A growth scan focuses on how your baby is growing later in pregnancy, usually from around 24 weeks onwards. Some parents have one for reassurance; others are offered one on the NHS for medical reasons.
It estimates your baby's size and checks the environment around them.
🔍What it checks
- Measurements of the head, abdomen and thigh bone to estimate weight
- The volume of amniotic fluid
- The position of the placenta
- Which way your baby is lying (for example, head down or breech)
💛What to expect
The scan is done over your tummy and takes around 20 minutes. Estimated weight is exactly that — an estimate, with a margin either side.
💬Questions worth asking
- How is my baby's growth tracking?
- Which way is my baby lying?
- Is the fluid around my baby as expected?
Good to know. If you've been offered NHS growth scans for a medical reason, keep attending those — a private scan is additional, not a substitute.
Sources:
www.nhs.uk