. x. I had issues at the 20 weeks scan with both of mine. I didn't really know what that was. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, "it didn't look good" and that "my womb looked raggedy". 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. We saw the consultant, who was reassuring, saying that he would rescan me and was sure everything would be fine. I was becoming numb to the whole process. It was sick. It is extremely rare for these pregnancies to reach term as they typically spontaneously miscarry early in pregnancy. And even at that early stage it was beginning to sink in that there was something really not right. 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. It was the end of January, very end - about the 29th - I'd gone into, I'd gone into 5 months by then. It was horrible. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? I tried not to sit still for too long, because then I became too aware of the little thing inside me. As though I went power mad for a week, killing my innocent unborn child, and now I am tainted for ever. I felt sad, but not the complete devastation of the last scan as they had seen a change of some sort. My partner's face was lit up, seeing the baby for the first time. My mum arrived early to look after our son, and my partner and I got a cab to the hospital. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. DS had 2 soft markers: talipes (club foot) and 'echogenic locii' somewhere - heart I think. 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. 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. Wishing to be anywhere, but here being told the same agonising truth over and over again. Scans cannot find all conditions. We were convinced everything would be OK. I was booked back in to discuss management options, if nothing had happened. We were bound to each other because of the blood that was on both our hands. We spent the next few weeks in a happy bubble. And they actually asked my husband to come in before they spoke to me. It can be such a shock so do whatever you need to feel better. 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'. 13/12/2020 20:45. And I am slowly coming to terms with what has happened. 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. 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. So we hid in our house. The hormone levels had dropped, but they wanted to scan me again. Why me and not you, you bastard? There was a very marked lack of amniotic fluid which made it difficult, not even for the scanners to see, that made the picture of the scan look very, very different. Three midwives came and went. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. 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. You may like someone to come with you to the scan appointment. I had never imagined having an amniocentesis. I could hardly breathe. This short video explains screening for 11 physical conditions in pregnancy. I was told this was common as my body and hormones still thought I was pregnant. When he came back, he agreed on a termination. So had to come back in a week's time for a scan, which again is quite a common thing I found out. I swallowed the tablet and we left the building. We decided that we wanted medication to help me. In fact, interestingly enough, going sort of. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. But with time although we will never forget, I know we will be ok again. Has anyone been told the sex incorrectly at their 20 week scan? Many people were deeply affected by their experiences of the 20-week and subsequent specialist scans. 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 remember thinking, 'that doesn't look quite right'. We've joined the grown-ups and we both feel very different. I wrote a few things down last night when we were trying to go over things, just to remind myself. Soon, the doctor came and inserted the tablets that would induce labour. I thought surely everything is ok, as they couldn't detect twins the week before. And everybody knows and everything is right. So we went home really and I sort of had to think about it all night. Thinking back, I don't know how we left without him. I think what everyone is saying is that most likely outcome is that there are no problems at all. The decision to terminate the pregnancy was my partner's and mine. On January 18, my baby was born, at 23 weeks - a little boy. But it's bloody hard being miserable the whole time. The doctor didn't come. Away you go'. (See. By 7pm, I still hadn't delivered the baby. 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. I had to stop myself from yanking out the needle. We scattered his ashes over a bunch of snowdrops. . Has anyone been told the wrong sex at 20 week scan? Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. I couldn't really believe what they were saying. But even if I was there, I still think I would have wanted to see the detail on the scan. We talked all night and thanked God for crap television. Picture every packed football staduim up and down the country - all healthy pregnancies and births. See more information about the 20-week ultrasound scan. If one of the conditions is found or suspected, the sonographer may ask for a second opinion from another member of staff. I had a horrible feeling of relief. My partner was away working and was waiting to hear whether he was having a son or daughter. the amniocentesis) and the pregnancy had already ended, or because the scan was not routinely offered in their region 5 or more years ago. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, "it didn't look good" and that "my womb looked raggedy". Some things can be seen more clearly than others. Baby loss stories And that was extraordinary to see the detail that that could offer. And she sort of got up and walked out of the room and called someone in. My baby might have Down's syndrome. The termination would be averting a tragedy. 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. She brought up a picture of the heart on the screen. I want to be happy again. I loved him instantly and didn't want to let him go. 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'. Hugely upset that to think that the baby was so poorly. It's quite common, perhaps 1 in 10 they find these, and within a few weeks they disappear. No, you couldn't see there was anything wrong. I mean, you just, you're just overwhelmed, it's so much fun. I've realised that being a nice person is a luxury some can't afford. I ran into the bedroom to tell Sam, who was ecstatic. It was far too much power; neither of us wanted it. 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. So we went home, me to rest in an attempt to prevent miscarriage, my partner to reassure us both. And I'm glad I did and she's glad she didn't. After she had taken all the measurements, the sonographer told us that she was concerned with the length of the baby's limbs in relation to the head. She advised I be referred to the EPU to be assessed. I had hope that the little bumps inside me were fighting just as much as I was to stay with me. And so this one can't tell you anything, it's pictures, you're going, you're going to see your baby, you're going to get pictures.
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