Knowing when to take a pregnancy test to get the most accurate results can be difficult. If you are trying to get pregnant then you want to know as soon as possible! If you suspect you are unknowingly pregnant, confirming or disproving this is a priority.

When can I expect the most accurate results?

It is recommended that you wait one week until after you miss your expected period to achieve the most accurate result.

If I don’t want to wait?

If you can’t wait this long, it is recommended that you allow one to two weeks after you have had sex for detectable levels of HCG to build up in your system. Sensitive home pregnancy tests claim to be able to confirm pregnancy as early as 8 days after conception and can offer an estimation of when you conceived based on the amount of HCG present in your urine.

Be aware that the levels of HCG produced throughout pregnancy vary from woman to woman, so do not be disheartened by an early negative result if you are trying to conceive, you may still be pregnant!

If you or a friend has recently become pregnant, why not book in for an earlyAssure™ scan? This reassurance and dating scan can be conducted at any time following your initial NHS scan and focuses on the development and wellbeing of your little one.


Back in February last year, a debate about choosing your baby’s gender was sparked by Chrissy Tiegen and John Legend revealing that they chose for their baby, Luna, to be born a girl. Understandably, this led many parents-to-be to question how this was possible and if they could do the same.
 
To answer the question: yes, choosing your baby’s gender is now possible due to the introduction of Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). However, this only becomes an option to couples under certain circumstances. The gender selection procedure only becomes available to couples who want to avoid passing sex-linked genetic disorders onto their children, such as haemophilia in males and Rett syndrome in females. 
 
That said, in rare cases, gender selection becomes available to parents who wish to ‘balance’ their family by having a child of each gender. Hormone tests are run to check the client’s fertility, and age limits may be applied. Some clinics will not consider clients unless they are married or already have at least one child of the opposite sex they’re trying for.

Methods of Gender Selection


The most accurate methods of choosing your baby’s gender can be very expensive and typically mean the mother-to-be has to undergo invasive infertility treatments, alongside taking fertility drugs with potential side effects. 

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of the main procedures which allows gender selection. IVF is a method of fertilisation outside of the womb, starting with a round of fertility drugs which help your ovaries create more than the natural amount of eggs (typically one per month). In an IVF procedure, the patient is placed under anaesthetic before the doctor inserts an ultra sound probe through the vagina to check the ovaries and follicles. A thin needle is then inserted through the vagina wall to remove the eggs from the follicles.

The next step is for the extracted eggs to be fertilised in a Petri dish. Once the eggs become embryos after 3-5 days, they are inserted back into the patient’s uterus. If you’re younger than 35 and your embryos are healthy, no more than two are usually transferred.

 

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and Preimplantation Genetic Screening


The baby gender selection process happens during the IVF procedure, where one or two cells are removed from the embryo and tested for genetic or chromosomal disorders. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) can be used to screen the embryos and predict the baby’s gender. Parents who are hoping to avoid gender-linked disorders usually opt for PGD as the test exposes any underlying conditions the baby may have. By changing the gender of the baby, the prospective parents hope to avoid this disorder. 
 
Preimplantation Genetic Screening is typically used by patients to check if their baby has down syndrome, or are hoping to ‘balance’ their family. Both tests are almost 100% accurate at determining the gender of the baby, and any remaining embryos are frozen so they can be used in the future if the couple decides to make more children.
 
The advancement of science truly is something to marvel at, but as these methods can be expensive and invasive, waiting to find out the gender of your child can be just as exciting. Wondering what your baby will be is one of the most magical parts of carrying a child and the long awaited day of the gender reveal is a milestone in the pregnancy. Here at First Encounters, we offer gender scans from just 16 weeks, so you don’t have to wait too long either.
 
When reality star Kim Kardashian West was heavily pregnant, she spoke out about her experience undergoing an ECV (external cephalic version), due to the fact that her baby was breech. Only 3-4 percent of babies remain in the breech position towards the end of pregnancy, which means that having to undergo this procedure is a very rare indeed. In order to shed some light on the situation and help expectant mothers to better understand the issue, we thought we would share some information about breech babies and what this means for the pregnancy. 
In simple terms, breech simply means that your baby is positioned bottom-down as opposed to head downwards, meaning the baby would be born feet- or bottom-first if a vaginal birth were to go ahead. While this is usually a temporary position in the third trimester, in cases like that of Kim Kardashian West, the baby may remain in the position, which means that your doctor or midwife will have to advise you on the best course of action.

If your baby remains in the breech position you will likely be advised to undergo a caesarean in order to deliver the baby, although some measures may help to turn your baby, making natural birth possible if it is successfully positioned. While there are several natural methods it is possible to attempt in order to encourage your baby to turn, or you may also be offered to undergo ECV, at 36 weeks if it is your first pregnancy, or at 37 weeks if like Kim Kardashian West you have had a baby before.  This involves being given medication to relax you uterus, after which a doctor will attempt to manually turn the baby so that is facing the correct way. This is not recommended in some cases, however, particularly if you've experienced complications during your pregnancy such as vaginal bleeding. 

While the baby will either turn naturally or be manually turned with success in the majority of cases, there is no need to be concerned if your baby remains in the breech position. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the best course of action to ensure safety for yourself and your child, which in most cases will mean delivering the baby by caesarian.

For regular updates about First Encounters, and more advice to help you with your pregnancy, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The best time for a 4D ultrasound scan is around 27 weeks into your pregnancy. While 4D scans are available from 24 to 32 weeks, we recommend having the scan at 26 – 29 weeks in case your baby is growing slower or faster than average.

4d baby scan

Expectant parents often ask us how long they should wait before coming in for a 4D ultrasound scan. Obviously, if the scan is carried out too early, the foetus will not have developed far enough to give a satisfactory image, but waiting until the final weeks of your pregnancy isn't a very good idea either.

Many people believe that they must wait until at least 30 weeks to book an ultrasound session, but this—if you'll pardon the pun—is a misconception. Here at First Encounters Ultrasound, we offer 4D scans from 24 weeks to 32 weeks; however, we recommend 26 – 29 weeks as the optimum time for a 4D scan, as this allows us to accommodate babies who are developing at a slower or faster rate than average. It would be a shame if you visited our clinic at the start of your 24th week, only to find that your baby isn't quite ready for the camera yet!

So, to answer your question: the best time to have a 4D baby scan is around 27 weeks. However, this does not mean that a satisfactory image cannot be captured later on; every pregnancy is different, of course, but we are almost always able to achieve great results up to 32 weeks.

Upon request, we can also determine the gender of your baby during your 4D scan to make the experience all the more memorable.

 

Why can't I have a 4D scan after 32 weeks?

As mentioned above, the cut-off point for our 4D scan packages is 32 weeks. You may be wondering why this is the case; surely the image would be even better if we waited until the baby was completely developed?

The reason is quite simple: there's only a limited amount of space in your womb, and our sonographers are able to achieve better results when there's still some room left in there.

The main aim of a 4D scan is to capture an image of your baby's face, and we can only do that if he or she is facing the camera (or rather the ultrasound probe) when the scan takes place. If, when you arrive at our clinic, your baby is facing your back, he/she will need room to turn around—otherwise, we're stuck looking at the back of baby's head!

As your child grows, they leave less and less room for moving around, which means that the chances of turning become quite slim after the 32-week point. Furthermore, fluid levels reduce as the pregnancy develops, which will further impede the projection of imagery and also your baby's movement within the womb.

 

Is there any way to encourage movement?

Want to keep your baby moving on the day of your scan? Here are a few suggestions:

  • Sugar stimulation is a good way to promote movement in utero. Eating a bar of chocolate and/or having a fizzy drink about 20 minutes before your scan will give your baby a burst of hyperactivity!

  • We recommend having a full bladder when you come in for your 4D scan. If your baby's head is pointed downwards, he or she may decide to play hide-and-seek by burying it in your pelvic area. An inflated bladder helps to prevent this from happening, lifting your baby into a better position for the camera.

  • If you come in for your scan and your baby is feeling camera-shy, we will recommend that you take a brief walk to get things moving in there.

If all else fails and we are unable to get a good picture of your unborn child, we will be more than happy to offer you a complementary re-scan visit on another date.

Click below to browse our scan packages and book your 4D ultrasound appointment online!

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