Anatomy Scan distress

JSS1002 · April 2014

Hi ladies. I've only posted a few times here before so I apologize for dropping in sort of out of nowhere, but I could use some feedback and, well, I'm 36 and most of the other boards are younger than I am. :-)

This is baby #2. We had our anatomy scan this morning -- and it's a girl! -- we are thrilled. Everything seemed to be okay, but afterwards, the doctor said he wanted us to come back in 6 weeks for another ultrasound because he couldn't get a close enough look at the mouth and heart. He didn't really say he had any specific concerns (now wishing I could go back in time and ask more questions), but that those are two things they need to make sure are okay because it will affect where I deliver (ie, if the baby needs to be in a stronger NICU than in my currently-chosen hospital, I might want to choose a different hospital).

6 weeks just feels like an eternity to wait for some reassurance that this little lady is okay. Has anybody here been through anything like this before? I am hopeful that if he truly had specific concerns he would just tell us that in the moment.

Of note - this was at Maternal Fetal Medicine so it wasn't my usual doctor.

Thanks,

Jess

**Updated** I should have read before I posted- somebody asked this question below. Sorry!!

2redtulips · April 2014

It took our ultrasound tech ages to get just the right angle on the heart to take a clear image. She said, "It's really hard to get a good image of something moving." And it's both the baby and the heart moving at the same time.

I have also heard from several ladies here that they had to go back for another peek at the heart because the original images weren't clear enough for the doc to read correctly.

So, I think it's common, and I hope that helps ease your mind.

Plus, I think you should call your doc and ask your questions now. You don't need to wait. Just say, "I was thinking more after the appointment, and I have a few questions for clarification." I am sure your doc would rather have you call than have you be worried for six weeks.

Sending you good thoughts.

JSS1002 · April 2014

2redtulips said:

Plus, I think you should call your doc and ask your questions now. You don't need to wait. Just say, "I was thinking more after the appointment, and I have a few questions for clarification." I am sure your doc would rather have you call than have you be worried for six weeks.

Sending you good thoughts.

Thank you - I will probably give it a few days and thne call my OBGYN and ask questions -- by then hopefully she'll have had a chance to look at the scans. The doctor yesterday was at Maternal Fetal Medicine so not my actual doctor or clinic at all.

2momsinCA · April 2014

Hey, I had to have 2 anatomy scans. One at 16 weeks and one at 22, 6 weeks apart. Our MFM recommended the 6 week time gap because that's how much growth had to occur so that he could get better measurements on the heart, palate, brain, etc.

JSS1002 · April 2014

Thanks - I was just coming over here to report an update on this, in case anybody was reading. I couldn't stop freaking out, so I called one of my best friends who is also a neonatologist. And she was frank and told me that the reason they probably need another anatomy scan later is because i'm overweight and when the baby is that small, it is already hard to get accurate pictures, and even moreso when the mom has extra fat. Huge relief and probably the first time I've ever been relieved to have my weight cause a problem. I wish the doc had just told me that - she said most doctors (and that one in particular, who she knows) are too embarrassed to tell people that. But I would have rather heard that than have worried!

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Anatomy Scan distress

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