The doctor wanted to do another blood test to confirm a significant drop in my hormone levels. Everywhere you look, there are happy, fat, smug pregnant women. Possibly with hindsight we could have been more worried about it, but was probably a good thing we weren't, because we weren't worried about anything basically. And it turned out the baby's heart wasn't forming properly, the chambers weren't forming properly. Living in this world must be unbearable for them. It was the end of January, very end - about the 29th - I'd gone into, I'd gone into 5 months by then. The scan yet again confirmed things were not good, however the sac had grown. I didn't want to be convincing him to agree with me. They would then re-test me in two days time. 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'. I was another one who did get bad news at the 20 week scan. And then all of a sudden, I was still laughing and we were all very upbeat, and then suddenly, he suddenly said, but I was still, still laughing, and he said to me, 'Oh, there might be a problem, there might be a problem with the, I think this baby has hydrocephalus'. You have rejected additional cookies. I thought surely everything is ok, as they couldn't detect twins the week before. My mum arrived early to look after our son, and my partner and I got a cab to the hospital. I ran into the bedroom to tell Sam, who was ecstatic. 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'. It felt like a lifetime to reach our 12-week-scan. I feel empty and incomplete. Check benefits and financial support you can get, Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, NHS fetal anomaly screening programme (FASP), Screening tests for you and your baby (STFYAYB), nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, more information and details of support groups. Eventually, the midwife said to us very sweetly, "I think we should deliver the baby now." Baby loss stories Intellectually, I knew this was not the case. I wrote a few things down last night when we were trying to go over things, just to remind myself. I was disgusted - disgusted that such a tablet existed, let alone that I should have to take it. Mm-hm. 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. My belly was growing and I was feeling great. . I was experiencing some light bleeding for the past few days. Some parents wondered if it was possible to have the same scan done at 16 weeks rather than 20 weeks. 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. When I think about how long it took them to deliberate ultimately, maybe not, but it just felt like a bit of a fast food situation, didn't it? And, sometimes, I wish I had invited my whole family into the hospital room to see him. Some people we talked to had not had a 18-20-week scan, either because their babies' abnormalities had been detected by earlier . Perhaps because we are alone in this, it has brought my partner and me very close. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. ABDOMINAL CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT AT 20 WEEK SCAN. Or, at the very least, heart problems. Being deeply unhappy and kind to others at the same time is nigh on impossible. I think there might be a problem'. Most hospitals do not allow children to attend scans as childcare is not usually available. My partner watched the baby come out, and for a split second I saw a look of joy on his face. An hour passed and I started to panic. 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. 26/09/2019 22:46. 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). Christmas came and went in a blur of emotion, it felt so wrong to be celebrating when we were in such turmoil. . 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. I was wondering if anyone has been is this situation and can give me a glimmer of hope. I think what everyone is saying is that most likely outcome is that there are no problems at all. It would be a personal tragedy for my partner and me, but that is all. As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. Have I misunderstood what's going on?' 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'. We understand the real meaning of "shit happens". Again, we weren't understood. Some people had underestimated how serious any abnormality found at this stage could be for the baby. If you choose not to have the scan you can still have all other parts of your routine antenatal care. I want to enjoy my son again, without any reservations. There is always a chance that a baby may be born with a health issue that scans could not have identified. And I'm glad I did and she's glad she didn't. Baby loss support You get extra care and monitoring as appropriate and baby is proactively treated. 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]. As I waited for the doctor back on the EPU unit. The milk came and stayed for what seemed like for ever. The consultant had said it wouldn't be like a normal delivery. 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. So obviously quite relaxed. I couldn't bear to see the baby and asked the midwife to take him away immediately. Looked exactly like our two year old as a baby. We had the 20 week scan yesterday and got some devastating news. And with each one we had to have the same conversations. Laura miscarried her twin babies in February. The hormone levels had dropped, but they wanted to scan me again. My son's congenital heart defect was detected at the 20 week scan and he had 2 other markers, no . Several women had taken young children with them to the 20-week scan because they expected to see 'nice pictures of the baby'. Sam followed and I broke down. It is a noise that will stay with me for ever. This scan takes place between 18 weeks and 20 weeks 6 days of pregnancy and is commonly called the 20-week scan. And so we talked about it euphemistically, never saying the word "research". I know it is still early days. There was complete silence during the scan. I had to stop myself from yanking out the needle. Many people were deeply affected by their experiences of the 20-week and subsequent specialist scans. I don't know how we got through the next couple of days. Can't seem to find info on the Internet. The consultant showed us the letter with our result on and, yes, there were the words "Down's syndrome". Maybe. That he was small. 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?' This one cannot show you anything, that's what's inside your mind. . 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. No, we really didn't, with hindsight we probably should have, but not at all, it never occurred to us to be worried about it. Only this time, no cry came. 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. This was a ray of hope for us. But the consultant had found more spots on the heart and the measurements were the same. He sounded like a wild animal in pain, deep pain. Unfortunately I was not met with a compassionate sonographer. In a small number of cases some very serious conditions are found. I had no idea if we were doing the "right" thing. And, so they sent me home at that stage because they said the specialist wasn't available till the following day, which was awful. Enough for two weeks after he had been cremated. I went away and came back, and she couldn't get a good picture. And even at that early stage it was beginning to sink in that there was something really not right. And that was extraordinary to see the detail that that could offer. So I lay on the bed and my partner sat next to me. She describes having to make a momentous decision very quickly, and the ferment of relief, guilt and grief that followed, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. We went in, had a scan, I can't remember the exact sequence of events because the baby was still in the wrong position. We were told to go to the hospital immediately. Has anyone been told the sex incorrectly at their 20 week scan? My partner spent the weekend trying to convince me that things were OK. It's part of our family. The screen may be directly facing them or at an angle. 'Soft markers'. We were bound to each other because of the blood that was on both our hands. And it's, I can't remember exactly what it was now, it's about where the brain is supposed to form. I was told they needed to do a blood test to get a bench mark of my hormone levels. We scattered his ashes over a bunch of snowdrops. It was horrible. 15/02/2014 08:02. Two days, after on Christmas Eve, (my 12 week date) I had more blood tests. It was far too much power; neither of us wanted it. As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. 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. 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. 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. But other than that everything was fine. 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. I felt empty, scared, guilty and incredibly heartbroken. Do you have any thoughts about that? No one else but my partner saw how similar he was to our son. Could you tell? I would be put to sleep, and when I woke up I wouldn't be pregnant any more. In some very serious rare cases, where no treatment is possible, the baby will die soon after it is born or during pregnancy. Saturday came. The clinic advised a follow up scan the week after, to check on progress and to see what to do next. Impact of the 20-week and later specialist scans I loved him instantly and didn't want to let him go. As soon as we arrived, we were shown to this little room. Find more information and details of support groups on NHS.UK. You will then be asked to raise your top to your chest and lower your skirt or trousers to your hips. 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'. Another sick joke. . It is extremely rare for these pregnancies to reach term as they typically spontaneously miscarry early in pregnancy. This article was amended on 24 November 2015 to anonymise the writer. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. But on, in the middle of March, 10th March it was, we had a 20 week scan. Wishing to be anywhere, but here being told the same agonising truth over and . I mean the lady who was scanning was very quiet for a long time. That he - I think I was 21 weeks and 3 days, and he was coming up at 19 weeks and 4 days, or something like that. I mean, you just, you're just overwhelmed, it's so much fun. 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. I've realised that being a nice person is a luxury some can't afford. 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. Just doing it. And there [sighs] was a very dark patch over one, where the eye socket was, and they didn't know it, in the Edward's babies sometimes the eyes don't develop properly, or it might have been bleeding, they weren't very sure. I couldn't bring myself to push. But even if I was there, I still think I would have wanted to see the detail on the scan. But it is a soft marker for Edwards' syndrome. Why me and not you, you bastard? 13/12/2020 20:45. Tommys is a registered charity in England and Wales (1060508) and Scotland (SC039280). See more information about the 20-week ultrasound scan. 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. I had no issues at my 20wk scan with DD - and neither did any of my antenatal group (9 mums). The week that followed was an agonising wait. You've had your, you know, you've had your triple test and everything was fine. Never being able to look after himself. We didn't name him. Those two weeks were agonising for us both. You have accepted additional cookies. Anyway we went in for the meeting with the consultant on this particular time, and we'd got to, I was 30 weeks pregnant by then. Nights were impossible. Usually, sonographers will ask a senior sonographer colleague to confirm findings and this should be done immediately. On the third day, we got a phone call. However, a few hours later there was another shift change. Several parents said they would have preferred being told something, even it was vague. I was then told yet again bad news. 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. The thing about that which I felt was difficult is that we could tell when being scanned that there was something very seriously wrong. At that point, I got very not upset but quite sort of strongly severe sort of with the people at the hospital saying, 'Look, you know, that's 24 hours, possibly a 48 hours' wait - that's not something that's tenable. But here I was, minutes later, lying down, waiting. She didn't want to see the baby. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. And that was a terrible moment to be sort of hanging on, waiting. Others said they were shocked because all the early diagnostic tests (e.g. 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. You might be offered another test to find out for certain if your baby has one of the conditions. We saw the consultant, who was reassuring, saying that he would rescan me and was sure everything would be fine. Actually you could tell from the brain development as he scanned up through the chambers of the brain, that one quarter of the brain, one chamber was not evident. Soon, the doctor came and inserted the tablets that would induce labour. Within two days I was waiting in my local EPU unit for further tests. The first midwife seemed to understand what we were trying to say, and said she would ask the doctor to come and talk to us. I took my vitamins, stuck to the healthy diet and put on a brave face. I know I could have delivered him in a quarter of the time, but I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving me. I wanted to let nature take its course. And she sort of got up and walked out of the room and called someone in. It sounds crazy, but I just knew. Read full disclaimer. 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'. So he went out for a walk. So at least then we went to that next stage prepared for the worst really. It was over. So carried on with the plans, and, you know, planning for the, another baby to come along and then we went for a 20- week scan which is obviously the big one and very exciting, seeing all the arms and legs and once again everything was going fine, 'Look here's the baby, here's the length of baby'. Abortion has never raised any moral dilemmas for me and I am an atheist, so there are no religious issues. At this point it wasn't looking great. I was booked back in to discuss management options, if nothing had happened. 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. Still, the consultant thought things would be OK. SO much upset and needless angst has been caused by 'soft markers' found at scans. I had to wait for a doctor to explain the situation. In the case of a suspected abnormality, women should be seen for a second opinion by an expert in fetal ultrasound, such as a fetal medicine specialist. Has anyone been told the wrong sex at 20 week scan? Well send you a link to a feedback form. He wanted to talk about it, but I didn't. 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. It is as though our pain means we've earned the right to be taken more seriously. It went from bad, to worse, to worse, to dire, then to better. I didn't want to go through anymore scans. I know its hard- but i really wouldnt worry about it too much as the worry will stress you and your body out. Within it are a number of recommendations for the communication of findings from ultrasounds. So we went back the day after Boxing Day, the 27th, and the consultant greeted us, which made my alarm bells go, and she started scanning us and I think her lines were, 'What concerns me about this baby is that they've got a diaphragmatic hernia, which has meant that part of the stomach of the baby was in its chest cavity.'. The same anticipation. These were said to be soft markers fo a range of trisomies, 2 of which were incompatible with life. I was young, I didn't need one. We both thought we would like some good to come out of this horrible experience, so wanted to talk to somebody about the possibility of using the body for research purposes. 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. We walked all the way home. The doctor didn't come. I still feel guilty, I still cry at random times. It felt as if we had gone power crazy. Our nightmare began when I went for my 20-week scan. I had to be rescanned latter. I want to stop having such horrible thoughts. Emma was 20 weeks' pregnant when a routine scan revealed that the baby she was expecting had Down's syndrome and heart problems. And nothing prepares you at all. Because we knew that that wasn't normal, that wasn't what we'd experienced before, it wasn't just the, 'There's the arm, there's the leg, oh look the baby's moving'. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. Our baby was beautiful. It felt like a lifetime to reach our 12-week-scan. My partner really wanted me to, and by that time I had no sense of what was right or what I should do. After half an hour of lying on the bed, I was starting to get nervous, but was excited to find out that the baby would be a boy and that I could see his little heart beating strongly. And at that point I don't think we, I don't think we realised that there might have to be a decision, because we'd talked about it with, with Down's and the other possible problems, but at this point it was, well okay what can be done to fix the problem - because yes the heart's not developing properly but there must be something we can do. Some of the other conditions, such as heart defects, are more difficult to see. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? So he was about two weeks smaller than what he should have been. At first, I still had to deal with the physical implications of having given birth. These opinions do not represent the opinions of Tommys and are not advice from Tommy's. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. You've had a scan, you've had the blood tests, you've been good. 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). You will be able to discuss this with your midwife or consultant. 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. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. You could see her face, and the major aspect that was, that was the indication of what was wrong was the thickening at the back of the neck in this instance, which, when you're looking at a fetus is, you know, sort of half a centimetre thicker or not is completely immaterial to me, and would look like a completely normal neck, but from the point of view of the consultant was severely abnormal. I wasn't ready to make a decision straight away, and I was told I could call them in the morning. We bought little outfits, teddies, and researched all the vitamins and foods that I could eat. And my partner and I would have a completely different life from the one we'd imagined.
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chances of bad news at 20 week scan mumsnet