ultrasound at 19 weeks and worried

[Toomanytoomany]

It sounds like her bedside manner left a bit to be desired, but honestly, it *can* be difficult to get good shots. And sometimes by the time someone else comes to have a look, the baby has moved to a more co-operative place. It isn't unusual for a full morphology scan to take a good long time.

The 20 week scan is important to take measurements of all the organs and limbs and to check that things are okay, and that's the main thing. Also, some hospitals and practices do have policies that they will not even bring up gender identification unless the patient does. That is something that you should really be discussing with your OB/midwife at the time of the referral. I'd be more annoyed that your OB/midwife hasn't really properly prepared you for what to expect from your scan, to be honest. Too often they are presented as almost a social visit with the baby when they are in fact serious diagnostic tests and the ultrasound tech is right to treat them so.

[Fidget]

We had our 19 weeks ultrasound last week, it did a lot to put my mind at rest, but they tell you so much about what could go wrong that you spend so much time thinking about the whatifs you forget to think about the whatifnots! We have another scan at 24 weeks because bub was all curled up and comfy so they couldn't get one of the measurements they needed... I'll be just as paranoid from now until that one as well, because I'm as yet to feel any real movement, even though on the ultrasound bub was happily kicking away. I'm hoping I get movement soon, that will help to put my mind at rest as if I can feel plus one in there I'll be much more comfortable knowing that he or she is okay.

I think it's a mum thing, especially for us first-timers... my mum told me to get used to it because you'll never stop worrying about your children... so I think paranoia is good, to all those soon-to-be mummies that are currently going grey with worry that everything is okay welcome to the world of parenthood... hopefully we all survive it without going totally nuts!

[Snacks]

Toomanytoomany - are you a sonographer? LOL! My BIL is and he says the same thing, that people come in expecting a 'photo opportunity' of their baby, rather than an important test. I understand this, and of course you are right - we should put things into perspective.
I just really can't stand rudeness, from any professional. Customer service is really important to me and I get massively impatient with rude doctors and midwives too. The techs have done it all a million times before, but the patient's feelings are still important. That scan had a massive effect on my DH - I reckon from then on he felt that he just wasn't important in the scheme of the pregnancy, which is a shame because it was his experience too.
Interesting point about the gender - I didn't realise some places have that policy. Good to know - I shall no longer blame our sonographer for that

[Toomanytoomany]

Toomanytoomany - are you a sonographer? LOL! My BIL is and he says the same thing, that people come in expecting a 'photo opportunity' of their baby, rather than an important test. I understand this, and of course you are right - we should put things into perspective.
I just really can't stand rudeness, from any professional. Customer service is really important to me and I get massively impatient with rude doctors and midwives too. The techs have done it all a million times before, but the patient's feelings are still important. That scan had a massive effect on my DH - I reckon from then on he felt that he just wasn't important in the scheme of the pregnancy, which is a shame because it was his experience too.
Interesting point about the gender - I didn't realise some places have that policy. Good to know - I shall no longer blame our sonographer for that

You're absolutely right - there's never any excuse for rudeness, at all! And with health professionals it goes so much further than customer service, doesn't it - it's all about recognising that while it might be routine for you, this is people's bodies, lives, babies, they are dealing with. And like you say, it can be an important moment for a father who may be feeling a bit disconnected. There's never any excuse for being dismissive with someone else's major issue like that.

I'm not a sonographer - I'm just a veteran of ultrasounds, having had five babies and three miscarriages and about eight bazillion ultrasounds LOL. Plus, I am a bit of an earth mother type who prefers to avoid intervention and thinks that the medical profession is a bit too blase about stuff that is "routine" but which can actually have really important implications. How many women are counselled before their ultrasound, "While it's unlikely, we may reveal information that may compel you to make a decision about the future of your pregnancy"? Not many, in my experience!

[Snacks]

Totally. It was only because of a family history of heart abnormalities on my side that I was a little concerned about this ultrasound. And while I did mention it to the midwife, and she said she would make sure that they spent extra time looking at all the chambers of the heart etc (which they did), other than that there was no discussion about possible outcomes of the ultrasound.
It's a great point you raise.