I had a dating scan and the morphology scan. Every time my doctor has asked me how I would feel about Down Sydrome and because I would continue my pregnancy regardless, he has recommended not getting the 12 week scan because it is just stastics and can be very stressful and turn out to be nothing.
I am torn about the dating scan. If I were to have another baby, I think I would skip it because I think it is always wrong. The due date the dating scan gave me for DD2 at 6 weeks meant that the BFP I got was on 3 DPO and I am sure that's not right. But because I was still BFing for part of that cycle, if I didn't have a dating scan they would have gone for a date about 6 weeks earlier and they all look at me like I have 6 heads if I say that I know when my baby is due because I know when I ovulated. A lot of the doctors and obs that I have seen while pg seem to think that a woman understanding her own fertility is science fiction ... grrr, very frustrating. Sorry, little vent there
In all my pg, I have had 2 morphology scans as my babies don't hold still enough for them to get all the details they need but I have never found the second one stressful but I really don't enjoy them. Lying there on a table with a full bladder for upwards of 40 mins is not my idea of fun. I also have never had a great view of the monitor and actually find them a pain more than anything. Having to organise someone to look after my older kids, waiting for ages and then having to go back a few hours later and pick up the file, it is all just a PITA if you ask me.
Probably didn't help that after I got GD in my last 2 pg, I was having scans every second week and every week towards the end. The baby is too big to see much of it on the screen at a time, biased sonographers measure my babies as extremely large and then I get lectures from doctors about my 'oversized' babies.
I do agree that they are a great diagnostic tool in a way, but the information is not always correct. I had my DS induced at 38 weeks because of his overly 'large' size, but he was born weighing 3.8kg (which is not that big if you ask me) but I went through hell being induced because the u/s showed him in the 97th percentile and the doctors stressed off their nut at me about his size.
It amazes me how much they rely on the information in ultrasounds when they know they are not always correct especially about size. It would be okay if they treated it like a guide, but they don't. They treat it as gospel and sometimes too much info just causes more problems than it solves.
So Maz, in answer to your question, I would probably have the 20w scan just to check everything was going okay and avoid all the others as much as possible.
With DD I had an early dating scan as the MW couldn't find her HB for more than one or two beats, another scan at 9 weeks when I had a bleed, 12 weeks scan, and then at most appointments due to bleeding, 20 week scan, amniotic band, ensureing clear movement for bubs, polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid). We had alread chosen to have the 3D scan, which was amazing, at 29 weeks and we got brilliant photos due to the polyhydramnios.
This pregnancy I was really hoping for a smoother run, I was only planning having the 12 and 20 weeks scans, but I have had so many already and so many more booked in
At 15 weeks I have already had 9 scans, due to loss of twin, bleeding, cervical shortening and length being constantly monitored as I am already "primed" , Placenta location, NT scan and Prolapse. I am booked in for scans 3 more scans by 24 weeks, and if there are any changes to my cervical length and any indication of growth restriction, there will be many more. Unfortuntaly even though this is not what I would prefer, but to make this pregnancy last as long as possible and keep bubs as safe as possible it is the only way.
So for us it is trying to prevent PTL or risking the life of our bubba.
So even though my preference would be to just go with the 12 and 20 week scans, it isn't an option this time unless we want to put our bub at risk, just too many complications
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