Nhs scans in scotland - insisting on tests??

[Blue_bumpkin]

I have posted before about my anxiety surrounding incompetent cervix. I have extreme anxiety pre pregnancy and as I have one of the risk factors for this am I able to insist on cervical length scans? I asked my mw and she seemed reluctant but I Know this worry it will Completely consume me. I can't afford to go private. If I request and insist and given my anxiety will they have to entertain me? Surely I would get at least one check? How should I go about this?x

 

[Mrs B.]

I gather the NHS are really really reluctant to do cervical checks for some reason. Personally, I think if you have a risk factor then you should be checked. I'm consultant led at the moment and I'm going to mention it to him/her, but I suspect they won't check. Good luck, I hope you get the checks you want!

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I gather the NHS are really really reluctant to do cervical checks for some reason. Personally, I think if you have a risk factor then you should be checked. I'm consultant led at the moment and I'm going to mention it to him/her, but I suspect they won't check. Good luck, I hope you get the checks you want!

How are you going to go about it?? I have a dating scan on the 30th March and the midwife on the 4th April. I won't see the consultant til week 16 x

 

[cat81]

I'm in England and after having my first at 33 weeks i was anxious in my last pregnancy about pre-term labour and cervical incompetence. I asked my consultant who was reluctant as he said that if the problem had been my cervix i would probably have lost the baby at about 20 weeks rather than being able to carry until 33 weeks. However, I argued that I would feel more comfortable if they would check and they agreed to do a cervical scan at my 20 week scan. The results of that were normal so they didn't check again and I carried my second to full term. Why do you think you might be at risk? My advice would be to speak to your consultant and hopefully they will take your worries seriously and give you a scan. Good luck. Xx

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I'm in England and after having my first at 33 weeks i was anxious in my last pregnancy about pre-term labour and cervical incompetence. I asked my consultant who was reluctant as he said that if the problem had been my cervix i would probably have lost the baby at about 20 weeks rather than being able to carry until 33 weeks. However, I argued that I would feel more comfortable if they would check and they agreed to do a cervical scan at my 20 week scan. The results of that were normal so they didn't check again and I carried my second to full term. Why do you think you might be at risk? My advice would be to speak to your consultant and hopefully they will take your worries seriously and give you a scan. Good luck. Xx

I had a termination at 13+6 in 2011. Throughout my pregnancy with my son following that I always suffered with Immense pressure down below. All that was ever done was speculums. I worried myself sick. I did carry him til 38+5 when I was sectioned but my anxiety is sky high. I already suffer heart palpitations and this just intensifies this as well as my anxiety attacks. I think the scans would be more for my sake. We already get a 20 week scan and dating scan I'm hoping if I ask they will just check transvaginally while I'm in xx

 

[cat81]

That's exactly what they did for me. It took about 5 mins and they already have all the equipment there so it's not really an inconvenience. Push for it when you see the consultant. I'm sure they can be persuaded if you explain how it's making you feel. Xx

 

[pinkpassion]

I remember your other thread and you had a lot of reassuring responses! I have had multiple d&c's and yet my cervix is fine. If you carried your son so long after the termination then that would be your better determining factor of how this pregnancy will go!
Stress can affect your pregnancy so my suggestion to you is take comfort in the fact that even after termination you carried your son full term and this pregnancy should be no different . You need to think of your baby now and try to stop stressing!! It is standard (here anyway) to always measure the cervix at the 20 week anatomy scan. When you are having any scan make sure to request that the tech measure your cervix and ask them or your midwife/Dr if the measurement was ok!

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I remember your other thread and you had a lot of reassuring responses! I have had multiple d&c's and yet my cervix is fine. If you carried your son so long after the termination then that would be your better determining factor of how this pregnancy will go!
Stress can affect your pregnancy so my suggestion to you is take comfort in the fact that even after termination you carried your son full term and this pregnancy should be no different . You need to think of your baby now and try to stop stressing!! It is standard (here anyway) to always measure the cervix at the 20 week anatomy scan. When you are having any scan make sure to request that the tech measure your cervix and ask them or your midwife/Dr if the measurement was ok!

That does give me some Comfort but my anxiety wins. It always wins. That's precisely the reason I want the checks to alleviate some of the stress and worry. I will ask at my scans. My dating scan I will be 12 weeks do you think they will check that early?? If they did I could perhaps book a private scan at 16 weeks then if they checked it again at my 20 week that would give me a huge amount of relief with no additional scanning on their part. Thanks. I don't think cervical length is checked where I am as standard xx

 

[pinkpassion]

You can always ask them to check it when they are scanning You! Put up a fuss if you have to!

 

[SonnyH]

I find over exaggerating gets you a bit further with the NHS sometimes. I've not had to use such tactics in pregnancy but in the past when they kept writing my stomach issues off as just IBS, I started to over exaggerate a bit to get them to listen to me and run some basic tests. Turned out I do indeed have another condition contributing to the pain. I enjoyed telling my doctor afterwards..!

I'm not saying lie and make up symptoms, totally not, but sometimes no harm in saying the symptoms you have are a tad worse than they are!

 

[Mrs B.]

How are you going to go about it?? I have a dating scan on the 30th March and the midwife on the 4th April. I won't see the consultant til week 16 x

Ah, I've been told I'll be seeing the consultant a few days after my dating scan, so I was going to speak to him/her then (although I've yet to receive any appointment!). I'm surprised you're not seeing a consultant until wk 16 if you're consultant led. I don't see the midwife now until wk 16, so maybe you could request seeing the consultant instead of the midwife after the dating scan? Xx

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I'm going to call on Monday and try and request that. When do they start to check cervical length ? From what I've read it's preferably around 16, 20 then 24 weeks?? With additional ones if needed?xx

 

[Mrs B.]

That's what I've read too... good luck! Xx

 

[loeylo]

I'm in Scotland. They don't check cervical length unless they have a reason to. They are also reluctant to do things to appease anxiety as anxious mothers often find something else to worry about. I was referred to a specialist midwife at the hospital (I'm in west central Scotland) who referred me for hypnobirthing classes and gave me loads of resources. It is incredibly selfish to exaggerate symptoms, don't do that. It causes women who have real issues to wait longer for treatment.

 

[whatwillbex]

I think you really need to be open with your mw and explain how anxious you are. If she knew you were this anxious about it she would get a referral sorted. She my even offer some talking therapy to help with your anxieties. X

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I think you really need to be open with your mw and explain how anxious you are. If she knew you were this anxious about it she would get a referral sorted. She my even offer some talking therapy to help with your anxieties. X

I already see the perinatal mental health team for my anxiety and depression. This was already pretty much set up since before I fell pregnant it's just this one thing I worry about relentlessly xx

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I'm in Scotland. They don't check cervical length unless they have a reason to. They are also reluctant to do things to appease anxiety as anxious mothers often find something else to worry about. I was referred to a specialist midwife at the hospital (I'm in west central Scotland) who referred me for hypnobirthing classes and gave me loads of resources. It is incredibly selfish to exaggerate symptoms, don't do that. It causes women who have real issues to wait longer for treatment.

This isn't a whimsical thing. I worry because I do check one of the risk factors. All that will happen as with my son is that any pressure I feel below I will end up at triage. That will be more costly and time consuming than a scan that lasts a couple of minutes. I can't block out my anxieties. When they kick in I can convince myself very quickly that my baby is dying or my pregnancy is ending. However absurd that may seem to others it is very real for me in those moments. I wouldn't want to exaggerate my symptoms but I feel my gut instinct, however irrational at times is what I will be going on for the sake of my baby, if that means doing that. When I was pregnant with my youngest son, my anxiety again picked up after 28 weeks and centred around movements and the day assessment local to me was very accommodating to my needs. They were aware I had anxiety. My health, including my mental health is just as important as my unborn child's. I feel that should be accommodated to an extent as part of my care. Xx

 

[whatwillbex]

Mental health sucks, I suffer with health anxiety. Once I've got something in my head I find it really hard to shake it off without professional reassurance or tests etc.
I'm glad you already have some support. I hope you can get some answers soon. As its horrible worrying and the not knowing

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

Mental health sucks, I suffer with health anxiety. Once I've got something in my head I find it really hard to shake it off without professional reassurance or tests etc.
I'm glad you already have some support. I hope you can get some answers soon. As its horrible worrying and the not knowing

Thanks. That's exactly what I'm like I'm normally on a combination of medications to control things but they're not advisable in pregnancy. My gp is going to prescribe me something else after my first trimester to see if it helps. Even medicated my anxiety is so bad my ex has to send me photos of my oldest when he's there even when he's sleeping (he's Happy enough to do it for an easy life) and I always check my youngests breathing randomly during the night. It can be very exhausting. It just seems a no brainer that if I'm being scanned anyway that they could check it while I'm in. I'm hoping my midwife understands xxx

 

[loeylo]

I'm in Scotland. They don't check cervical length unless they have a reason to. They are also reluctant to do things to appease anxiety as anxious mothers often find something else to worry about. I was referred to a specialist midwife at the hospital (I'm in west central Scotland) who referred me for hypnobirthing classes and gave me loads of resources. It is incredibly selfish to exaggerate symptoms, don't do that. It causes women who have real issues to wait longer for treatment.

This isn't a whimsical thing. I worry because I do check one of the risk factors. All that will happen as with my son is that any pressure I feel below I will end up at triage. That will be more costly and time consuming than a scan that lasts a couple of minutes. I can't block out my anxieties. When they kick in I can convince myself very quickly that my baby is dying or my pregnancy is ending. However absurd that may seem to others it is very real for me in those moments. I wouldn't want to exaggerate my symptoms but I feel my gut instinct, however irrational at times is what I will be going on for the sake of my baby, if that means doing that. When I was pregnant with my youngest son, my anxiety again picked up after 28 weeks and centred around movements and the day assessment local to me was very accommodating to my needs. They were aware I had anxiety. My health, including my mental health is just as important as my unborn child's. I feel that should be accommodated to an extent as part of my care. Xx

I get it, I had anxiety when I was pregnant too, to the point that my resting heart rate was frequently in the high 130s. I had anxiety about losing the baby as I had two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy - I did get weekly ctg scans due to reduced movements. What I'm saying is that worry isn't rational. In my experience, when one fear is allayed, the anxiety doesn't go. It just transfers to something else. Even though I was being checked for reduced movements, I then started worrying about strep b (for no particular reason)

The point I'm trying to make is they need to find the reason for the anxiety and treat that, rather than treating the anxiety symptoms. For me, the cause of my anxiety was because I had already lost three babies.

And FYI, it's against the rules of the forum to speak about abortion so id maybe edit your post or the thread might be closed.