What to expect during an appointment in Fetal Medicine

The Fetal Medicine Unit is a part of the maternity services at Leeds. We see women when there is a complication which might affect their baby. There are lots of different reasons for referral to the FMU including:

A problem identified on a routine screening scan
A high risk screening test e.g. for Down’s Syndrome
A history of problems affecting existing children or previous pregnancies
Certain problems in the parents of the baby

What to expect during an appointment in Fetal Medicine

On arrival in the FMU you will be greeted by our MSW Nici, or one of our FM midwives. They may ask you a few questions before you are seen by a fetal medicine doctor

The doctor will talk to you before your scan and then carry out a detailed ultrasound scan of your baby. The amount of time needed for the scan will depend on a number of things including the stage of pregnancy, the position of the baby, the number of babies and the suspected problem in your case.

Your scan may be carried out by a fetal medicine trainee under the supervision of a consultant and, occasionally there may be other members of staff present in the room, e.g. medical students, midwives or junior doctors, for training purposes. Please do let us know if you would prefer not to have observers present during your scan.

After the scan the doctor will advise you of their findings and explain what they mean.

You may be offered further investigations, if appropriate, and any future appointments will be usually made before you leave the department.

You will be allocated a named midwife who will be your point of contact in the unit.

How long will the appointment take?

Most appointments will last 30 to 60 minutes although occasionally more time is required. Sometimes appointments can be delayed if the person before you has particularly complicated problems and we are grateful for your patience if this affects you.

Please try to arrive on time as if you are late for your appointment this causes delays for the rest of the clinic. You should allow plenty of time for travel and should be aware that parking at the LGI is very limited. You might wish to consider other forms of transport as the train station is near by and the hospital is served by a number of free bus services.

Please do let us know if you are unable to attend your appointment or if you are running late either by phone or email

Who can come with me?

We advise that your partner comes with you to your appointment in FMU. If they are not able to come then a close friend or relative should come instead but please do not bring more than one person as there is not enough space for lots of people either in our waiting room or in the scan rooms.

Please do not bring children as the appointments can be long and the discussion afterwards can sometimes be distressing.

Preparing for your appointment?

You can eat and drink as normal but please try to come with a full bladder, particularly for scans before 24 weeks gestation. Please do not go to the toilet before your scan. There is a water fountain in the waiting area if you need a drink after you arrive.

Please bring you maternity records with you and give them to the member of staff who greets you on arrival.

How to find us

The Fetal Medicine Unit is located on:

A Floor

Clarendon Wing

Leeds General Infirmary

Belmont Grove

Leeds

LS2 9NS

See our maps, directions and car parking information.

How to contact us

We are open from 08:30-17:30 Monday to Friday but are closed at weekends and on bank holidays