Early Pregnancy Scan

• Early Pregnancy Scans are easily performed from 6 to 11 gestational weeks of pregnancy and are usually performed transabdominally which means over the tummy.
• From 5 to 7 weeks of pregnancy a transvaginal ultrasound scan can be performed if you are concerned about a possible ectopic pregnancy. At this stage it may be too early to see a heart beating, but we will be able to confirm that the pregnancy sac is within the uterus. This can exclude an ectopic pregnancy.

• During the Early Pregnancy Scan our Specialist Sonographers can confirm how many embryos/babies are in the womb
• We can confirm the presence of baby’s heartbeat
• The Early Pregnancy Scan can indicate the size of the pregnancy gestation sac or the embryo/baby, which confirms the number of weeks of pregnancy.
• Our Specialist Sonographers can assess the presence of internal bleeding which may be significant and require further monitoring.

• If you are unsure of your pregnancy dates, we can help determine the gestational age and Estimated Due Date (EDD), helping you keep track of the number of weeks you are into your pregnancy
• If you are having symptoms such as bleeding or spotting during early pregnancy
• If you are experiencing unusual pain during early pregnancy
• If you have a history of early pregnancy miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
• If you have had assisted fertility such as IVF treatment, you may seek early reassurance
• If your pregnancy symptoms are causing concern

• In the majority of pregnancies an Early Pregnancy Scan can be performed by one of our experienced sonographers. All of our sonographers are fully qualified and accredited, so you are in safe, expert hands.
• If however, you are experiencing complications with your pregnancy or need a second opinion, an early pregnancy ultrasound scan with our Consultant Obstetrician is recommended.

At The Birth Company in Wimpole Street, London We offer morning, afternoon and evening availability for your private Early Pregnancy scan during the week, as well as weekend appointments. A surcharge will be applied for evening and weekend appointments. We have a wide range of availability therefore same day appointments can be easily arranged. Our Specialist Sonographers are here to reassure even at short notice.

• A moderately full bladder will improve the visibility of the pregnancy by transabdominal scan.
• If a transvaginal (internal) ultrasound scan is needed you will be asked to empty your bladder by the sonographer.

The Birth Company is the first clinic in UK to offer this service allowing you to share your pregnancy ultrasound with friends and family wherever they are in the world. This optional recording can be shared via Email, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We will offer this to you routinely at the end of the scan. The transmission is instantaneous. Please note on this system there is no sound, only video. It is a national policy not to permit patient or partner's phone recording in a room. Simply tell your sonographer that you would like an electronic transmission of your scan. It will appear on your phone immediately.

The next pregnancy scan is the 12 week Nuchal Translucency Scan which assesses the likelihood of Down's syndrome and other chromosomal conditions. You can have the Nuchal Translucency Scan from 11 weeks 3 days to 13 weeks 6 days of pregnancy. As well as receiving a probability for Down’s, Edward’s and Patau’s syndrome we can also diagnose certain major fetal conditions. The Nuchal Translucency ultrasound scan demonstrates an 85% sensitivity for the detection of Down’s syndrome.

If you are looking for a test with a higher detection rate than the Nuchal Translucency Scan, the new Non Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) such as TDL VeriSeq v2 by Illumina NIPT, Panorama NIPT or SAFE NIPT can be taken from 10 weeks of pregnancy. This screening test is non-invasive, involving an ultrasound scan then a simple and safe blood test from the mother's arm.

It is not uncommon for the ultrasound scan findings to show that the pregnancy is not progressing at the expected rate. This can be due to uncertainty with pregnancy dates, or may be related to the health of the pregnancy. There may be the need to perform a further ultrasound scan in 7-14 days to assess the viability of the pregnancy. Please note, if our Sonographer recommends a repeat ultrasound scan there will be fee of £135 for repeat appointments.

In some cases the sonographer may diagnose a missed miscarriage. If this happens to you the Sonographer will offer counselling during the appointment.

There are various options depending on the duration of the pregnancy and the overall situation. Comprehensive useful information is available through the Miscarriage Association website