Early Reassurance (Viability) Scan

Our Early Reassurance Scan, also known as a Viability Scan, is performed by our experienced specialist sonographers between 6 and 12 weeks of pregnancy.

This scan is designed to provide reassurance and assess the early development of your pregnancy. During your appointment, we will assess:

• Confirmation of an intrauterine pregnancy (to ensure the pregnancy is developing within the uterus)

• The number of babies

• Visualisation of the heartbeat and measurement of the fetal heart rate (beats per minute), where appropriate

• Assessment of the ovaries and surrounding pelvic structures

• Estimation of your pregnancy dates by measuring your baby (where possible)

• Two printed images (additional prints can be purchased)

• A detailed digital scan report and images sent to you following your appointment

Please attend with a comfortably full bladder, as this helps improve image quality during early pregnancy.

Why do we recommend waiting until 7 weeks?

Although we are able to perform early pregnancy scans from 6 weeks, we generally recommend booking your appointment from around 7 weeks of pregnancy whenever possible.

At 6 weeks, your baby is extremely small and still in the earliest stages of development. While many pregnancies can be assessed successfully at this stage, it is sometimes too early to obtain all of the information we would normally expect to see.

Waiting until around 7 weeks increases the likelihood that we can:

• Confirm that the pregnancy is developing normally

• Clearly visualise the fetal heartbeat

• Accurately measure your baby for pregnancy dating

• Complete your assessment during a single appointment

This reduces the likelihood of needing a follow-up scan.

Will I need a rescan?

If your sonographer feels that additional information is required to safely assess your pregnancy, a rescan appointment may be clinically recommended.

This is most commonly because the pregnancy is simply too early for all expected features to be seen and does not necessarily indicate that there is a problem.

Where a clinically indicated rescan is required, it is usually arranged 7–21 days after your initial appointment.

A reduced rescan fee of £50.00 applies.

Each appointment includes a full ultrasound examination, written report, measurements where appropriate, and digital images.

What happens during the scan?

Your early pregnancy scan is usually performed through your abdomen (transabdominal scan).

Occasionally, if the images obtained through the abdomen are not clear enough, your sonographer may recommend a transvaginal (internal) scan. This often provides much clearer images in very early pregnancy.

The procedure will always be fully explained beforehand, and you are under no obligation to proceed with an internal scan if you do not wish to.

If you are experiencing pain or bleeding

If you are experiencing pain, bleeding, or any other concerning symptoms, your first point of contact should be your GP, midwife, NHS 111, or your local Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) so that appropriate medical assessment can be arranged.

If you are unable to obtain a timely NHS appointment, Early Life Ultrasound Centre may be able to offer a same-day private scan (subject to availability).

Our experienced sonographers are also happy to discuss your symptoms and advise whether an appointment would be appropriate.

Early pregnancy can be an anxious time. Our aim is to provide a professional, compassionate, and reassuring service while ensuring you receive accurate information and appropriate follow-up whenever it is clinically required.

For useful pregnancy information - click here

If you have experienced pregnancy complications in the past, Tommy's pregnancy Hub is a really useful place to visit. Here, you can read about reassurance scans and why people have them.

"The best place I have ever been too they really have helped with us and reassured us when needed. Not only do they offer such lovely caring friendly appointments they rang me to help me in a time of need free of charge advice and even managed to fit us in the next day to see our baby when there was no appointments free. Highly recommended" 

- Georgina Amos-Ford