Conception dating scan
11-Nov-2020 17:28
Your midwife may recommend an early scan at between six weeks and 10 weeks if you have experienced bleeding.
You may also be offered an early scan if you've had a previous miscarriage.
You may have calculated the length of your pregnancy from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP).
This is even though you don't actually conceive until 14 days after your LMP, or later than this if your cycle is longer than 28 days.
The dating scan will also show if you're expecting twins, triplets or more.
It's helpful to know about twins early on, as it's easier to see whether or not they share a placenta.
It's amazing to see the little blob with a heartbeat that will soon become your baby.If you have an irregular cycle, or if you've recently been taking the contraceptive pill, working out the date from your LMP isn't a very accurate method. The scan can check that your baby has a heartbeat and is developing normally.Your baby's head, limbs, hands and feet, and some organs can be seen.You'll be given a report of the scan which will tell you exactly how many weeks pregnant you are.
Keep it with your maternity notes so your midwife and anyone else involved in your care can see it. This measurement, known as the crown rump length (CRL), is very accurate in the first trimester.Not all units offer an early scan if all is going well in this pregnancy, though.