Advice Re Fetal Heart Scan Any Experiences Please ?

[Tilly_S]

Hi all ,
So am onto 3rd baby has diabetes 18 years type one , with this baby they said all diabetics get referred to a fetal heart scan (so a v detailed heart scan in London) I said well is this new ? I didn’t have this in 2010 or 2017 with my youngest ? They said no maybe diff systems for diff areas as we have moved since our 20 week scan with youngest ...
Anyways I’m 23 weeks today and went to scan expecting an all clear (maybe too hopeful!) and was told amin structures look normal , but the heart seemed to be angled more to the centre rather than the left ... only slightly ... consultant has referred us for a cardiology scan on baby’s lungs as he said a. Something could be issue with lungs and squashing heart but in his opinion they looked normal (but he’s a heart specialist ) . B. There could be an issue with baby’s heart ( but didn’t specify what .... ) c. Could just be how baby’s heart is and completely normal as everybody is diff ... so we’re waiting for a cardiology scan at Brighton if they don’t have facilities will be in London again ... and have another heart scan booked for 5 weeks time at 28 weeks ... I am majorly worrying as don’t know what the issues could be if it’s the heart...
there is a number I can ring you ask questions which I think I will do
Has anybody had anything similar and if so what was the outcome ?
Thankyou for any replies xxx

 

[Tilly_S]

Main structure looks normal so far *

 

[Ermintrude775]

Main structure looks normal so far *

I'm with Tilly_S here.

Everything looks normal. They should've left it at that instead of scathing you with if buts and maybes.

Try your best to relax and see what they say in 5 weeks.

Btw congratulations.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Hi. I have 3 kids and on my 3rd pregnancy I was terrified to be referred to St George's in South West London for a cardiologist to look at my baby's heart. This was routine but because of my diabetes but then led to further scans because they spotted an abnormality(a small extra chamber called a diverticulum). She then got me to come and see her boss the following day (had to drag a lively toddler into Tooting on public transport so not the easiest appoointment! The boss then revealed by baby's gender despite my requests not to know...grrr... There were no symptoms and if I hadn't been diabetic it would not have been spotted. I suspect there are pregnant women who's babies have similar abnormalities that go undetected but because we are 'special' we get a really medicalised pregnancy. That's great but it causes so much anxiety. If the consultant says all looks 'normal' then you should relax a little bearing in mind that it would be deemed impropoer to give you a 100% guarantee. that allw ill be well even if is what you want to hear right now.
I am hoping you can speak/email someone at British Heart Foundation and perhaps note down some questions to put to which ever consultant you see next:
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/congenital-heart-disease

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the rest of the pregnancy!

 

[Tilly_S]

Thankyou for the reassurance ladies
I just wanted to hear anyone else sigh good or bad experiences just to be realistic..I’m just annoyed I know it’s not reasonable for me to be annoyed though! That I have no idea of any indication of what it may be or any consequences if it is a thing ...Iv been given another scan in London though ( will have to bring my 8 year old and 15 month old on a train as well this time ) for Monday so I am happy about that as it’s a full body scan and with specialists not just my local hospital I guess that’s reassuring
This is also exactly what my other half has said most people’s babys prob have a minor defect of some sort that they arnt aware about because 20 week scan only flags up anything really obvious I guess .... am trying to hold onto this ... but honestly even these two replies have made me feel a lot better already! I guess as I don’t know any other diabetics in person who have been in similar positions too ...

Nicole was your son / daughter healthy ? With no obvious affects ? Xxx

 

[NicoleC1971]

Thankyou for the reassurance ladies
I just wanted to hear anyone else sigh good or bad experiences just to be realistic..I’m just annoyed I know it’s not reasonable for me to be annoyed though! That I have no idea of any indication of what it may be or any consequences if it is a thing ...Iv been given another scan in London though ( will have to bring my 8 year old and 15 month old on a train as well this time ) for Monday so I am happy about that as it’s a full body scan and with specialists not just my local hospital I guess that’s reassuring
This is also exactly what my other half has said most people’s babys prob have a minor defect of some sort that they arnt aware about because 20 week scan only flags up anything really obvious I guess .... am trying to hold onto this ... but honestly even these two replies have made me feel a lot better already! I guess as I don’t know any other diabetics in person who have been in similar positions too ...

Nicole was your son / daughter healthy ? With no obvious affects ? Xxx

Hi there. Yes he was slightly prem (I think I was totally worn out looking after the non sleeping toddler and 4 year old!) but very healthy and is now a sporty 10 year old who eats me out of house and home! My son got signed off because the condition healed itself in any case. Good luck with your trip to see the experts and I hope you get some good photos!

 

[SallyEzra]

Hi,

Congratulations on your 3rd pregnancy. I do appreciate how concerning some of these additional tests you have as a type 1 diabetic can be - I am currently on my 2nd pregnancy at 34wks & just like my first pregnancy with my son feel so anxious at each scan....to the point that I saw a homeopath who gave me some pills that I can pop every 5mins whilst waiting for the scans (!).....probably placebo, but makes me feel better!

My son was born 3yrs ago & my local nhs did a 24wk cardiac scan back then & I had another in my nhs hospital for this pregnancy at 24wks. I have also had scans done in both pregnancies at the Fetal Medicine Centre in London & they also recommended & did a cardiac scan at 24wks.

In both pregnancies the cardiac scans came back as OK. However my son’s growth decreased at 31wks, so they induced him at 35wks & despite being very small & needing some phototherapy in special care, he was fine within a few days. In this pregnancy, just like with my son, the hospital team are concerned about my low blood sugars (inexplicably I seem to get the opposite of elevated blood sugars as pregnancy progresses), so have booked me for induction again in the next 2 weeks & I have the steroids to take to help the baby’s lung function to mature this week.

My hba1c’s in pregnancy are crazily low & just when I think we are getting a grip on it, a few days later I have to cut my basal again. I currently have to go to the hospital at least once a week & often feel ridiculous sat waiting in the diabetic/obstetric clinic munching on glucose!.

My experiences tell me that type 1 diabetes clearly causes obstetric teams additional concern throughout a pregnancy but I cope with it by just handing myself over to the process - I am not of a medical background, so whilst I ask questions to better understand it all, I do have a good hospital team who clearly care about doing the best job they can & minimising risk to both the baby & I as much as possible.

And I think your husband raises a really good point - so much can be highlighted via the extra checks done in a diabetic pregnancy which otherwise go unnoticed until birth. And whilst it adds so much worry whilst tests are done & anomalies are raised, at least it helps best protect the child, the parents & the hospital for anything they may have to deal with post birth.

I met with one of our friends from one of our ‘baby & toddler’ groups last week whose son does have a heart defect, but as she was classified as a ‘not high risk’ pregnancy, it was not identified until after birth, as she was deemed to not require any further checks. And she was reflecting back on how whilst her pregnancy was relaxed, the panic & danger that followed before the child’s heart defect was identified, was not something she ever wanted to repeat. And in any future pregnancies she will be offered the 24wk cardiac scan & would definitely take it. But equally, she also said that some of the other parents she had got to meet whose baby’s did have defects that were identified in pregnancy, felt the opposite & would not have opted for additional testing. I guess we are all different & for me, whilst I am grateful for all the checks, I cannot say the same for the level of concern they bring whilst you lie there waiting for someone to tell you what they have found. So I keep popping the little homeopathic pills for anxiety & just hoping & keeping my fingers crossed that all will be ok!

I hope your tests go well this week. And please do update how you get on, will be thinking of you. And also managing your existing 2 children whilst getting into London - I have had to do a few of my private clinic scans & blood tests with my active 2.5-3yr son in tow during this pregnancy whilst also trying to manage my low blood sugar - bit of a handful to say the least, which did result in an ambulance being called to deal with me once earlier this year. But I am guessing that maybe your 8yr old is able to help you out a bit now?