When do i get first scan

Approaching 8 weeks, early brain formation is identified with a black space in the head called the rhombencephalon. Sometimes it may be too early to gather all the information required to confirm the stage of your pregnancy. In this situation you may be required to return for a repeat ultrasound in days. Check your baby's heartbeat. A dating scan is a more accurate way of establishing your due date than counting from your last monthly period LMP.

It's also an opportunity to check how your baby is growing and developing. An accurate due date is particularly important if you choose to have a screening test for Down's syndrome. That's because screening needs to be carried out between 11 weeks and 13 weeks plus six days of pregnancy.

When will I have my first midwife appointment and what will happen? Our midwife takes you through what to expect in your first antenatal appointment. More pregnancy videos. A practical solution to combining data and screening for Down's syndrome. Ultrasound Fetal anomaly screening programme: handbook for ultrasound practitioners.

The pregnancy dating scan. Antenatal care - uncomplicated pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Guideline NHS fetal anomaly screening programme handbook. Public Health England. Screening in pregnancy: dating scan. You're pregnant: scans and tests.

Public Health Scotland. Antenatal screening tests. Intimate examinations and chaperone policy. Society of Radiographers. The scan is optional and not everyone will have it. You can discuss whether you want or need a dating scan with your doctor or midwife. If you choose to have a dating scan, it will most probably be your first scan. You will need to get a referral from your doctor or midwife for a dating scan.

Most women can instead have their first scan at 11 to 13 weeks — this is usually called the week scan. A dating scan is carried out by ultrasound. A sonographer, who is usually a radiographer or a midwife trained in ultrasound, will complete your scan.

If the scan is after 10 weeks, ultrasound recordings are usually made through your abdomen. The sonographer will put gel on your abdomen and move a hand-held device called a transducer, back and forward over your skin.

In some situations, such as when the scan is completed before 10 weeks of gestation or you are overweight, you may also need a vaginal scan. Your sonographer will let you know if this is needed.

For an abdominal dating ultrasound, you will need to have a full bladder. You may be asked to drink some water and not go to the toilet beforehand because a full bladder helps to push your womb up to give a better picture. For a vaginal scan, you can have an empty bladder. This will provide a fairly accurate estimate of how many weeks pregnant you are. But it is important to remember that only a few women go into labour on their due date, so it can be more helpful to think about the month in which you are expecting your baby, rather than the exact day.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. In the second trimester of pregnancy, you may be offered to have an morphology scan anomaly scan. Learn about what it looks for and when it is performed.

Most women will have at least one ultrasound scan during their pregnancy. It usually takes place between 18 weeks and 21 weeks. Think about the prenatal screening tests you might have, and whether you want a dating scan to confirm your due date. You may have had a pregnancy scan recently which shows that your baby has a club foot or feet.