First time pregnant and I keep wondering how many scans I'll need overall. My doc has only told me about the next one so far. Just want to plan a bit, anyone who's been through it can share the rough timeline?
Yes, ideally 4-5 scans are standard, like dating, NT, anomaly, and growth scan. To save on costs, check if your hospital has a package deal for all scans, or you can get them done from reputed local diagnostic labs which are much cheaper than big hospitals. Plan the budget beforehand as the 3D/4D ones can be quite expensive.
Usually there are around 4 to 5 main scans, starting from the dating scan around 7-8 weeks, then NT scan at 12 weeks, anomaly scan at 20 weeks, and growth scans later. Since I had thyroid, my doctor suggested a couple of extra follow-up scans just to monitor the baby's growth. Always stick to what your doctor schedules.
I felt so emotional during every single ultrasound, especially the 20-week anomaly scan when I saw the tiny fingers! Normally there are about 4 to 5 scans throughout the nine months. The first time you hear the heartbeat, it's just magical.
My mother and MIL also told me that in their time they had very few scans, but now doctors do around 4 or 5. We had the dating scan, then NT, then the big anomaly scan in the 5th month, and one growth scan near the delivery. It kept the whole family so reassured to see the baby growing.
