What Happens When You Have A Private Baby Scan?

When you book a private baby scan, you will be sent confirmation of your appointment via email or post and any details about the scan will be contained in this confirmation, including advice about preparation. If you have any questions about the scan, you should contact the clinic or ask before you begin your scan; the team will be happy to help in any way. When you arrive for your scan, you will be shown to the scan room and the sonographer will check that you feel comfortable and are ready to proceed. It’s important that you have a full bladder for the test, as this enables the sonographer to see the baby clearly. It’s also a good idea to wear a loose top, so that you can lift it up easily; you will not need to get undressed, but you will need to roll your top up to enable the sonographer to access the whole area, so that they can see every part of your baby.

Before the scan starts, your sonographer will place ultrasound gel on your tummy; this won’t hurt, but it will probably feel a little cold. This gel enables the probe to move easily over your skin.

Your sonographer will then check that you are happy to proceed and place the probe on your skin; they will move the probe around the whole of your tummy to show the entire body on the screen. The images will be visible on the monitor. The sonographer will keep the screen in a certain position throughout the scan to enable them to gain the best viewpoint; at some points, they will talk you through what you can see, highlighting the different body parts and explaining the images. If your baby is lying in an awkward position, the images may not be as clear; in this case, your sonographer may take a little longer to do the scan in the hope that the baby will move or they may recommend arranging another scan.

Having an ultrasound scan is not painful, but you may feel pressure, especially around your bladder, as you need a full bladder to get the best images and your sonographer may have to push the probe slightly harder in some areas to get the best images.

During the scan, the sonographer will discuss their findings with you and afterwards, you will be free to go; you can usually buy photographs of your scan to take home and show off to your friends and family.

In the event that a scan picks up any abnormalities, additional treatment and tests may be recommended and these will be discussed with you at the time.

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