"Horrific 1st and 2nd scan experience"

My first scan I was told my baby's nuchal measurement was too thick. Worse still we were told she had no skull (acrania) or a collar bone. Type in acrania and you can see why I was so heart broken. For 3 days I cried my eyes out thinking I would need to terminate my child and being offered an amniocentesis before I'd even had a 2nd opinion. I saw the consultant on the 3rd day who told me there was absolutely nothing wrong with my baby....it was a miracle! How did that scanographer get it so wrong!!! How can you miss a skull? The 2nd scan....exactly the same with a different scanographer. Nuchal measurement too thick. Again days of worry and being sent to GOSH for a heart scan until I saw the same consultant who again said she was fine and that the measurement was taken wrong again. Both times this happened the person who had scanned me were very cold and unsupportive. Pretty much a 'sorry about that' attitude and sent me on my way. These experiences have scarred me and ruined my pregnancy experience as I was constantly in fear something would go wrong after that. I'm now pregnant again and dreading going to my 1st scan.

On a positive I had a planned c section (she was breach) and the whole team from start to finish were amazing! I had such a good experience. They were so professional and caring.

Once on the ward though it did take a dip again. The staff were great but over worked and not enough staff to deal with the quantity of women needing help. I was left till 11:30 pm with a catheter (Birth was at 9:30am) on my own with my new born. My partner had left as we were told it would be taken out 2hours before so he thought I would be ok. Once out I was told I could not go to sleep till I had passed urine 3 times and measured it each time!!! I had to tell the nurses the measurements once I'd done that and then I could go to sleep. The exact words said to me was "tonight's not a night for sleeping, tonight's a night for weeing". I was in shock and being a new mother went with it. So there I am walking back and forth to get more water, to go to the toilet in a card measuring bowl, after having major surgery, in the middle of the night. At 2:30 am I had finally done my 3 measurements. I went to tell the nurses who could not care less that I'd done it....I seriously could have just gone to sleep and know one would have cared or checked. It almost seemed an inconvenience to write the information down. I'd stayed up to 2:30am after having a c-section for nothing in my opinion, I was gutted. Not that it mattered as you don't sleep on those wards, it's impossible. It may as well have been the middle of the day there was that much noise. Doctors and nurses were coming to the lady next to me and were talking so loud. I understand they have a job to do but no one seemed to care that exhausted women needed some rest. So in summary a very mixed bag of experience from horrific to amazing! That's just my experience.