Private Dating Ultrasound Scan

A dating scan is an ultrasound offered from 10 to 15 weeks. The goal is to accurately estimate how long you have been pregnant and your baby’s due date.

Our specialists do this by measuring your baby’s size – during the early stages of pregnancy, most babies of the same age are around the same size.

In addition to calculating your estimated date of delivery (EDD), your consultant will check for rare major foetal abnormalities, such as acrania, exomphalos, and missing hands or feet.

They will also determine whether you are pregnant with multiple babies (e.g., twins or triplets) and, if so, the chorionicity of the pregnancies. Chorionicity refers to the number of placentas.

If your consultant suspects an abnormality, they will advise on the next steps.

Please ask any questions or raise any concerns you might have – our compassionate team are here to make your experience a positive one.

The early stages of pregnancy are both exciting and challenging. Although you have so much to plan for and look forward to, we highly recommend undergoing a foetal dating scan.

The scan will give you an accurate estimated due date. This is important because it empowers you to have the right tests and scans at the right time throughout your pregnancy. 

It’s also integral to ensuring a safe and healthy delivery, as it allows your healthcare team to take any necessary steps if your baby is born prematurely or, if your baby is late, decide whether inducing labour is the best course of action.

Your pregnancy journey is unique as you are, and you are not required to undergo any scans that make you feel uncomfortable. However, when safeguarding the health and wellbeing of your baby, the more information you have, the better. 

What’s more, there are no known risks associated with ultrasound technology – it’s safe, painless, and radiation-free.

Dating ultrasounds set you up for success throughout your pregnancy, ensuring you are able to take tests and further scans at the right times.

To some extent, you can use your period to estimate your baby’s due date. Most babies are born around 38 weeks after conception. Most people ovulate and conceive two weeks after their period, which is why you often hear people saying that pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks.

If you have a regular 28-day cycle, you can roughly estimate your baby’s due day by adding 40 weeks to the first day of your last period. 

However, this guess may be inaccurate if your cycle is irregular or longer or shorter than 28 days, you weren’t tracking your period, or you became pregnant while taking contraception that impacts your cycle, such as the pill.

A dating ultrasound is significantly more accurate than using your period to determine your due date. Further to this, your foetal dating scan also looks for multiple pregnancies and significant anomalies.

Our specialist consultants offer foetal dating ultrasounds between 10 and 15 weeks. The appointment is often referred to as your 12-week scan.

In most cases, this scan will be your first. It’s a very exciting and rewarding experience to learn more about your baby during this early stage of pregnancy. It also allows you to ask your consultant any questions about ultrasounds and further testing.

During your dating scan, your consultant will calculate your estimated date of delivery using the size of your baby. This process is the most accurate way to determine your due date.

If you use your period to calculate your due date, you may believe your baby is further along than he or she really is. An accurate due date minimises the risk of unnecessary labour induction or late pregnancy disappointment.

Please keep in mind that if you conceived your baby with in vitro fertilisation (IVF), your dating ultrasound will not change the estimated date of delivery.

In addition to your estimated date of delivery, your consultant will check for multiple pregnancies, such as twins, and major foetal abnormalities. In addition, they will assess your baby’s heartbeat and ensure he or she is developing as expected.

Ultrasounds are pain-free, non-invasive, and don’t use radiation. There are no known risks associated with ultrasound scans at any stage of pregnancy and beyond.

However, during your ultrasound, you may learn something about your baby’s health and development that will require you to make difficult decisions. If you have further questions about this, please speak with your trusted healthcare team or give us a call.

We advise drinking a few glasses of water an hour before your ultrasound as a full bladder will improve the visibility of your pregnancy on our external ultrasound scan.

There is no particular type of care required after a Dating Ultrasound Scan. You may resume your regular diet and daily activities unless your doctor advises you differently.

There are no confirmed adverse biological effects on patients or instrument operators caused by exposures to ultrasound at the intensity levels used in diagnostic ultrasound.

But depending on your particular results, the doctor may give you additional or alternative instructions after the procedure.

Many of our patients are concerned that if they come to us for an ultrasound, they won’t be able to go back to public health. That simply is not the case.

Our goal is to give you answers as quickly as possible and get you on the right treatment path fast – no strings attached.

When you come to us, you will be seen by a qualified specialist who can determine if your situation is serious or not that same day.

We don’t want you to wait weeks on end for an appointment because every minute counts when it comes to something as important as your health.

If your situation is serious, our specialist will write to your doctor on the NHS advising them that you need an urgent appointment.