Most scans are performed by a trained healthcare professional called a sonographer. These scans are painless and there are no risks to you or your baby. A dating scan can be used to confirm your due date if you are unsure of your last menstrual period or your date of conception.
It is usually offered to pregnant women from 10 weeks to 13 weeks' gestation, but can be carried out any time from 6 weeks.
A nuchal translucency scan might be offered to help you work out the risk of your baby having a chromosomal abnormality. It might be done as part of a dating scan, or it can be done separately.
You might be advised to have a blood test with it. It is usually done at 18 to 20 weeks' gestation. Most ultrasounds that are done after 10 weeks of pregnancy are performed abdominally. The sonographer will place some gel on your belly, and will rub a hand-held device called a transducer across your belly to obtain a picture of your unborn baby. For an abdominal ultrasound during your first trimester , you may need to drink a few glasses of water.
This is so your full bladder will push your uterus up out of your pelvis, allowing the baby to be seen clearly in the ultrasound images.
Sometimes the sonographer needs to perform a vaginal ultrasound. The probe used for this does not need to go in very deep, so most women find that it fits comfortably inside the vagina. This might be recommended if:. Medicare covers some of the costs of ultrasounds but not others. Some private health insurance schemes cover some of the costs.
Before having an ultrasound, check the costs with your doctor, your midwife or the person doing the ultrasound. It is your choice whether or not you have ultrasound scans during your pregnancy. Many women find it reassuring to know if they have a healthy pregnancy and to help prepare for the birth. If any abnormalities are seen, it may also be possible to arrange immediate specialist care to help manage your pregnancy and prepare for the birth.
If you are unsure whether you would like to have a scan, you can discuss it with your midwife or doctor to help make the right decision for you. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Ultrasound scans in pregnancy are a way of checking on the developing 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.
There are no known risks to the baby or the mother from having an ultrasound scan, but it's important that you consider carefully whether to have the scan or not. This is because the scan can provide information that may mean you have to make further important decisions. For example, you may be offered further tests, such as amniocentesis, that have a risk of miscarriage. The first scan is sometimes called the dating scan. The sonographer estimates when your baby is due the estimated date of delivery, or EDD based on the baby's measurements.
The dating scan can include a nuchal translucency NT scan, which is part of the combined screening test for Down's syndrome , if you choose to have this screening. The second scan offered during pregnancy usually takes place between 18 and 21 weeks of pregnancy.
It's sometimes called the mid-pregnancy scan. This scan checks for 11 physical conditions in your baby. You may be offered more than 2 scans, depending on your health and the pregnancy.
You can find out more about the week dating scan and the week or mid-pregnancy scan. No, not if you do not want to. Ultrasound in reproductive medicine: Is it safe?
Ultrasound Imaging in Reproductive Medicine Ultrasound exams. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Jang T. Ultrasonographic imaging in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.
March of Dimes. Ultrasound during pregnancy. Fetal ultrasound. Ultrasound pregnancy. Join now to personalize. A pregnancy ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of your baby. You may have your first ultrasound early in pregnancy a first-trimester ultrasound or you may have a standard ultrasound at 18 to 22 weeks. Pregnancy ultrasound allows your provider to check on your baby's health and development, monitor your pregnancy, and look for any physical abnormalities.
It's also used for some genetic tests, and to make sure your baby is doing well in late pregnancy. What is ultrasound? When do you get your first ultrasound? What happens during a pregnancy ultrasound? Why do I need a pregnancy ultrasound? How long does an ultrasound take? How many ultrasounds will I have during pregnancy? Are ultrasounds safe? What if a pregnancy ultrasound shows a problem? Sources BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world.
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