All pregnant women in Ireland are offered a dating scan. Ideally this should be performed before 15 weeks.
Dating scans will detect:
- your baby's heartbeat
- your expected birth date
- the baby's size
- if you are expecting more than one baby
Important
You will need a full bladder. In early pregnancy your womb can be quite small and lies quite low in the pelvis. A full bladder helps to push the womb upwards.
You can bring one person with you for your scan. Children are normally not allowed.
Recording devices, like video cameras, are not allowed.
You may be given a printed photo of your baby. Don't leave it in sunlight and don't laminate it - it will fade.