What to Expect from Your Pregnancy Ultrasound

Ultrasounds have come a long way, if you're considering an ultrasound during pregnancy here are some tips on what to expect  from a pregnancy ultrasound.

Pregnant women often cannot wait until the arrival of their baby. They want to admire the little miracle that is growing within and show pictures to friends and family. With the technology of the ultrasound, women no longer have to wait the full nine months to see their babies.

The ultrasound for pregnancy was designed for not only watching the fetus as it grows, but also to check for multiple births, for diagnosing complications and to check for major birth defects.

For the woman who is going in for her first ultrasound, and is wondering just how safe it is and what will be happening, we’ve listed the standard procedure for when and why ultrasounds are taken during the pregnancy.

First of all an ultrasound is a procedure where the nurse or other health care provider will rub a device, called a transducer, that has conduction gel on it, across the woman’s abdomen. Sound waves from the transducer will produce an image on a monitor allowing the mother and the health care provider an opportunity to have the first look at the baby. A second type of ultrasound is sometimes used earlier in a pregnancy. Instead of rubbing a transducer over the abdomen, there may be a probe inserted into the vagina, producing the same results on the monitor. Either way it is painless and very safe for both the mother and the baby when done by a properly trained individual. There are also no sensations from the sound waves. The only discomfort may come from the full bladder, as it is sometimes required by the doctor during the procedure. It is not recommended that a woman receive any ultrasounds from any other individuals than those medically trained to do so.

Ultrasounds can be performed at different times during a woman’s pregnancy, but the first one is usually performed in the first trimester when the woman is anywhere from 8-10 weeks into her pregnancy; this will help estimate the number of weeks of pregnancy.

In the second trimester another ultrasound may be done to check the baby’s growth and size and also to check for any major developmental concerns at the same time.

In the third trimester an ultrasound may be done to determine if there is too little or too much amniotic fluid (the protective liquid surrounding the baby). And once again to check on the baby’s growth.

The routine ultrasounds usually take about 20 minutes each and will provide your health care provider with information that will benefit the care of both mother and baby during the pregnancy. With the technology of the ultrasound, you don’t have to wait nine months to show off pictures of your new baby.