Anyone else NOT into getting a million scans?

[Bunnikins]

Im a sonographer and did ultrasound safety as part of my degree. I know its safe... and i also know there are a lot of things that, if werent picked up, could kill the baby and the mother... things like placenta previa for example.. you wouldnt know til you started haemmorhaging at delivery... or conditions like heart defects that need intervention within hours of baby being born, or they might die. I respect anyones choice.. but feel why not take advantage of the technology available for the good of your self and your baby. The doctors dont scan you for their benefit.. its for yours and the babys! I do agree, however, you probably only need 2 scans in a normal pregnancy.. one to date the pregnancy.. one to check for abnormalities. Any more is probably excessive unless there is a known problem xxxx

 

[Heatherlt]

I've gotten a dating scan with both of my pregnancies because I needed to argue with my OB that I ovulated late and what she was saying wasn't my due date. I also did the routine 20 week scans, and have gotten a 3d/4d scan with each. I love seeing my babies in there, and it truly helps me bond with them. But, I agree with little medical intervention otherwise. I had an unmedicated home birth with my second baby (after switching to a midwife) and will do it again. I enjoyed not having IV's, pitocin, epidurals, etc.

With that said, I also got an ultrasound with my third pregnancy to "rule out fetal demise" because of spotting, and as it turned out we caught an ectopic pregnancy very very early. I still have both tubes because of it and my midwife's actions. I'd hate to see how it would have gone without the scan.

 

[x-amy-x]

ive had LOTS of scans already.... probably about 10... not everyone's body works how it should do

 

[xMissxZoiex]

Im planning on having a home water birth, Also hopefully a lotus birth!. I will be refusing all genetic tests, there is a test in my day to day pregnancy book that looks really gruesome! It looks painful for both mum and baby!. I cant remember what it was called or what it tests for but ill have a look in my book if anyone wants to know.

As far as pregnancy is conserned for my, i have had previous MC and spotting & bleeding in this pregnancy already, so i will be getting a early scan, a 12 week scan, a 20 week scan and also i will be paying for a 3D ultrasound around 25 weeks. Ultrasounds are safe in my book, as long as your not having one everyother week. Also because we spent 4 years TTC Hoping and praying that one day we would be able to have a baby of our own and we are going to cherish every second we possibly can because you never know whats going to happen. But then im the sort of person that has a NEED to know NOW personality. I wish i could wait calmly for 40 weeks but ive been through too much already to do that LOL

Good luck, i do think its a good idea to have atleast 1 scan just to make sure you are only having one baby, and he/she is healthy. I Respect your decision you are a braver lady than i am! xx

 

[Sunshine12]

Totally respect your thoughts on this but I guess Im probably the opposite. Whilst Im not getting loads of scans I am getting NT scan, bloods 20 week scan and an amnio. During labour I will most certainly be getting an epidural (providing its possible at the time). x

 

[loverguts]

Totally respect your thoughts on this but I guess Im probably the opposite. Whilst Im not getting loads of scans I am getting NT scan, bloods 20 week scan and an amnio. During labour I will most certainly be getting an epidural (providing its possible at the time). x

Do you mind me asking why you've already decided to get an amnio? I was under the impression you are offered it if your NT scan comes back as high risk. I probably am completely wrong though!

 

[Sunshine12]

Totally respect your thoughts on this but I guess Im probably the opposite. Whilst Im not getting loads of scans I am getting NT scan, bloods 20 week scan and an amnio. During labour I will most certainly be getting an epidural (providing its possible at the time). x

Do you mind me asking why you've already decided to get an amnio? I was under the impression you are offered it if your NT scan comes back as high risk. I probably am completely wrong though!

Hi, of course I dont mind you asking. You can get it even if your risk ratios are low. I might be skipping the blood test and going straight for amnio but need to discuss it next week when Im at my scan. Ive heard of so many cases where the low/high risk results have been incorrect that I want to get things checked no matter what the outcome of NT etc. I imagine I am in a minority but I feel its something I need to do.

 

[v2007]

I had 18 with my last pregnancy, without them my daughter would have died and i would have been planning another one of my childrens funeral.

No everyones body does the right thing when pregnant!!!

 

[loverguts]

Totally respect your thoughts on this but I guess Im probably the opposite. Whilst Im not getting loads of scans I am getting NT scan, bloods 20 week scan and an amnio. During labour I will most certainly be getting an epidural (providing its possible at the time). x

Do you mind me asking why you've already decided to get an amnio? I was under the impression you are offered it if your NT scan comes back as high risk. I probably am completely wrong though!

Hi, of course I dont mind you asking. You can get it even if your risk ratios are low. I might be skipping the blood test and going straight for amnio but need to discuss it next week when Im at my scan. Ive heard of so many cases where the low/high risk results have been incorrect that I want to get things checked no matter what the outcome of NT etc. I imagine I am in a minority but I feel its something I need to do.

Oh wow, i never knew you could get it regardless! It would be nice to have a a definitive test for all the things it checks for. I personally am so squeamish at the thought of the actual process that i don't think i could have it done.
I used to be put off by the fact that it was sort of thought of as a possible risky procedure but i read an article recently that said the risks are a LOT lower than it was once said.Good luck with it and i hope your results show a perfectly healthy baby

 

[babypeanut25]

I have had a 6 week scan and 8 week scan so far. I also have a 11 week scan booked and after that will be getting a 20 week. I have had a miscarriage and 2 chemicals as well as multiple problems with my inside lady parts . I will not being doing any genetic testing as my hubby and I will love the this baby regardless. As for birth I will be letting my body guide me. If I get to the point I can't deal with the pain I won't withhold meds from myself but my goal is to do it naturally.

 

[Liesje]

I hear a lot of people say that they won't get genetic testing because they'll love the baby anyway (not talking about anyone in this thread because everyone says it, not just a few people here)... but I'm not sure what those people mean about getting the tests?
We have neighbors who chose not to get the tests for their twins and I'm not sure what their twins have, but they weren't able to bring them home for four months because they had to have special generators and acquire other equipment for their home (which they could have prepared for before the birth) and brought them home right after, if they had done the testing. Also, surgeries, if necessary, can be arrange and prepared for so they're not an emergency situation after.
To me the tests were never about whether or not I'll love the baby, but it seemed more like my responsibility to get the proper medical care if necessary.

 

[Mummyjohnson]

Personally I think if medical checks can offer your even the slightest benefit, then it has got to be doing them for your baby's sake. I would love to have had a completely natural pregnancy and birth, but unfortunately if I had done, my baby would have died. (I'm perfectly healthy and had no reason to think anything untoward may occur.) Sorry to be morbid. x x

 

[Djibou]

I am being followed by a midwife, and very excited about it because they are hard to find around here! We refused genetic testing and the first ultrasound because I know exactly when conception occured. I'll get the 20 weeks ultrasound but that sould be it. I'm trusting my body, and as you said, being pregnant is not a disease, it's a natural process

 

[EMC0528]

I totally respect what you're saying. With my son I wanted to have a natural birth, as little medical intervention possible. I ended up needing medical intervention due to a difficult delivery and the doctors saved my little guys life.

Between that and my miscarriage I need all the reassurance I can get. I wish I could be as calm and positive as you are!!!

Sorry for hijacking your thread with pros and cons of scans.

 

[MountainDoula]

A scan at 6 weeks can rule out an ectopic pregnancy which can save a woman's life. I don't think scans at 6 weeks are pointless. But I wish I had enough faith in my body. After my miscarriage, I pretty much doubt everything.

I am absolutely not saying that a scan is pointless if there is reason to be concerned. I'm so sorry you suffered a miscarriage and that it makes you feel so much doubt. Are bodies are resilient though, and I have faith in your body. I hope you find some too. Hugs to you.

 

[MountainDoula]

I'll be having the routine scans but don't feel the need to have any more. I understand your views about pregnancy being natural etc., but can I ask if you're extending that viewpoint to all aspects of pregnancy and giving birth? You won't be having medical attention during birth? I don't mean interference, just any attention whatsoever? Ultrasounds have been around for decades now and there's nothing to pinpoint that they're unsafe in anyway.

I just think we're lucky to have all these safety nets in the developed world, and they're all designed to keep us and our babies safe. There's some countries where medical attention is rare, or even banned for women by the government in some countries, and 50% of women die because of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. In the west women and babies used to die routinely.

I do understand that if there is a reason to be concerned with a particular pregnancy, it is great that we have this technology available. My concern is with the overuse of it. I know that ultrasounds have been around for years, but there is also not much evidence that they are safe either. They have kind of just become a doctor's "go to". There are many things that can be monitored hands on as opposed to being monitored with machines. I just think it is important to do our own research on all of these interventions because our bodies and our babies belong to us.

As far as my birth goes, I plan on having a water birth at home with my midwife. I'm not saying I want no medical attention at all, as a midwife is medically trained, of course, I just want the least intervention as possible. That's just me personally though. I do respect everyone's decision to do whatever they want with their pregnancy and birth. I just created this thread to see if I could make some friends that are in the same mindset as me.

So jealous you can do at home birth. I really wanted one too but its ILLEGAL in my state to have a certified midwife present at a home birth Sad face.

So I'm definitely in the 'same mindset' as you. Funny (sad) story - my doc did blood work at at 8 weeks, I tested positive for Strep B. I don't even know why she tested me so early because no one else does. Anyway, she gives me a script for 2000 mg of antibotics for 7 days... in my first trimester. I was like, you have to be kidding me! Then I go home and read that even the CDC doesn't recommend treating Strep B before labor because you'll just reinfect yourself. Thus - do your own research and don't do something just because your doctor says so.

Thanks for sharing the story about you doctor. Holy smokes! I can't believe she gave you antibiotics so early. Something we can all learn from for sure.

And boo to your state for not letting you have a home birth!! That's crazy.

 

[MountainDoula]

There's no actual hard evidence to suggest that a scan poses a risk to pregnancies. I would imagine that refusing to have any scans would probably put a woman at more risk than having a scan would... like another poster said, a womans life could be lost of she didnt have a scan to show it was an ectopic pregnancy. Or someone carrying multiples without knowing could have serious complications etc etc. Im sure the list is probably endless

I hear what you are saying, but the thing is, there are other ways to indicate that there might be something wrong in a pregnancy. Then a scan can be done to check it out. The research I have done so far indicates that frequent unnecessary scans do not result in more positive pregnancies. In fact, although doctors say that they are completely safe, there is actually VERY little research saying they are. The American Medical Association apparently has not even approved the use of ultrasounds for unnecessary purposes (meaning routine scans just to check up on things).

So, for sure, I think that ultrasounds are very very important tools - if there is a reason to believe there might be something wrong in a pregnancy. Unfortunately, in this overmedicalized world that we live in, doctors have taking to the habit of just scanning instead of using hands on skills to detect problems.

I do not believe I am putting myself or my baby in jeopardy by not having a scan. But I of course, completely respect the decisions that you, and every other woman makes in regards to scans in their own pregnancy.

Thanks for your insight!

 

[junebabycomin]

Great topic! I share similar opinions to you about pregnancy NOT being a medical condition. People and animals have given birth without intervention for all of time. And oddly since I'm very interested in being a part of the medical profession, I also think western medicine almost goes too far...keeping people alive who have no quality of life, simply because we can (and oftentimes, legally have to), and in evolutionary terms preventing the human species from adapting as other species do (though i suppose we make up for this by manipulating our environment so we ourselves don't have to change).

Anyways, back to the pregnancy topic. Had a been a regular woman who had no issues getting pregnant, I would do my best to be very natural about the whole process. That had always been my plan...no "trying" to conceive, no extra meds, etc. But when life says no babies without $5000 of meds (a month), well, all bets are off. I'm much more protective of this little fetus than I expected, as it might be my only opportunity to actually have a child. And while I'd still prefer not to have an epidural or even a hospital birth, I don't have the confidence to try to deliver at home and the only other option here is a hospital.

 

[PoodleMommy]

I was like that... for my first four pregnancies or so. My DH and I are very much into minimal intervention, organic food, natural living, etc. I had trust in my body to grow a baby, but it let me down... one after another after another. We've had six miscarriages. This is our seventh pregnancy. We chose early ultrasounds this time so we wouldn't get our hopes sky-high only to have them crushed yet again.

I suspect that no matter how anti-ultrasound you are, if you'd had as many devastating heartbreaks as we've had, you'd probably decide to get early monitoring as we have.

Yes, I WISH I were a normal woman who had normal pregnancies and normal babies and could "fly blind" for 40 weeks, secure in the knowledge that everything was fine. I am jealous of you all in that very fortunate situation. I wish I could rewind time to my first pregnancy when I was innocent and naive and thought a positive pregnancy test meant a baby at the end of nine months.

Incidentally, my husband and I have declined any and all invasive testing, even with this pregnancy, such as amnio (even though it was strongly recommended).

I make sure the ultrasound exposure is only for 2-3 minutes at most... just enough to see the baby's growth is on track with no catastrophic signs of death or impending death. (Believe it or not, I am somewhat anti-ultrasound myself... in an ideal world.)


We will have a natural home birth. We will be declining any medical interventions unless my midwife is convinced I and/or my baby will die otherwise. We will not be vaccinating our child and probably will not even do check-ups at a standard pediatrician's office. We believe in letting children grow healthy and strong the old-fashioned way... with a strong immune system thanks to breast-feeding, and healthy wholesome organic foods rather than the chemical junk most children are subjected to.

I doubt very much that a few minutes' worth of ultrasounds will harm my baby, and I can tell you that in my situation, they have been INVALUABLE in helping me realize this baby really is going to be alive in my arms in a few months. Before my first ultrasound with this pregnancy, I was deeply depressed... I sobbed when I got the first positive pg test, sure that this would end in the devastating heartbreak all the others have. How could I possibly expect any different?

But then... when I first saw my precious baby with his little heart beating away so strongly, I was instantly in love. I've been so joy-filled, so ecstatic, so blissfully at peace this entire pregnancy; I can almost feel the rush of love hormones! Surely THAT is a much greater benefit to my baby than going through nine months of fear and overwhelming depression just because I rigidly wanted to stick to my "no ultrasound" ideal... don't you think?

 

[MountainDoula]

Absolutley! I believe we should all do what makes us most comfortable. Happy pregnancy and birth to you!