9 week midwife appt, no listening to heartbeat or scan, is this normal?

[clara123]

I had my booking in appt with the midwife this morning, I asked to listen to the heartbeat as I've had some blood/brown discharge, she said it's too early to hear anything, I also won't have a scan for another few weeks. I'm 9 weeks, has anyone else heard the heartbeat or had a scan at this point?

 

[TTCabundle]

That's normal hun, they usually won't listen to the heartbeat untill atleast 16 weeks and usually your first scan is at 12 weeks xx

 

[SleepyBaby]

With my last two pregnancys in N.Ireland, even while bleeding, ive been refused scans they deemed to early, they told me they might not be able to hear or see anything yet and that would cause alot of stress only for a couple of weeks later to go back and see everything healthy!

I get booking app at 12 weeks where i get scanned and stuff, nothing before that!

 

[Sarah1508]

Sounds totally normal , don't worry with my first pregnancy I had my scan at 12 weeks and heard baby's heartbeat for the first time a few weeks after, the first appointments are really just for getting to know your midwife, filling forms , taking wee samples , blood samples , blood pressure etc

I was actually lucky this pregnancy I managed to hear baby's heartbeat at 10 weeks and got a scan at 11 but that is only because I got my dates wrong so when I had the scan we thought I was 13 weeks and when the doctor tried for the heartbeat it's only because I had been violently sick for two months and ended up collapsing last Sunday and had to go tithe doctirs surgery in the evening , he even said himself we might not hear anything so it's your choice if you want me to try or not and I said yes because i was really worried tbh , and because I was so early on it took a good long while to actually find anything! And now we know why because my dates where wrong that's the reason they don't likevto check for the heartbeat so early becaus even if there is one sometimes they can't find it and you can imagine what sort of stress that would cause an anxious mother!

 

[clara123]

It seems a lot different here than in the US? Looks like the US ladies on here have things earlier? With my 1st (10 years ago) they only did 1 scan at 20 weeks, so a 12 week scan as well is a bonus!

 

[Sarah1508]

Yes that's what I've been thinking too just from ladies posting in here , they seem to see you a lot earlier in the US then they do in the UK and they are also more thorough with lots of different things they check , not sure if I would like it that way tbh unless my pregnancy was high risk then of course I would want to be monitored in every way possible! Saying that though if you have any bleeding etc from what I have read here they seem to handle that very well! With checking things etc whereas here (I experienced bleeding on and off the majority of my last pregnancy) they an be quite brutal and insensitive! I mean when I bled the first time while carrying my son before the 12 week stage all I was told on the Friday when I phoned in panic mode was "well if something bad is happening there is nothing we can do about it and it will just happen over the weekend and as we don't have any appointments left for today you are just going to have to wait till Monday to see if you have miscarried or not" and that was it (worst weekend of my life!!) but I obviously didn't miscarry it was down to something totaly different but I just found it so awful how insensitive they where about possible early miscarriage! I think that is where the UK need to really change! It's just out of order!

 

[Lithodora]

The US girls on here seem to get scans as soon as their period is late and they get a positive test! I find it a bit weird tbh, people then get used to that and want scans every time they have a twinge.

 

[clara123]

I wonder if it's cos of the US healthcare system, ie as it's covered by medical insurance (I believe) the hospitals/docs get paid for each procedure/intervention so would get paid if they do a scan? I could be completely wrong about that.

 

[smoore]

I agree that it is completely normal! My doctor won't try to hear the heart beat at all until at least 12 weeks.

I think the what's normal on scans/ultrasounds depends on area or doctor. My doctor would typically not do any kind of ultrasound until at least 12 weeks unless there is an issue.

With my last pregnancy, they were not going to do anything early, but I had some heavy spotting. They then had me get an ultrasound (6-7 weeks) just to make sure things were going okay. Then I didn't get another scan until 20 weeks though (rather than having one at 12 weeks).

This time, due to issues in my last pregnancy (son was stillborn at 30 weeks), we are getting a lot of extra tests and procedures to make sure things are going well.

 

[greats]

Scans in my area typically occur at 8 weeks, 12 weeks to check for Down syndrome, 20 weeks for anatomy and sex of the baby, and between 27-31 weeks and that one is usually a 3-D ultrasound depending if your insurance covers it.

With my dd I had an ultrasound every week from 5-12 weeks and then every other week until 20 weeks and my last one at 31 weeks. I had so many bc I had two miscarriages before that and they wanted to check to see if baby was growing normally.

It's only weird to you UK ladies bc you're not familiar with having it done this way.

 

[THart]

It depend on their practice. Ob did let us listen at our 9 week app, but with my first I was 11 weeks.

Normally I'd all is considered good with the pregnancy where I am u would only have a 20 week scan

 

[Luckybug]

I know on the German economy they get a scan every visit here. It makes me a bit jealous because at the US hospital on base they only do them at 12 and 20 weeks, it used to only be at 20!

 

[Lithodora]

It's only weird to you UK ladies bc you're not familiar with having it done this way.

Not all of us are in the UK btw. Same reason that it's weird to US ladies that we do it this way. Doesn't mean your way is the right way either. I do think the more people get the more people expect and fly into a panic if they can't have a scan or can't find a heartbeat with a doppler ASAP (very few people here have dopplers for that exact reason), there is a lot less panicking/worrying threads on sites where I am.

 

[Radiance]

Completely normal. In the US (most places) start checking heartbeat with doppler at 12 weeks Ultrasounds really depend on your area. Some do early scans (6ish weeks) and then 12-13 weeks, others do it at the first appointment around (8-10), some don't do it until 12-13 weeks... it really just depends on your pregnancy, area, and doctor.

 

[mod19]

I'm in the US and had a scan and heard the HB at 7 weeks. Another scan and hb at 11 weeks. Listened to the HB at 15 weeks, and I go in again next week at 19/20 weeks for another scan
I was considered high risk until a viable pregnancy was seen though.

 

[jbk]

I won't have a Doppler HB until 12 weeks, but I'm having my first scan at 8w4d. I'm in the US. I don't think my doctor will do another scan until 20 and it'll be my last.

 

[mod19]

I won't have a Doppler HB until 12 weeks, but I'm having my first scan at 8w4d. I'm in the US. I don't think my doctor will do another scan until 20 and it'll be my last.

If they're seeing you at 8 weeks for a scan there's a good chance you'll get another one at 12 weeks! Hope you do!

 

[jbk]

I won't have a Doppler HB until 12 weeks, but I'm having my first scan at 8w4d. I'm in the US. I don't think my doctor will do another scan until 20 and it'll be my last.

If they're seeing you at 8 weeks for a scan there's a good chance you'll get another one at 12 weeks! Hope you do!

With my son she only did a 10 week and a 21 week :/

 

[mod19]

I won't have a Doppler HB until 12 weeks, but I'm having my first scan at 8w4d. I'm in the US. I don't think my doctor will do another scan until 20 and it'll be my last.

If they're seeing you at 8 weeks for a scan there's a good chance you'll get another one at 12 weeks! Hope you do!

With my son she only did a 10 week and a 21 week :/

Lame

 

[eulmh82]

I wonder if it's cos of the US healthcare system, ie as it's covered by medical insurance (I believe) the hospitals/docs get paid for each procedure/intervention so would get paid if they do a scan? I could be completely wrong about that.

I think that's right. It's essentially private healthcare so they do get more intervention etc.