FAQs
Why choose to come for a private scan?
Many women chose to pay for a private scan because they want a scan earlier than is provided routinely in the NHS, or they want the reassurance that a pregnancy is on-going. To see a baby’s heartbeat can often relieve anxiety and many women cry tears of relief at this point! ScanSanctuary offers some scans that are not available on the NHS, and offers a 35 minute appointment time in a relaxed environment.
Please treat your scan as a guide and not to replace any information or appointments given to you from your health care provider.
Is there an age limit for having a scan?
ScanSanctuary operates a policy where only women aged 18 or above can come for a scan.
How much involvement will I have in the scan?
During the scan the Sonographer will fully involve you in the findings and will chat about these, pointing out relevant anatomy.
How many people can I bring with me to the scan?
Whilst we do not operate a strict procedure on this, we suggest 1-3 guests is comfortable. If you wish to bring more then please contact us to discuss.
Do I get pictures to take home?
With every scan we provide plenty of images for you to take home and keep. These vary depending on the type of scan you have.
Am I guaranteed to get good pictures?
There are several factors outside of ScanSanctuary’s control, which can affect the quality of scans. These include but are not limited to; the position of the uterus, raised BMI, bladder under/over filled, baby’s position, reduced fluid around baby, anterior placenta and excess bowel gas or a full bowel. Whilst we will do everything we can to get you the best possible image there is no guarantee.
What happens if the Sonographer cannot complete the examination or cannot see what we want to, on the day?
We may offer a free rescan in cases where the primary purpose of the scan cannot be fulfilled, and this is at the sonographers discretion. Only one free rescan will be offered.
Are Ultrasound Scans safe?
Ultrasound scans use soundwaves, not radiation, to produce images. ScanSanctuary follows clinical guidelines as set by the British Medical Ultrasound society (BMUS) and observes safety indices during the scan to ensure that you and your baby are safe.
Read the BMUS Guidelines here.
What happens if you detect a problem?
We are a non-diagnostic, and non-medical scan service. We do not check for abnormalities, however if anything unusual is incidentally noticed, we will explain our finding based on basic observation and we will refer you to your healthcare provider. We have direct links to Nobles Hospital, Isle of Man. We may however miss an abnormality since we do not specifically look for them, and do not look at your baby in the same depth as your hospital scans.
What happens if I have to cancel my appointment?
Please contact us as soon as you can, if you are unable to attend your appointment.
Internal Scan Information
In early pregnancy, especially before 9 weeks, or where the womb tilts towards the back of the body, it is usual to have a transvaginal (internal) scan, where a probe is placed in the vagina. It may also be offered in rare cases after 9 weeks if an abdominal scan doesn’t give a clear enough picture.
It always remains your choice if you want to have an internal scan carried out or not; we would never want you to feel pressured. If you decide to decline, then we have to point out that we may not be able to provide you with conclusive information at this time. If this were the case, we may offer you to return in a week or two to try an abdominal scan again, or if necessary, refer you to your health care provider.
Transvaginal ultrasound can give the clearest and most accurate picture in early pregnancy as it can provide a much higher resolution image than abdominal scanning.
There is no evidence that having an internal or an abdominal scan will cause a miscarriage or harm your baby.
If you bleed after a vaginal scan, it will most likely be because there was already blood pooled higher in the vagina or the cervix and the probe dislodged it. If this were to happen we recommend contacting your health care provider, as would be the case with any vaginal bleeding in pregnancy.
Most women cope with an internal scan with no problems. It should not be painful and is more likely to cause a feeling of pressure which can be a little uncomfortable.
We will ask you to completely empty your bladder before an internal scan.
At ScanSanctuary we respect your dignity at all times. You are given privacy to prepare for this type of scan, and given a blanket to keep yourself covered up at all times.
You will be offered the security of having an impartial female observer (a chaperone) present during an internal scan. If you would prefer a chaperone to be present then arrangements will be made for this, however you will be asked to return on another day. ScanSanctuary has arrangements in place with two registered Midwives who are happy to attend as a chaperone but we need time to plan for this. We aim to see you again within 48 hours for your internal scan with a chaperone but this may not always be possible.
Throughout your internal scan your sonographer will communicate with you, ensuring you are comfortable and informed, at all times.