What was your first ultrasound like

The doctor or technician then spreads a gel over the lower abdomen and uses a transceiver to take measurements from several angles.

These are averages for when specific early pregnancy developmental points become detectable by transvaginal ultrasound. Generally, abdominal ultrasound is less sensitive and may not detect these milestones until a week or later in the pregnancy.

Remember that any uncertainty about the date of ovulation could affect what the ultrasound will show at any point in early pregnancy. Ultrasound results are compared to what is expected for the gestational age of a pregnancy.

The gestational age is calculated by the number of weeks since the last menstrual period; however, this method generally assumes a day cycle with ovulation occurring on the 14th day. Many people have shorter or longer cycles and do not ovulate on the 14th day, and this could affect what an ultrasound should show in the development of the pregnancy.

For example, if someone has a day menstrual cycle, they most likely ovulate around the 21st day of their menstrual cycle because ovulation usually occurs two weeks before the menstrual period would begin. If they became pregnant and had an ultrasound scan six weeks from their last menstrual period date, their normally developing pregnancy would measure with a gestational age of five weeks.

If this person did not know that they ovulated on the 21st day of their cycle, they might worry unnecessarily that she was having a miscarriage. The early ultrasound would show only five weeks of development in the pregnancy, but the date of the last menstrual period would date the pregnancy at six weeks. Similarly, not everyone meticulously tracks the start of the menstrual period. If you cannot remember when your menstrual period started and guess the wrong day, even if you have a typical day cycle, this could also change the expected results of an ultrasound scan.

In early pregnancy, the gestational sac and embryo change drastically every day, so being off even by a few days with dating can make a difference in whether or not the ultrasound should detect a heartbeat or reach certain measurements. Sometimes an ultrasound will give uncertain results. For example, if a person is seven weeks pregnant, and the ultrasound does not reveal a fetal heartbeat, the doctor may order another ultrasound in a week.

The pregnancy could still be normal but simply off by a few days in the dating. Or, the dating could be accurate, but still within the margin of error for when the heartbeat becomes detectable.

Similarly, if an ultrasound reveals an empty gestational sac, this could still be a normal finding if the pregnancy is early along. The developing baby is too small to be seen on ultrasound until about five weeks of gestation. In this case, the doctor may opt to repeat the ultrasound at a later date.

In either of these cases, the ultrasound results may indicate a miscarriage or the pregnancy may still be normal. If the subsequent ultrasound shows that the pregnancy has continued developing, the earlier results can be attributed to problems with dating. Having a scan in pregnancy is usually a happy event, but be aware that ultrasound scans may detect some serious health conditions, so try to be prepared for that information.

See What if a screening test finds something for more information on if a scan or other screening test suggests your baby may be more likely to have a condition. If you're well, it's really important you go to all your appointments and scans for the health of you and your baby. If you're pregnant, hospitals and clinics are making sure it's safe for you to go to appointments.

They will advise you what to do. Most scans are carried out by sonographers. The scan is carried out in a dimly lit room so the sonographer is able to get good images of your baby. The sonographer will put ultrasound gel on your tummy, which makes sure there is good contact between the machine and your skin. The sonographer passes a probe over your tummy and a picture of the baby will appear on the ultrasound screen. During the exam, sonographers need to keep the screen in a position that gives them a good view of the baby.

The sonographer will carefully examine your baby's body. The sonographer may need to apply slight pressure on your tummy to get the best views of the baby.

A scan usually takes around 20 to 30 minutes. However, the sonographer may not be able to get good views if your baby is lying in an awkward position or moving around a lot. If it's difficult to get a good image, the scan may take longer or have to be repeated at another time. This will make it easier for your ultrasound technician to get better images of your baby. Because there are so many things to look for, this ultrasound will take at least 45 minutes—if your little one cooperates!

During the full anatomy, week ultrasound, you can find out if your baby is male or female. When the scan is complete, Meriter will even send you a link to view some fun photos of your baby! After your ultrasound technician has captured all these images and measurements, your OBGYN will review the pictures and look for abnormalities such as congenital heart defects or cleft lip or palate.

In the meantime, you can enjoy those 2D or 3D photos of your baby! Sometimes, women need additional ultrasounds during pregnancy. One way doctors estimate whether your baby is growing as expected is by measuring your fundal height. Fundal height is the number of centimeters from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus. This measurement typically increases about 1 cm each week. If your uterus has not grown appropriately in the last month, your OBGYN will surmise that your baby is also not growing and will want to perform monthly growth ultrasounds.

These ultrasounds take less time than the full basic anatomy ultrasound because there are fewer measurements required. An extra-small baby or a baby who does not grow according to their growth curve could mean that the baby is not getting enough nourishment through the placenta and may need to be delivered early. To an untrained eye, they can look pretty fuzzy or obscure. These pictures show facial features and look much more baby-like than the kind of obscure 2D images.

So, do not worry if your tech remains silent. Some take this to the extreme to avoid any problems. If your technician suspects a problem, they may ask somebody else to come into the room. Do not panic right away, as this can be something minor or a mistake on their end. Your doctor will give you a full rundown once they receive the scan.

Walk into your first ultrasound armed with knowledge so that you know what to expect and feel more excitement than jittery nerves. This first peek at your little love is a special moment that you will treasure forever. If you still need an obstetrician, we can help. Contact us to set up your first prenatal visit! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Print page. No Comments.

Post A Comment Cancel Reply.