Pregnancy Scans · 6 to 11 Weeks

Private Early Pregnancy Scan in London

Four questions answered in one unhurried appointment: is the pregnancy in the right place, how far along is it, is there a heartbeat, and how many are there. Explained on screen as we scan, by the sonographer scanning you.

  • 30-minute appointment — unhurried, where most clinics allow 20
  • Findings explained during the scan, before you leave
  • Written report usually with you within two hours
  • No GP referral required — self-refer today
  • Report and images included — no hidden fees
£119early pregnancy scan · report and images included
Book Your Early Pregnancy Scan
Call 0203 051 6506

CQC-registered clinic · Provider ID 1-2775844974 · HCPC-registered sonographers

30Minutes · Unhurried Examination
£119Report & Images Included
4.9 ★476 Google Reviews
0Radiation · Completely Safe
The Basics

What is an early pregnancy scan?

An early pregnancy scan — sometimes called a viability or reassurance scan — is performed from around six weeks and answers the questions that matter most in the first weeks: that the pregnancy is inside the womb, how many weeks along it is, whether there is a heartbeat, and whether there is one pregnancy or more.

It is deliberately a narrow set of questions, and they are the right ones for this stage. Assessment of the baby’s anatomy comes much later, and screening for chromosomal conditions is a separate NHS pathway your midwife arranges. This scan is about establishing where things stand now.

Timing

When to come — and when it is too early

Early pregnancy follows a sequence, driven by how far along you are rather than by anything you can influence. The gestational sac appears first, then the yolk sac, then the fetal pole, then the heartbeat. Each has its own window.

Scanned before that window, a structure is simply not visible yet. That is why we generally suggest waiting until at least six weeks — and why a scan at five weeks often ends in a repeat rather than an answer. If your cycles are long or irregular, you may be earlier than you think.

If you are unsure of dates, our pregnancy calculators can help you work out where you are before booking.

Early pregnancy ultrasound examination at IUS London

Common reasons to book

  • Reassurance after a positive test, before the NHS 12-week scan
  • Light bleeding or spotting
  • Cramping or pain you want checked
  • A previous miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
  • Uncertain dates, irregular cycles or no clear last period
  • Conception through IVF or fertility treatment
What the scan establishes

  • That the pregnancy is inside the womb
  • Gestational age, measured from crown-rump length
  • Presence of a heartbeat, and the rate
  • Number of pregnancies, and the membrane arrangement in twins
  • Ovaries and the corpus luteum
  • Any collection of blood beside the sac
Symptoms that need the NHS pathway today, not a booking

Severe one-sided abdominal or pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, shoulder-tip pain, faintness or collapse need same-day assessment — contact your nearest Early Pregnancy Unit, call NHS 111, or go to A&E. These can indicate an ectopic pregnancy, which is a medical emergency. Please do not wait for a booked scan.

Suitability

Is an early pregnancy scan right for me?

An early scan is a good fit if any of these sound like you:

  • ✓You are six weeks or more and want to know where things stand
  • ✓You have had light bleeding or cramping and want it looked at
  • ✓You have had a previous miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
  • ✓Your dates are uncertain because your cycles are irregular
  • ✓You conceived through IVF and want confirmation before your clinic’s scan
  • ✓The wait until the NHS 12-week scan feels too long

And when it is not the right booking

You are under six weeks — it is often too early to see a heartbeat, and a repeat scan is likely. Waiting a week usually gives a clearer answer for the same fee.

You want screening for chromosomal conditions — NHS combined screening at around 12 weeks is arranged through your midwife. We do not provide it.

You want the anomaly scan or a bonding scan — the 20-week anomaly scan is an NHS pathway scan, and we do not offer bonding scans. Every scan here has to answer a clinical question.

Book your early pregnancy scan — £119Not sure? Call 0203 051 6506

If it is too early to give you a clear answer, we will tell you before you book — not after.

Your Appointment

How the scan is done

  1. 1
    Arrive — minimal preparationA comfortably full bladder helps if we start abdominally. Nothing to fast for. The appointment is 30 minutes end to end.
  2. 2
    We talk firstYour dates, your symptoms, any previous pregnancies, and what you are hoping the scan will tell you. That shapes how we approach it.
  3. 3
    Abdominal firstWarm gel over the lower abdomen. In many pregnancies from around seven or eight weeks, this is all that is needed.
  4. 4
    Transvaginal if it would answer the question betterVery early on, a transvaginal scan gives a much clearer view. We explain why before suggesting it, a female chaperone is present, and you may decline or stop at any point.
  5. 5
    Explained as we goYou see what we see, described in plain terms, during the scan — not saved up for a letter afterwards.
  6. 6
    Your report and imagesThe written report is usually with you within two hours, with images included, ready to share with your midwife or GP.
Being told it is too early is not the same as being told something is wrong. Most repeat scans exist because the pregnancy is younger than the dates suggested — and a week later, the picture is usually clear.
Clinical Education

What we are looking for, week by week

Early pregnancy appears in a fixed order. Knowing the order explains why timing matters so much.

The gestational sac

The first structure visible, usually from around four and a half to five weeks. On its own it confirms a pregnancy is present and where it sits, but not yet whether it is developing.

Yolk sac and fetal pole

The yolk sac appears next, then the fetal pole — the embryo itself. Crown-rump length measured here is the most accurate way to date a pregnancy, more reliable than counting from a last period.

The heartbeat

Usually detectable from around six weeks, sometimes a little later. Early rates start slower and rise over the following weeks, so a rate that looks low can be entirely appropriate for the stage.

Your Results

What the scan may show

A pregnancy in the womb with a heartbeatDated from crown-rump length, with an estimated due date. If the date differs from your own calculation, the scan measurement is the more accurate of the two and your maternity team will use it.

Too early to be certain — a repeat suggestedCommon, and usually means the pregnancy is younger than the dates implied rather than that anything is wrong. A repeat in one to two weeks resolves it in most cases, and the report says plainly what we could and could not see.

A finding that needs NHS careA pregnancy that has not developed as expected, or one that may not be in the womb. We tell you at the appointment, plainly and without rushing you, and direct you straight to an Early Pregnancy Unit — with a report written for them.

If the news is difficult, you will not hear it from a letter. We explain it in the room, give you time, and make sure you leave knowing exactly where to go next. Waiting for a scan is its own kind of hard — our guide to scanxiety may help.

Know where you stand

A 30-minute appointment from six weeks, explained on screen as we scan, with your written report and images usually within two hours.

Book Your Early Pregnancy Scan — £119Call 0203 051 6506
From Our Practice

How we handle early pregnancy scans

Scanned by the person explaining it

The sonographer performing your scan talks you through it and writes your report. Nothing is handed to a remote reader.

Thirty minutes, not twenty

Time to answer your questions properly, and time to handle difficult news without hurrying you out of the room.

Honest about timing

If you are likely too early for a clear answer, we say so when you call — before you have paid and travelled.

Straight into the NHS pathway

If a finding needs an Early Pregnancy Unit, we tell you in the room and write the report for them the same day.

FAQs

Early pregnancy scans — your questions answered

How early can I have a scan?
From around six weeks. Earlier than that a heartbeat often cannot be seen yet, and a repeat scan becomes likely. If your cycles are long or irregular you may be earlier than your dates suggest, so it is worth waiting until at least six weeks for a clear answer.
Will I need an internal scan?
Sometimes. Very early on a transvaginal scan gives a much clearer view than scanning through the abdomen. We explain why before suggesting it, a female chaperone is present, and you can decline or stop at any point without needing a reason.
Is an early scan safe?
Yes. Diagnostic ultrasound uses sound waves rather than radiation and has been used in pregnancy for decades. There is no cumulative dose, which is why scans can be repeated when clinically useful.
Do I need a full bladder?
A comfortably full bladder helps if we begin abdominally. If we go on to a transvaginal scan you empty it first, so arriving comfortably full keeps both options open.
Can you tell me the sex of the baby?
Not this early. Sex determination needs around 16 weeks — that is our separate gender scan, not an early pregnancy scan.
Does this replace my NHS 12-week scan?
No. NHS combined screening at around 12 weeks is arranged through your midwife and is a different assessment, including screening for chromosomal conditions that we do not provide. An early scan sits alongside the NHS pathway, never instead of it.
What happens if the news is not good?
We tell you in the room, plainly and without hurrying you. You will leave knowing what was found, what it means, and exactly where to go next — usually an Early Pregnancy Unit, with a report written for them.
What if the scan is inconclusive?
It happens, particularly before seven weeks, and it usually reflects timing rather than a problem. The report states clearly what was and was not visible, and a repeat in one to two weeks generally settles it.
Can my partner come with me?
Yes. You are welcome to bring someone, and we would encourage it if you are anxious about what the scan may show.
Do you offer 3D or 4D bonding scans?
No. We are a diagnostic clinic and every scan we offer has to answer a clinical question, so we do not provide bonding scans.
Related Services

Other pregnancy scans we offer

DatingDating Scan

Accurate gestational age and due date from crown-rump length.

See the scan →
GrowthGrowth Scan

Baby’s growth, fluid and blood flow assessed later in pregnancy.

See the scan →
PregnancyAll Pregnancy Scans

The full range of pregnancy ultrasound we offer.

See scans →

Further reading: coping with scanxiety and having a transvaginal scan for the first time.

Location

Where can you get an early pregnancy scan in London?

Our clinic is at 5a Lucerne Mews, Kensington, London W8 4ED — a quiet mews three minutes on foot from Notting Hill Gate, serving Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Bayswater and central London.

Short-notice appointments are often available, which matters when you are waiting on an answer. Call 0203 051 6506 for today’s availability.

Getting here

By tube: Notting Hill Gate — three minutes’ walk.

By bus: Routes along Notting Hill Gate and Kensington Church Street stop nearby.

By car: On-street parking nearby — full options in directions & parking.

Book Your Scan

Answers, not another fortnight of waiting

From six weeks, in a 30-minute appointment with time to ask everything you need to — explained on screen as we scan, with your report and images usually within two hours.

Book Online0203 051 6506
£119
Early pregnancy scan · 30 minutes

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5a Lucerne Mews
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
CQC Registered
HCPC Sonographers
No GP Referral Needed
Report Within 2 Hours
No Radiation

Written and clinically reviewed by the HCPC-registered sonographers who perform this scan at IUS London — a CQC-registered diagnostic ultrasound clinic (Provider ID 1-2775844974). Your own findings are explained to you at the scan and set out in your report.

Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415 — over 20 years’ experience in NHS and private ultrasound · Reviewed 10 August 2026