Yeah Fee all careproviders have their own preferred way of doing things. I have always had my simple checking type ultrasounds done at my ob's office but my ob's have always referred to the specialist for my nuchal scan and morphology. One of the reasons they say they do this because it takes such a chunk of time. Before each nuchal scan there is always a 'talk' about the 'what if's and what the measurements mean by a genetic counsellor in the practice. She explains the whole test and what they measure and what it means. Then she discusses the blood test results that are done a couple of days before the scan. She discusses cvs and amnio and the ins and outs of those tests. Then the ob does the ultrasound and when he has done all of the measurements to confirm the baby's gestational age he measures the nuchal fold. (the nuchal fold measurement changes with the gestational age) Then they do the math on the nuchal fold meausurement combined with the blood results and give you the 1:whatever chance of a disorder and discuss that. So all up it takes about 45 minutes. If the results are a bit iffy and the ob suggests further testing you can opt to have the cvs done then and there or you can have an amnio a couple of weeks later or you may decide to have no invasive testing... I have always had very 'good' results let's hope it stays like that for me for this Friday. The nuchal fold ultrasound at the practice I attend costs $198.00 and the rebate I got from medicare last year when I had my last one was around $90.00.

My morphology scans always take about 30 - 40 minutes too.

So, as I say they all have there own way of doing things depending on where you go. When I had my first baby they didn't have nuchal scans in Australia (11 years ago) and the 12 weeks scan I had I did have to have a full bladder but with my others I didn't. In my ob's office when he does his 'quick check' scans I require a full bladder but this week at 11 weeks and 5 days he didn't require it. But some carers do.

In the hospital I last worked at women would have the nuchal scan done but had to wait a week or so for the results as it took that long to be reviewed by the radiologist and then for the blood work to be factored in. So there are many differing ways of doing things in individual practices. What is important as a consumer is that we know what the practitioner needs for us to do ie: blood tests the day before, 2 days before, or whatever. Full bladder, empty bladder etc. The full bladder/empty bladder thing is also dependent on the resolution of the equipment so that is also a factor. Each practice has usually got a 'method in their madness'!!!

So, l hope that Ambz has found what her practitioner needs for her scan on Friday and I hope for the very best of results for her.
Love Deb