First trimester scans

7-11 weeks

Early pregnancy viability scan

This scan is available for anyone who feels a bit worried or just wants to make sure that all is well with the early pregnancy. It is particularly important to have this scan if you have had vaginal bleeding or suspect an ectopic pregnancy. It is also advised for women over 35, and strongly recommended for women over 40.

Viability scans are easily performed at 7-11 weeks of pregnancy. We usually scan ‘transabdominally’, which means through the tummy. If you are having the scan because of a concern about a possible ectopic pregnancy, this scan can be done at 6-7 weeks trans-vaginally. At this stage we are unlikely to see a heart beating but we will be able to confirm that the sac is in the uterus. The scan at 7-11 weeks can show how many embryos there are, confirm the presence of a heartbeat, and indicate the size of the sac or the embryo, which confirms the number of weeks of pregnancy. It can also show if there is any internal bleeding which may be significant and which may need to be carefully monitored.

Time needed for scan: 5-10 minutes

Preparation: Please try to come to the appointment with a full bladder as this will improve the visibility of the scan done through the tummy.
Pictures: We will give you a picture of the little baby for you to keep.

11-14 weeks

Nuchal translucency scan

This is the first stage at which the fetus can be seen in greater detail. This scan confirms that there is a heartbeat, and the number of fetuses. The baby’s head, trunk, arms, legs, hands and feet can be seen and we will also look at the placenta, amniotic fluid and umbilical cord.

The doctor or sonographer will then measure the ‘nuchal fold’ or ‘nuchal translucency’ and the baby’s nose bone. The nuchal translucency is the skin at the back of the baby’s neck. In some babies with problems such as Down’s syndrome, and also in some normal babies, this can be enlarged by fluid. The nose bone can be small or absent in Down’s syndrome babies. From this information we can calculate the risk of your baby having fetal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome.

If you are more than 30 years old, or if your doctor has calculated that you have a relatively high risk of having a baby with a fetal abnormality, the doctor will do a ‘biochemistry’, which is a blood test for two particular hormones. The result of this test, which will be available from the lab within two hours, will give you more specific information about your level of risk. You can either wait for the result in our comfortable lounge, or you can give us a convenient phone number and we will call you with the result later in the day.

Time needed for the scan: 20-30 minutes.

Pictures: We will give you a few pictures of your baby for you to keep.

After you have had the results of this scan, you can make an informed choice about whether to have a CVS (chorionic villous sample) at 12 weeks, or an amniocentesis at 16 weeks. These tests give definitive information about whether there are any abnormalities. These tests are ‘invasive procedures’ and carry an added risk of miscarriage of 1%. This means that 1 in every 100 women who have these tests will have a miscarriage as a result of having the test. The CVS and amniocentesis procedures are not performed at The Birth Company; they are referred to Professor Nicolaides at The Fetal Medicine Centre, which is downstairs in the same building as The Birth Company.