Ultrasound

What can an ultrasound detect?

What is ultrasound?

to evaluate movement, tone, and breathing,
to identify sex (not 100% reliable),
to assess the amount of amniotic fluid,
as an adjunct to cervical cerclage or suture,
to look for molar pregnancies,
to determine the structure and position of the placenta (particularly useful if placenta previa is suspected),
to determine the cause of bleeding,
for fetal surgery.

What is 3D 4D?
With 3D ultrasound a volume of echoes is taken which can be stored digitally and shaded to produce life like pictures of the fetus. 4D just means that these life like pictures can be seen to move in real time so the activity of the baby inside your womb can be studied.

How accurate is the due date with an ultrasound?
Not as accurate as you may think! It depends on at what point during the pregnancy the ultrasound is taken.

5 - 7 weeks: Measurement of the sac at five to seven weeks gives an accuracy of plus or minus ten days.
7 - 14 weeks: Measuring the crown-rump length gives an accuracy of plus or minus three days at seven weeks
14 - 26 weeks: the measurement of the biparietal diameter of the baby's head, the femur length, and the head and abdominal circumference is used; the accuracy is plus or minus seven to ten days.
26 - 40 weeks: Later in pregnancy, the accuracy declines, and may be plus or minus twenty-one days.

Sonogram of a baby at 10 weeks pregnant.

Do you really have to have a full bladder for an ultrasound?
Women getting an ultrasound are encouraged to drink several glasses of water an hour before the exam and not go to the bathroom until after the exam. The full bladder helps the doctor locate the pelvic organs and get a clearer and more accurate picture. However, this advice only applies for some ultrasounds, depending on the kind of probe used and the point in pregnancy when the ultrasound is done. This is why different women report getting different advice from their doctors about whether a full bladder is required.

When can you see What?
1st trimester: to determine whether a pregnancy is properly located within the uterus or is located in an abnormal position (ectopic pregnancy), or to confirm suspected miscarriage
2nd trimester: sex, spina bifida, disorders of the skeleton, central nervous system, heart, kidneys, or urinary tract.
3rd trimester: detect problems that may affect planning of delivery, such as intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).

What can't you see?
Ultrasound does *not* detect:

the severity of spina bifida, only whether it is present.
DOWN syndrome
abnormal heart beat

Remarkable:
Some places (e.g. India) are considering outlawing informing the parents of the sex of the child based on ultrasound, because of the tendency for female children to be aborted.

Comments: Ultrasound

Comments 1 to 24 of about 103.
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3rdgoround - 7 days ago.
CaitlynM , there is no reason to worry if you think you have a tilted uterus. I also have a tilted uterus and have had two perfect babies with not developmental issues, and hoping to do it agian in round three.

*Precious.Moments* - 13 days ago.
I only had one ultrasound.. I had mine at 21 weeks.. All looked good so there was no reason to have more.. Good luck to you though! Hope everything works for ya..

lexi101 - 14 days ago.
CaitlynM -I think it depends on your doctor. I've had 3 done. the first at 8 weeks and the second at 10 then my last one was at 19wks. I don't know if I'll get another one after this. Most ppl get one before their 12wks check the baby and get a EDD and then another around 20 weeks.

CaitlynM - 14 days ago.
Ok, so for the first 2 times I went to the dr I got a vaginal ultrasound, my last was at 10weeks, I am now 16.5 weeks . I have heard the heartbeat the last few weeks, but im worried about development because I have reason to believe that I have a tilted uterus, and Im only 16, I have no clue what to expect. I have an over the belly ultrasound appointment for the end of feb, how often can I expect to get ultrasounds now?

jude-v - 25 days ago.
Chazoos I know it can be very frustrating if you feel like you are being disregarded like you have, changing your doctor if your not happy with them is a good start you have to have confidence in your doctor! Listen to your body if you have any concerns get seen asap! The doctor may have thought that your body is coping well enough not to need any intervention at this point but if thats what they thought they should have communicated better with you! Hope you find more support with your new doctor! take care x

ShanMac - 30 days ago.
I hope someone can help. I just came back from my first u/s this morning, I'm so upset. According to my LMP, today I should have been 9 weeks 5 days pregnant. At my u/s, the tech only saw a normal yolk sac and said I was 6 weeks, 5 days. I'm really concerned that the baby isn't developing normally. I have a normal 28 day cycle, I eat well and exercise regularly. I've had minimal pregnancy symptoms. Mostly extreme tiredness, sore boobs, moody and some nausea. But the symptoms aren't as bad as they were 2 weeks ago. I'm so worried that something is wrong. I have to go for another u/s in 10 days. That seems so far away. I hope someone has some good perspective on this.

jessicab83 - 49 days ago.
I am having a hard time with my OB. I had an ultrasound at 19 weeks and when I got home and looked at my pictures I can see a foot above my baby's face. Twins run in both side of mine and my fiancee's sides of the family. When I brought this to my OB's attention he told me that ultrasound pictures mean nothing. I have the ultrasound attached to the pictures on my page if anyone can help me by taking a look and letting me know what you think it would be great. Thank you for your help I really need it. Jessica Barnett

KWilcox - 49 days ago.
I go for my u/s in 2 days. Yes on Christmas Eve. Besides Orange Juice to get a aby to move alot and perhaps show gender eventually, does anyone have any ideas that re natural, and safe?

Chazoos - 67 days ago.
I know.. I'm starting to think my doctor just can't be bothered to deal with me.. she's trying to send me to a Shared Carer instead of seeing her.. I had a blood test done 3 weeks ago and I still haven't gotten the results.. (Changing doctor) !

lea - 68 days ago.
Hi To all USA mums around the San Francisco area. I am british but will be in San Fran for 3 weeks covering my 12 week scan time! can anyone recommend a private company I can goto to get my scan? I cannot find any information on companys via the net? Please could you respond on my page as I always miss messages as I dont get to view this site regularly. thanks mums!

babycake - 69 days ago.
Chazoos - yes they should keep an eye on you

Chazoos - 72 days ago.
What's the point if no one will answer your questions?

Chazoos - 73 days ago.
I recently had my u/s at 12w 6d. Everything was alright, but Im a bit concerned about my doctor.. she doesnt seem to be helping me in the best of times.. I was told by a close friend of mine (who happens to be a nurse) My next scheduled u/s should be 20w and no later then 22w.. my doctor tells me I can't go in til 26w! In my last u/s they found that I have hydronephrosis of the right kidney (meaning its just larger then the other kidney) left kidney is perfect.. shouldn't they be monitoring me closer? I think this doctor just wanted me to get out of the way for the day..

Jenny-May - 103 days ago.
Urgh! Watching that little one is makin me understand why im constantly throwing up! haha xx

babywebster - 106 days ago.
This will be my second baby I have an almost 5 year old boy. I have had 5 m/c since my son, the dr says i am 9 weeks and 1 day prego. I thought I was only like 5 weeks or so due to i spoted on sep 21st. The dr has me going in for a ultrasound tomorrow and i am hoping i am 9 weeks cause of all the m/c's. Also I wanted to know if anyone else feels like they feel the baby at 9 weeks cause i feel that way. i feel this weired feeling through out the day and i feel so different then when i was having my son.

JustinsGurl - 111 days ago.
I need help! I am in my 15 week of my first pregnancy and have yet to have an ultrasound or hear my babies heart beat! I am a little freaked out as I am also lossing a large amount of weight, my belly is not growing, and have yet to feel any movement.........is this normal??

manda-may - 121 days ago.
Bianca the ultra sound technician got it right with my twin boys. She even put little arrows on the pictures all pointing at their tiny willies! Just in case we didn't know what we were looking for on the pictures. It was very funny! You could definitely tell that they were boys from the position they were in, and unless they each had 3 legs, they were absolutely 100% boys! You can see my pics on my page if you like! lol.

Little Rickys Mom - 122 days ago.
LOL... Lorna J.... My daughter looked like she had a squish face... sometimes it is just how they are positioned in the womb.. :-) As long as the Ultrasound tech didnt seem concerned I'm sure every thing is fine with baby. As for Ultrasounds being wrong? They say that it all depends on the ultrasound tech's experience, and position, and many other factors can give false guesses... And that is all it really is, an educated guess. I was told that my 8 year old daughter was 'probably' a boy. They didnt give me another ultrasound to confirm this. Well, we bought all boy stuff, and she was a girl. :-) To this day she is a trickster. I guess the only way we know for sure is on Delivery Day....

biancaispreggo - 122 days ago.
Just wondering if anyone has had ultrasounds before which predicited a certain gender and it turned out to be different at birth? i've been hearing alot of stories of ultrasounds predicting a girl and it turns out to be a boy!! lol

LornaJ - 124 days ago.
My baby looks like she has a huge upper lip in her 2D ultrasound and now I am freaking out! Has anyone else experienced this?

pattys - 138 days ago.
Hi Everyone...I'm just curious to know how many ultrasounds one gets during a normal pregnancy or does it vary by your Doctor? Thanks!

Jcombs - 162 days ago.
I had an u/s at 6 weeks and will have my 10 week u/s in the morning. If my baby is this active O Boy I can only imagine how active it will be when its born.

Beautifulash - 162 days ago.
i got a sono last week for the first time in this pregnancy and im 10 weeks...i was so happy to see that my lil one is doing fine im so excited this is my second lil baby and im so happy that my almost 2 year old son is going to have a little brother or sister!!!

Beautifulash - 162 days ago.
i got a sono last week for the first time in this pregnancy and im 10 weeks...i was so happy to see that my lil one is doing fine im so excited this is my second lil baby and im so happy that my almost 2 year old son is going to have a little brother or sister!!!

ddcpmum210 - 167 days ago.
Hi ladies. I am supposedly 16 weeks preg. and i still haven't had an ultrasound. is that a bad thing and should i press to get one? i don't have any insurance and im going to see a nurse on the 11th. do you think they will give me one, or even a doppler?