Patient information hub

Information Before and After Your Appointment

Welcome to the Miracle Inside Diagnostic Scan Clinic Patient Information Hub. This information has been provided to help you understand your appointment, the purpose and limitations of diagnostic ultrasound and blood testing, possible follow-up requirements, and circumstances in which you should seek further medical assessment. The information provided here is general. It is not intended to diagnose your condition or provide individual medical treatment advice.

Important
Miracle Inside Diagnostic Scan Clinic does not replace your GP, midwife, NHS Early Pregnancy Unit, maternity triage, fertility specialist, hospital service or emergency medical care. Miracle Inside provides diagnostic ultrasound examinations, reports and selected blood-testing services within the scope of the service booked. If you are seriously unwell or develop urgent symptoms, do not wait for a private ultrasound appointment.

Early Pregnancy Ultrasound

Preparing for an Early Pregnancy Scan

An early pregnancy ultrasound may provide information about the location and development of a pregnancy. What can be identified during an ultrasound depends on the stage of pregnancy, the examination performed, image quality and individual circumstances. Before your appointment:

Follow the bladder instructions contained in your booking confirmation.
Have the first day of your last menstrual period available, if known.
Tell the sonographer if the pregnancy followed fertility treatment.
Provide relevant fertility-treatment dates where applicable.
Bring any relevant previous ultrasound reports where available.
Tell the sonographer if you are experiencing pain, vaginal bleeding or other symptoms.

Abdominal and Transvaginal Ultrasound

An abdominal ultrasound may sometimes provide limited information when a pregnancy is very early. Where clinically appropriate, a transvaginal ultrasound may be offered because it can provide more detailed images during early pregnancy. A transvaginal examination will only be undertaken following an explanation of the examination and with your consent. You may ask questions before deciding whether to proceed and may withdraw your consent at any stage.

When an Early Pregnancy Scan is Inconclusive

Very early pregnancy ultrasound does not always provide an immediate or definite answer. The pregnancy may be earlier than expected, and menstrual dates alone cannot establish precisely when ovulation or conception occurred. An ultrasound may therefore be described as inconclusive when the sonographer cannot yet establish all of the expected findings with sufficient certainty. This may occur when:

The pregnancy appears very early.
Pregnancy viability cannot yet be confirmed.
Pregnancy location cannot yet be confirmed.
The expected developmental features cannot yet be identified with sufficient certainty.
The ultrasound findings require further assessment before a definite conclusion can be made.

An inconclusive ultrasound does not by itself establish that a miscarriage has occurred.

At the same time, a single very early ultrasound cannot always establish that a pregnancy is progressing normally.

What happens next?

Depending on the findings, you may be advised that further assessment is required. This may include:

A repeat ultrasound after an appropriate interval.
Assessment through an NHS Early Pregnancy Unit.
Clinical assessment by another appropriate healthcare service.
Blood investigations where requested by the healthcare service responsible for your follow-up.

The appropriate timing and type of further assessment depend on the individual ultrasound findings and clinical circumstances. Your sonographer will explain what was visible at your examination and the recommended next step.

Pregnancy of Unknown Location

What Does Pregnancy of Unknown Location Mean?

Pregnancy of Unknown Location (PUL) is a clinical term used when there is evidence of pregnancy but an ultrasound has not identified the location of the pregnancy. This means that, at that particular examination, a pregnancy has not been clearly identified either within or outside the uterus. PUL is not a final diagnosis. There are several possible explanations, including that the pregnancy may be too early to identify on ultrasound. However, an ectopic pregnancy cannot be excluded until the location of the pregnancy has been established. For this reason, appropriate follow-up is important.

What happens after a PUL finding?

Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be advised to have further assessment through an appropriate NHS Early Pregnancy Unit or other clinical service. Further assessment may involve:

Clinical review.
Repeat ultrasound.
Blood investigations arranged or interpreted by the appropriate clinical service.

Blood-test results and ultrasound findings need to be considered together with your symptoms and clinical circumstances. Miracle Inside does not advise patients to interpret serial β-hCG results independently or use them alone to determine pregnancy location or viability.

Important Symptoms Following a PUL or Early Pregnancy Scan

Your symptoms can change after an ultrasound examination. A previous scan result does not mean that new or worsening symptoms should be ignored.

⚠️ Seek Urgent Medical Assessment
Seek urgent medical assessment if you develop:

Severe or worsening abdominal or pelvic pain

Shoulder-tip pain

Heavy or concerning vaginal bleeding

Dizziness or fainting

Collapse

Marked weakness

A significant deterioration in how you feel

Contact the appropriate NHS service according to the severity of your symptoms. Call 999 in a medical emergency.

Do not wait for your next Miracle Inside appointment if you develop concerning symptoms.

Pain or Bleeding in Early Pregnancy

Pain or vaginal bleeding can occur during early pregnancy and does not always indicate a serious complication. However, pain and bleeding can also occur with conditions requiring medical assessment, including miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. The significance of symptoms cannot be determined from ultrasound alone and may depend on your clinical history, examination, pregnancy stage and other investigations. Miracle Inside provides diagnostic ultrasound findings within the scope of the examination but does not provide emergency medical assessment. If you develop new, severe or worsening symptoms, contact the appropriate NHS service rather than waiting for a private ultrasound appointment.

Suspected Miscarriage

When an Ultrasound Raises Concerns

Sometimes ultrasound findings raise concerns that a pregnancy may not be developing as expected. Because early pregnancy findings can be uncertain, a definitive conclusion cannot always be reached during a single examination. Depending on the ultrasound findings, further assessment may be required before a miscarriage can be confirmed. This can include:

Repeat ultrasound after an appropriate interval.
Review by another appropriately qualified clinician.
Assessment through an NHS Early Pregnancy Unit.

The purpose of appropriate follow-up is to ensure that conclusions are based on sufficient evidence. Miracle Inside will report the ultrasound findings visible at the time of the examination and advise appropriate onward assessment where required.

Complete Miscarriage

The term complete miscarriage describes a situation in which a pregnancy is considered to have passed from the uterus. However, an apparently empty uterus on an ultrasound does not, in every circumstance, establish that a complete miscarriage has occurred. In particular, where there has not previously been ultrasound confirmation that a pregnancy was located within the uterus, the possibility of a Pregnancy of Unknown Location, including ectopic pregnancy, may require consideration and appropriate follow-up. Further assessment may therefore be recommended through an NHS Early Pregnancy Unit or other appropriate clinical service. Miracle Inside does not provide medical or surgical management of miscarriage.

Following Pregnancy Loss

We recognise that pregnancy loss can be a difficult and distressing experience. People respond differently to pregnancy loss, and there is no single way that someone is expected to feel. Where an ultrasound raises concerns regarding pregnancy loss, our role is to:

Explain the ultrasound findings.
Provide your ultrasound report.
Explain any limitations of the examination.
Recommend appropriate onward assessment where required.
Provide appropriate safety-netting information.

Treatment and ongoing clinical management should be discussed with the NHS Early Pregnancy Unit, GP, hospital team or other healthcare professional responsible for your care.

Seek medical assessment if you develop:

Heavy or increasing bleeding
Severe or worsening abdominal or pelvic pain
A high temperature
Unusual or offensive vaginal discharge
Significant dizziness or fainting
Collapse
A significant deterioration in your general condition

Seek urgent or emergency medical attention according to the severity of your symptoms.

Pregnancy Sickness

Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting are common during pregnancy and may occur at any time of the day or night. Symptoms often begin during early pregnancy and, for many people, improve as the pregnancy progresses. Symptoms vary considerably. Some people have relatively mild nausea, while others experience frequent or severe vomiting that substantially affects their ability to eat, drink or undertake normal daily activities. Miracle Inside does not assess or prescribe treatment for pregnancy sickness. If symptoms are persistent, severe, or affecting your ability to eat or drink normally, contact your GP, midwife, maternity service, or NHS 111 for an appropriate clinical assessment.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It can interfere substantially with normal daily activities and may be associated with dehydration and weight loss. Symptoms requiring clinical assessment can include:

Persistent or severe vomiting.
Difficulty keeping food or fluids down.
Dark or markedly reduced urine.
Significant weakness.
Dizziness or faintness.
Weight loss.
Abdominal pain.
Fever or feeling significantly unwell.

If you are experiencing severe or persistent symptoms, contact your GP, midwife, maternity service or NHS 111. Miracle Inside does not provide treatment for hyperemesis gravidarum.

Pregnancy Well-being, Growth and 3D/4D Scans

The exact scope of your ultrasound examination depends on:

The scan package booked.
Gestational age.
Fetal position.
Image accessibility.
The purpose and scope of the examination.

A private pregnancy ultrasound does not replace NHS antenatal screening, anomaly assessment, routine maternity appointments or other NHS maternity care. You should continue to attend the routine NHS maternity care offered to you.

Image Quality and Fetal Position

Ultrasound image quality varies between examinations. Factors affecting image quality may include:

Gestational age.
Fetal position.
Fetal movement.
Maternal tissues.
Previous scar tissue.
Amniotic fluid volume.
Other anatomical or technical factors.

For this reason, a particular image or view cannot be guaranteed. This is particularly relevant to 3D/4D ultrasound where fetal position can substantially affect the images obtained.

Your Ultrasound Report

Your ultrasound report records the findings visible during the examination. The report relates to the examination undertaken at that particular point in time. Ultrasound findings may need to be considered alongside:

Symptoms.
Clinical history.
Previous investigations.
Blood-test results.
Other imaging.
Subsequent clinical assessment.

If your report recommends contact with your GP, midwife, Early Pregnancy Unit, maternity triage, fertility clinic or hospital service, please follow that recommendation. If your symptoms subsequently change or deteriorate, seek appropriate medical assessment even if a previous ultrasound appeared reassuring.

Pelvic and Women's Health Ultrasound

Preparing for Your Examination

The preparation required depends on the type of ultrasound examination booked.

Transabdominal Pelvic Ultrasound

A transabdominal pelvic examination will normally require a comfortably full bladder. Follow the preparation instructions in your booking confirmation.

Transvaginal Ultrasound

Where included within the examination booked and clinically appropriate, a transvaginal ultrasound may provide more detailed assessment of pelvic structures. Before the examination:

The procedure will be explained.
Your consent will be obtained.
You may ask questions.
You may decline the examination.
You may withdraw consent at any stage.

What Can a Pelvic Ultrasound Assess?

Depending on the examination booked, ultrasound may assess structures including:

The uterus.
Endometrium.
Ovaries.
Adnexal regions.
Other relevant pelvic structures visible within the scope of the examination.

The amount of diagnostic information obtainable depends upon the examination performed, clinical circumstances and image quality.

Important Limitation – Fallopian Tubes

A routine pelvic ultrasound cannot establish whether the Fallopian tubes are open. A normal pelvic ultrasound therefore does not establish tubal patency. If investigation of the Fallopian tubes is required, this should be discussed with the GP or fertility specialist responsible for your care.

Fertility Monitoring

Miracle Inside can provide diagnostic ultrasound measurements and selected blood-testing services to support fertility treatment being managed by an appropriate fertility clinic. Depending on the examination requested, ultrasound monitoring may include:

Endometrial assessment.
Ovarian assessment.
Follicle identification and measurement.
Other measurements requested by your fertility clinic.

Blood investigations may also be performed when appropriately requested.

Miracle Inside provides diagnostic measurements, findings and reports. Miracle Inside does not prescribe, recommend, start, stop or alter fertility medication.

Clinical decisions regarding fertility treatment should be made by the fertility clinician responsible for your treatment.

Blood Tests

Before Your Blood Test

Different laboratory investigations have different collection requirements. Please follow the preparation instructions provided for the specific investigation requested. Some laboratory tests may have requirements relating to:

Fasting.
Collection time.
Day of the menstrual cycle.
Specialist sample handling.
Referral laboratory requirements.
Identification or request forms.

If you are uncertain about the preparation required, contact Miracle Inside before attending. Miracle Inside will not advise you to stop, start or alter prescribed medication unless this instruction has been provided by the healthcare professional responsible for your care.

Laboratory Results and Turnaround Times

Turnaround times vary according to the investigation and laboratory. Specialist investigations may require additional analysis, referral to another laboratory, confirmation or specialist review. Any turnaround time provided by Miracle Inside should therefore be treated as an estimated laboratory turnaround time unless specifically confirmed otherwise.

Abnormal or Unexpected Results

Laboratory results should normally be interpreted within the context of the patient's clinical circumstances. The significance of a result may depend on information including:

Symptoms.
Medical history.
Pregnancy status.
Previous investigations.
Other laboratory results.
Imaging findings.

Miracle Inside provides laboratory reports received from the testing laboratory but does not replace clinical diagnosis or medical consultation. Where appropriate, you may be advised to discuss abnormal or unexpected results with your GP, fertility specialist, consultant or other healthcare professional responsible for your care.

Consent, Dignity and Chaperones

Your privacy, dignity and right to make decisions about your examination will be respected. Before an examination, you should have an opportunity to understand what examination is being proposed and what it involves. You may:

Ask questions.
Request further explanation.
Decline the examination.
Withdraw your consent at any stage.

Please ask a member of the team if you require information regarding chaperone arrangements.

Children and Guests

Guests may be permitted subject to privacy, safety, examination-room capacity and clinical requirements. The number of people permitted within an examination room may therefore be restricted. Children attending the clinic must remain appropriately supervised by another responsible adult.

Reports, Images and Records

Ultrasound reports, images, laboratory reports and personal information are handled in accordance with Miracle Inside procedures and applicable UK confidentiality and data-protection requirements. Please contact the clinic if you require information about accessing your records.

Safety Information

⚠️ DO NOT WAIT FOR A PRIVATE SCAN IF YOU ARE SERIOUSLY UNWELL
Miracle Inside Diagnostic Scan Clinic is not an emergency medical service. Seek urgent medical assessment for symptoms including:

Severe or worsening abdominal or pelvic pain

Heavy or concerning vaginal bleeding

Shoulder-tip pain associated with early-pregnancy symptoms

Dizziness, fainting or collapse

Chest pain

Significant difficulty breathing

A significant deterioration in your general condition

Reduced fetal movements once movements have normally become established

Depending on your symptoms and pregnancy stage, contact the appropriate NHS service, which may include your GP, NHS 111, NHS Early Pregnancy Unit, maternity triage or Emergency Department. Call 999 in a medical emergency.

Complaints and Feedback

If you wish to raise a concern or complaint, please provide:

Your full name.
Date of your appointment.
Service received.
A clear description of your concern.
Any relevant supporting information.

Your concern will be considered in accordance with the Miracle Inside Complaints Procedure.

Contact Miracle Inside

Miracle Inside Diagnostic Scan Clinic

218A–218B Dewsbury Road Leeds LS11 6ER West Yorkshire Telephone: 0113 460 8760 Email: miracleinside4dscan@gmail.com Private Diagnostic Ultrasound and Blood Testing Services in Leeds.

Important Clinical Disclaimer

Information contained within the Miracle Inside Patient Information Hub is provided for general information and safety-netting purposes only. It does not constitute individual medical advice, prescribe treatment or replace assessment by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Miracle Inside provides diagnostic ultrasound examinations and selected blood-testing services within the scope of the service booked. Where further clinical assessment, treatment or medical management is required, patients will be advised to contact the appropriate GP, midwife, NHS Early Pregnancy Unit, maternity service, fertility specialist, consultant or hospital service. A previous reassuring ultrasound or blood-test result should not delay medical assessment if new symptoms develop or existing symptoms become worse. Never delay urgent or emergency medical care while waiting for a private ultrasound appointment. © Miracle Inside Diagnostic Scan Clinic. All rights reserved.