Pregnancy Ultrasound or Sonogram

What You Should Know

Pregnancy ultrasounds (also called a sonogram) can be used to visually see how the development of a fetus is taking place in the uterus and to measure the progress. A pregnancy ultrasound is a noninvasive diagnostic test that uses sound waves to create a visual image of your baby and placenta during pregnancy.

It is recommended that all pregnant women have a scan in the first trimester if they are unsure of the date of their last menstrual cycle or are irregular. This will help to establish the date when the baby is due, check the number of babies and also the position of the placenta.

There are two different types of ultrasounds that can be used to determine information or adnormities that your physician may need to know. The transabdominal ultrasound and transvaginal ultrasound.

Transabdominal Ultrasound Transabdominal ultrasound cannot reliably diagnose pregnancies that are less than 6 weeks gestation. If you are having a transabdominal ultrasound, your health professional will ask you to drink 4 to 6 glasses of juice or water about an hour before the test to fill your bladder.

Transvaginal Ultrasound Transvaginal ultrasound, by contrast, can detect pregnancies earlier, at approximately 4 ½ to 5 weeks gestation. Transvaginal ultrasound is a type of pelvic ultrasound. It is used to look at a woman's reproductive organs, including the uterus, ovaries, cervix, and vagina. Scans in early pregnancy are usually performed in the first trimester around 12 weeks. You may have a earlier scan, if you are experiencing pain or bleeding.

If both a transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound will be done, the transabdominal ultrasound will usually be the choice chosen by your physician.

What information will my ultrasound provide?

A sonographer will provide the necessary information to your practitioner that will help diagnose any abnormities or questionable images. Which includes:

• The detection of a normal heartbeat
• Measures the size of your baby, which includes the skull, thighbone and around the abdomen to make sure that your baby is about the size he should be for his age
• Confirm your baby's location
• Check to see if there's more than one baby
• If later in pregnancy (second trimester) try to determine the sex of your baby
• Measure the amount of amniotic fluid in the uterus
• Check the location of the placenta
• Check your baby for physical adnormalities

What risks or side effects may I encounter from an ultrasound?

While there are no known negative effects to date that may indicate a potential harm to the developing baby, but caution should be taken in the first trimester if you have a fever above 101 degrees fahrenheit. Ultrasounds are a form of energy that do not involve radiation, such as that used when taking an x-ray.

Will I experience any pain during the ultrasound?

Traditionally, there is no pain associated with a ultrasound. Your test will take place in an ultrasound room in a doctor's office, hospital, or clinic. You will lie on your back with during the procedure. Gel will be put on you lower abdomen to improve the quality of the sound waves. A small, handheld transducer is gently moved over your belly. The sonographer will be able to identify a picture of your baby from a video screen that is inside your room. You will be able to here swooshing sounds and see the image of your baby also. You may have someone accompany you during this procedure if you like.

Most test are done within 30 minutes. You may be given a picture of the ultrasound test.