I bought first-year medical textbooks instead of the makeup and teenage clothes my friends were into and actually taught myself quite a lot from almost constant medical and scientific reading.

Under almost every cause of the diseases, I read about were the words, ‘ethology unknown,’ meaning that doctors did not know what caused them.

If there’s any cause for concern then you may be recommended to have the scan before the 12-week mark, and your midwife will be able to assist you with this.

The nuchal test is usually done at the same time and done in conjunction with a blood test.

If the pregnancy is very early the gestation sac and fetus will not be big enough to see, so the transvaginal approach will give better pictures.

Peek A Baby is an appointment-only private Ultrasound Scanning Clinic, as we aim to make sure you have due time and attention on the day.

We make every effort to make your visit to us an experience rather than a medical appointment.

Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average. The NT scan must be done when you're between 11 and 14 weeks pregnant, because this is when the base of your baby's neck is still transparent.

(The last day you can have it is the day you turn 13 weeks and 6 days pregnant.) It's usually offered along with a blood test in first-trimester combined screening options.(Some practitioners also look for the presence of the fetal nasal bone in the first trimester.