Ultrasound: Your First Peek at Your New Baby

by Pattie Hughes | More from this Blogger

About 70% of all pregnant women have an ultrasound during their pregnancies. The technology is considered to be safe and many doctors do one routine ultrasound at about eighteen or twenty weeks of pregnancy. The test may be done at other times, if a complication arises. Although most consider the test safe, some are not convinced. I will address this side of the issue in a separate blog early next week.

Your doctor can gain a surprising amount of information from the ultrasound. In early pregnancy, it can be used to diagnose problems with vaginal bleeding, confirm pregnancy and detect the fetal heartbeat as early as six weeks. The doctor can determine the approximate size and weight of the baby.

The ultrasound that is typically done around the middle of the second trimester allows the doctor to get a good picture of your baby's health. Abnormalities and soft markers for Down's syndrome can be seen on the ultrasound. The technician will check the baby's organs and take several measurements. These will help determine your baby's due date and how well he is growing.

The amniotic fluid level will be checked during the scan. Too little or too much fluid can result in complications for the baby. The placenta will be checked. Problems such as placenta previa can be diagnosed with an ultrasound.

We chose to have an ultrasound with each of our children. We felt it would offer valuable information about the baby's health with minimal risk, since only one would be done. The ultrasound had an amazing benefit for us, a peek at our new baby.

This was such a special day during each one of our pregnancies. My husband and I (and sometimes the kids) would hold hands and watch the screen. The excitement of seeing the baby and learning whether we were getting a new brother or a new sister was a real high point. I am a big worrier when I am pregnant, so the ultrasound gave me some much needed peace of mind.

Related Articles:

Level II Ultrasounds

3D Ultrasounds

When Your Baby is Breech

Learn more about Pattie Hughes

Pattie Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four young children. She and her husband have been married since 1992. Pattie holds a degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University.

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