Overview
Pregnancy scans are a must for every expectant mother to ensure the well-being of their baby, to discover the gender, and to reassure any worries. These scans will complement your NHS scans and aim to calm any concerns throughout all stages of pregnancy. Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is also available to diagnose certain fetal anomalies. Services are conducted by experienced professionals in a comfortable setting, creating a supportive experience for expectant parents.
Ultrasound Scans
Ultrasound scanning is offered during pregnancy and is safe for mum and baby. It uses soundwaves to capture images and movements which are displayed on a large monitor for you to see.
- Ultrasound is safe during pregnancy
- This is a method used by medical professionals to gather images and measurements of your unborn baby
- We will use a water-based ultrasound gel in order to assist the scanning
- Ultrasound scanning should not be painful in pregnancy
- Scans are not intended for diagnostic purposes, mainly to collect keepsake images for expectant parents
Early Pregnancy Scans
When: From 6-11 weeks
Early pregnancy scans are a great opportunity to bond with your baby in a comfortable and friendly environment. Your practitioner will begin by determining if you need an internal scan or an abdominal scan based on your approximate gestation. A heartbeat will be detected from 6+ weeks and you will find out if this is a viable pregnancy during this appointment. Your early scan will aim to date your pregnancy based on the size of the foetus and simple measurements can be taken.
Wellbeing/Reassurance Scans
When: 12+ weeks
Reassurance scans can be carried out from 12+ weeks and offer couples a chance to see their growing baby in addition to NHS appointments. Your provider can take simple measurements and ensure that the pregnancy is continuing as it should based on your gestation. These scans are usually abdominal scans and ultrasound gel will be used to help capture these images.
Gender Scans
When: 18+ weeks
A gender scan can be carried out from 18 weeks onwards in your pregnancy. This appointment will be primarily focused on determining the gender of your baby. Some basic measurements will be taken to ensure the wellbeing of your baby during this appointment. Scans are usually abdominal and gel will be used during this appointment. It is important to note that this scan may need to be repeated if your baby’s position is not optimal to provide you with an accurate gender.
4D Scans
When: 27-33 weeks (Single Pregnancy) / 24-27 weeks (Multiple Pregnancy)
Your scan at The Mid Ulster Clinic gives you a unique opportunity to bond with your unborn baby during pregnancy. This scan offers a chance to see your baby in real time using state of the art equipment to capture some keepsake images. The health and wellbeing of your baby is vitally important to us, so we offer a wellbeing scan during these appointments to ensure you are reassured about your ongoing pregnancy.
Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)
When: 10+ weeks
We offer non-invasive prenatal testing or Illumina test in The Mid Ulster Clinic to offer you the chance to diagnose certain foetal anomalies. These include:
- Trisomy 21 – Down Syndrome is associated with moderate to severe intellectual disability, congenital heart defects and other malformations.
- Trisomy 18 – Edwards Syndrome
- Trisomy 13 – Patau Syndrome
Both trisomy 13 & 18 are associated with severe brain and cardiac malformations. There is a high risk of stillbirth or death during infancy.
Aneuploidy of sex chromosomes, which refers to abnormalities in the number of X or Y chromosomes, can be detected during this test. If present, these abnormalities can cause issues such as malformations and infertility.
As this service involves a blood test, the gender can be detected if you wish to add this to your test. There is no additional fee for this.
- Medically Reviewed