first scan appointment

[HelloMummy123]

Hi everyone, just found out i am expecting again. Should i get my first scan appointment before my initial antenatal registration appointment or after?

[Rezeva]

No need to do that - that's what your GP is there for. Don't know what level of health care you get wherever you live but here in Ireland the GP will register you with a maternity scheme at the inicial visit - so all the maternity care is covered. Also as much as we get excited and want to see the fetus straight away, read about the "ALARA principle" in pregnancy...

The doctors like to get the first scan done very early. Personally I went for the first in second trimester and always requested the doctors to keep the exposure to minimum and at as low intensity as possible to get the job done. The 20 week, development scan is quite long and my baby definitely didn't like it - he was covering his ears, and turning away from the wand...

The level of care you want or don't want to receive is purely your decision.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

[Seb9 in reply to Rezeva]

Just to reassure you about sonograms, unlike other imaging techniques, ultrasound uses no ionizing radiation to create the images or video. Because there is no ultrasound radiation, ultrasounds are the preferred method of imaging a pregnant woman or infant. The ALARA issue is mainly for pregnant people working with radiation or who require other imaging during pregnancy such as MRI or X-Ray. There's some good infirmity about it on the NCT website nct.org.uk/pregnancy/tests-....

[Seb9]

Congratulations on your pregnancy, how exciting. think you normally get your letter for your midwife first for your booking in appointment at around 8 -10 weeks and then your scan letter comes for between 9-14 weeks, so sometimes the letters can overlap sometimes. The NHS website has lots of information about your journey and when to expect certain things to happen. nhs.uk/pregnancy/finding-ou... found it really helpful, hope you have a lovely pregnancy xx