Nuchal Scan

[daniellewngs]

After visitng my new OB for my first appointment yesterday, he gave me the option of the 12 week nuchal scan with the Perinatal specialist or wait till the 16th week for the blood test with him. I decided to go for the nuchal scan so that we know what to expect and make any decisions based on the finding's. They also said there is a slight chance to see the anatomy, though it's still very early. My concern is bringing my husband, I am driving 170 miles for this appointment and it would require my husband to take the entire day off and cancel his meetings he had planned, has anyone really been able to see the there baby or babies clearly from the sonogram while doing this 12 week scan or have they determined the sex. I hate to make him rearrange everything and then we see nothing, he was just with me yesterday and did see the ultrasound, is it about the same as that. Also, are you able to find out the scan results on the same day...not sure what to expect.

2/24 IVF/ICSI twins due 11/17

[kholtan]

I'm not sure about anyone else but we couldn't see anatomy at all on ours. We are also pg with twins and mine were too crammed or anything, there was just no way we could determine the sex yet. I would say it would be VERY doubtful that you will find out that day but it sure is fun to gt to look at them for so long. They just seem so much more real when you watch them move all around and their little hands go everywhere.

Best of luck to you and congrats on your little ones!

Kimberly

[FionaA]

Hello!

I had a scan at 12 weeks and then my nuchal scan at 13 weeks. I didn't see much of a difference between the two really. I think the nuchal scan was a bit clearer but there was no way that I saw anything which would let on about the sex. Are you able to get a video or DVD of the scan? I was, so perhaps you could get one and take it home for DH to watch??? Hmmm now that I know that it MAY be possible to determine sex on the nuchal, i think I will go home and have a really careful look at my video.

Good luck with your scan!!

Fee

[rae76]

I had a scan at my OB's office 12 weeks and a nuchal scan at a perinatologist's office at 13 weeks. The difference between the sharpness of images, details etc was amazing! So maybe you can ask what kind of equipment they would use - some nuchal scans are performed with the "normal" u/s machines so they might not give you a lot of extra info, whereas we could see the little nose for the first time, get a pretty good look at the brain, check out all the little bones in our baby's tiny body etc... It was a great experience for us. We did this scan as part of a screening that also involves bloodwork at 13 weeks and at 17 weeks; we got the results from the nuchal scan right away (my perinatologist has a genetic counselor who sits down with you after the scan and explains the findings and their significance even further, although you've already talked to the doctor) and the bloodwork results transferred into a combined probability for chromosomal problems about a week later. All this will later be combined with the week 17 bloodwork results to create a comprehensive picture.

Most doctors would not try to define the sex at this point, even when using highly sensitive equipment, as there's such a strong possibility for making a mistake. the genitals have of course already developed but can look very similar. I got the first glimpse today (16w3d) at my own doctor's office and we have an idea of the sex, but we won't be sure until I go back to my perinatologist for week 20 structural u/s, which is the "big one", showing all the internal organs etc.

You have to decide for yourself but for us this sensitive scan was a great experience. And I wouldn't have wanted to do it without my husband by my side - there we were, saying hi to our baby who for the first time looked like a real person