N.S. mom calls for better ultrasound access after private clinic reveals twins

A Halifax mother is calling for better access to hospital ultrasounds after she recently discovered she was having twins while receiving private care.

Taija Howard wouldn’t know she was carrying twins if she hadn’t paid out-of-pocket for a private ultrasound.

When Howard was about seven or eight weeks into her pregnancy, her family doctor sent a referral to get an ultrasound done at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.

But she never got a call to book an appointment.

A few weeks later, at the end of her first trimester, Howard decided to get an ultrasound done at a private clinic for “peace of mind” ahead of a trip. There, she found out she was having twins.

“Craziest 10 minutes of my life,” she said.

Had she not gotten the private ultrasound done, she wouldn’t have known about the bonus baby until her next OBGYN appointment at 20 weeks – more than four months into the pregnancy.

“So now we get to celebrate and be happy about it, rather than scared or worried about the unknowns,” she said.

Howard, who already has an 18-month-old child, said she had no problems getting hospital ultrasounds for her previous pregnancy.