Frequently Asked Questions
We've put together a selection of our most frequently asked questions to help families understand more about their journey with us.
How can we help you today?
How/when do I book a scan?
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How do I prepare for my scan?
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Who conducts my scan?
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Which scan is right for me?
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Will my scan be trans-vaginal?
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Your Appointment
If you would like to amend or cancel your appointment, please contact your local clinic and the team will be happy to assist you.
We understand it's important to have support with you at your early scan. You can bring additional guests to your scan. The amount of guests can vary clinic to clinic, so please contact your local firstScan team to confirm the amount of guests you can bring.
It is beneficial for us to know about previous pregnancies, so we ask you to complete a form when you arrive at the clinic. Knowing about previous pregnancies can help the Sonographer to explain things to you. You do not need to have had a scan at the hospital before visiting us for an early scan.
You must be an adult (18 years old or over); if you are a child (16 or 17 years old), a responsible adult must accompany you to your appointment. A responsible adult is defined as a person who is of or over the age of 18 years and is your parent, step-parent, legal guardian, grandparent or a person who is acting in place of your parent and who could reasonably be expected to exercise responsible supervision of you. A child is anyone who has not reached the age of 18 years. We cannot scan anyone under the age of 16.
Pregnancy Symptoms
In order to book an early pregnancy scan with us we do require you to have had a positive pregnancy test at least 2 weeks previously. If you are experiencing early pregnancy symptoms but you are having negative tests then we would recommend waiting a week then taking another test, if this comes back negative again we recommend booking an appointment to see you GP who may complete a blood test to identify any concerns. Please book a scan for after you are 6 weeks pregnant. If you are not able to drink much at all or if you are not passing much urine, please contact your GP who may be able to help with your sickness as we don’t want you getting dehydrated.
Due to varying hormone levels from lady to lady, digital pregnancy test predictions can be inaccurate. We recommend visiting for an early pregnancy scan at least 2 weeks from your first positive pregnancy test result as this will ensure you’re at least 6 weeks pregnant.
If you are experiencing pain and bleeding, please contact your early pregnancy unit for an appointment as soon as possible.
Results of Your Scan
If you have already had your early pregnancy scan and unsure about the results, you can visit our ‘Understanding your early scan outcome’ section on our key information page here.
If your scan results show inconclusive it may be, either your pregnancy is still too early, or the baby has already passed. A rescan with us or at the hospital will be recommended in two weeks’ time to determine pregnancy viability.
In the event that your scan results require a referral, our clinic teams have relationships with local NHS trusts and will work with you to book a follow up appointment for your ongoing care.
IVF/Fertility Treatment
Yes, we offer scans for women who have had fertility treatment, but please ensure you will be at least 4 weeks after your embryo transfer date.
We can offer pregnancy scans to women who have had fertility treatment from 4 weeks after the egg retrieval date. If you have had a frozen embryo transfer, we recommend visiting 6 weeks from your LMP date if this is known, or 4 weeks from your embryo transfer date.
We do not offer gynaecology scans. However, we do offer early pregnancy scans from 6 weeks, with a positive pregnancy test result.
For more information & where to get support, visit our key information page
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