Please book in at the maternity reception where you will be directed to the scan department.
Please ensure you attend on time and have followed any preparation instructions highlighted on your appointment letter.
Your scan will be performed by sonographers who are highly trained and skilled in ultrasound techniques. Both male and female sonographers work in the department.
Please be aware that the purpose of your anatomy scan is not to determine the sex of your baby. This is an important scan to look at the structure and development of your baby and several checks and measurements are undertaken.
If you do wish to find out the sex of your baby, the sonographer will communicate this verbally directly, at the time of your scan. Please note we will not write down the sex of your baby for the purpose of gender reveals.
Scan pictures of your baby are available to purchase after your scan. One picture is £5 or 3 pictures for £10. The payment kiosk accepts cash, card, Apple pay and Android pay. No change is given. We will try and obtain a good picture, however, babies do move frequently and it is not always possible to see them clearly. Patients should ask the sonographer at the beginning of the examination if they are interested in having a picture.
Sometimes babies lie in awkward positions and it is not always possible to see everything clearly, so patients might be asked to return at a later date.
Getting to your ultrasound appointment
We are situated on the ground floor of Women's Services, to the left of reception.
Our opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Souvenir or private scans
A souvenir scan uses ultrasound to record pictures or videos of your baby to keep as a memento. Souvenir scans are not for diagnosing problems with your baby. A report published by the Health Protection Agency found no definite evidence souvenir scans harm your baby, however, it is important to understand there may be risks we do not know about yet. A souvenir scan is not a replacement for the routine diagnostic scans you have through the NHS.
Anyone trained to use ultrasound equipment to perform the scan can describe themselves as a Sonographer. It is important to understand it is not the same as being carried out by a healthcare professional like a Radiographer, Nurse, Midwife or Doctor.
