If you are presenting for a scan pre 10 weeks gestation a trans-vaginal scan will be offered as we follow NICE guidelines, and this is medically recommended for accurate diagnostic results (with consent) therefore no full bladder is required. However 10 weeks+ a full bladder will be required.

If you have had a GP/Midwife appointment prior to you scan with us, then it can be useful to bring these with you. If not, then you don’t need to bring anything.

With any pregnancy scan we would always recommend comfortable two-piece clothing.

Your appointment slot will be 15 minutes but the scan itself should take approximately 5 minutes. We suggest you plan to be with us for 30 minutes in total to include completing your pre-scan forms and allowing for the report to be put together with your scan information.

You can book an early pregnancy scan online or over the phone with us for just £30 deposit today. Should you need to amend your appointment information please call the clinic you have booked with and they will update this for you.

Yes. All staff are trained to fully understand the need for confidentiality and will discuss your appointment or scan with nobody other than Healthcare Professionals who need to know about you.

A fully qualified and registered diagnostic Sonographer will complete your scan. There will also be one of our scan team with you whilst you are scanned; they are trained and will act as a chaperone. They will be with you every step of the way from when you arrive at the clinic.

All our clinics use fully registered and qualified sonographers both male & female. Should you wish to discuss this further please contact the clinic you have booked with to confirm.

When you arrive for your appointment you will be asked to complete a few details with regards to your pregnancy and at this point your chaperone will run you through what to expect from your appointment.

At 6 weeks with a trans-vaginal scan you should be able to see a pregnancy sac with a yolk sac and a baby with a heartbeat measuring 4mm.

As we adhere to NICE guidelines, pre 10 weeks a vaginal scan would be recommended for more accurate diagnostic results. However this is with consent and will be discussed at your appointment.

During your first trimester your bladder will need to be full for an abdominal scan so this may cause some discomfort when pressure is applied but the scan will not harm your or baby. If you are pre 10 weeks and having a trans-vaginal scan this may cause some slight discomfort, but again, won’t hurt yourself or baby.

The scan will not hurt your baby. From the very early weeks of pregnancy the baby is surrounded by fluid and this protects the baby, so with either a ‘tummy’ or ‘internal’ the probe will not touch the baby.

Sometimes due to pregnancy hormones the vagina and cervix can bleed a little but this will not affect the pregnancy. If you are coming to have the scan because you have had some bleeding then this will continue after the scan.

No a scan cannot cause a miscarriage.

After the Sonographer has completed the scan they will explain everything to you (and show you if you wish) and if there is any reason for you to have a follow up the staff will arrange this for you at your hospital’s Early Pregnancy Unit or Fetal Care Unit.

Yes of course. It is important to understand that you may need a trans-vaginal scan, so you may want to bare that in mind when thinking about who to bring with you.
At this time during the COVID-19 Outbreak we are asking mums to attend with no more than one adult guest. Unfortunately children are not currently permitted in our clinics.

Unfortunately, a scan can only date to within 5 days based on measurements of the baby. We will not be able to give a date of conception.

We usually suggest that you have your dating scan and then know the dates that the NHS will use throughout your pregnancy to ensure we see you at the right number of weeks.

Yes of course you may. When you have had your scan and know the dates and that all is well, then please ask the staff about the scans you would like to have.

Yes the hospital will scan you.

Of course, please book your scan at least 2 weeks after your first positive pregnancy test so we can ensure you are at least 6 (preferably nearer to 7) weeks gestation then we can hopefully date your pregnancy more accurately.

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 experiencing the 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.

At this early stage it is too early to be able to see your baby so we would advise you to book a scan for 6 (preferably nearer to 7 weeks to avoid discrepancies in dates) from your last period for the most accurate results.

At this early stage, a scan will not be able to see what is happening; it would be better to wait for a week and see whether the bleeding stops or becomes more like a period and repeat your pregnancy test after a week. If the bleeding has settled and your test is positive, then please book a scan for 6 weeks from your last period. If the bleeding continues and pregnancy test is still positive then make an appointment to see your GP. Sometimes your pregnancy hormones need monitoring with blood tests. If the bleeding has continued and your pregnancy test is negative then unfortunately you may have had a very early miscarriage.

You need to see your GP who may monitor your pregnancy hormones with blood tests.

Please contact your early pregnancy unit for an appointment as soon as possible.

You need to make an appointment to see you GP urgently or go to the walk-in centre or Emergency Department for an assessment.

Yes, please book a scan for after you are 6 weeks pregnant (preferably nearer 7 weeks). 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.

You are able to book the scan for women who have had fertility treatment, but please ensure you will be at least 4 weeks after the embryo transfer.

Yes, you can have weekly scans but please ensure they are at least 7 days apart so that you can see the difference each week.
When you come for your first appointment, please book the next scan whilst at the clinic.

We do not, and should not, offer 2nd opinions when you have had a scan at the hospital, however if you are just wanting to have another look then please wait at last a week before booking another scan.

We will inform the hospital should there be a problem but if all is well at your scan, we will not.
Please ensure you file any reports from your private scans at firstScan and Window to the Womb should your GP/Midwife require them.

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.

Bleeding does not always mean miscarriage.
An ultrasound will help to tell you more, but not until after 6 weeks and even then, it might not give a full picture.
Do contact your GP, midwife, Early Pregnancy Unit or Accident & Emergency department if you:
o have previously had an ectopic pregnancy.
o have sharp one-sided pain and/or pain in your shoulders.
o feel very faint or dizzy.

A missed miscarriage (also known as a silent or delayed miscarriage) is where the baby has failed to develop but your body has not actually miscarried. The scan picture shows either an empty pregnancy sac or a pregnancy sac with a baby (or fetus or embryo) inside, but there is no heartbeat and baby measures a size (more than 7mm) when it should be seen. Sometimes a follow up scan is needed to confirm a missed miscarriage. Pregnancy hormone levels may still be high, so you may have had no idea that anything was wrong, still feel pregnant and have a positive pregnancy test.

The options are natural (waiting for nature to take its course), medical (usually tablets to start or speed up the miscarriage process) or surgical (removing the remains of your pregnancy with general or local anaesthetic).
The nurses, midwives and doctors at the hospital will discuss the options with you.

The chances are good, even if you have a tube removed, though it depends on the condition of the remaining tube. Overall, about two-thirds of women get pregnant again naturally after an ectopic, while some will need help (e.g. fertility treatment) to do so. The overall chance of you having another ectopic is between 7% and 10%. An early scan at 6 weeks is recommended.

There are many reasons for a scan not being able to be conclusive. An inconclusive scan is when the sonographer can see a pregnancy developing in the right place, a pregnancy sac with a yolk sac and/or tiny (measuring less than 7mm) embryo can be seen but no heartbeat can visualised. A rescan is advised 2 weeks later.
When a definite pregnancy sac cannot be seen this is known as a Pregnancy of Unknown Location. This means that you have a positive pregnancy test but the sonographer is unable to visualise a definite pregnancy either in the womb or outside the womb and so will advise that you are referred to the hospital for follow up care.
The reason we ask you to be at least 2 weeks after a positive pregnancy test and at least 6 weeks from the 1st day of your last period is try and help us to be clear about the findings on the scan.

You and your partner might find it difficult to talk about your miscarriage and explain what kind of support you need. This can be especially difficult if you both feel differently about the miscarriage. It can help to choose a moment when you are both relaxed and you have time to talk. Try writing things down. This can help you share difficult emotions with your partner or just make sure you know what you want to say before you start.
There are plenty of websites, forums and counselling to help you through this time. Don’t suffer in silence.