It’s completely normal to feel a mixture of excitement and nerves when it comes to scanning in pregnancy. After all, your pregnancy scans are a chance to see your baby and hear their heartbeat, which is a really special experience for parents-to-be.

Most of the time, scans are a great (and pretty wonderful) opportunity to confirm your baby is developing healthily, with the added bonus that you can see their movements too. Scans are also helpful for spotting any potential issues that could develop as your pregnancy moves along so you and your little one can get the best care possible if you need it.

If you’re feeling a little nervous as you await your pregnancy scan dates, it can help to know what to expect. Here you’ll find a handy guide on all the pregnancy scans, from how many scans you’ll have during your pregnancy, what will happen when you’re there and when they’ll be offered to you.

So, when do you have a scan when pregnant? And how many scans can you expect during your pregnancy?

Here in the UK, mums-to-be are usually offered at least two scans: one between 11-14 weeks of pregnancy and one at 18-21 weeks¹.

Depending on a few other things (like your own health, for example, or if you’ve had difficulties in a previous pregnancy), you might be offered additional scans during your pregnancy¹. Your midwife will go through all of this with you at your first appointment (also known as your booking appointment) which is a great opportunity to ask any questions that you might have.

Most scanning in pregnancy uses ultrasound. Soundwaves are used to build a picture of your baby as they lay snug in your womb. Your scan will likely be carried out by a ‘sonographer’ who is specially trained in scanning in pregnancy. They’ll apply some cold gel to the skin on your bump and then use a handheld scanner to move across your tummy. Images will be transmitted to a screen which you’ll be able to see¹.

You might be asked to drink plenty of fluids before your ultrasound scan because a full bladder can help you get a clear picture of your baby¹. However, this won’t always be necessary, so check with your midwife beforehand if you’re not sure.

Sometimes, babies can be a little camera-shy! On the other hand, you may have an avid wriggler on your hands - there’s simply no way to know. Just be prepared for your baby to surprise you on the day.

You might be offered a few different types of scans during your pregnancy. How many and when you have them will depend on your choices and circumstances, and your midwife will explain all of your options to you.

The first scan you might have while pregnant is the early pregnancy scan, which takes place between 6 and 10 weeks of pregnancy. This first scan isn’t offered to everyone, but you might be referred for an early pregnancy scan if you’ve had complications during a previous pregnancy or if you’re experiencing any bleeding².

Because your baby is so tiny this early on in your pregnancy, you might have a transvaginal scan, which is where an ultrasound scanner is inserted into your vagina instead of on the skin of your tummy².

If there’s no need for an early pregnancy scan, you’ll be offered your first scan at around 10-14 weeks of pregnancy. This is called the 12-week scan or dating scan because the sonographer can estimate your due date based on the size of your baby¹.

Your doctor or midwife will book your 12-week pregnancy scan date for you. The scan usually takes about 20 minutes, depending on how easy your baby is to spot on the ultrasound. 

At the scan, you’ll lie down on the bed and lower your clothing down to your hips so that your belly is visible. You’ll have some tissue around the sides of your body, and the sonographer will then squeeze jelly onto your abdomen (just a heads-up this can feel quite cold!).

The sonographer will move a handheld ultrasound scanner across your stomach to build a picture of your baby on the screen. At your first scan, you’re still very early in your pregnancy, so it can be tricky to make the head and tails of the image - literally! Your sonographer will be able to help you pick out your baby amongst all the wibbly lines.

Seeing your little one on the monitor is such an exciting experience and can often be when your pregnancy starts to feel very real. It’s perfectly natural to feel quite emotional (and teary!) seeing your baby for the first time. You should be able to get a printout of your scan (some hospitals charge for this) that you can take home to show your loved ones so they can share in your excitement.

At your first scan, you’ll also be offered a nuchal translucency (NT) scan, which is part of the screening for conditions like Down’s syndrome, Patau’s syndrome and Edwards’ syndrome³. 

All babies have some fluid under a fold of skin at the back of their neck, which is called nuchal translucency (NT) and can be spotted during your 12-week scan⁴. Measuring your baby’s NT on the ultrasound scan is part of a screening test for Down’s syndrome, Patau’s syndrome, and Edwards’ syndrome.

If your baby has more nuchal translucency than would be expected, you might be referred to a specialist who will provide further tests. It’s important to remember that many babies with more NT than usual are perfectly healthy, but these screening tests can help spot anything you need to be aware of⁴.

This part of the process can be a little unsettling. Always remember your doctor and midwife are there to support you, so don’t be afraid to lean on them for support and advice, as well as your family and friends. 

Your second scan, called your 20-week scan will happen between 18 and 21 weeks of pregnancy. A lot of parents get really excited about this one, as it’s when your little one starts to look more like a real baby!

If they’re in the right position, you might even be able to find out if your baby is a boy or a girl at your second scan⁵. But you can choose not to find out if you’d prefer to be surprised.

You might also hear your 20-week scan being referred to as a ‘fetal anomaly scan’. This is because your sonographer will check your baby from head to toe. They’ll look in detail at your growing baby’s bones, heart, brain, face, kidneys and tummy and will carry out screening tests for rare conditions like anencephaly, cleft lip and Patau’s syndrome⁵.

Your second scan at 20 weeks of pregnancy marks a big milestone - you’re halfway there! This can be a really exciting time as you start to think more seriously about your plans for giving birth and what life will look like as a parent. 

It’s also OK to feel some anxiety leading up to your 20-week scan, especially if you’ve had complications in pregnancy before. It’s always good to keep in mind that there’s a possibility that your sonographer could spot something on your scan that they feel is cause for concern. The important thing to remember is that having this scan at 20 weeks of pregnancy means that your healthcare team can pick up on many potential health issues for you and your baby, and make sure you have the right care and advice.

Most of the time, your 20-week scan will show a healthy baby growing exactly as it should, but if there is anything to worry about, you’ll be in the safe hands of your antenatal and/or foetal medicine team, who’ll know what to do next.

You might be offered more scans during your pregnancy if there are any concerns about how your baby is growing⁶. These extra scans are called growth scans, and they do just what they say on the tin - monitor your little one’s growth. Depending on your circumstances, you could be offered growth scans at 28, 31, 34, 37 and 40 weeks of pregnancy.

Ultrasound scans have been used for decades, but some expectant parents still worry about whether or not they are safe and how many ultrasound scans they should be having during their pregnancy.

It’s perfectly natural to be a little nervous, but rest assured that there are no known risks or evidence to show that ultrasound scans are harmful to your baby when done by your healthcare professional¹. Ultrasound uses sound waves instead of radiation, so it’s much safer than an X-ray, and it helps you and your doctor determine if your pregnancy is healthy. 

It’s usually possible to find out if you're having twins at your first scan at 12 weeks⁷. Sometimes having twins is referred to as a multiple pregnancy because it’s possible to have more than two babies in one pregnancy. The scan is exactly the same for everyone, whether you’re expecting twins or just having one baby, but you should expect the ultrasound to take a little bit longer if there’s more than one baby to check over.

The twin scan will try to determine whether or not your babies share a placenta or have one each. If your babies share a placenta, it means they’re identical twins. If they have two separate placentas, it means they could be either identical or non-identical twins⁷.

If the sonographer is still struggling to determine whether your babies share a placenta after your 12-week scan, they’ll offer you another scan. Knowing this detail helps your doctor look after your babies during your pregnancy, just in case they need extra special care.

If you'd like to know more about your pregnancy, why not give one of our friendly experts a call on 0800 977 8880. Or you can use our Live Chat Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm.

Last reviewed: October 2024 
Reviewed by Nutricia’s Medical and Scientific Affairs Team