Three midwives came and went. It was over. And I could see, before she even said anything I could see that there was something wrong with the heart. I want to enjoy my son again, without any reservations. My partner's face was lit up, seeing the baby for the first time. We had to discuss what we wanted to do with the little body after delivery. If you are not sure, you can contact them and ask. I felt empty, scared, guilty and incredibly heartbroken. I wasn't unduly worried at all. Many parents were shocked by findings from the 20-week and later scans. Impact of the 20-week and later specialist scans I mean, you just, you're just overwhelmed, it's so much fun. We talked about the different sorts of pain relief I could have and I opted for a morphine drip, which I could control. I was another one who did get bad news at the 20 week scan. 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? They sort of drew some diagrams, and they said, 'But we need to refer you to a specialist to confirm the diagnosis'. I didn't have a clue. See more information about the 20-week ultrasound scan. Most hospitals do not allow children to attend scans as childcare is not usually available. 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. You get extra care and monitoring as appropriate and baby is proactively treated. There is more detailed information about the main conditions that are looked for during this scan on NHS.UK. The doctor wanted to do another blood test to confirm a significant drop in my hormone levels. You have accepted additional cookies. She just said, 'It's a bit short, it needs to be checked' again basically. Again the legs were quite twisted, they said that the baby's sternum was very short - things weren't in proportion you know - the head was quite large, the neck was very thick, there wasn't really like a neck as such it was just things were kind of - there were lots of things that obviously the consultant could see that we weren't aware of. And she said that, you know, as the, if the baby did develop further there would probably be other problems with internal organs that weren't really that visible at that stage. I remained positive, we researched lots of cases of mistaken dates, inconclusive scans, and compared them to our situation; scrutinising everything to try and believe it was all one big misunderstanding. I loved him instantly and didn't want to let him go. I think the whole experience has made me a pretty nasty person. Not surprisingly, people aren't quite sure how to deal with me. (See. b>Bad news at 20 week scan. hi ladies. The contractions started very quickly and within an hour my waters had broken. Several women had taken young children with them to the 20-week scan because they expected to see 'nice pictures of the baby'. Please ask your hospital about this before your appointment. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. In a small number of cases some very serious conditions are found. He then told us what the prognosis would mean for the child. For example, you may be offered further tests that have a risk of miscarriage. x. The consultant had said it wouldn't be like a normal delivery. 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. We had the same conversation, but obviously were not making any sense to her at all. So we went home really and I sort of had to think about it all night. The same sense of expectation. 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. Desperately trying to hold onto the glimmer of hope we'd been given. There is always a chance that a baby may be born with a health issue that scans could not have identified. All my instincts were to protect my belly, yet here I was allowing someone to stick a huge needle into it. But with time although we will never forget, I know we will be ok again. We thought it would all be over very quickly but, in fact, it was another 11 hours before the baby was delivered. It is impossible to escape them and each one underlines your loss. An hour passed and I started to panic. I tried not to sit still for too long, because then I became too aware of the little thing inside me. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, "it didn't look good" and that "my womb looked raggedy". We're still not at the end of our journey, but we're much further along. 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. Instead, we were shown to a room slightly away from the rest of the ward and the midwife stayed with us to talk through what was going to happen. He felt doing more blood tests would only cause me more discomfort and false hope. If one of the conditions is found or suspected, the sonographer may ask for a second opinion from another member of staff. No one else attended and we didn't have a service. So had to come back in a week's time for a scan, which again is quite a common thing I found out. But now that's changed. I mean the lady who was scanning was very quiet for a long time. So and you could see the exomphalus, this little pouch, which was obviously just the intestines where they are. We had the 20 week scan yesterday and got some devastating news. . Some people we talked to had not had a 18-20-week scan, either because their babies' abnormalities had been detected by earlier . Scans cannot find all conditions. It felt as if we'd gone underground, that we were part of the criminal fraternity. It was sick. My partner was away working and was waiting to hear whether he was having a son or daughter. I had a horrible feeling of relief. It was horrible. Nice people shouldn't hear about what we'd done. And my husband, we never got to sit next to each other in the consulting room, my husband was across the room from me, and I was sat next to the consultant, and we were laughing and joking with him about, you know, the home delivery, and everything was going to be, 'Are you still on for the home delivery?' She advised I be referred to the EPU to be assessed. All my plans were beginning to fall down. 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. I was then told yet again bad news. And then, so I went to my next scan, which was the 20-week abnormality scan, and we took our first child with us, I think he was 17 months old at the time. As I say, I'm not a very nice person at the moment. I have a terrible hatred of pregnant women and a new respect for infertile couples. You may need to have a full bladder when you come for the appointment. So we left it there, and we didn't actually think that there was anything really to worry about after that scan. Perhaps because we are alone in this, it has brought my partner and me very close. I get terribly irritated by my close friends and family. He suggested he perform an amniocentesis immediately, to rule out any chromosomal problems. How common is it for 2nd baby to come early..? Not marginalised into being a victim. 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. Our nightmare began when I went for my 20-week scan. Despite this new discovery, the sonographer was still concerned. As I waited for the doctor back on the EPU unit. The gel makes sure there is good contact between the probe and your skin. Some people want to find out if their baby has one of the 11 conditions and some do not. So at 20 weeks I went for my scan with my husband, with my daughter, to get our photographs. 15/02/2014 08:02. 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. No one else felt him kick. 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. So choroid plexus cysts on their own, no problem, but if there's something else wrong, then that's a problem. But I still didn't want to be the one who stopped this baby's chance to live. 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. Our baby was beautiful. And, sometimes, I wish I had invited my whole family into the hospital room to see him. I'm trying to understand because I haven't seen a 3-D scan, what it tells the parents? 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). 13/12/2020 20:45. And so began the most bizarre day of my life. This scan takes place between 18 weeks and 20 weeks 6 days of pregnancy and is commonly called the 20-week scan. And as, and as soon as I saw the pictures of the scan, having had two normal pregnancies, even I could see that there was a marked contrast between this pregnancy and the pictures that I'd had previously. But it was very evident. And thank God I did. The rarest scenario is that the baby is severely ill and choices will need to be made. She describes having to make a . But the consultant had found more spots on the heart and the measurements were the same. It would have been nice to see someone straight away because I was in such shock. The doctor explained the options I had to manage my miscarriage. And it was just a bit of a shock because it's not really what you want to hear - you don't really expect that. What were babys measurements at 20 week scan? Tommys is a registered charity in England and Wales (1060508) and Scotland (SC039280). We needed closure, to allow us to grieve properly. Some hospitals do offer earlier anomaly scans of the baby, but they will not show as much detail as scans performed between 18 and 20weeks. The first words I said were: "If there's anything wrong then it's my fault", I had been working 70, nearly 80 hours the previous weeks and pushed myself hard. Originally I hadn't wanted to go down that road. or sort of light chat that we'd, we'd experienced before with previous scans. I still feel guilty, I still cry at random times. As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. Sometimes women were told that the sonographer had found a 'marker' or sign of a chromosomal condition and had to wait for an amniocentesis to confirm the findings. He looked fine. Another sick joke. We'll make an appointment with the senior sonographer, the consultant at the local hospital, and she'll do your scan and she'll be able to tell you more things'. I was disgusted - disgusted that such a tablet existed, let alone that I should have to take it. You do not have to have the scan. It was positive, and I felt elated. Thinking back, I don't know how we left without him. ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT AT 20 WEEK SCAN. Maybe. Christmas came and went in a blur of emotion, it felt so wrong to be celebrating when we were in such turmoil. The same rush of excitement. We didn't feel we could tell anyone what was happening. 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. Our position in our families has shifted. We strongly advise readers not to take drugs that are not prescribed by your qualified healthcare provider. It is as though our pain means we've earned the right to be taken more seriously. For many other women, the 18-20 week scan was the point at which they discovered the baby had serious problems. This does not mean there is anything to worry about. Next most likely is that baby doesn't co-operate and they can't see some parts of anatomy and call you back 2 weeks later just because they couldn't see (i had this but because twin pregnancy I was due to be scanned 2 weeks later anyway). I couldn't really believe what they were saying. 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. You might be offered another test to find out for certain if your baby has one of the conditions. We were convinced everything would be OK. And having read, since read my information on Edwards' syndrome, a good 85 per cent have problems with the heart. The "why me?" My heart goes out to you OP. The 18-20 week antenatal scan and further tests, Ending the pregnancy for family & personal reasons, Deciding whether to see, hold and name the baby, Photographs and other mementoes of the baby, Saying goodbye to the baby - services & funerals, Coping with bereavement - women's experiences, Coping with bereavement - men's experiences, Men's ideas about their role in ending a pregnancy. I had never imagined having an amniocentesis. This was on the Friday. This article was amended on 24 November 2015 to anonymise the writer. 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. That they could have spotted something, or not? There was complete silence during the scan. I think they perhaps could have done, if they had looked a bit closely. 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. 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 that was extraordinary to see the detail that that could offer. As though I went power mad for a week, killing my innocent unborn child, and now I am tainted for ever. 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. I had to be rescanned latter. No discussion, no quiet contemplation. It was far too much power; neither of us wanted it. You've had, you've had your Down's Syndrome check and that's okay. Sam squeezed my hand and told me it was ok. I hated my body and hated every feeling I was having. 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. My partner tried to remain calm, and at my request rang my mum. And so we talked about it euphemistically, never saying the word "research". . This time, they discovered the baby has a two vessel cord (only one vessel from placenta to baby instead of two) and I've been monitored to make sure the baby grows properly and kidneys aren't damaged. Most scans show that babies seem to be developing as expected, and none of the 11 conditions are found. Slightly marked from our peers. I endured 12 hours of medication and in the early hours February 7, 56 days after my first scan (at nearly 18 weeks), I miscarried our babies. I was saving my child from pain and suffering. 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. I went away and came back, and she couldn't get a good picture. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/screening-tests-for-you-and-your-baby/11-physical-conditions-20-week-scan. But my brain had been given a train of thought that was impossible to stop. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. Can you remember that minute. And attribute some blame to them. The only thing you're thinking now is the birth, and what if something goes wrong in the birth? It's quite common, perhaps 1 in 10 they find these, and within a few weeks they disappear. So we gave up and said we'd arrange the funeral ourselves. 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. Some hospitals do offer earlier anomaly scans of the baby, but they will not show as much detail as scans performed between 18 and 20weeks. And, so they sent me home at that stage because they said the specialist wasn't available till the following day, which was awful. He was sure the consultant on Monday would see that the measurements were completely normal and that there was nothing to worry about. And with each one we had to have the same conversations. We had the baby cremated. So we had to go in and out a couple of times, and we were just waiting around for ages and ages. So on the Monday we went in to see the senior sonographer, I think she was a consultant at the hospital. And even at that early stage it was beginning to sink in that there was something really not right. The same anxious wait for a little, pathetic cry. Wishing to be anywhere, but here being told the same agonising truth over and . Some people had underestimated how serious any abnormality found at this stage could be for the baby. But it's bloody hard being miserable the whole time. See you in -. Forcing my hand to my mouth to take the tablet was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. I wanted to be a passive patient while the doctor did what he had to do. Parents get a chance to emotionally adapt to news and plan. 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. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. The consultant explained that this was just very bad luck and not, as far as they knew, genetic. Others said they were shocked because all the early diagnostic tests (e.g. Where we were living then at the time you only had a scan at 20 weeks. The decision to terminate the pregnancy was my partner's and mine. Except for the persistent, nagging doubts. Is it the same scan or is it the same equipment? And she sort of got up and walked out of the room and called someone in. These were said to be soft markers fo a range of trisomies, 2 of which were incompatible with life. 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. He was tiny, perfect and a Down's syndrome baby. By this point I had stopped bleeding, this caused problems. 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 was willing the results to be normal. As I left the room to compose myself. Sometimes specialist scans such as 3D scans, or MRI scans, are used to examine the baby in greater detail. 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. I had to take a tablet there and then, under the supervision of a nurse, to end the pregnancy. They would then re-test me in two days time. My belly was growing and I was feeling great. The pain was bearable but uncomfortable, the hospital rang me a few days later and asked me how I was. But everything seemed fine and we'd been sitting waiting to see the consultant, and I'd had an examination on the bed. Immediately I knew what decision we should take. But he was wrong. Your mind has closed to the possibility that there could be anything wrong. I believed at this point I had miscarried, they wanted me to come back I'm for a follow up scan. Which she reassured us that she'd be absolutely fine, this was a one-off. We've joined the grown-ups and we both feel very different. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. And I can, the words that the scanning member of staff used, "Everything's fine", will stay with me forever. And that, that was when things where it started going a bit wrong. Again, no notes can have been written down because the midwife asked the same question. But for those few days they were torture. If you choose not to have the scan you can still have all other parts of your routine antenatal care. So obviously quite relaxed. It was exactly like the labour I had with my first child. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. The baby was kicking so hard that I began to believe him. Still, the consultant thought things would be OK. She endured many agonising rounds of scans and tests, and unfortunately met with some unhelpful attitudes from some healthcare professionals. Surely he couldn't have missed anything else that is so serious x. I guess the morphine made it easier. 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. Tears started to roll down my face. 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. Never lacking a sense of the dramatic, it felt as if we shared the responsibility for the terrible, dirty act that we had committed. 1. I was told they needed to do a blood test to get a bench mark of my hormone levels. Being generous and kind generally happens only when you're happy. . The hardest thing I have ever done. We had so much power, we could decide that this little thing should die. The appointment usually takes around 30 minutes. 2022. As soon as we arrived, we were shown to this little room. The 18 -20 week fetal anomaly scan is a watershed in most pregnancies because for the majority of women it will be the last time they are scanned before giving birth. It's a bit at the back of the brain and - no I can't remember what it is - it's called, it's something that's called Dandy-Walker mal, The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) have produced a report on Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality in England, Scotland and Wales (May 2010). . Like many things, the theory is very different from the reality. It was, 'Oh we'll come back to that'. The scan will find about half (50%) of those babies who have heart defects. He sounded like a wild animal in pain, deep pain. 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. And this baby sort of floated, and occasionally there was a slight movement, but it was very you could almost see that he was really poorly just from looking at the screen. At this point it wasn't looking great. 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. I was told that while bad news at the 12 w scan is often of the life or death kind, bad news at the 20 week scan is often of the 'needs an operation in childhood' or 'needs to wear a brace for a year' kind. Emma was 20 weeks' pregnant when a routine scan revealed that the baby she was expecting had Down's syndrome and heart problems. The same unique expression he had when he saw our two year old born. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, midwife or hospital immediately. The 18-20 week antenatal scan and further tests. For example, the babys brain, kidneys, internal organs or bones may not have developed properly. 18-20 week scans provide clinicians with more information than earlier scans because by18 weeks a healthy baby should be larger and better developed. When I see a child with Down's syndrome, I have a tremendous need to explain myself and apologise a million times over. I give pregnant women dirty looks. 10/03/2021 16:13, @Cormoransjacket 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. By this time, we were tired. I thought surely everything is ok, as they couldn't detect twins the week before. 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. 17/12/2020 17:13. Looked exactly like our two year old as a baby. It sounds crazy, but I just knew. For women who have been given distressing news about their baby during the scan, there should be a health professional available to provide immediate support. I wanted to let nature take its course. The week that followed was an agonising wait. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. Last reviewed July 2017. 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. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. The scan can provide information that may mean you have to make further, important decisions. And I know I can't hurry up the process of grieving. I hadn't thought about the mechanics of such a late termination, but had assumed it would mean some kind of operation. Try to relax and take it easy. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? Any delay in receiving more information about the abnormality and its implications will be distressing for women and this should be acknowledged. The nursery I had selected for our two-year-old son; my maternity leave; the bunk beds; the summer holiday suitable for a newborn baby. 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. Being deeply unhappy and kind to others at the same time is nigh on impossible. We walked all the way home. 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. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. So he was about two weeks smaller than what he should have been. It would be a personal tragedy for my partner and me, but that is all. I didn't really know what that was. So, in the end, we said we would arrange our own funeral. Cardiac surgery can do some amazing things. We spent the next few weeks in a happy bubble. 'I was having nightmares and panic attacks. Eventually, the midwife said to us very sweetly, "I think we should deliver the baby now."
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