The early weeks of pregnancy can feel like an emotional rollercoaster — exciting, nerve-wracking, and full of questions. Whether you're counting down the days to your first NHS scan or you've noticed something that doesn’t feel quite right, we’re here to help you feel more in control.
This scan offers early reassurance that your pregnancy is progressing as expected. It can also be used to check for common concerns such as light bleeding, abdominal cramps, loss of early pregnancy symptoms, or simply to ease your mind when something feels off.
We can confirm the presence of a pregnancy, check for a heartbeat, determine if it’s a single or multiple pregnancy, and give you a more accurate gestational age if your dates are uncertain.
You’ll receive at least two printed images plus digital images and video sent straight to your phone before you even leave the room. No waiting. Just clarity, calm, and next steps.
Who it's for
You're between 6 and 14 weeks pregnant, or you're waiting for your NHS dating scan (usually around 12 weeks) and something just doesn’t feel right. You might have symptoms that are worrying you, or maybe you’ve simply got that gut feeling that says, “I need to check.”
We’ll see you within 48 hours, no waiting around.
If your cycle is irregular or you’re not sure on dates, we usually recommend coming in around 2 weeks after your first positive pregnancy test. If you're unsure just drop us a message, and we’ll talk it through with you.
What happens
Your sonographer will start by having a friendly chat about your general health and any relevant medical history — especially anything related to gynaecology or previous pregnancies. We want to fully understand your current situation, how you’re feeling, and what’s brought you in.
We’ll begin with a scan through your tummy (transabdominal), but in early pregnancy it’s really common not to get a clear enough view. If that happens, we’ll offer an internal scan (transvaginal) — this is totally normal and often gives us a much clearer picture. You’ll be asked to empty your bladder beforehand, and if you’re on your own, we’ll offer a chaperone. You’ll always have privacy to get undressed and dressed again.
Most people find internal scans pain-free, maybe a bit cold, a bit stretchy, but not painful.
During the scan, you’ll be able to see the screen and we’ll talk you through everything as we go (and if we go quiet, it just means we’re concentrating, not that something’s wrong). We’ll check:
• That the pregnancy is in the right place and growing well
• That there’s a heartbeat
• If it’s one baby or more
• That your uterus and surrounding areas look healthy
Once the scan is done, you’ll have time to get dressed, and then we’ll sit down and go over everything together, answering questions, talking next steps, and signposting you to any care you might need. You’ll get printed scan photos plus digital images and video sent straight to your phone before you leave.
Preparation
Want clearer images and the best chance of a smooth, successful scan? Start with hydration and we mean before the day of your appointment. Aim to drink up to 3 litres of water a day for 3–4 days leading up to your scan. It helps hydrate the tissues, which can massively improve image quality (aka better pics for you to take home!).
On the day eat and drink normally, but don’t go wild with the water. Empty your bladder before you leave home, then sip up to 500ml in the lead-up to your appointment, just enough, not bursting.
If you’re very early in pregnancy (under 8 weeks), there’s a good chance we’ll need to do an internal scan to get a clear view. All of our sonographers are female and highly experienced. And no, we don’t care if you’ve shaved. We’re here for your wellbeing, not your grooming habits.
Not sure who to bring? You’re absolutely welcome to bring a partner, trusted friend or family member. Just bear in mind this can be an emotional appointment, and internal scans are, by nature, more intimate. We can screen your lower body from view during the scan, but choose someone you’re comfortable with.
And while we love little ones, early pregnancy scans aren’t always the right place for them, for your own emotional space and out of respect for others who may be having a difficult scan. We won’t turn anyone away, but we do gently suggest leaving children at home if you can.
On the day
Appointments between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday?
Head into the Main Reception at Greetwell Place. The lovely reception team will let us know you’ve arrived and we’ll come and collect you.
Appointments outside of these hours?
When Main Reception is closed, follow the road through the car park to the right of the building, past the 5mph sign. Look out for the ScanLinc sandwich board - that’s our private entrance. Park nearby and wait there, we’ll be with you soon.
Please note: there’s no access to the building before your appointment time.
A gentle request:
We ask that you stay in your vehicle or wait at a respectful distance until your appointment. Not everyone is ready to share their pregnancy news, and not every scan brings happy news. Your privacy, and theirs, matters.
STANDARD HOURS
£99
EXTENDED
HOURS
£109
ON THE DAY
Meet Your Team
You won’t see a different face every time you walk through the door.
ScanLinc is run by just three of us - Sam, Hannah and Megan - and between us, you’re always in safe hands.
Megan Evans
Megan is a qualified, HCPC-registered Sonographer who also works within the NHS as an Obstetric Sonographer. That dual perspective means she’s not only clinically brilliant, but always in the loop with evolving NHS practices, bringing the best of both worlds to your care.
Sam Nicholls
Sam is our Clinic Director and Advanced Practitioner Sonographer. With postgraduate training in gynaecology, fertility and early pregnancy, and over two decades of NHS experience, she brings a calm, expert presence to every scan. She’s also our CQC lead and maintains her Midwifery registration, so you can be sure your care is clinically sound, safe and current.
Hannah Sleight
Hannah is our Technical Director and a qualified Sonographer. She has a knack for turning complex tech into calm, seamless experiences, from streamlining operations to keeping us at the cutting edge with the latest imaging innovations (like our 8K scan enhancements). She makes the clinic run like clockwork.
Early Pregnancy Emergency Scan
45 minutes
You won’t be scanned for the full 45 minutes, this time includes space for us to talk through your concerns beforehand, carry out the scan carefully, and answer any questions you may have afterwards. We want you to feel fully heard, never rushed.
Additional Information
None
Source:
Ultrasound
STANDARD HOURS: Weekdays 9am–6pm
EXTENDED HOURS: Evenings, weekends, & bank holidays
STANDARD
HOURS
£99
EXTENDED
HOURS